Lee High School French teacher Denise Southwick and students who traveled with her to France last month presented a special gift from Mayor Regis Ligier of Maîche, France to Mayor Carolyn Dull at Thursday’s Staunton City Council meeting.
This was the fifth group trip to Maîche led by Mme Southwick who was recently named Lee High Teacher of the Year for 2015-16. Lee students were able to put their classroom studies to practical use as they stayed in the homes of French families and attended classes at the Mont-Miroir school in Maîche whose students had visited Staunton in May 2014.
During a welcome reception for the Staunton group at Maîche City Hall, Mayor Ligier gave Mme Southwick the Medal of the City of Maîche to present to the Mayor of Staunton on his behalf.
Residents of Staunton and Maîche have enjoyed a special relationship since 2004, when Staunton’s Al Hamilton Community Choir along with Mary Baldwin College’s Anointed Voices of Praise, and several Virginia soloists traveled to Maîche for a series of concerts with French gospel singers. Mayor Ligier’s mother was president of the French Gospel choir at that time.
A Resolution of Friendship with Maîche was signed by Staunton Mayor John Avoli in July 2005.
Over the years the French American Gospel Choir has performed throughout Virginia, Switzerland and France.
Maîche connections to the current Staunton City Council include Vice Mayor Ophie Kier, who has sung with the French American Gospel Choir in Staunton with choir members from Maîche. Councilman Jim Harrington has played music in Staunton with French musicians who live near Maîche, and many visitors from Maîche have dined at Councilman Terry Holmes’ Mill Street Grill.
Honorary Mayor of Staunton Thomas Johnson, Jr. and his wife, Dolly Troutman, traveled to Maîche in 2010 with the French American Gospel Choir.
Deceased former council member Rita Wilson was a great supporter of and participant in Staunton–Maîche exchanges.
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Chris Graham
