Helen Sommers: An Oral History

pg. 198 Helen Sommers has seen the World!
Helen & tour guide, Hisham, at
Castle near Jerash, Jordan.
up in the cliffs above Israel.
The Nabataean Arabs,
ancient masters of the
desert, settled in southern
Jordan more than 2000
years ago. They carved
breathtaking temples and
monuments, 800 in all including
buildings, arched
gateways, colonnaded
streets, tombs, baths, funerary
halls, temples, arched
gateways, and colonnaded
streets. The buildings were
mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic multi-colored
sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of
its inhabitants.
Taiwan Goodwill
Trade Mission – 2004
In April 2004, Representative
Helen Sommers
joined Lt. Governor Brad
Owen and a delegation of 25
Washingtonians including
legislators, representatives
of Washington ports and
local governments, higher
education officials, international
trade organizations
Vice President Annette Lu and the private sector. The
‘goodwill and trade mission’
to Taiwan and Thailand was organized to expand
upon our state’s ties with the two countries.
While in Taipei, the delegates met with then
Taiwan Vice President Annette Lu, who served as
Vice President from 2000-2008. She had established
herself as a prominent ‘feminist advocate’ in Taiwan.
In the 1970s, Lu had served five years in prison on
a charge of sedition – stirring up a rebellion against
the government then in power. She went on to be
Vice president of Taiwan.
Reps. Velma Veloria, Bruce Chandler and Helen Sommers hear about
the final plans for Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building (pictured at
left) at the time.
Helen Sommers, known to work both sides of the aisle in Olympia;
shares bananas with elephants in Taiwan.
Photo by Beth Willis-Willis Communications