Poway identifies potential sister city

By: ANDREA MOSS - Staff Writer | Friday, February 4, 2005 11:36 PM PST ∞

POWAY ---- This city may have found its match. A sister city search launched last year on behalf of Poway took a major step forward last month, when Mayor Mickey Cafagna wrote to officials in Marijampole, Lithuania, asking if they and their residents were interested in pairing up with this city for business, cultural and educational exchanges.

This week, local Sister Cities Foundation Chairman Jeff Figler told the City Council that Marijampole Mayor Vidmantas Brazys was quick to respond. In a letter that arrived at City Hall a couple of weeks ago, Brazys says his city is eager to pursue a relationship with Poway.

"I assure you that I will maintain and support all the valuable projects and joint actions within this framework," Brazys wrote. "I wish you every success and would like to stress that Marijampole Municipality is ready to host friends from Poway, CA."

The City Council gave the foundation the go-ahead Tuesday to send a small group of delegates to Marijampole late this spring. The city is about 30 miles north of Lithuania's border with Poland in Eastern Europe.

The delegation, whose members will pay their own way, will tour the city, meet with some of its officials and residents, and decide whether it would be a good sister city for Poway.

All signs so far suggest Marijampole is the right pick, said Paulo Romero, a management analyst for Poway and Sister Cities Foundation member.

"From the beginning, we were looking for a city that resembled Poway as far as demographics, economics, environment and community," he said Friday. "And, of course, the population. And we found that this little city in Lithuania is very similar to Poway."

Marijampole is primarily an agricultural city, according to the mayor's letter. That contrasts with Poway, which prides itself on offering a country lifestyle that includes horses and a few citrus and avocado groves but little actual farming.

Like Poway, though, Marijampole is committed to preserving its natural environment.

"The main thing is that they loved their land as we do," Romero said.

The sister city search began in July, after the City Council approved Poway's participation in the Sister City International program. The decision put this city on a par with at least six other North County cities that have sister cities or are in the process of getting them.

The Poway council's only caveat was that the city would put no money into the program for now.

Figler suggested the city develop a relationship with one in another country. A member of Sister Cities International, he agreed to cover any administrative costs associated with Poway's participation for the first year.

Figler and more than a dozen other community members are working to get the local foundation nonprofit status. The group also held a series of community meetings last summer, during which they sought ideas on potential sister cities for Poway.

Japanese municipalities dominated the list, which also included cities in Canada and a few other countries, Romero said Friday. Most already had multiple sister cities, he said.

Brazys' letter says Marijampole already has eight partner cities in Europe but is eager to extend its reach beyond that continent. The Sister Cities Foundation felt it made sense for Poway's first sister city to be one that is pursuing its first international match as well, Romero said.

Poway Chamber of Commerce President and Chief Executive Officer Toni Kraft is also a member of the Sister Cities Foundation and did much of the group's research on Marijampole. The foundation was already leaning toward a partnership with the Eastern European city when she learned Poway has a Lithuanian school, Kraft said.

"That kind of settled it," she said.

A partnership with Marijampole would not rule out the possibility of similar relationships with other cities in the future. For now, however, the foundation will concentrate on Marijampole, Kraft said.

Membership in the Sister Cities Foundation is open to residents, businesses and organizations in Poway as well as surrounding communities, with annual dues ranging from $10 to $250. Call (858) 679-1234 for information.

Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.