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The Bologna delegation hit town last week for some serious sister-city schmoozing. Itinerary highlights included official visits to Nike, TriMet and OHSU, then dinner at Connie Lazlo's restaurant. Finally, the delegates were begging for bed. But host George "Bank-on-Me" Passadore insited on one final stop. At Gino's.
That would be Gino Schettini, owner of Piazza Italia in the Pearl. Gino, determined that the visitors not have to endure the ignominy of a quiet nightcap, had closed the street and invited over a few friends. Italian friends.
About 600 of them. The deal was signed the next morning.
Our Portland family will soon grow larger with the addition of a new "sister."
A Portland-Bologna Sister City Association has formed to create ties with Bologna, Italy, for the benefit of both cities.
As the association chairman, it's my hope that the rest of Portland will become as excited as we are about this. On March 12 we presented a resolution to the Portland City Council to ask the city to endorse this sister city relationship. A decision is expected soon. Bologna's council will hold its vote in the near future.
I'd like to explain some of the benefits both Portland and Bologna will enjoy from our joining forces. But first, some background.
Portland has established relationships with nine other sister cities around the globe in countries such as Mexico and Japan. This will be Oregon's first sister city in Europe.
"The best relationships are ones that have strong community support, so we think that this will be a successful relationship," said Phyllis Oster, director of International Relations for City of Portland.
About 40,000 Italian-Americans live in this area. More than a year ago City Council member Jim Francesconi urged us to start exploring the possibility of creating an Italian sister city relationship.
Our large volunteer board includes Commissioner Francesconi; Joe D'Alessandro, CEO of the Portland -- Oregon Visitors Association; and international lawyer Andrea Bartoloni, who also serves as Italy's Consul for this area.
So how did we select Bologna? It has many similarities with Portland. Bologna has about 500,000 residents. Its art museum and university are major parts of the community. It considers mass transit to be one of its biggest challenges. Its university has an affiliated medical facility that is conducting breakthrough research on leukemia.
Coincidentally, Nike has moved its Italian headquarters to Bologna. Bologna is also home to Ferrari, which has a large dealership in this area. The Slow Food movement, which emphasizes culinary excellence, started in Bologna and spread to Portland last year.
Our association has filed for nonprofit status, is establishing different levels of membership, and planning fundraising events and a membership drive.
Yes, this will be a lot of fun for all involved, but we want this relationship to provide economic value to both cities by stimulating trade and commerce. We plan to help foster links between the universities, the museums, the film industries, the vineyards, and the tourism industries of the two regions. The list of possible collaborations is lengthy.
For example, we are working closely with Lufthansa, which has begun offering nonstop flights from Portland to Europe. We feel our ties with Bologna can be a significant boost to maintaining this service.
We have encountered lots of enthusiasm for this idea both in and outside of the Italian community here.
"The Italian-American community is so strong in this town," said Oster, who works closely with all the sister city relationships. "I have great faith it will be able to sustain a long-term relationship."
The relationships that have been the most successful for Portland are the ones that can share its culture with the whole community, Oster said.
For example, the Guadalajara, Mexico association is the driving force behind Portland's successful Cinco de Mayo Festival (one of the largest in the nation). The popular Dragon Boat Races are organized by the Kaohsiung, Taiwan, group. Our relationship with Suzhou, China resulted in the beautiful Chinese Garden in Old Town.
"Sister cities provide us with opportunities to get to know different cultures. Without them, we would be lacking in so many ways," said Oster. "And with the ever increasing importance of the global marketplace, these friendships provide us with unique economic development opportunities."
I hope you'll join us in this effort.
George Passadore is chairman of Wells Fargo in Oregon and chairman of the Portland-Bolgona Sister City Association.
On March 12th, 2003 the City Council of the City of Portland gave its seal of approval to a request by the "Portland-Bologna Sister City Association" to establish a sister city relationship with the city of Bologna, Italy.
