Post reporter Michael Readling makes the case: Why Sister Cities are good public policy, ‘worthy’ of support.

And how does Darwin, Australia fit into all this? Continue reading to find out.

By the way, the City of Lake Worth is already promoting the 2018 Street Painting Festival and the upcoming Tree Festival as well on February 17th. And the City is promoting events next year at the Cultural Council in Downtown Lake Worth and the 2018 season at the Lake Worth Playhouse as well. But. . .

Have you heard anything at all about the Midnight Sun Festival coming up the first week in March?

Find out more about the Midnight Sun Festival that celebrates our City’s long Finnish heritage below, news from Palm Beach Post reporter Michael Readling. Other cities nearby aren’t letting their Sister City programs languish, for example, here’s news by Post reporter Alexandra Seltzer:

BOYNTON BEACH — Boynton Beach residents: You have a new sister, and her name is Rauma. City officials this week agreed to becoming Sister Cities with Rauma, Finland.

and. . .

     There are about 26,000 Finnish residents of Florida, and between 10,000 and 12,000 in Palm Beach County, Makila [Honorary Consulate of Finland Peter Makila] said. Traditionally, the Finnish residents have lived in Lantana and Lake Worth, but Makila said there has been a recent shift south of there.

What is the City of Lake Worth doing to stop this trend. Not much. The City of Lake Worth’s loss in Boynton Beach’s gain.
 

Our Finnish friends and neighbors deserve more support from the
City of Lake Worth.

Can anyone please explain why the City doesn’t have a Sister City program to foster a strong kinship with our friends in Lappeenrant, Finland? Why don’t we
have a Sister City in Guatemala?

Post reporter Michael Readling penned a feature article about this festival organized by our friends in the local Finnish-American community last March. If this doesn’t make the case for a Sister City program, nothing will.

Mr. Greg Rice has an idea
for a Sister City:

“Wes Blackman has posted on his well-read blog the importance of a sister city board. It seems that the genesis of sister city boards goes back to President Eisenhower. It was Eisenhower’s hope that sister city boards could be a hub of peace and prosperity between people from different cities around the world.
     Well, if we ever are able to find the leadership and will to resurrect our struggling sister city board, here’s a city I believe we need to approach, Darwin, Australia. Seems we have a lot in common.
     They, Darwin, share the same fun-loving spirit, community pride and competitive nature as us. Last Sunday, July 9th, they held their 2017 Darwin Lions Beer Can Regatta.
     It would be great to maybe field a team down the road and send them down under to Darwin and show how we share so many things with that fun-loving city.
     Good idea?”

By the way, Darwin has a downtown
with a lot of hotels:

That took a lot of leadership. Maybe Darwin’s political establishment can offer the City of Lake Worth some fresh new ideas? Anyhow. . .

Darwin, like the City of Lake Worth, enjoys hosting a lot of festivals. From Wikipedia, an excerpt:

     The Darwin beer-can regatta celebrates Darwin’s love affair with beer and contestants race boats made exclusively of beer cans. Also in Darwin are the Darwin Cup horse race, and the Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition. [huh?]
     The World Solar Challenge race attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 20-year history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987.

Whilst on the subject, a Sister City in Guatemala?

     “We’re going to see cultural, commercial, economic affairs — in order to have a more intense and big link with Palm Beach County,” said De Mora [Miami Consul General Rosa Maria Merida De Mora].
     Lake Worth is the first of four new Guatemalan Consulates in the U.S. The others are opening in Seattle, Oklahoma City, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

Last November was the 2nd Annual Día De Los Muertos or “Day of the Dead” celebration.

By the way, the Town of Jupiter has a sister city in Guatemala. Use this link to read the article
by Post reporter Bill DiPaolo.