HomeMy WebLinkAboutP1 - Sister City AssociationMay 24, 1999
Presentation
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Arts & Cultural - Library - Recreation - Seniors
• Date: May 24, 1999
To: Mayor and Members of City Council
From: LaDonna Kienitz, Community Services Director /City Librarian
Re: Newport Beach Sister City Association
The Newport Beach Sister City Association, as an affiliate of the larger Sister Cities
International organization, is one of over 900 cities in the United States who have
established sister city relationships to create greater international understanding through
direct and close communication with other cities.
The first sister city relationship for Newport Beach was established with Okazaki, Japan
fifteen years ago. Since then, official associations have also been established with Antibes,
France, and Cabo San Lucas on the Baja Peninsula.
Newport Beach Sister City projects in Cabo San Lucas include the donation and delivery of
a fire engine to the fire department, donations of needed items to the Doctors of Charity,
student exchanges, and visits by delegates from the respective cities. Several delegations
have also traveled to Antibes; Newport Beach has hosted a number of French guests.
Student exchanges and an exchange of chefs are currently in the planning stages.
The most active sister city relationship is with Okazaki. For fifteen years Newport Beach
has had a cultural exchange program for junior high school students, both from Newport
Beach to Japan and by Japanese students to Newport Beach. This two -way exchange has
forged lasting friendships between the Japanese and American families. Other delegations
from Japan are often hosted in Newport Beach: Okazaki Essay Contest winners, Okazaki
Princesses, City officials, etc. Delegations from Newport Beach have regularly been hosted
in Okazaki during the Cherry Blossom Festival in March /April. Strong alliances exist
between a number of local Japanese businessmen and the Newport Beach Sister City
Association, including Calty Design and Mitsubishi. Recently, the Newport Beach Sister
Cities Association collaborated with the Newport Beach Rotary Club to give a concrete
bench to Okazaki commemorating the fifteen -year relationship.
The city of Okazaki has been generous in its permanent gifts to the City of Newport Beach.
Most notable are the "Friendship" sculpture donated in 1984, the Japanese garden in Irvine
Terrace Park, and a significant donation towards the Bamboo Courtyard at the Central
Library in 1994.
Karen Evarts is the President of the Sister City Association. Wendell Fish is President,
Emeritus. The Newport Beach Sister City Association is pleased to have this opportunity to
briefly inform the City Council of their recent activities and future plans.