Moran Taing

Many thanks to Kris Satterwhite for knocking herself out doing up baskets and baked goods for the Highland Tea with Diana Gabaldon.

Thanks also to Michael Satterwhite, Dani McGruer, Nicki Keesee, Barbara O’Lone and Richard McKenzie for baking, piping, tending

bar and selling raffle tickets as well as other jobs. Your participation is what makes events successful. Thanks to Stephen Riggs, Dani

McGruer, Nicki Keesee and Nancy McPherson for preparing stuff for Tartan Day. Our Tartan Day event turned into a lovely social hour,

what a nice surprise! Huge thanks to Michael Satterwhite and Richard Ferguson for spending so much time and effort in organizing the

Gaelic Immersion weekend!!! It was a rare opportunity to be able to partner in an event of this caliber.

MEETING NIGHT CHANGED FOR MAY!

The May meeting has been changed to May 15. It will still be at the Adult Center from 6 to 8. Come check out the planning for the

festival and other events. Make your voice be heard! We love new ideas!!!

4th of July Parade

We are looking for anyone who is willing to participate in the 4th of July Parade! The parade is the last big push to advertise the

festival and it’s a darn good time. The details are just forming now but it looks as though we will need people for the parade at around

8am and expect to be finished about 11 or noon. There may be plans for our usual barbeque too. If you are interested in participating

…please call Jude at 928-556-3161.

Volunteers Needed!

The 15th annual Arizona Highland Celtic Festival is coming soon and we need some great volunteers. If you have some time you would

like to share anytime from July 19 through July 23 please call our volunteer hotline at 928-853-9499. We have all manner of jobs and it

might just be the most fun you’ve ever had!

Movie Review

Just watched a silly British movie called Assassin in Love. This movie is

set in modern times about a hit man who gets out of the business by “

hiding” in a tiny Welsh village as the village baker. The comedy begins when people get the idea he is a hired killer and believe he will kill with

his cakes. Great accents, scenery and spoof on village life.

May newsletter stuff

May 7th Gaelic Class, Thorpe Park Adult Center, 6.30

May 14th Gaelic Class,Thorpe Park Adult Center, 6:30

May 15th NACHS meeting, Thorpe Park Adult Center, 6:00

Mat 21st Gaelic clas, Thorpe Park Adult Center, 6:30

May 28th Gaelic Class, Thorpe Park Adult Center,6:30

Learn Gaelic!

Richard Ferguson continues to teach a weekly conversational Scottish Gaelic class for beginning and

intermediate speakers, using the Teach Yourself Gaelic materials. In the classes, students can also pick

up Scottish cultural and historical information! Best of all, the classes are FREE! Join Richard Mondays,

6:30-8:00pm at the Flagstaff Adult Center, 245 Thorpe Rd.

Knockabouts in concert at the Irish Culture CenterJune 2nd

The Knockabouts will be presenting a concert at the Irish Culture Center in Phoenix

on June 2nd. The Knockabouts will be performing a concert of mostly Scottish

music and gives the band an opportunity to perform some of thier more "relaxed"

music. Contact the ICC for ticket information. 602-258-0109 or John McGregor at

928-814-2480. You can also get more info by visit wwwknockabouts.org

Silent Auction

We have a few silent auction items left from events that are time sensitive. I am taking any reasonable offer

for these items!!! If you are interested please call Jude after May 6th at 928-556-3161.

Teeth Whitening by Dr. Benjamin Stark…$350 value

Hair Cut Certificate from Julie at The Shop…$40 value

1 Chiropractic exam and adjustment from Robert Perry or Bruce Lee…$45 value

1 Chiropractic exam and adjustment plus ! hour massage from Robert Perry or Bruce Lee and Rebecca

Cooke…$70 value

1 hour massage from Rebecca Cooke…$60 value

This June 2003 article by The Virtual Visitor might inspire some readers to visit Yosemite National Park and

the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir on their upcoming summer vacation:

Today I am standing mid-span on O!Shaughnessy Dam at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National

Park. On the west side, over 400 feet below, is the Tuolumne River; to the east is an eight-mile, 120 billion

gallon water supply for the City of San Francisco. Park Ranger Keith Andrews is explaining the parallel roles

played by two famous men in the controversial creation of the dam.

John Muir is born in Dunbar, Scotland in 1838 and emigrates to the U.S. in 1849. Muir becomes a noted

naturalist, preservationist, and the first president of the Sierra Club.

Michael Maurice O!Shaughnessy is born in Limerick, Ireland in 1864. He becomes a noted engineer and

builder of public works projects including dams, tunnels, and aqueducts.

In 1871, Muir makes his first trek into Hetch Hetchy. This magnificent area, known as “the other Yosemite”,

is located on the western edge of Yosemite National Park. He is enthralled by the abundant waterfalls

(Tueeulala and Wapama Falls are both over 1000 feet tall), the rock domes and sheer cliffs, reminiscent of

Half Dome and El Capitan, in Yosemite.

In 1882, the City of San Francisco, 160 miles to the west, begins searching for inexpensive, abundant water

to serve its growing population. The valley of Hetch Hetchy is in the city!s sights.

