|
|
News
20th Anniversary of Sister-City Partnership
By Dianne Sudbrock – Reprinted with permission from The Boone Country Connection
A group of 25 visitors from Germany arrived Monday, August 11 in New Melle to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Sister-City partnership between Melle, Germany and New Melle, Missouri. Their tour bus was escorted from Wentzville into New Melle by New Melle Police Chief Aaron Burkemper and Officer Terry Calahan. It arrived at Friedens United Church of Christ about 6:30 p.m.
The arrival of the tour bus in New Melle marked the last leg of a week long visit in the United States. The Germans had arrived in New York on Friday, August 8. Part of the group came by boat, aboard the Queen Mary 2, retracing the route of the original German Immigrants who settled here in the 1800s. In New York, they were joined by the Bürgermeister (Mayor) of Melle, Germany, Dr. André Berghegger and his wife, Maike (Mi-ca), journalists Jürgen Krämer and others who arrived by plane.
At the reception, a number of presentations were made. New Melle Mayor Jan Muskopf, presented a Key to the City of New Melle to Burgermeister André Berghegger. St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann read a proclamation from the County honoring the partnership between to the two cities. Ehlmann congratulated both cities and commented that he wished all the cities in St. Charles County got along as well as Melle and New Melle.
Dr. Walter D. Kamphoefner read, and translated in German, a proclamation from the Missouri House of Representatives honoring the partnership, and particularly Alberta Toedebusch for her role in getting it started. Dr. Kamphoefner is a Professor of History and Graduate Coordinator at Texas A&M University. He specializes in 19th-century U.S. and American Immigration and has written several books on the topic.
Burgermeister Berghegger presented a painting of the Melle skyline to Bryan Ulmansiek, President of the New Melle-Melle Friendship Society, and shared some information about his city. Melle, Germany has a population of about 48,000. He said it is a cosmopolitan city, with 13 sister-city partnerships worldwide. He mentioned that Melle has a strong economy with emphasis on the furniture and chemical industries, and good social services, including a new Christian Hospital currently under construction. Burgermeister Berghegger said this was his first visit to the United States and that he was very honored to be in New Melle. He said, looking at the “very lovely countryside”, he could understand why our forefathers decided to settle here when they came to America, and he thanked the Friendship Society for inviting him to be part of this celebration.
The evening concluded with a presentation of circa 1800s clothing and linens from the Germans to the New Melle Friendship Society and the Boone Duden Historical Society. The items were beautifully preserved and presented by Elizabeth Benne who is president of a local costume organization in Melle. The donated items included women’s, men’s and infant clothing, embroidered wall hangings, kitchen towels and other woven fabrics.
These items will be housed and displayed in the Boone Duden Historical Society Museum in New Melle.
Medical Clinic to Open in New Melle
By Dianne Sudbrock – Reprinted with permission from The Boone Country Connection
January, 2006: Dr. Aziz Doumit, M.D. and his wife, Mandy Doumit, BSN, MS, have announced plans to open a “walk-in” clinic in New Melle. If all goes as planned with equipment, plumbing installation, and other details, they hope to open February 1, 2006 in the upper level of the New Melle Towne Square. Joining Dr. and Mrs. Doumit in staffing the clinic will be Dr. Sherri Dobner, D.O. All are local residents of the New Melle area.
Dr. and Mrs. Doumit have lived near New Melle since 1994. Both have extensive experience in Emergency Room (ER) and Urgent Care medicine. Dr. Doumit is a Board Certified ER physician and heads a group of physicians who staff emergency rooms and urgent care facilities affiliated with St. John’s Mercy Medical Center. From 1997 – 1999, Dr. Doumit managed the trauma center at the former Doctors/Crossroads Regional Hospital in Wentzville. During his tenure the facility became a recognized trauma center in the state of Missouri and he was voted Missouri EMS Physician of the Year by Missouri Paramedics.
Dr. Doumit was born in the country of Lebanon. He is half Lebanese and half German. He attended college at St. Louis University and medical school at Washington University. He interned at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Both he and his wife hold Master’s Degrees in Health Administration.
