“To promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation –
one individual, one community at a time.”
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President's Message
by Victoria Schwartz
The summer of 2017 changed lives.
In early July, high school students Catherine Condit and Jack Applebaum hosted our first-ever exchange students from Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain. Three weeks later, Catherine and Jack were in Villanueva de la Cañada, living with Spanish families and assimilating to the life of a typical Spanish teenager.
Also in July, five students, representing the four high schools in La Cañada Flintridge, flew to Virginia and represented our City at an International Youth Leadership Summit. They participated in diplomatic simulations with students from around the United States and the world.
And this is only the beginning. By signing a Sister Cities Agreement with Villanueva de la Cañada in May, the City of La Cañada Flintridge committed to a long-term partnership with a community 5,792 miles away. We were matched because we have so many things in common, besides the similarity in our names. For example, both communities:
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Are home to international space agencies
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Are well-educated
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Have four college-prep high schools
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Have active community centers
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Are strong, close knit communities
In the next few months, La Cañada High School’s “Space Academy” (the brain-child of Dr. Art Chmielewski) will incorporate Villanueva de la Cañada students into the Space Academy. Through their exchanges, students from both countries will have the opportunity to plan, communicate, cooperate, and problem solve together. This will be the first program of its kind in the Sister Cities community!
Plans are also underway for Villanueva de la Cañada’s Mayor Partida and an adult delegation to visit La Cañada Flintridge in 2018. We hope you will join us as we make dedications to our first Sister City and celebrate our partnership. As soon as we have definite dates, we will invite all Sister Cities Association members to welcome Mayor Partida to La Cañada Flintridge.
In the meantime, please plan to join us at our Second Annual Meeting –
Wednesday, January 24, 2018 from, 6 – 8 p.m. at the Thursday Club,
4440 Woodleigh Lane, La Cañada Flintridge. You will hear from our international student delegates and about our plans for 2018.
Of course, this could not be done without your support. Many thanks to the City Council and City Staff, our donors, supporters, and volunteers who continue to share our vision of building strong international relationships through grass-roots, community-based friendships.
Thank you for your dedication to changing lives - one individual, one community at a time.
With warm wishes,
Vicki
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- 1st Sister City for La Cañada Flintridge - Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
- 1st American Sister City for Villanueva de la Cañada - La Cañada Flintridge, California, USA
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LCF Sister Cities Milestones
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- Founded: April 2016
- 1st Students to Washington D.C. for International Youth Conference: July 2016
- 1st Annual Meeting: January 2017
- Youth Group Formed: February 2017
- La Cañada Flintridge City Officials sign first Sister City Agreement: with Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain: May 2017
- State Senator Anthony Portantino travels to Villanueva de la Cañada to deliver Sister Cities Agreement: May 2017
- Students travel to Virginia Beach for International Youth Conference: July 2017
- First Student Exchanges with students from Spain & Germany: July/August 2017
- First Delegation from Villanueva de la Cañada scheduled to visit LCF: Mid 2018
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Exchange Students Travel Internationally
Jack Applebaum Shares His Sister Cities Experiences
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My Sister Cities experience this summer was fantastic. On this journey, I learned so much about Spanish culture and I also met so many new and generous people. With this international exchange, not only was I able to experience different cultures abroad, I was also able to celebrate the great activities that La Cañada Flintridge, my own city, has to offer.
My journey started with the introduction to my Spanish brother, Daniel. Although the first couple of days were awkward, we really kicked it off and got along great. With my Spanish brother, we went to some of my favorite places, such as Six Flags, Universal Studios, and Santa Monica Beach. Daniel and I also experienced activities such as visiting JPL, USC/ Mackay Center, and going to a ceramics class at the community Center right here in La Cañada. Thanks to all the wonderful donors, I got to see places I never would have in my life and also visit my favorite places with a new friend.