In 1890, the U. S. Government creates Yosemite National Park, including Hetch Hetchy. In this same year,

San Francisco Mayor James Phelan proposes damming the valley to create a reserv

oir for his city.

Bitter political battles ensue for the next 23 years, pitting the needs of millions of people and a growing

metropolitan area against the pristine beauty of a remote natural paradise. One of John Muir!s most famous

quotes comes during this period: that to dam Hetch Hetchy one “ … may as well dam for water-tanks the

peoples! cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man”. In

1913 President Woodrow Wilson signs the bill allowing for the creation of a dam. In 1914 Michael O

!Shaughnessy is appointed Chief Engineer for the construction of the entire complex. John Muir dies in

December of that year

In 1923, at a cost of 68 people, 100 million dollars, 390,000 cubic yards of concrete, and six million board

feet of lumber, the project is completed. The dam is named for Michael Maurice O!Shaughnessy, along with

a boulevard and sea wall in San Francisco.

Note: the road from Yosemite to Hetch Hetchy is via a safe, paved, well-

mahttp://sn105w.snt105.mail.live.com/att/GetAttachment.aspx?tnail=5&messageId=267d0128-9215-11e1--

a452-00215ad7359c&Aux=10|0|8CEF43910E86EC0||0|0|0|0||&maxwidth=220&maxheight=160&size=Att&-

blob=M3xIZWNoIEhlY2h5IE8nU2hhdW5lc3NleSBEYW0uanBnfGltYWdlL2pwZWc_3dintained road that

leads right to O!Shaughnessy Dam. There is adequate, free parking along with hiking and walking paths.

July 17-19, 2012 NAU Campus

Instruction by Bua with

Randy Gosa Instruction in: Fiddle Flute Whistle Bodhran

Guitar Singing Dancing

www.GrandCanyonCelticArts.org

Upcoming Concerts Contact Kari at Kari@LivingtraditionsPresentations.com

June 10, 2012 - 8:00pm Claire Mann & Aaron Jones Coconino Center for the Arts

July 19, 2012 - 7:30pm

Bua Venue TBA

September 20, 2012

Full Set – 7:30pm Coconino Center for the Arts

October 20, 2012 The Tannahill Weavers – 8:00pm Coconino Center for the Arts

www.LivingTraditionsPresentations.com

Soar into Spring

Kite Festival

Saturday, May 12th

Foxglenn Park (4200 E Butler)

12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

928-213-2300 www.flagstaff.az.gov/recreation

Flagstaff Recreation Services presents:

Free: Kite flying

Arts and crafts Library Activities Bubble carnival Active games Face painting

Balloon Animals Carnival Games

All day $3.00 wristband:

Bounce Houses Kiddie Caboose

Interesting facts about the ancient Celts

Land, People & Language

# Celtic culture, and most probably also language, originated in central Europe, around the

Alps. The earliest major Celtic settlement was found in Hallstatt, Upper Austria. It dates from

1200 BCE. Austria, Switzerland, Southern Germany can be seen as the "Celtic homeland".

# Celtic culture spread to most of Western Europe (France, Belgium, Spain, Britain, Ireland),

Bohemia and the Danube valley between 600 and 400 BCE. People in those areas spoke a

similar language, shared a same religion, similar traditions and beliefs, the same arts and

techniques...

# There were some minor regional differences between Celtic people. For example, houses in

Britain and Ireland were typically round, while those in Gaul were rectangular.

# The term "Celt" comes from Greek Keltoi or Galatae (Galatian), and Latin Celtae or Galli

(Gaul). We do not known how thet called themselves, but it is likely to have been a word in

between those, maybe resembling the modern word "Gael".

# Though the Celts did not have their own writing system, Celtic-language inscriptions in Latin

or Greek alphabets have been found on Celtic sites.

# Contrarily to popular beliefs, Celtic languages were still spoken after the Roman conquest.

Saint Jerome (347-420) notes that the language of the Anatolian Galatians in his day was still

very similar to the language of the Treveri (from the region of Trier and the border of Germany

and Luxembourg).

# Celtic languages progressively disappeared during the Middle Ages. They only survived in

Brittany, Corwall, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and for a time also in Galacia (north-western

Spain). Today, only a minority of people can still speak Celtic/Gaelic languages, and they are

mostly confined to Wales, Brittany and western Ireland.

# Genetic studies have found no common link between the people living in the regions

erstwhile belonging the the Celtic culture. This would mean that there hasn't been major waves

of migrations from the Alps following the spread of Celtic culture. In other words there is no

such thing as a Celtic ethnicity. Nevertheless, most of the ancient Celts must have belonged to

the Y-DNA haplogroup R1b1c.

Directory of Celtic Arts

For Lessons:

Bodhran

Ron Barton: 928.774.7261

Fiddle & Irish Dance

Kari Barton: 928.600.1365

Irish Whistle

John McGregor 928.814.2480

Flute

Jacquie McGregor 928.814.2480

For Performance:

Bagpipers

Jude McKenzie 928.556.3161

The Knockabouts

John McGregor 928.814.2480