| A Tribute to Nancy Olson |
JSCA recently said goodbye to Nancy Olson, one of our dearest friends. She passed away on September 25 while recovering from a stroke.
She is fondly remembered for the many warm friendships she enjoyed, her dedication to Sister Cities and the City of Jacksonville, her diplomacy amid world travels, her love of friends and family -- and their love of her.
To honor the memory of Nancy and her tremendous contributions to the international community in Jacksonville, her family has established a scholarship in International Affairs at the University of North Florida. To donate to this tribute for Nancy, please make checks payable to the "UNF Foundation/Nancy Olson International Scholarship."
Please send to the following address:
UNF Foundation
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32224.
She will always be warmly remembered. |
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Have you renewed? |
To those JSCA members who have renewed their JSCA membership for 2010, thank you!
If you've not yet renewed, we hope you'll take a moment now to return your membership form. Your support is deeply appreciated. |
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Meet Mathilde Belna: Nantes Student at UNF |
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The UNF International Center is currently hosting a "Young Ambassador" from Nantes, France.
Ms. Mathilde Belna, a graduate student in History at the University of Nantes, has come to Jacksonville under a Sister Cities Association program between Jacksonville and Nantes.
Each city exchanges a student who, in addition to academic work, helps promote the relationship between the two cities. In Mathilde's case, she will be primarily engaged in organizing a February 2010 program at the Kingsley Plantation which focuses on the trans-Atlantic slave trade, which was a major commercial activity for Nantes in the 18th century.
UNF student John Devine (Philosophy/ French) is currently the Young Ambassador from Jacksonville in Nantes, studying French language at the University of Nantes. John will be helping promote Jacksonville and the U.S. in Nantes, with a major program being the "Quinzaine Américaine" ("American Fortnight"), an exposition and other events (concerts, plays) on the U.S. held for two weeks in December.
If you happen to meet Mathilde, be sure to give her a big Bienvenue ("Welcome") to Jacksonville! |
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WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS!
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Welcome, San Juan!
On October 2, Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton (pictured above, left) signed a Sister Cities agreement with San Juan Mayor Jorge Santini (right), formally twinning the two cities. San Juan is Jacksonville's eighth Sister City.
In addition to its historic, educational and cultural offerings, San Juan has major business relationships with Jacksonville. Puerto Rico is Jacksonville's No. 1 maritime trading partner, and Jacksonville's port ships more cargo to and from the Commonwealth than any other mainland port.
After signing the agreement, Mayor Santini visited the Bacardi bottling plant in North Jacksonville, where all the Bacardi rum sold in the United States is bottled. He also toured Jacksonville's port facilities to see ships loaded with goods destined for San Juan, and he enjoyed a short walking tour of downtown Jacksonville after visiting City Hall and the offices of Visit Jacksonville.
Mayor Santini spoke very highly of Jacksonville during his visit, and he expressed his desire to see deepened relationships between our two cities through JSCA.
The twinning relationship began in 2003 by several dedicated JSCA members, culminating in the historic event on October 2.
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Steve Manis: JSCA Volunteer of the Year
 Congratulations to Steve Manis on his selection as the JSCA 2009 Volunteer of the Year.
Steve (left, pictured with JSCA President Lad Daniels) was presented the award at the JSCA Annual Meeting held in October. Steve was surprised to hear his name called, but his colleagues at JSCA say he is a most deserving winner.
Steve is a former President of JSCA and is our current Treasurer. He has quietly worked long and hard this year for JSCA. For example, in addition to his meticulous work tracking the JSCA budget, Steve assisted this year with an application for the Port Elizabeth Committee as it sought a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; he volunteered to spread the word about JSCA through events such as World of Nations; he represented JSCA at events such as Africa Night and the September 11 Peace Concert; and he has always cheerfully lent a hand to any committee when he saw a need.
Steve always has a positive attitude and is a great ambassador for JSCA. Congratulations, Steve! |
Annual Meeting reveals great work underway
Some 50 JSCA members and their guests attended the JSCA Annual Meeting held on October 11 at the San Jose Country Club.
All the City Vice Presidents gave an overview of their respective city's history and plans for the future -- revealing a remarkable amount of work underway. Four cities will be celebrating significant twinning anniversaries with Jacksonville in 2010:
- Murmansk's 35th anniversary (twinned in 1975);
- Yingkou's 20th anniversary (twinned in 1990); and
- Port Elizabeth's 10th anniversary (twinned in 2000).
- A special celebration of Nantes' and Jacksonville's history will take place in February 2010, including a celebration of the two cities' 25th twinning anniversary. (The cities twinned in 1984 but the 25th anniversary will be observed in early 2010). Stay tuned for details.
Also at the meeting, JSCA President Lad Daniels presented Herrald Jonkers with a plaque of appreciation for his work as the immediate past president, and Steve Manis was recognized as JSCA's 2009 Volunteer of the Year. |
JSCA members to perform in France
From December 8-16 in Nantes (France), the five-piece PALM COURT SOCIETY ORCHESTRA - formed by and featuring JSCA members Cliff and Glynda Newton, members of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for 32 years -- will perform landmark jazz compositions popular in the early 20th century. (Glynda, above center, is resting her hand on Cliff's shoulder.)
The musical adventures will include wine, music and dancing. The members of the PALM COURT SOCIETY ORCHESTRA are all professional musicians in the Jacksonville area and members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 444. The event is presented by The Association Nantes-Seattle-Jacksonville.
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Jacksonville high school students to travel to Sister Cities in 2010 
Duval County Public Schools Department of World Languages is launching an exchange program with our sister cities in Argentina, China and France. Students from local high schools will travel to these countries during the summer of 2010.
In France, they will travel to Paris and Nantes. Their trip to China will include a visit to Beijing and Shanghai as well as Yingkou. The itinerary for Argentina is still being formulated.
The trips will be lead by teachers from Mandarin High, Fletcher, Stanton and First Coast.
For more information, please contact Dr. Joanne Davis, DCPS Supervisor of World Languages at phone (904) 390-2510. |
Bahia Blanca students to visit JAX
 Two groups of students from Bahía Blanca, Argentina will soon be coming to Jacksonville.
One group will be attending Mandarin High School for two weeks in January 2010, and the second group will be attending Fletcher High School for three weeks in February.
Planning is underway for these exchanges. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Alice Hill at phone 285-2254. This would be an excellent opportunity to get involved with the Bahía Blanca Committee. | |
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Ideas for the newsletter?
If you have any comments about the newsletter or would like to see a photo or story in a future edition, please contact Robert Peek at Robert.peek@jaxport.com or phone (904) 357-3047.
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