Bologna will be the first European city to establish a sister city tie with Portland. City Commissioner Jim Francesconi came up with this idea approximately a year ago. With the support of George Passadore, Chairman of Wells Fargo Bank, Joe D'Alessandro, Director of the Portland Tourism Office, Andrea Bartoloni, Vice Consul of Italy, Carlo Mannocci, the former Vice Consul and correspondent of "L'Italo-Americano" for Oregon, Lee Porcelli of Koldkist Ice, Gino Schettini of Piazza Italia and many other Italians and Americans the "Portland-Bologna Sister City Association" became a reality. After initial contacts, in October 2002 a delegation from Portland visited Bologna and established formal contacts with the mayor and other prominent representatives of the city of Bologna. Bologna is a prosperous Italian city located in the Po Valley . The University of Bologna, with 100,000 students, is the oldest European university having been founded in 1053. Bologna has numerous commercial and industrial activities and it is well renowned for its culinary excellence.
In June 2003, during the annual "Portland Rose Festival" a delegation of the City of Bologna headed by Mayor Guazzaloca, will visit Portland. The establishment of numerous cultural programs and exchange of research especially in the field of medicine are envisioned. The hosting committee is preparing an interesting program for the illustrious visitors.
The Portland-Bologna Sister City Association is planning a visit of a large contingent of Portlanders to Bologna during the month of October 2003.
Il Consiglio Comunale della Citta' di Portland ha approvato mercoledi 12 marzo 2003 la firma di un protocollo di amicizia tra la citta' di Portland e la citta' di Bologna.
Bologna e' la prima citta' europea che si gemella con Portland. L'iniziativa del gemellaggio nacque dal desiderio dell'Assessore Jim Francesconi (di origine lucchese) e di un gruppo di italiani ed americani quali George Passadore, Chairman della Wells Fargo Bank, Joe D'Alessandro, Direttore dell'Ente del Turismo di Portland, l'avvocato Andrea Bartoloni Vice Console d'Italia in Portland, Carlo Mannocci, Vice Console uscente, Gino Schettini, proprietario di Piazza Italia e numerosi altri cittadini italo-americani della nostra citta'.
Una delegazione dell'associazione "Portland-Bologna Sister City Association" ha visitato Bologna alla fine di Ottobre 2002 per stabilire i primi contatti con il Sindaco e i rappresentanti della citta'. Bologna ha fama mondiale per la sua universita' fondata nel 1063, per le fiorenti attivita' commerciali e industriali e per essere la culla dell'arte culinaria per eccellenza.
Una delegazione della citta' di Bologna, guidata dal Sindaco Guazzaloca visitera' Portland durante la prima settimana di giugno in concomitanza con il "Festival delle Rose". Saranno gettate le basi di numerosi scambi culturali e un intenso programma di ricerche a livello universitario specialmente nel campo della medicina. Il Comitato del Gemellaggio sta preparando un interessante programma per gli illustri ospiti.
Iniziera' entro breve tempo una campagna di promozione per aderire alla "Portland-Bologna Sister City Association.
E' prevista inoltre una visita organizzata a Bologna nell'ottobre prossimo con la partecipazione di centinaia di residenti di Portland.
Per ulteriori informazioni rivolgersi a:
Portland-Bologna Sister City Association
121 SW Salmon, Suite 1030
Portland, OR 97204
Portland's family of sister cities stands poised to get its first new sibling in a dozen years.
The 10th sister that Commissioner Jim Francesconi hopes to midwife is Bologna, Italy, which would be Portland's first in Europe.
Francesconi, who led a privately funded city delegation last year to Bologna, said he wants the emphasis to be on economic gains as well as educational and cultural opportunities. He will bring a Bologna resolution to the City Council in March.
"We're trying to create a different model," he said. "It's important we have fun. It's also important that there be a benefit."
The trend toward economic benefits, local officials say, is an outgrowth of a global marketplace and taxpayer insistence on seeing some bang for their buck.
Portland's first sister city, Sapporo, Japan, dates to 1959 -- three years after President Eisenhower started the program nationally.
Portland went another 24 years before adding its second sister city, Guadalajara, Mexico.
Seven more cities came in between 1983 and 1991, and so did the criticism of public spending for officials to visit those new foreign friends.
Some cities also carried political overtones.
