Annual Review — 2015

April, 2016

Dear Members and Supporters of TILTS!

This is a review of our activity in 2015, along with information about upcoming projects.

In discussing the work of TILTS one cannot avoid reflecting on the changes over the years. When Latvia was behind the Iron Curtain, all of our events were with artists who lived in the West—who had either left Latvia during World War II or had been born and educated on this side. The original exiles filled the halls and covered the costs of concerts and theatre performances. Latvia existed in our memories and dreams, but it was beyond reach.

TILTS was one of the first organizations with the courage to initiate contacts with artists and officials in Latvia before the restoration of independence. Now contacts with Latvia are essential to the work of TILTS—almost all of our programs are with actors and musicians from Latvia. The main reason for this is that the artists who left Latvia during the war have now, after 70 years, passed away and there are few born here who can take their place.

Besides this cultural dependence, our relations with Latvia now are also financial. These financial contacts began in the late 1980s, during the so-called “Awakening” period, and continued through the first years of Latvia’s renewed independence, when TILTS donated to the Latvian Culture Fund a printing press and three shipping containers of books, provided Latvian schools with computers, assisted young people with scholarships and in other ways supported cultural recovery in Latvia. Total expenditures for this assistance was close to a million dollars.

Now we are trying to reverse the direction of these financial contacts, hoping to receive from the government of Latvia financial support to maintain our Latvian heritage and identity in the diaspora. In the last few years TILTS has received from the Latvian Ministry of Culture a few thousand dollars for our concert and theatrical tours, but this support is not enough. Practically every tour incurs a deficit, which TILTS covers, and some projects have had to be cancelled for lack of funds.

But there are also other, deeper, reasons for our continued contacts and cooperation with Latvia. The Latvian community in North America has preserved its Latvian identity far longer than could have been expected, but now, after 70 years, our ranks are thinning. In addition, with Latvia having regained freedom, we no longer feel that great sense of obligation that we, here in the free world, are the only ones who have the ability to freely preserve Latvian culture and to fight openly for Latvia. Now these tasks have been assumed by the independent state of Latvia. We can only assist to the extent that we are able. And thus we become increasingly dependent on Latvia in carrying out this mission.

Although we no longer have the main responsibility in defending Latvia, we cannot assume that the preservation of freedom and Latvian culture will happen on its own. Attacks are both internal and external, and TILTS considers that part of its mission is to help Latvia in this struggle. We recently took tangible steps in this struggle by providing financial assistance in defense of the Latvian language in the recent elections on "state language", and we have been supporting DELNA, an organization fighting corruption in Latvia. We will continue this work with our new project for the dissemination of information about currently significant issues touching on Latvian affairs and culture.

We thank you for your support of TILTS and ask you to continue supporting TILTS in our ongoing efforts to maintain Latvian culture and identity, both outside Latvia and within Latvia itself.

Ģirts Zeidenbergs	Andris Padegs
Chairperson	Executive Vice Chairperson

Theatre

The New Riga Theater (Rīgas Jaunais teātris) and Pannas Theatre (Pannas teātris) had a tour with the plays “Grandfather” and “That's the Way I Am” in September of 2015 with performances in Toronto, Washington, D.C., New Ýork, Priedaine and Boston.

“Grandfather” (“Vectēvs”) is written by Vilis Daudziņš with the author playing the solo role. The play is about his grandfather. In the words of Vilis Daudziņš: “I don't have a grandfather. I belong to that generation whose grandfathers were in the war. Some of them were lucky enough to return, but my grandfathers did not. And I miss them. I miss that logical continuity of generations, those feelings and thoughts that exist between a grandfather and his grandson. Fortunate are those children who know what it is to sit in their grandfather's lap. I don't know what that is because both my grandfathers died in the war. At the beginning of the war they were thirty years old. One was a gardener, the other a driver. Both were married and both had children who were two years old—my mother and my father. And they were both drafted into the army. One into the Latvian Legion, the other into the Red Army. One fell near Danzig, the other went missing somewhere in Vidzeme. They didn't want to fight and even less to shoot at one another. Bet that's what happened…And I am their grandson. This play is dedicated to the memory of my grandfathers.”

The play consists of a number of episodes in which Daudziņš describes wartime situations which might have involved one of his grandfathers. The stage is largely bare of sets, but Daudziņš's narration is remarkably animated and personal, captivating the audience to such an extent that, although the play including intermission lasts almost four hours, the time passes imperceptibly.

Daudziņš has received numerous awards for this play: “Best Production by a Latvian Author” (2009), “Best Actor” (2009), “Best Production” (2009) and others, including “Best Actor” in the Torun (Poland) Theater Festival (2010). This was a rare opportunity for Latvians in America to see one of the best Latvian productions of recent years performed by an outstanding actor.

“That’s the Way I Am” (“Tāda es esmu”) is Zane Daudziņa's warm, honest and humorous story about women and what people expect of them. Are your breasts too small? Stomach too big? Face wrinkled? Don't worry. No problem: what nature has denied can be achieved by dietary, cosmetic or surgical means. In this play Zane Daudziņa reveals “…the story of the flesh of a Latvian woman in which a complete inventory of the body is taken and a balance of the intimate zones is achieved” (from the program notes). With a few simple changes in wardrobe Daudziņa brings to life a number of believable characters.

Even though the restricted schedule of the actors made this a relatively short tour, the total attendance was over 600. As in previous tours, Priedaines Jānis transported the actors by car. The tour received a grant of $2640 from the Latvian Ministry of Culture. Financially the tour was a success—the budget was $12,336, with TILTS having to cover a mere $19 deficit. The tour was organized by Marcis Voldiņš.

Classical Music

Andra Dārziņa (viola) and Ventis Zilberts (piano) played concerts from September 25 to October 4 in Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Priedaine and Boston.

Andra Dārziņa was born in Australia, where she began her studies, continuing in Germany. She has played with internationally renowned orchestras in Europe, the United States, Japan and elsewhere. She is currently a professor at the Stuttgart University of Music and Performing Arts. Ventis Zilberts is a graduate, majoring in piano, of the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Conservatory of Music, where he is now a professor.

For many years he was a pianist accompanist for Latvian radio where, working with about 200 vocalists and musicians, he has recorded more than 900 compositions. Ventis Zilberts is well known to Latvians in America from earlier concert tours and has received the PBLA (World Federation of Free Latvians) award for the popularization of Latvian exile music in Latvia.

The concert program included works of Latvian composers and others. The tour proved a success, with positive reviews for each of the six concerts. Articles appeared in Laiks, Latvija Amerikā and Austrālijas Latvietis, as well as on various internet sites. The concert series was also mentioned on Latvia's classical music station Radio 3.

Another performance took place at Latvia's mission to the United Nations in New York, organized by Ambassador Jānis Mažeiks in honor of President Raimonds Vējonis, with diplomats and invited guests in attendance. This was not part of the TILTS tour, but was also well received.

The concert tour was supported by the American Latvian Association with a $5000 grant to cover any deficit, but since this deficit was only $4,575, TILTS returned $425 to ALA. The tour was organized by Dace Aperāne.

Ethnographic Music

Laima Jansone on the kokle and vocalist Zane Pērkone performed in ten concerts in November 2015; five of these concerts were part of Latvian Independence Day celebrations (indicated by an asterisk): Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, New York*, Washington, D.C.*, Toronto*, Philadelphia* and Priedaine*.

Laima Jansone has blossomed as a virtuoso on the kokle. Her dexterity with the strings of this ancient Latvian instrument and her ability to achieve resonant rhythmic effects have been praised in Latvia and abroad. In this concert tour Laima played folk songs as well as her own compositions and improvisations. This was her first visit to North America.

Zane Pērkone is an outstanding vocalist. She is steeped in the traditions of Latvian choral music, having been a member of the youth choir "Kamēr," one of Latvia’s best choirs. She has performed as a soloist at Latvian song festivals and sung in the chorus of the Latvian National Opera.

Both musicians started their collaboration as students in Riga at the Jāzeps Vītols Academy of Music in 2011. They have performed together at the Baltica Festival, at the Latvian National Museum of Art and at the inauguration of Laima's “Silver” album. Both have studied ethno-musicology at Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Both are also composers and are interested in the folk music of other cultures in their various manifestations, including jazz.

Listeners were amazed, excited and moved by the level of performance, especially that of Laima Jansone. Quoting Anda Sūna Cook: “…we couldn't imagine that their performance would move us so deeply. No, it wasn’t a performance, but an immersion into an extraordinary world of sound, which was like an echo from our distant national past…” Dace Aperāne: “…never in our experience has the kokle sounded so brilliant and rhythmically enchanting. Each of the pieces played by Laima became a bright musical landscape, in which the melodic phrases at times surfaced, at times flowed into an ever changing stream of chords. Zane Pērkone's clear and nuanced timbre miraculously coalesced with Laima Jansone's fervent playing….Laima and Zane's concert was an unforgettable musical experience—inspired, sparkling, unifying.” Valdis Kārklis: “From her very first piece Laima demonstrated her virtuosity, which stunned the audience, who in disbelief and astonishment wondered: Is it really possible to play the kokle in this way?”

This concert tour was initiated by Maruta Kārkle, but after her death in September Ģirts Zeidenbergs assumed responsibility for completing the arrangements. We are grateful also to board member Benita Jaundāldere, who assisted in acquiring the necessary visas, a very tedious and complicated process, and to Tija Kārkle, who helped locate and made available Maruta's records so that preparations for the tour could continue.

Total attendance at the ten concerts was about 1100. The Latvian Foundation supported the concert tour with a $2,000 grant, and the Latvian Ministry of Culture, through the PBLA, with $2,265. TILTS had to add only $90 to cover the shortage in the total budget of $15,855. This budget, as usual, includes only the common expenses, such as transportation, visas and honoraria, but not the costs incurred by local organizers.

Lectures

Dr. Vineta Poriņa was the main speaker at Latvian Independence Day festivities in New York on Nov. 14, Toronto on Nov. 18, Philadelphia on Nov. 21 and Priedaine on Nov. 22. These speeches, organized by TILTS, were in conjunction with the Laima Jansone and Zane Pērkone concerts.

In addition, Dr. Poriņa delivered a series of lectures on problems particularly relevant to Latvians at this time:

• At Priedaine on Nov. 15: “The Survival of the Latvian Language in a Bilingual Society”;
• In Philadelphia on Nov. 16: “The Slow Progress in the Latvian Parliament of Legislation Vital to Latvian National Interests”;
• In Toronto on Nov. 18, Washington, D.C. on Nov. 19 and Philadelphia on Nov. 20: “Russia’s ‘Gentle’ and ‘Hard’ Power in the Media, Educational Institutions and Non-governmental Organizations.”

In spite of her crowded schedule, Dr. Poriņa was also able in Toronto to address and visit with Latvian senior citizens at Kristus Dārzs.

Dr. Vineta Poriņa is well known in Latvia as a patriot, a linguist and a member of Latvia’s parliament the Saeima from 2011 to 2014. She distinguished herself by being one of the first who on an international level raised the question of the threatened status of the Latvian language in Latvia and of linguistic discrimination against Latvians in their own native country. On the recommendation of a number of prominent individuals well known to Latvians abroad, such as Maija Sinka-Gobiņa, Egils Levits, Edvīns Šnore, Ilmārs Mežs and Gunārs Nāgels, TILTS invited Dr. Poriņa to tour North America in November.

The Latvian community responded with interest and appreciation. In Philadelphia, for example, each of her two lectures lasted over two hours, generating lively discussion with the speaker responding to many questions from the audience. In New York, Vija and Ivars Bērziņš expressed the thoughts of many in attendance, thanking Baiba Pinne, the head of the local organizing committee, for “an outstanding Independence Day commemoration. We especially liked Dr. Poriņa’s speech—patriotic, Latvian, timely.”

This lecture tour, with the substantial financial support of Edgars Bērziņš, was organized by Ģirts Zeidenbergs.

Exceptional Young Artists Fund

The Exceptional Young Artists Fund, under the leadership of Laila Robiņa and with the help of Baiba Pinne and Anna Ķepe, in 2015 made the following awards:

• Arta Jēkabsone, vocalist — $1,000 to support her studies of jazz and contemporary music at the New School in New York;

• Magdalena Ceplis, cello — $1,000 to support her studies in Brussels, Belgium.

TILTS is very grateful to the following generous contributors to the fund:

• Edgars Bērziņš — $1,000;
• Guna Mundheim — $1,000.

The current balance of the fund is $3,455.00. Contributions to the Fund can be made by sending a check, written to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS, Inc.”, to TILTS, c/o Laila Robins, 241 Central Park West Apt. 14H, New York, NY 10024.

In its lifetime, the Exceptional Young Artists Fund has awarded a total of well over $150,000 to over 30 young artists. The fund makes awards only from contributions donated specifically to this fund.

The Music Camp Fund

This fund supports Master Classes of International Latvian Young Musicians’ Camp that takes place every second year in Latvia. The next event will be in 2016 at the Sigulda School of Arts Baltais Flīģelis.

TILTS is very thankful to the following generous contributors to the Music Camp fund:

• Edgars Bērziņš — $1,000
• Anita Kupriss — $2,500

Dace Aperāne, with help from Anda Sūna Cook and Gunta Semba, manages the fund. The current balance is $6,000.00. Contributions to the Music Camp Fund can be made by sending a check to TILTS’ Treasurer, written to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS, Inc.”, with a note explaining its purpose.

Support

In 2015 TILTS’ Board awarded a total of $2,550 in financial support, as follows:

• $400.00 — Support for a concert under the auspices of the Lesiņš Foundation.
• $500.00 — Support to graphic designer Cory McLeod for his trip to Riga. On March 11, 2015 the Latvian National Library sponsored a lecture on the development of Rīga's Ghetto Museum web page; Cory designed the page and led the effort.
• $500.00 — Support to the non-profit organization DELNA, which fights corruption in Latvia.
• $1,000.00 — Support to New York Public Radio in conjunction with their program on music by Latvian composers.
• $150.00 — ALJA stipend.

History Projects Fund

The History projects funds currently does not have any new projects, and the balance is $0.00. The $1,000 contribution received in 2014 from Edgars Bērziņš has been transferred, with his concurrence, to the Information Dissemination Fund.

Information Dissemination Fund

In order to help refute the political misinformation emanating from Russia, in 2015 TILTS established the “Information Dissemination” project. The objective of the project is to search for articles by experienced and respected international authors and analysts on subjects that pertain to Latvia and to distribute these articles to people responsible for the affairs of the Republic of Latvia, as well as to newspapers, TV and radio stations and other mass media in Latvia.

In 2015 information has been distributed by e-mail under the auspices of this project. The "Short" list with 196 addresses includes the leaders of the Republic of Latvia - members of the Saeima (the Parliament), government and diplomatic corps, as well as the media and select people in the West. Recipients on this list receive the most significant articles, and they are delivered almost daily. The "Medium" list contains some 900 addresses, including 415 people in the government, and information is distributed a few times a week. Recipients on these two lists respond with address changes; there are also other indications that the recipients appreciate receipt of the mailings. Occasionally information is distributed more widely.

In 2015 the American Latvian Association awarded $3,000 to this project for partial defrayment of the translation and copyright expenses, with a recommendation to supply this information to the regional press and include translations in Russian, and requesting accountability for the expenses. TILTS will not make use of the ALA funds. According to information obtained, the regional press is not interested in such articles and they do not need any Russian translations.

Associated with the project is a fund for which contributions are solicited to cover the expenses of copyright and translation into Latvian. Contributions can be made by sending a check to TILTS’ Treasurer, written to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS, Inc.”, with a note explaining its purpose.

The fund has received $1,100, including the following major contribution:

• Edgars Bērziņš — $1,000

Currently the fund has a balance of $2,100; the project is managed by Ģirts Zeidenbergs and Andris Padegs.

Presentations

The Culture Ministry, in cooperation with other ministries and the council of the Cēsu Region, on June 23 - 24, 2015, ran a conference in Cēsis "Latvians in the World with Roots in Latvia and Their Home Region". Andris Padegs gave a presentation of the history, goals and work of TILTS at this conference. Copies of the presentation are available from the author.

After the presentation, the representative of the Latvian National Library requested that TILTS provide copies of its annual reviews to the Library.

Dace Aperāne Receives the Great Music Award

On March 1, 2016, the Latvian National Opera was the site of the Latvian Great Music Awards ceremony. Among the 29 recipients of this award was Dace Aperāne, composer and teacher, TILTS activist and the head of TILTS's music division. Dace received this award for her “outstanding achievements in the popularization of Latvian classical music throughout the world.”

About the award Dace says: “Those times when Latvia’s classical music has inspired the wonder and admiration of music lovers and professionals who hear it for the first time have been especially gratifying to me. I believe that in the future Latvian classical music will reach an ever larger number of listeners and will continue to develop in new, unexpected ways. Latvian classical music is a wondrous and irreplaceable part of Latvia’s rich cultural heritage, with a special and significant place on the stage of world culture. May Latvian music continue to be heard, and long live Latvian composers and musicians in Latvia and throughout the world!”

We congratulate Dace on this great honor and feel that this award is in part also a recognition of TILTS’ activity in this area, as part of Dace's work in the field of Latvian classical music has been under the auspices of TILTS.

Other Events of 2015

• At the end of 2015, 72 people had joined ALA as members of TILTS, including 6 amber, 8 gold and 55 life members.
• Ints Dzelzgalvis and Gunārs Ozols were TILTS delegates to the ALA 2015 congress in Indianapolis.
• Dace Aperāne, Ārija Kats un Baiba Pinne represented TILTS on the Council of New York Latvian Organizations.
• The annual TILTS membership meeting took place on March 28, 2015 at the Daugavas Vanagu House in Bronx, NY. A Board meeting preceded and another followed the membership meeting. The membership elected 43 people to the Board. The Board elected the same officers as last year.
• On November 19, 2015 a total of 198 boxes, with a weight of 3,111 kg, of books and periodicals collected from Latvian homes were shipped by TILTS through the Latvian American Shipping Line to the Latvian National Library in Riga for distribution to schools and libraries (Andris Padegs).

Gathering of World Latvians

Continuing a tradition started some years ago, on June 28, 2015, TILTS once again organized a gathering in Rīga of Latvians from around the world. We were fortunate to be able to hold the event in the especially Latvian setting of the Latvian Society of Rīga. This event is primarily intended for Latvians from the West who have returned to live in Latvia or who are summer visitors to Latvia, as well as for their relatives and friends. About 100 people from the United States, Australia, Europe and Canada were in attendance.

We are grateful to Pēteris Elferts, ambassador to the diaspora, who secured the White Room for the event, covering the cost of rental, and opened the afternoon with a speech. Food and drinks provided by “Latviešu Folkklubs,” run by Australian born Krišjānis Putniņš, were available in the adjoining room.

After refreshments, researcher Dr. Inta Mieriņa acquainted the participants with some of the highlights of the recent survey of diaspora Latvians, to which 14,000 individuals had responded. This was followed by extensive questions and discussion about the significance of this research.

Afterwards everyone stayed to get acquainted and reacquainted. For many it was a reunion of old friends who, often living on different continents, had not seen one another for a long time. This is a significant element of these get-togethers. Before leaving, many expressed their gratitude for an event of this kind. Ambassador Elferts also acknowledged the value of the afternoon, remarking on the lively interaction among the participants.

The event was organized by Ģirts Zeidenbergs.

Planned Events

We normally plan our theatre and concert tours six months to a year ahead. In 2018 Latvia will have its centennial, which will include special events, as well as financing of these events by the Culture Ministry. TILTS intends to participate in the world-wide centennial program and hence has to plan its events further out. When a tour is firmly established, its schedule will be published in the TILTS web page www.tilts.org, as well as in the newspapers Laiks, Latvija Amerikā and the on-line Australian newspaper Latvietis.

Currently TILTS is working on the following tours, some of which are part of the centennial and are tentative:

• A tour by Laima Jansone, an expert kokle player, will take place in October of 2016 as follows: Lincoln Oct. 7, Denver 9, Portland 12 or 13., Seattle 14, San Francisco 15 and Los Angeles 16. Laima will be also the vocalist. In 2015 Laima had a tour on the East coast to great acclaim. Organized by Ģirts Zeidenbergs.
• The composer Ēriks Ešenfelds will present an interactive performance in the fall of 2016, including a multimedia presentation of his symphony "Northern Lights". Performances are planned in Cleveland, Min-neapolis, Philadelphia, Boston and New York. Organized by Dace Aperāne.
• A tour by the popular ethnographic group Iļģi is planned for November of 2016, covering New York*, Boston, Cleveland, Toronto*, Philadelphia* and Priedaine* (at locations marked with * the concert will be part of the Independence day event). Organized by Benita Jaundāldere.
• A tour by the ensemble Lettonia (Juris Žvikovs, Dita Krenberga, Ēriks Kiršfelds) is being planned for nine locations in April-May of 2017.
• A tour by the ethnographic ensemble Trio (Cinkuss and others) is being planned for 12 locations covering the USA and Toronto, in the fall of 2017. This is part of the centennial and is tentative.
• A tour by the Valmiera Drāma Theatre with the play "Medību pils" ("The Hunting Castle"), directed by J. Znotiņš, is possible in the fall of 2017. This is part of the centennial and is tentative.
• A tour by the ensemble Magi is planned for 2018, covering USA and Toronto. "Magi" is a professional women's vocal ensemble under the direction of Dr. Heather MacLaughlin Garbes. This is part of the centennial and is tentative. Their website is: www.magiensemble.com.
• A tour by the Valmiera Drāma Theatre with the play "Vaidelote" by Aspāzija, directed by Inese Mičule, is possible in the fall of 2018. This is part of the centennial and is tentative.

2015 Finances

How Efficient is TILTS?

The charitable organizations of America continually bombard us with requests for contributions. But they do not spend all their money on their charitable work. Some of them spend most of the money they collect on administration and fund-raising, paying high salaries to their executives. The charities can be considered efficient if 80%-90% of the funds are spent on the claimed charitable activities, with only 10%-20% on administration and fundraising.

The overview of the finances of TILTS on page 7 gives an idea of the efficiency of our operations. In 2015 TILTS receipts were $46,302; this is the sum that passed through the TILTS bank account. However, some of our cash flow does not show up in the financial summary. In accordance with prior agreements, part of the money that is due TILTS for arranging the tour is paid by the local organizers directly to the performers to cover their travel expense and honorarium. This amount in 2015 was $17,000, yielding a total TILTS 2014 income of $63,302. The administrative and fundraising expenses were $4,628, which is 7.3%.

Membership

In the past we planned our cultural events so that they would pay for themselves. This has become impossible, as the size of our audiences keeps shrinking and the expenses for artists from Latvia keep rising. We also need contributions for our projects associated with support of education and other cultural activities. We have not increased membership dues so that the amount of the dues would not be an obstacle for those with limited resources.

Please help us carry out our programs and become a member of TILTS! Donations for TILTS membership start at $15.00. Make the check payable to “Latvian Cultural Association TILTS, Inc.” and forward

• in the USA to: Treasurer Juris Baidiņš, 1104 Windon Drive, Wilmington, DE 19803
• in Canada (in Canadian dollars) to: Ivars Timbers, 1921 Poppy Lane, Pickering, ONT L1V 2T4

In the USA, donations to TILTS are tax-deductible. TILTS board members do not receive any compensation for their services.

In 2015 TILTS received a total of $13,865 in membership fees and general contributions from 340 members, the average contribution was close to $41 per member.

With Gratitude, the Board of the Latvian Cultural Association TILTS :

Mārtiņš Andersons Dace Štauvere Aperāne Gundars Aperāns Juris Baidiņš Valdis Bašēns Pauls Berkolds Edgars Bērziņš Valdis Bērziņš Jānis Cigusis Anda Cook Edgars Dāle Ints Dzelzgalvis Rolfs Ekmanis Astrīda Jansone

Amanda Jātniece Benita Jaundāldere Līga Jēkabsone Maruta Kārklis Lauma Upelniece Katis Ārija Kats Anna Ķepe Brigita Klauss Matīss Kukainis Anita Liepiņa Maija Medne Jānis Melgalvis Ilmārs Mežs Andris Padegs Ilze Pētersone

Baiba Pinne Zinta Pone Ināra Reinis Andris Ritums Laila Michelsone Robiņa Gunta Puzule Semba Laimonis Siliņš Ruta Krūze Strobele Jānis Students Ivars Timbers Normunds Vīksne Marcis Voldiņš Ģirts Zeidenbergs Astra Pētersone Zemzare

Do You Have a Will?

A number of years ago a doctor, member of the TILTS Board, suddenly passed away. He did not have any relatives, and he did not leave a last will and testament. All his personal belongings, including his library of Latvian books, were discarded as garbage, and his house and bank accounts became the property of New York State.

In his lifetime he had supported Latvian interests and had contributed to Latvian organizations, but by not having a last will and testament he failed to make a financial contribution that could have been his most significant.

If you do not have relatives, make sure you have a last will and testament, and consider leaving some of your property to some organization that works to advance Latvian national and cultural interests.

Thank You!

• Pēters Vecrumba is our webmaster – he designs the graphics for the TILTS web page www.tilts.org and updates its contents. Thank you, Pēters!
• Thanks to all who have helped in the past and are helping now in mailing our annual report.
• Thanks to the TILTS Audit Committee, which is helping our treasurers Juris Baidiņš and Jānis Melgalvis take care of TILTS books:

  Pēteris Āns
  Kaspars Krēsliņš
  Laris Krēsliņš

This review, prepared by Andris Padegs, has been translated into English by Valdis Bašēns and Andris Padegs.
The review is available as a PDF file HERE.

Updated: 1/2022

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