Dr. Sherri Dobner attended Chicago Osteopathic School of Medicine and has lived with her family in the New Melle area for the last 10 years. She has worked with Dr. Aziz at several institutions during the past seven years, including Doctors/Crossroads Hospital in Wentzville and St. John’s Mercy.
Dr. Doumit said his goal for the New Melle Clinic is to provide an urgent care type facility for “walk-in” patients. Rather than being limited to specific insurance networks, the clinic will charge a flat fee comparable to most urgent care network patient co-pays – perhaps $65 per visit. Any additional expenses, such as sutures/bandages, Xrays, etc. will be charged “at cost.” The goal is to provide local medical services to everyone, regardless of insurance, for a reasonable price.
Dr. Doumit also plans to offer occupational (work related) medical services for small businesses. He said he would like the clinic to someday team up with a pharmacist and possibly offer other alternative medical programs or services. He said, “This is an experiment. There are many possibilities, we’ll just have to see how things go and how the community responds.”
Dr. Doumit said he believes physicians should be involved in the community. His volunteer activities include being a medical advisor for the Wentzville School District, conducting exercise programs for area firefighters, and teaching trauma classes at Washington University. He hopes to eventually offer free health seminars at the New Melle Clinic. He also plans to write a preventative medical column for the Boone Country Connection, which is something he did for a local paper while he was on staff at the hospital in Wentzville.
Dr. and Mrs. Doumit have three children, ages 14, 12 and 5. All have been, or are currently being home schooled. The Doumits are animal lovers and are well known in their immediate neighborhood for their animal rescue efforts. The family also does what it can to protect the environment. They have their own greenhouse, use wind and solar energy as power sources, and Dr. Doumit makes his own biodiesel for his truck. Dr. Doumit also loves to cook and ran his own restaurant while in college, where he was voted Collegiate Entrepreneur of the Year.
Dr. Doumit said he is very excited to be teaming up with Dr. Dobner and feels they will complement each other very well. He is male, she is female. He is an M.D., she is D.O. Her skills will add variety to the clinic and to the range of services available. Dr. and Mrs. Doumit, and Dr. Dobner are all looking forward to working in the community in which they live. All share a similar philosophy of treating patients like they treat their own family members.
More information, including hours of operation, will be published in the February issue of the Boone Country Connection.
Immigrant Statue
By Dianne Sudbrock
October 22, 2005
On Saturday, October 22, 2005 history was made in New Melle, Missouri as the immigrant statue New Hopes, New Dreams, New Melle was dedicated. The dedication ceremony paid tribute to the immigrants who bravely left their homeland and settled in New Melle over 160 years ago; the individuals who founded and maintain the sister-city partnership between New Melle and Melle, Germany which has flourished since its inception in 1988; and the contributions of all who helped make the statue a reality.
During the ceremony, New Melle Mayor, Joe Noelkemper, read and presented a proclamation from the City of New Melle to Burgermeister (Mayor) Josef Stock of Melle, Germany. The proclamation recognized and welcomed the various honored guests; the historical significance of the statue; the sculptor Johann Janikowski, and the dedication of JoAnn Hammel and New Melle-Melle Friendship Society for bringing the statue to New Melle. The proclamation declared Oct. 22 an annual “Celebrate New Hopes, New Dreams, New Melle” day.
Missouri State Representative Kevin Threlkeld and Missouri State Senator Jon Dolan brought official greetings from the Governor and presented a resolution to the New Melle Friendship Society. He then introduced Mr. Lansing Hecker, the German Honorary Consul for Missouri and Southern Illinois, and Mr. Wolfgang Drautz, the Consul General from the Chicago Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany.
In his address to the audience, Mr. Drautz thanked all who made this day possible, starting with the fundraisers, “because without funds you get nothing.” He talked about the German emigration to the U.S. which started with 30 German Mennonite families who settled in Philadelphia in 1683. Between 1820 and 1925 about 6,000,000 Germans came to the U.S. The German immigrants blended quickly into the cultural tapestry of the U.S and became loyal citizens. Mr. Drautz said “Today, about 1/3 of the population of the Midwest has German ancestry.” Then he asked some provocative questions, “Could I address you today in German, the language of your grandparents? Could you, the German Americans, answer simple questions about the Germany of today?
Mr. Drautz urged Americans of German ancestry to serve a dual role: maintain our cultural heritage by honoring the past; but also serve as a bridge of understanding for the future. He said the bridge has a strong foundation in the common values we share and the friendships that have been formed, but that relationships need to be nurtured. He urged the Friendship Society to sponsor exchange student programs.
JoAnn Hammel, president of the New Melle-Melle Friendship Society reiterated that goal, saying, “We need people on people to understand each culture and learn to love each others culture, and to know our background, no matter what the nationality.”
Hammel explained when the idea for a statue first crossed her mind. Back in 1988, Alberta Toedebusch, founder of the Friendship Society, asked JoAnn and her husband, Bob, to be a host family for some of the visitors coming to New Melle for the signing of the sister city partnership agreement. Their guests were Wilhem and Christiane Röper. JoAnn said from the beginning, it was a good match and the four have become close friends. That first evening, Wilhelm explained that he was a water engineer and showed the Hammels a picture of the fountain he designed which sits below the sister city statue in Melle. (Melle has 14 sister city partnership worldwide.) When she saw the picture, JoAnn said her immediate thought was, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have something similar in New Melle?”
JoAnn said, “Projects like this tend to take on a life of their own.” She downplayed her contribution, saying she is simply a vehicle, put in this place to get this job done. During the ceremony, she acknowledged the German delegation — nine members of the Melle Freunderkreis who traveled here from Melle, Germany specifically for the dedication. She then introduced and applauded members of the Melle-New Melle Friendship Society (a group of only about 40 members) and thanked them for their support, as well as everyone else who has contributed to and supported the statue.
When Burgermeister Josef Stock addressed the audience, he said, “This is a great day for the German American Friendship between New Melle and Melle.” The immigration memorial is a symbol for the memory of the immigrants, of the gratitude of Germany to Americans who fought for human rights and freedom after the second world war; and a symbol of encouragement for the future. He said, “Europe and America, Germany and America, draw from the same source: liberty, human dignity and democracy.”
Burgermeister Stock said the following years will set great challenges for our countries our same goal to fight violence and terror and secure peace. “I am thankful that the American German circle of friends has devoted itself to these goals in such an impressive way. The memorial is an external symbol for this close and personal friendship.” He presented a framed document to the Friendship Society, with the message inscribed in both German and English. The document acknowledges the German American friendship that began after WWII, how America has always helped Germany and Europe in times of crisis, and attributes the fact that Berlin is the capital of a re-unified Germany to the readiness of the Americans to stand in for the freedom of the people.
Wilhelm Röper, President the Melle Freundeskreis (which means “circle of friends”) spoke about how our Declaration of Independence talks about “striving for happiness.” He said, “Today we are happy! We are happy and grateful that we from old Melle can be part of this historic moment in New Melle.” Mr. Röper explained that during the New Melle Friendship Society’s visit to Melle in Sept. 2002, they met several times with the artist. “At that time, the dollar was strong and the Euro was weak, so Mr. Janikowski’s offer was acceptable.” But later fluctuations in currency caused the dollar to become weak. He said, “An acceptable offer changed into an expensive adventure.”
Röper said, “We say, ‘Where is there is a will, there is a way.’ We know JoAnn. She had the will, and together with her husband, Bob, and friends from the group and other helpful people, the way was found.” Roper talked about Alberta and Frank Toedebusch, and Bill Schiermeier, and other who founded the sister city partnership. He remarked, “How many unforgettable and wonderful moments have come out of this fountain of friendship!”
During their visits, the Germans have always tried to see a different part of the U.S. Röper said, “Two highlights were the dinner in 1991 in the highest restaurant in the world, overlooking the roofs of Manhattan from the World Trade Center; and second, our visit to New Orleans at Easter, 1997. Both wonderful places are destroyed — the World Trade Center and thousands of people by the hands of terrorists, and the town of New Orleans by the power of nature.” He said, “You gave this statue the name, ‘New Hopes, New Dreams, New Melle.’ In this context you surely thought of the early settlers feelings, lives and dreams. But also for us today, and our future, this name has an important meaning and message. Let us work together towards the dream that this world can live in peace…and let us hope that it becomes true…May this statue in New Melle and her sister in old Melle always remind us of the friendship and the wonderful days of common experience and happiness. And for the world, ‘Strive to be happy!’”
