Dear JASV Members

and Community Members,

Happy New Year!!!

Time and tide wait for no man and woman! The year of 2024 has closed and the year of 2025 started. The year of 2025 is the year of Snake in Japanese calendar, which originally came from China. It is said that individuals born under the Snake year are often associated with characteristics like wisdom, charm, and strong intuition. They usually think things thoroughly, prefer to keep things private, and are really good at understanding and caring about others (Internet.)

(Toshi's Pottery)

We will have the first event of this year, Shinnen-Kai (New Year Potluck Party), at the usual Clubhouse in Ridgewood, South Burlington on Saturday, Jan 25 from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm with the following schedule. Please join us and enjoy it!!!

3:00 pm -- 3:30 pm : Japanese songs sung by non-Japanese

- Betsy & Chris : American

- Rosanna: Italian

- Daniele : French

- Nataliya : Ukrainian

3:30 pm -- 4:30 pm : Ms Solveig Overby will talk about her father who

dedicated his life for peace, particularly related Japanese

Constitution Article 9. She has many Japanese books owned

and read by her father and now she would like to donate

them to us. (She will bring the books with her.)

4:30 pm -- 5:30 pm: Enjoy the food the people brought and improve

communication between us.

5:30 pm -- 6:30 pm: JASV Commendation Delivery

- Kazuko Suzuki-sensei: Congratulate her AATJ Teacher

Award and thank her contribution to JASV

- Steve Gorman : JASV Website was broken. As the webmaster

Steve worked very hard and main subjects were recovered.

We still need more work.

- Brigitte Gagnon: She performed Kamishibai at

Matsuri, but the display TV stopped working. Her

presentation was spoiled. She will try again today!

6:30 pm -- 7:00 pm : Kamishibai presentation by Brigitte. (Momotaro)

7:00 pm -- 8:00 pm : (Continuation of 3:30 pm) Toshi's presentation---

Photos of Ukraine and Belarus plus Video taken by Toshi

before the war started.

There was Ikebana (Japanese style flower arrangement) workshop request, but we will postpone it to the Spring gathering. Sorry for this change!

JASV