Ms.
McEnroe was interested, as a Owensboro Sister Cities Board Member, in promoting
the relationship in general and the Arts, in particular.
Ms. Ondra Edds, Membership Manager for the Owensboro - Daviess County Chamber
of Commerce. It was felt that having a greater exposure at the Chamber of
Commerce would lead to greater business understanding of the purpose, direction
and potential that comes from promoting Sister Cities relationships. Ms. Edds,
with Mr. Haydon met with several business people and their Chamber of Commerce
in Olomouc.
Sister Sharon Sullivan, Professor of Education and Special Education, Brescia
College. Sister Sharon was interested in building on the contacts established by
Sister Ruth during our initial visit. She and I met with administration and
faculty members at Palacky University concerning the potential for faculty and
student exchanges.
Mr. Anthony Hardesty, Student of Psychology/Social Studies, Brescia College.
Both Brescia sponsored students were interested in the exposure to a foreign
culture and making initial contact with students at Palacky University.
Ms. Melissa Korn, Student of Special Education, Brescia College.
Both Brescia sponsored students were able to visit schools in the area and
interact with the teachers and students.
Mr. William West, Executive Director of Owensboro Sister Cities and Associate
Professor of History at Owensboro Community College.
4. Developed the planning for the successful visit of the official delegation
from the City of Olomouc to visit Owensboro from July 19-26, 1994. The Czech
delegation consisted of seven members. A list of the participants is attached.
As part of this visit's necessary financing, Owensboro Sister Cities
successfully supported the request for travel grant monies for the Olomouc City
Council and Parliament members from the German Marshall Fund of the United
States.
OLOMOUC DELEGATION VISIT JULY 19 - 26, 1994
Tomas Cernousek (Cher noh shek) Olomouc City Council
Architect
Member of the Archbishop's Arts Commission
Theological Faculty at Palacky University
Svatopluk Loyka (Loy ka) Olomouc City Council
Medical Doctor (Forensic Medicine)
Jaroslav Novotny (No vot ny) Olomouc City Parliament
Banking and Computer background
Currently responsible for overseeing health insurance alternatives
Jaroslav Vomacka (Voh mahtch kah) Olomouc City Parliament
Medical Doctor (Radiology, Tomography, Ultrasound)
Responsibility for government committee work on city health and real estate
concerns
Jaromir Blahak (Blah hak) Private Businessman Olomouc Cable Company
Owner - Adnet
Eva Blahakova (Blah ha koh vah) Private Businesswoman Olomouc Cable Company
Owner - Adnet
Ivan Rycovsky (Ri chov sky) Interpreter
5. As a result of the successful initiatives stated, both the local
government bodies in Olomouc and Owensboro have formally agreed to become Sister
Cities. Only the wording of a final document of agreement of goals remains to be
written.
6. Mr. West attended the Sister Cities International Conference in
Louisville, KY. to further the interests of Owensboro's Sister Cities Program
and the internationalizing of our community.
7. Presented the plans for the founding of a Sister Cities Internet Listserv
at the National Distance Learning Center located on the campus of Owensboro
Community College. This presentation was made to the Sister Cities State
Coordinators at their annual meeting during the Sister Cities International
Conference in Louisville.
8. Encouraged the participation of Owensboro Sister Cities in the Sister
Cities International Young Artist Program. Under the direction and encouragement
of local artist and Sister City Committee Member, Rhonda McEnroe, our submitting
student was one of ten winners in this international competition. As a result
the student received a check for $300.00 from Sister cities International. The
artwork was displayed with the artist's name and submitting city name at the
International Conference in Louisville this past summer.
9. Established the only internationally Internet available Sister Cities
Listserv with the expressed encouragement and support from the National Distance
Learning Center. This electronic mailing list was created as an international
focal point for the exchange of information concerning the various programs
carried out by the members and interested parties of the Sister Cities. This
connection will promote and foster easy, affordable and timely communication
between all Sister Cities members. The mailing list is now accessible as a
central information location for the 1041 U.S. Sister Cities communities,
including twenty-two in Kentucky, and some 1608 foreign communities in 113
nations. The host computer system is located at the National Distance Learning
Center on the campus of Owensboro Community College. The Sister Cities Listserv
is presently subscribed to by individuals and organizations in fourteen of the
United States and thirteen countries extending from Asia (Australia, New
Zealand, Japan) to Russia and from Canada to Brazil. We are encouraged by the
response and are encouraging the posting of items of local Sister Cities news,
questions concerning the various Sister Cities programs, notices of interest to
those involved with grant programs, etc.
10. Assisted in the successful enrollment of our first Czech student from the
Olomouc Sister City area, with a tuition grant for this semester from the
Owensboro Community College Foundation. Premysl Ma'cha from the Moravian city of
Frydek-Mistek had been invited to study at Owensboro Community College by Dr.