The dedication ceremony concluded with a few closing remarks by JoAnn Hammel, then she and Wilhelm Roper hung a wreath at the base of the statue as Mike Flandermeyer played a trumpet solo. After the ceremony, The New Melle Chamber of Commerce hosted a dessert reception at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church. Later in the evening, The Friendship Society and their guests from Germany enjoyed dinner at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Cappeln.
Some facts about Melle, Gemany: Melle lies in lower Saxony. It has 48,000 citizens, with 18, 000 living in the center of the city, and 7 districts with between 3000 and 5000 citizens. Melle is a city of economic strength, with many jobs in furniture and industry. Melle is a social and cosmopolitan city. A new hospital is under construction, and the city has 14 partnership cities worldwide. The partnership with New Melle is particularly active thanks to strong circle of friends.
Officials by the statue:
Missouri State Senator Jon Dolan, Joe Nolkemper-Mayor of New Melle, St. Charles County Director of Administration Steve Ehlmann, Burgermeister Josef Stock (Mayor of Melle, Germany), Missouri State Representative Kevin Threlkeld, JoAnn Hammel - President of the Melle-New Melle Friendship Society holding a plaque presented by Burgermeister Stock, Lansing Hecker - German Honorary Consul for Missouri and Southern Illinois, Wolfgang Drautz - Consul General from the Chicago Consulate of the Federal Republic of Germany, Tom Johnson - President of the New Melle Chamber of Commerce and emcee for the event, Friedl Geissert - German born American Citizen who sang the German and American National Anthems during the ceremony, Rev. Michael Piper of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and Wilhelm Röper, President of the German Freundesdreis (friendship society). Photo courtesy of Jurgen Kraemer - Journalist for the "Meller Kreisblatt" (a Melle newspaper).
German Group at
Statue:
Attending the Dedication were several guests from the German Fruendeskreis (friendship society) as well as the Mayor of Melle and a journalist from the "Meller Kreisblatt" (a Melle newspaper.) Pictured (L-R) are: Gunter Oberschmidt, Burgermeister Josef Stock (Mayor of Melle), Manfred Röper, Hedda Oberschmidt, JoAnn Hammel (President of the New Melle-Melle Friendship Society) Jurgen Kraemer (journalist), Giesela Röper, Barbel Thoms, Brigetta Klein,Christiane Röper and Wilhelm Röper (president of the German Fruendeskreis.)
Burgermeister Josef Stock with New Melle Police Chief Aaron Burkemper and New Melle Mayor Joe Noelkemper
JoAnn Hammel, President of the New Melle-Melle Friendship Society
addressed a crowd of about 300 who attended the dedication ceremony.
Wilhelm Roeper, President of the Freundeskreis Melle (Melle's friendship society) and JoAnn Hammel, President of the Melle-New Melle Friendship Society pause after hanging a wreath at the base of the statue.
Facts About Melle, Germany:
Burgermeister Josef Stock shared a the following information about Melle, Gemany:
Melle lies in lower Saxony, in the northern part of Germany between the forest
of Wiehangebirge and the Teutoburger Wald. It has 48,000 citizens, with 18, 000
living in the center of the city, and 7 districts with between 3000 and 5000
citizens each. Melle is a city of economic strength, with many jobs in furniture
and industry. Melle is a cosmopolitan city. A new hospital is under
construction, and the city has sister city partnerships with 14 cities
worldwide. The partnership with New Melle is particularly active thanks to
strong "circle of friends."
Fundraising and Membership: Due to currency fluctuations that worked against the
U.S. Dollar, the statue is not yet paid for. Fundraising continues through the
sale of engraved bricks and bronze plaques. The New Melle-Melle Friendship
Society has also published a souvenir booklet which features information about
the statue, the Friendship Society and partnership agreement, and historical
information on New Melle. Copies are available for $3 each. To order a brick,
plaque or booklet, contact JoAnn Hammel at 636-398-5952. The society is also
solicitiing new members to join the group. If you are interested in building new
friendships and preserving the ties that exist between old Melle and New Melle,
please consider joining the Friendship Society. For info call 636-398-5952.
Copyright © 2005-2010 City of New Melle. All rights reserved.