Lawrence Mayor Bob Schumm, left, receives the official flag of the Municipality of Messolonghi, Greece, from Mayor Panagioeis Kaesoulis, holding flag at right. With them are other members of the Sister City delegation to Iniades, Greece. Messolonghi is responsible for the administration of the area of Iniades.
Lawrence officials and residents visited the Greek costal city of Iniades during the last week of July, not necessarily to take a summer vacation, but to make inroads for the future.
Iniades joined Eutin, Germany, and Hiratsuka, Japan, as a Lawrence sister city in 2009. Lawrence Mayor Bob Schumm and a group of 13 others visited the Greek city, meeting with officials and educators and staying with local families. Schumm said the trip strengthened the relationship between Lawrence and Iniades and could make the exchange of students and residents a future possibility.
Schumm said such exchanges would enrich local culture.
“It’s good to understand that the world is much bigger than just Lawrence,” he said.
Don Schawang, head of school for Bishop Seabury Academy, went on the trip and was excited about the possibility of exchanging students with Iniades.
“I have always thought international experience was important to education,” he said. “When it comes to my students, it’s about opening their eyes to the world.”
Kansas University theater students have been visiting the city every two years to perform in one of the city’s ancient amphitheaters.
Schumm said Iniades originally sought to make Lawrence a sister city because of this exchange. Schumm added that Iniades and neighboring Messolonghi city officials suggested an exchange program between KU and a technical college located within Messolonghi.
A group of 20 officials and residents will travel to Lawrence next spring to try to work out a deal with KU. They will also try to coordinate the beginning of a Messolonghi festival in early May. The city hopes to send over 10 Greek dancers to help kick off the festival in Lawrence.
“It could be an interesting event,” Schumm said.
Trip costs
Mayor Bob Schumm and Don Schawang both said they paid their own way to Greece and were responsible for most of the trip’s costs. The Sister Cities program costs the city $7,500 a year, Schumm said. Most of the money is spent on transporting visiting officials and on gifts given during visits.
“It’s a very low-cost operation,” Schumm said. “We get a lot of bang for the buck.”
Comments
oneeye_wilbur 9 months, 1 week ago
Past tense. "traveled"
blindrabbit 9 months ago
Based on the way that The City (Officials) are spending money, maybe the trip to Greece is to see how the Greeks are coping with an insolvent economic crisis. The way City spending is going in Lawrence, it might be a good opprotunity to pick up a few tips on living without a budget while spending recklessly on a variety of "pet projects"..
50YearResident 9 months ago
Just how many sister cities does Lawrence have? Those I know of: Germany. Japan and now Greese. It seems every time the Commissioners need a free vacation (paid for by the city) they sponser another sister city. Will it ever end or is it a perk that never ends for the world travelers in our city government?
The meeting conversations must go like this. What foreign city do you guys want to visit this year? (vote made). OK, we'll will find a sister city there and we all can go free. OH, and be thinking about where you want to go next year so we can be working on that free trip too.
KRichards 9 months ago
Read the article! "Mayor Bob Schumm and Don Schawang both said they paid their own way to Greece and were responsible for most of the trip’s costs."
MarcoPogo 9 months ago
If you read beyond just the headline, you will find such information as:
"Iniades joined Eutin, Germany, and Hiratsuka, Japan, as a Lawrence sister city in 2009."
"Mayor Bob Schumm and Don Schawang both said they paid their own way to Greece and were responsible for most of the trip’s costs."
tomatogrower 9 months ago
Read! You expect him to read? He probably didn't read his assignments in school either. He just skimmed for the answers. I mean reading is for nerds, right?
grammaddy 9 months ago
Who's paying for the trip??Surely not the "Sisters".
KRichards 9 months ago
Read the article! "Mayor Bob Schumm and Don Schawang both said they paid their own way to Greece and were responsible for most of the trip’s costs."
classclown 9 months ago
Seeing as to how they're "family", are they going to be sponging off of us?
psycho_theclown 9 months ago
Lawrence needs to decide which Italian city will become our sister to complete the Axis Power Sister Pact Alliance. Adding a city in Greece was just a diversion, so it wouldn't be so obvious. Although Greece was occupied by the Axis for most of the war.
Hey, maybe the local RC club can find a club in Pakistan to be friends with? I'd love to hear some of the stories...
tomatogrower 9 months ago
WWII is over, honey. Get a reality check.
SFBayhawk 9 months ago
They went to learn how to issue Greek bonds. Maybe we can sell them to the German sister city.
hitme 9 months ago
I'm thinking we hook up with Havana next. We trade 'em some junk car parts for cigars.
tomatogrower 9 months ago
I want their cars. They have some well maintained collectables over there. I know there are car fans chomping at the bit to get there.
oneeye_wilbur 9 months ago
Likewise, there are some mighty fine cars there just as in Mexico City last time I visited. Canablized 55 chevys with red doors and yellow trunk lids but purr like a kitty cat.
As for Havana, I want to see if before Fritzel shows up with fake stone to cover up those beautiful buildings and before Lyn Zollner and the likes of Lawrence HRC get their hands on Havana.
Lawrence restores old buidings and considers exposed beams and exposed heating a/c painted ductwork as part of restoration.
oneeye_wilbur 9 months ago
The headline should be corrected to "traveled to sister city". It is past tense. And my, my , my Schumm is impressed with a foreign country. Buford Watson was the same when he saw brick sidewalks in Europe and came back and downtown Lawrence has been a WPA project ever since with sawtooth curbs constantly being repaired , replaced, brick inlays that cannot take the snow, ice and sand.
We have some real insightful leaders.
oldbaldguy 9 months ago
great to see everybody in trim today. why did they go to the Greece? do all cities similar in size to Lawrence do this? i guess it is for economical reasons?
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