The story of migration from Soviet-occupied Latvia, to Nazi-controlled Germany, to life in a Displaced Persons camp and finally to America is the subject of a new English-language biography by Connecticut-based writer Jane E. Cunningham.

The self-published title, The Rings of My Tree: A Latvian Woman’s Journey, was released this month.

The book, written in the first person but not autobiographical, is the story of 83-year-old Mirdza Vaselnieks Labrencis. Cunningham writes that she has known Labrencis for 45 years.

“After I heard her story,” Cunningham states in the introduction to book, “I could not write her journey in the third person singular. To write ‘she’ instead of ‘I’ removed me too much from her and the depth of her experiences.”

Cunningham spent 30 years working in the aerospace industry and has volunteered as an English-language tutor. This is her first book.

The Rings of My Tree was released through Florida-based Llumina Press.

Fourteen projects, including creation of a Web site about exile author Jānis Klīdzējs and research into Latvian textile art, will receive between USD 835 and USD 1,999 in grants from the Latvian Foundation, the foundation announced Aug. 17.

The foundation considered a total 54 small projects that requested up to USD 2,000 in grants. The foundation’s board made the awards during a May 1 meeting in Michigan.

The board also reviewed 11 projects requesting between USD 2,001 and USD 5,000 in aid, plus 20 wanting between USD 5,001 and USD 8,000 in grants. Those projects will be put to a vote of Latvian Foundation members and results announced during the foundation’s annual meeting Nov. 6 in New York.

Small grants approved included books for the city libraries in Aizpute, USD 1,500, and Viļaki, USD 1,094; renewal of folk costumes in Pope parish, USD 1,283; creation of the Web site about Klīdzējs, USD 835; a tour of the castles of Kurzeme planned by the Art School in Balvi, USD 1,587; a memoir about persons repressed during the Soviet occupation in Viesturi parish, USD 938; a course in Latvian traditional culture in the elementary school in Jaunsilava, USD 1,997; publication of the novel Baltic Amber, USD 1,000; a cycle of traditional Latvian festivals in the Auce area, USD 1,960; an album of artwork by painter Jāzeps Pīgoznis, USD 1,946; the research into Latvian textile art, USD 1,725; a children’s camp focused on traditional art in Taurene parish, USD 1,600; a project about traditional Latvian culture in Zirņi parish, USD 1,999; and a project on folkways in Lutriņi parish, USD 1,536.

Established in 1970, the Latvian Foundation is based in North America and supports cultural and educational projects in the Latvian community. Since its inception, the foundation has approved grants totaling more than USD 1.2 million. In recent years, the majority of grants have supported projects in Latvia. Two years ago, the foundation set up a division in Latvia.

Further information about the foundation is available from its Web site, www.latviesufonds.org.

The young woman in folk costume who once graced the 5-lat coin in pre-war Latvia might return someday to the nation’s version of a euro coin. The suggested design is part of the winning entry in a contest to conceptualize what Latvia’s eight euro coins might look like, the Bank of Latvia announced Aug. 16.

Ilze Kalniņa of Jēkabpils won the LVL 1,000 top prize in the contest. She suggested that Latvia’s version of the 2 euro coin display the picture of the woman from the old silver coin, popularly known as the “Milda.” Kalniņa also suggested that a picture of the Freedom Monument appear on the 1-euro coin and that Latvia’s coat of arms appear on lesser denominations.

A total of eight euro coins are used in the European Union, the 1-, 2-, 5-, 10-, 20- and 50-cent coins, as well as the 1- and 2-euro coins. They share a common side, but have different national sides, according to the European Central Bank.

Kalniņa’s concept was selected by a jury from a total of 1,088 entries received from January to April, the bank said.

The bank said the design concept might be modified during discussions with the mint. The earliest the coins might appear, if Latvia is deemed ready to switch to the euro, is January 2008.

A picture of the woman in folk costume appears on the current 500-lat banknote.