Bruce Beck, one of our faculty members who visited Olomouc while on Sabbatical
Leave last year. Although an agreement is not in place with Palacky University
and indeed the student had not been enrolled at Palacky, Owensboro Sister Cities
requested and secured the necessary out of state tuition waiver and funding to
allow this student to enroll at OCC as an indication of our plan to support
ongoing student exchanges with our Sister City, Olomouc. The student reports
that his parents had never heard of Owensboro, Kentucky but that after our
connection with Olomouc, reports about Owensboro have appeared on the radio and
in the newspaper.
11. Responsible for arranging the visit of a Kagoshima, Japan Prefecture
Government official interested in learning of the role of local government in
agribusiness. We were asked to host this United States Information Agency
sponsored guest during the weeks of November 6 - 20,1994. A homestay was
requested and arranged, our visitor was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rice and
Mr. and Mrs. Rod Kuegel. Meetings were arranged with local government officials,
as well as, the agribusiness community.
12. Responsible for Owensboro Sister Cities acting in support of and
inclusion in a grant application through the United States Information Agency to
allow eight Czech secondary school administrators to come and visit Kentucky
schools in Louisville and Owensboro during February 1995.
13. Currently working on securing an agreement between Owensboro's colleges
to deal in consortium with Palacky University to allow for and encourage student
and professor exchanges. Due to time restraints, although agreements including
community colleges have been solicited from around the country, no existing
agreement has been found to fit our purposes. The accord that is planned may
well be able to be utilized throughout Kentucky and allow community college
students and the communities in which these colleges are located, to be more
able to encourage a global perspective in their curriculum and everyday outlook.
14. Responsible for tentative planning for another trip to Olomouc with a
business focus in the Spring of 1995, at the end of our academic year. Olomouc
City Hall has requested we hold off on planning until their election results are
decided.
15. Developing plans to aid in the founding of an American Information Center
in Olomouc which is a subject of great interest for Olomouc. Time is needed to
research foundations to approach for our joint project. There is a concrete
benefit for Owensboro and Kentucky in this project, if there is interest in
either exchanges or business in the future.
16. Actively encouraging our local businesses to expose themselves to the
opportunity available in utilizing our growing contacts in Olomouc. This, too,
is part of educating the community to a greater global perspective. Arrangements
have been made to bring an American businessman, familiar with Olomouc and
business dealings in that area of the world to Owensboro if the our business
community wishes.
17. Assisted in having various video productions translated into the proper
electronic format for community institutions (educational institutions and for
community group presentations).
18. Working on bringing a Fulbright Scholar now in the United States to the
community in the spring. This particular scholar is sought because she is from
Palacky University in Olomouc and this will enable our community to learn more
of the Czech culture while enhancing the growing connections between the two
communities institutions of higher learning.
19. Attended the Kentucky Sister Cities Forum in Louisville as a member of
the Kentucky Sister Cities State Management Team.
20. Maintained contact with Kentucky Congressional Offices, the appropriate
U.S. and Czech Embassy officials, U.S. Department of State, and offices of the
U.S.I.A.
June 30, 1994
OLOMOUC - OWENSBORO SISTER CITIES
An open letter to the citizens of Olomouc and the Hana Region:
Greetings are sent to you by the Owensboro Sister Cities Program representing
the City of Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.A. and the people of Daviess County. As
some of you are aware, Olomouc and Owensboro have begun a dialogue and series of
visits which we hope will result in a close relationship between our two peoples
and the governments which represent us.
Owensboro has now sent delegations to visit Olomouc in December '93 and in
June '94. We have been overwhelmed by the hospitality and warmth of all those
with whom we have had the pleasure of meeting. The resulting recommendation made
to our Mayor and City Commission from all those who have visited Olomouc has
been that the relationship between our two peoples should be further pursued.
Our delegations have had the opportunity to observe several areas which we feel
might lend themselves to mutually beneficial cooperation. These areas include
educational, cultural, governmental and business exchanges of ideas and
personnel and potential areas of business investment and cooperation.
The next step in our relationship is very critical. While we have now had the
opportunity to see your area and thus be able to compare the two regions, no one
from Olomouc has had the opportunity to visit our area and judge whether Olomouc
would be well served by this proposed relationship. A delegation representing
the City of Olomouc will be guests of the City of Owensboro from July 19 - 26,
1994. While in our city, costs associated with your delegations it will be the
responsibility of the City of Owensboro. Airfare for those coming has been paid
for by the U.S.- German Marshall Fund through a grant made by the Foundation for
A Civil Society or through private donations by Czech sponsors. I wish for you
to understand the importance of this visit, it would be highly unfair to ask
Olomouc to enter into a formal Sister City relationship without ever having
representatives from your city see Owensboro. Any long term relationship must be
built on solid understanding and be mutually beneficial.
