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SUNDAY, AUGUST 23, 1992
<br />
<br />Your Home Newspaper--THE DALLY INDEPEND£NT--Kannapolls, N. C.
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<br />PAGE FIVE-A
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<br />Sister Cities Association backs 'global Perspective,
<br />
<br /> Kay Crist is hoping to have an
<br /> pact On the world.., at least on a
<br /> small portion of it.
<br /> A~ a ma~ler of
<br /> fart, she's work-
<br /> lng hard nt mak-
<br /> ing the world a
<br /> little smaller by
<br /> bringing two
<br /> communities on
<br /> different sides of
<br /> the ~lobe closer
<br /> together.
<br /> Crist is presi-
<br />dent o! the Con- .
<br />cord SL~er Cities Floyd
<br />~.~ociation. She's AIford ·
<br />quick to point out,
<br />-however, that the __ __ ~
<br /> organization isn't just for Concord,
<br /> but for everyone in the area. .
<br /> Concord Sister Cities Association
<br /> held its first annual meeting in April.
<br /> Since then the program has been
<br /> growing.
<br /> "The original Sister Cities concept
<br /> began in 19~ when President Dwight
<br /> D. Ei.~nhower called for massive
<br /> exchanges among Americans and
<br /> people from other countries in the
<br /> world," Crist said. "Now, 3~ years
<br /> later, over 1,000 U.S. cities have
<br /> sister cities in about 90 antio~.
<br /> "This international partnership
<br />helps to develop friendly and mean-
<br />inginl exchanges between the two
<br />eammumties to enable its citizens to
<br />become more culturally enriched and
<br />globally aware. These exchanges can
<br />occur at home or abroad though
<br />mutual interest nmi participation in
<br />cultural, edacatiennL ecological,
<br />economic, technological and civic
<br />
<br />projects," she added.
<br /> Crist became interested t~ottgh
<br />the Charlotte Sisters Cities Associa-
<br />tion when she was a teacher in the
<br />Charlotte-Mecklenburg School
<br />System.
<br /> When sho began teaching in the
<br />Cobartas system, ~e involved her.
<br />students in the Charlotte program.
<br />She got them involved with writing
<br />students in Kreleld, Germany,
<br />Charlotte's Sister City. .
<br />Crist developed an interest in star.'
<br />ting a S/stet City program here after
<br />Concord Mayor Bernie Edwards had'
<br />a conversation about the program
<br />with a delegation icom Kedlor,
<br />Australia which was visiting
<br />Charlotte. Edwards assigned Ch-ist
<br />the repansibilRy of investigating the
<br />program. · ..
<br />After months of work, Conea~d city
<br />council officially san~oned the pro-
<br />~]am on March 14, 199! appointing
<br />ckie Weant, cty clerk, as the city
<br />haison,
<br />The interest in Sister Cities has
<br />been growing since. A great deal of
<br />the t~ne has been spent choesing
<br />another city with which to par-
<br />ticipate. ' ' ,
<br />The ~ has been narrowed to two
<br />cities: Bergen op Zoom, The
<br />Netherlands, end Killarney, Ireland.
<br /> P~p Morris has a plant in Bergen
<br />op Zoom~ Lmmediately giving it
<br />some~g in conunon w~th Caharrus
<br />County. Several Ph~p Morris here
<br />have visited that Dutch community
<br />through their work.
<br />Ydllaroey was sugge~ed as a
<br />possible candidate by Phil WLLson, a
<br />Concord P~ddle ~hon{ teacher who
<br />travels extensively. Kannapo~ re. si.
<br />
<br /> dent Mary Barnes, U.S. Goodwill
<br /> Ambassador to Ireland, also supports
<br /> K~rne¥.
<br />The select~on process has ~kea
<br />awlRle. The committee wanted to
<br />pick a city of a,_b~,ut the same papula-
<br />lion; they dldn t want it to have
<br />another sister city; they wanted a ci-
<br />ty with an interesting culture and
<br />rich hiztory, m!d one interested in a
<br /> lung4erm relation&hip. ·.
<br /> The local Sister City Association
<br /> hopes to make its final selection by
<br /> next spring .... .
<br />In an effort to get acquainted with
<br />KilLarney, the assoclaton is sponsor-
<br />lng a tr/p to Ireland in October. Mak-
<br />lng the trip does not mean that the
<br />Irish city, home of the Blarney Stone,
<br />will be chosen, but it ~ give local
<br />residents an opporturdty to see the ci-
<br />.ty ~irst hand.
<br />A few seaL~ remain for the ~rip. The
<br />fLrst 40 sold in no t~me at aH, Crist
<br />said, so the trip was opened to
<br />another 40. Cost for the trip, from
<br />Charlotte, iz Y,t~r/. Additional intor-
<br />marion is available from the Concord
<br />Ci~ offices or from Mary Barnes. ff
<br />you d ~e to go, you need to make
<br />your plans quickly as the cutoff date
<br />isin two weeks. · .
<br /> Crist said it's hopeful a s~ trip
<br />to Holland can ho made. '
<br /> While plans for the trip to Ireland
<br />are being made, association
<br />members still are looking members.
<br /> Representatives of about 3~0 famJ-
<br />lies have joined, but local orga~zers
<br />are want more invo]vemani from
<br />thoroughout the area.
<br />' "We really do want the entire
<br />county to be invo]ved," Crist said.
<br /> "I know that in~tiating a Sister Cit-
<br />
<br />ies program in Cabarras Coun~ is a geographical skills and the lack of (our) ~tudeats 'and' citizens for a
<br />timely idea," she added. "The media global awareness. Programs such as global future in which we all share a
<br />often reportaonAmerican'sdeficient Sister C/ties can help to prepare stake."
<br />
<br />LOOK1NG AT CITIES -- Kay Crist, president of the Con- in the Sister Cities progrm~ from people througl~oni the
<br />cord Sister Cities Azseointiou, petots out the two cities county. There already are people involved with the pro-
<br />under consideration Ior hocanmug a partner with the local gram from every towu in Cahorrus County, as weti as
<br />community. They are Bergeu op Zoom, The Netherlands, residents from Laad/z und Ci~rlo,e.
<br />and gnl~rney, L?land. L'rist wants greater participation
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