It has been more than six decades since the first members of the Kalmyk community came to Howell and since then they have become an important part of the township's history.

Not only have they established three temples here but as one of the first large groups of Buddhists in the country they welcomed His Holiness the Dalai Lama to town back in the 1970's. 

Recently the Kalmyk Three Jewels Foundation hosted the Dalai Lama during a visit to Lincoln Center. The township provided buses for residents to take to see the service and last week members of the foundation presented tributes to the township administration for all their years of working together. 

Mayor Bill Gotto and his fellow members of the council as well as Township Manager Helene Schlegel accepted khatas, traditional Buddhist prayer shawls and protection cords that had been blessed by the Dalai Lama in New York. 

Following the presentation Mayor Gotto said he looked forward to continuing the relationship into the future. The mayor said that while people of the town may not know everything the Kalmyk community does he would work to help promote their efforts and activities.