Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA)

Coffee farmer Enrique Colmenarez arrived in Dane County on March 25 and spent a busy week meeting people, doing interviews, and giving presentations about Dane County's sister county in Venezuela: Andres Eloy Blanco.

Visits include local government, the UW Center for Cooperatives, Just Coffee cooperative, the Dane County Farmer's Market, Drumlin Farm, a tour of area farms with Family Farm Defenders, UW Latin American studies program, and a few radio interviews. Mr. Colmenarez gave presentations on campus, at a local coffee shop.

The trip served partly as a fact-finding trip to see what interests and expertise we have here in Dane County that might be interesting to share. Mr. Colmenarez identified a few areas where Dane County citizens have expertise that might be helpful in Andres Eloy Blanco, such as soil and water quality, farmer's markets, promoting buying locally, and improving coffee production.

Now DASA will begin discussion of how we might further this people-to-people relationship by having Dane County residents visit the country of Andres Eloy Blanco in Venezuela. Stay tuned.

From March 25th to April 1st, Mr. Enrique Colmenárez will visit Dane County as part of the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco sistering relationship.

Tuesday, February 17th
sponsored by the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance and CALA
Dane County - Venezuela Sister County Meeting
6 pm - Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative - 431 W. Gilman St
Working to build solidarity and understanding with the people of Venezuela, the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA) will meet to plan the upcoming visit of a Venezuelan delegate to Dane County as well our summer delegation to Venezuela.

Our regular meetings are on the first and third Tuesdays at 5pm at Michelangelo's, 114 State St. in Madison. The next meetings are 10/7 and 10/21, 11/4 and 11/18.

Hi everyone
The next DASA meeting is the 3d Tuesday, that being next TUesday, 9/16.

The regularly scheduled time is 5:00 and the regularly scheduled
place is Michelangelo's coffeeshop on State.

DASA received a small shipment of coffee donated by the coffee cooperatives in the Andres Eloy Blanco region. Just Coffee has roasted it up for us.

For more information or to order coffee, contact coffee@dane-andres.org.

Our next meeting is at Michelangelo's Coffee House (114 State St.) on Thursday, August 7, 2008. Please come join us; all are welcome!

Friday, August 8th

presented by Centro Hispano de Dane County, Community Action on Latin America (CALA), Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA) and Just Coffee

La Peña :Celebrating Latin American Culture!
5-8 pm at Centro Hispano 810 W. Badger Rd.
Free! For the whole family.

Come join us for a community gathering with the music of: Sonidos Suaves, Grupo Rubalcava and Son Mudanza, performing Latin American nueva trova, nueva cancion and bolero songs. Mexican pastries and Venezuelan coffee from Andres Eloy Blanco, our new sister county provided by Just Coffee and the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA)