The Davenport-Curtiss House by Saline artist Donna Johnston

Saline Celebrates Brecon Night 2010

The Saline Brecon Friendship Guild held its annual Brecon Night (formerly Pub Night) celebration on Friday. April 23, 2010. The evening featured the final auctioning of the right to possess the "Bowley Bust" for good luck for the next year. Entertainment was provided by the Bethlehem United Church from Ann Arbor, with their rendition of traditional Welsh hymns and folk tunes. A silent auction also helps to raise funds to support local sister city activities. For photos of the evening, click here.

Saline Brecon Friendship Guild Sustaining Members Celebrate Spring Fling 2009

 "Friendship Rock" in Saline Honors Sister City Relationships

The Saline City Council accepted the dedication of a special "Friendship Rock" honoring Saline's visitors and friends from Brecon, Wales and Lindenberg, Germany in a ceremony at Saline City Hall on October 20, 2008. For more photos about the dedication, click here.

Arthur T. Bowley, MBE dies at age 93

Arthur Bowley, the man who was regarded as the "father" of the Sister City relationship between Saline and Brecon, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2008 at his home in Brecon. He was 93 years old. Arthur served on the Brecon Town Council for over 25 years and was the Mayor five times during his tenure. He was recognized by the Queen with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Services are at St. David's Church in Brecon on June 7, 2008.

The Saline City Council adopted a special Message of Condolence to the Bowley family, stating:

Arthur earned the respect and admiration and high regard of all those with whom he came into contact, and our community, as well as Brecon, have sustained a great loss in his death.

The people of Saline have very fond memories of Arthur and the good times we have enjoyed in his company and will forever remember him as a very kind, generous man who loved his family, his many cherished friends, his town and the people of people of Brecon. We will miss his wry wit, sense of humor and sparklin smile.

We are all very proud and blessed to have known such a warm, wonderful man. He will be sadly missed by all of us who knew and loved him.

You can hear Arthur quoting from The Mabinogion, by clicking on "A fo ben, bid bont." - "Whoever would be a leader must be a bridge". He was indeed both a leader and a bridge between our two communities. You can read about and review photos of some of the many activities of Mayor and Mrs. Bowley in our sister city events, going back to 1978, by clicking on the following links to our history:

1974 - 1984 The Circle of Friends Expands

1986 The 20th Anniversary Celebration

1991 The 25th Anniversary Celebration

1996 The 30th Anniversary Celebration and Saline Celtic Festival

1998 32nd Anniversary in Brecon

1999 Musical Visits to Brecon

2001 The 35th Anniversary Celebration

2003 A Warm Welcome in Brecon

2004 Saline Soccer Visit to Brecon