Sister-city celebrations enrich lives of two communities

Frontiersman editorial board

Thanks to a two-way ham-radio exchange between a Ed Holmes and Mutsuhiro Ishiguro, Palmer is celebrating 25 years of friendship between its city officials and those from Saroma, Japan.

It's a relationship that has generated more than a collection of beautiful gifts housed in city offices in both countries -- it has led to a deeper understanding of city management in both Alaska and Japan. Numerous times over the past 24 years, as Palmer city officials have visited Saroma and Saroma officials have visited Palmer, officials have found the two cities face similar issues -- changes in economy, changes related to large nearby cities, for example, but also a commitment to maintaining a quality way of life. For George Cart/, a former Palmer mayor, the sister-city relationship launched a whole new experience, teaching English in Saroma.

Through Cart/'s and others' efforts in getting the exchange program up and running, students in schools both in Palmer and Saroma have been able to sample one another's cultures, school systems and ways of life as they have participated in sister-city tours and by-mail exchanges with classes across the Pacific Ocean.

All told, more than 250 people have participated in the cross-cultural exchange, and many more have done so indirectly through events held in Palmer and Saroma during the exchange trips. Palmer residents attending the annual Palmer Pride picnic this year participated in a traditional tea ceremony to honor their Saroma guests. In past years, Saroma students have taught Palmer residents local art techniques, such as painting and calligraphy, and Palmer residents have returned the favor, visiting Saroma and sharing their skills.

It's a relationship that has spanned nearly a quarter of a century. In a time when the world is growing increasingly interconnected, relationships such as this can prove important links to maintain, despite trends toward increased budget-tightening and cutting back on non-essentials.

It's impressive to see the dedication to maintaining cross-cultural bonds between the two cities, and we hope that, although Saroma is facing issues of its own, and may be incorporated with other cities into a larger community, the relationship with its sister city in Alaska continues to be a priority for community members. We wish Saroma the best in this upcoming year of change, and hope to see the delegates back again soon.