I have been asked by many of our citizens; why Olomouc, why the Czech
Republic, what benefits for us will result from this relationship? I know that
many of you are asking the same question about Owensboro. There are both
concrete and abstract results to be gained from our proposed Sister Cities
relationship. How many people from Olomouc ever heard of Owensboro? of Kentucky?
What do you know of our culture? I speak not of what is produced for
entertainment in American movies or television but everyday people and life in
the United States. I can assure you that the vast majority of our area would
have a hard time even identifying where the Czech Republic is located. Do not be
upset, my point is that both cultures can benefit by promoting their respective
cultures through this relationship.
Hopefully, we will have educational exchanges between Palacky University and
the three Owensboro colleges. Young business professionals could be exchanged
allowing, for example, a bank employee to not only learn how business is
conducted in the Sister City but also expose the person to the other culture in
general. While the underlying purpose of the relationship is global
understanding and mutually beneficial exchanges, the breadth of this
relationship should not be underestimated. We can envision guest performances of
symphony conductors, perhaps theater groups will perform in the Sister City as
part of a larger performance tour, certainly there can be an exchange of
Kentucky and Moravian Art.
Your movement toward free enterprise can certainly be aided by exchanges in
the business field and our businesses would be exposed to dealing with an area
of Europe with which we are not familiar. There are those willing to invest in
the rebuilding of your economy but they lack the knowledge or contacts in order
to implement investment. Through this relationship those contacts can be
established, nurtured and enhanced.
The list of potential cooperation is limited only by our imaginations, by
working together we will see numerous mutually beneficial results. Our work will
be greatly aided if we are jointly able to establish an American Information
Center in Olomouc, as your American Sister City we will be working to try to
gain the necessary funds for the center. This Center can serve as a contact
point for every aspect of the two cultures.
We are looking forward to the visit of your delegation and our hopeful that
the recommendation of your group will be that we move toward formalizing a
Sister City relationship. We will do all in our power to expose your delegates
to our area and culture in order that they will be able to report their
conclusions back to those of you who are unable to come to Owensboro. Tentative
plans call for tours of businesses, medical facilities, educational
institutions, museums and libraries, performing arts centers, and agricultural
production areas. You can see that this is very much a working trip and not a
vacation. We will plan time for your delegates to meet more of our citizens
socially and attend cultural performances.
On behalf of Owensboro Sister Cities, the visiting Owensboro delegations and
the people and government of the City of Owensboro, I extend our heartfelt thank
you for your past hospitality and invite you to become involved in promoting our
developing relationship.
Sincerely,
William R. West Executive Director
PLANS NOW IN PROCESS:
March 19 - 23 Dr. Milada Hirschova, Philosophical Faculty of Palacky
University, Olomouc will be our guest to address public meetings and to meet
with interested faculty and administrators of Kentucky Wesleyan College, Brescia
College, and Owensboro Community college. Dr. hirschova is currently teaching at
Ohio State University under the auspices of the Fulbright Program.
Mr. George Kvidera has been asked to come to Owensboro and after being shown
area business, industry and agriculture of our community will advise us as to
the potential for business with our Sister City, its region and the Czech
Republic in general. This visit will be sponsored by Industry, Inc. with
Owensboro Sister Cities acting to arrange and facilitate the visit.
We hope to begin the exchange of video tapes between our Middle Schools with
student classes with the same age students in Olomouc. The Czech students have
already begun by sending us a tape of their city, classrooms, downtown area,
etc. we will ask our students to do the same and send it to Olomouc.
There is a great deal to be done if we are to hold onto the Sister Cities
Listserv at the National Distance Learning Center. While the announcement of the
listserv has resulted in a good beginning, Sister Cities International plans to
have an article about the Listserv in their upcoming quarterly newspaper. We
will have to offer more infarmation files to increase the number of our
subscribers and hold on to this list. After getting a good foothold we are
planning to ask each local Sister City organization who has members subscribing
to pay an annual $10.00 - $20.00 a year per city to purchase and maintain the
equipment and servicing of the Listserv. There are over 1050 U.S. member cities
alone.
In coordination with the priliminary visit of Mr. George Kvidera, a return
trip to Olomouc with a decidedly business focus is planned for an approximate
seve day period sometime between the dates of June 15 - 29th, 1995.
We hope the progress of the Owensboro Sister Cities Program pleases you and
that you can see that there is both a need and now a responsible venue to have
Owensboro's international outlook and image be enhanced across all community
activity venues (cultural, tourism, business, education, etc.).
BACK