Portland linked with Corinto, Nicaragua, in 1985, amid debate about U.S. support for anti- Sandinista "contras." And the city joined with Khabarovsk, Russia, in 1987, despite opposition from then-Commissioner Bob Koch about human rights concerns in what was still the Soviet Union.
Portland played the China-Taiwan debate down the middle in 1988, picking a city from each country.
Taking a break in 1992 In 1992, the City Council decided to take a breather and put in a moratorium on new sister cities. New standards for sister city associations included $500 minimum-balance requirements and a probationary "friendship association" for one year.
The current average monthly minimum balance requirement is $10,000.
In 1997, Portland established a friendship association with Tallinn, Estonia. Bologna would come in on the same trial basis.
Francesconi said about half of Portland's sister city associations are functioning, with the other half more like clubs for their founders.
But he and other advocates for a relationship with the Italian city tout several economic pluses they say will make it a surefire sister in a year's time.
Supporters count on tourism benefits with an emphasis on generating traffic for Lufthansa service to and from Frankfurt, Germany. Bologna officials want to meet with TriMet representatives as they try to solve their transportation problems.
Other connections include Nike's Italian headquarters in Bologna, as well as possibilities for ties that range from film and video to balsamic vinegar ventures.
"We wanted this sister city to represent economic opportunity," said George Passadore, chairman of the Portland-Bologna Sister City Association and chairman of Wells Fargo in Oregon.
Phyllis Oster, Mayor Vera Katz's director of international relations, said the city spends about $16,500 a year on sister cities.
That budget includes one-quarter of the $56,000 in annual salary for Oster, whose job title includes other duties such as liaison to the arts and Rose Festival.
Other annual expenses -- membership in Sister Cities International and gifts for visiting dignitaries -- total about $2,500.
Dragon boats and festivals Among the higher-profile activities in Portland involving current sister cities are Guadalajara and Portland's Cinco de Mayo Festival; Suzhou, China, and the city's Classical Chinese Garden; and Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and the dragon boat races during the Rose Festival.
Frank Garcia Jr., president of the Guadalajara sister city association, also has lobbied for Mexicana Airlines to offer air service to Portland.
"When you have friendship, then you open the door to other things," Oster said. "It's so important to be able to talk person to person. I think these things are immeasurable."
Not every sister city association stresses economic pluses and minuses.
Cliff Walker, president of Portland's sister city association with Mutare, Zimbabwe, said his group's current focus is on an AIDS clinic in the African city.
"It wasn't about economic gain," Walker said. "It was a people-to-people exchange. The city is going to be richer whatever the level of the exchange."
Henry Stern: 503-294-5988; henrystern@news.oregonian.com
The Honorable Giorgio Guazzaloca, Mayor of Bologna has sent an official letter to Mrs. Vera Katz, Mayor of Portland in which he thanks the Mayor for the invitation to establish a sister city relationship between the two cities and he invites a delegation from Portland to visit Bologna during the International Conference on "E-Government and E-Governance".
Apparently the idea of a sister city relationship has been well accepted by the City of Bologna. On June 18th the Vice Consul of Italy in Portland Carlo Mannocci met successfully with the Deputy Mayor of Bologna Giovanni Salizzoni exchanging opinions on future plans of cooperation and receiving assurance on the interest of Bologna to have Portland as sister city.
We will continue to keep you informed on the status of this project.
Il Sindaco di Bologna Giorgio Guazzaloca ha inviato una lettera ufficiale, in data 1mo Agosto 2002, nella quale ringrazia il Sindaco Vera Katz dell'invito a formare un gemellaggio tra le due citta' e invita una delegazione di Portland a visitare Bologna in occasione della Conferenza Internazionale sullo "E-Government and E-Governance".
Apparentemente l'idea del gemellaggio e' stata ben accolta dal Comune di Bologna. Il 18 giugno scorso il Vice Console d'Italia in Portland Carlo Mannocci ebbe un proficuo colloquio con il Vice Sindaco di Bologna Giovanni Salizzoni scambiando opinioni su futuri piani di collaborazione e ricevendo ampie assicurazioni sull'interesse di Bologna a gemellarsi con Portland.