Although staying in La Cañada was very fun, going to Spain and seeing our sister city, Villanueva de La Cañada was a once in a lifetime experience. One of the things I remember being very different about Spanish culture is their summer schedule. For example, everyone eats lunch at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, and they eat dinner at 10 or 11 at night. The city is so alive at night, with the elderly eating and drinking at cafes, little kids still out dancing in the streets, and teenagers partying until the sun rises. My host family was so thoughtful and took me on amazing adventures. For example, one night we went camping on the top of the mountain to see the wonderful starlit night and then the beautiful sunrise. Another day, we visited Madrid and saw the stadium of the famous Atletico Madrid soccer team. Also, we took a weekend trip to Barcelona, where we saw the Sagrada Familia and swam in the Mediterranean Sea. By visiting our Spanish sister city, I lived the Spanish life. For instance, I learned that on New Year's Eve, the Spanish people eat 12 grapes for the first 12 seconds of the new year. Also, instead of saying "ok," Spaniards use the term "vale," or "vale, vale, vale." These traditions and colloquialisms were so interesting. My experience was educational and at the same time, an incredibly fun time.
Finally, I want to thank all the generous donors that gave us tickets and tours to all the fun activities in Los Angeles, and Mrs. Vicki Schwartz and the whole LCF Sister Cities Association for starting the entire program. Thank you to the LCF City Council, too. Lastly, I want to thank Daniel Fernandez-Multigner for making this summer one of the best summers ever.
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Space Academy Launches Internationally
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JPL Space Academy
Dr. Artur Chmielewski
The JPL Space Academy
https://www.facebook.com/jplspaceacademy/ was created 4 years ago at NASA/JPL to help Southern California high school students to try the space business with their own hands. The students at the Academy form “start-up” companies, which build miniature spacecraft and launchers to be tested at the JPL Mars Yard. The students are not only mentored by JPLers in science and engineering but also have to understand the business side, media, public speaking, and communications to increase the value of their “shares”. Students interested in business and economics operate Academy’s “stock market” and sell and buy Academy companies’ “stocks”.
This year the students will add new dimension to the Academy – international cooperation. Together with the La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities program, the students will cooperate with their friends from sister city in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain. One country will build the spacecraft and the other launchers. This new approach will demand close coordination, cooperation, language skills, understanding of cultural differences and your foreign partners’ problems.
The students will compare their accomplishments in weekly Skype calls. Emphasis will be placed on communication skills, planning, self-awareness, self-evaluation, problem solving, design process and presentation skills.
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Sister Cities Youth Group News
Tamar Tujian, Youth Group Advisor
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The Sister Cities Youth Group kicked off its 2017-2018 academic year with an ice cream social on September 17, 2017 at the Community Center. There were 20 students in attendance from La Cañada High School, Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy and Flintridge Prep.
Presentations were made by Jack Applebaum and Catherine Condit about their summer experiences as hosts to two students from our Sister City, Villanueva de la Cañada in Spain, as well as their own stay in Spain. Both students presented a slide show of their visit detailing their experiences there including meeting with the mayor and taking part in a cultural festival and touring Madrid.
Stefan Markarian, a delegate to the Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit in Virginia Beach, Virginia, also gave a slide presentation of his experience at the Youth Summit and encouraged everyone to consider becoming a delegate next summer. Stefan was one of 5 students who represented Sister Cities La Cañada Flintridge.
The Sister Cities Youth Group Executive Board is busy planning activities like Skype calls with students from our Sister City and hosting speakers for the remaining meetings which are scheduled to take place on:
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December 3, 2017
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February 11, 2018
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April 15, 2018
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Youth Leadership Summit Students
from LCF Sister Cities Association
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The meetings take place at the La Canada Community Center and begin at 2:00p.m.
We are also happy to announce that Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy has started a Sister Cities Youth Club on campus under the direction of Leslie Miller. Similarly, At LCHS, Sra. Marian Price has graciously agreed to take on as adviser to the Youth Group Club at school with Frau Melanie Sos acting as a co-advisor.
We encourage all students in La Canada who are interested in International Affairs and citizen diplomacy to become a member of our Youth Group! Please visit our website for further information
www.lcfsistercities.org or contact the Youth Group Advisor, Tamar Tujian
[email protected] for further information.
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Special Thank You to our Global Leaders, Ambassadors & Diplomats
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AMBASSADORS
Anonymous Donor
Flintridge Preparatory School
Linda & Pete Segal
Victoria & Brad Schwartz
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DIPLOMATS
Descanso Gardens
Todd & Vanessa Greco
Heather & Paul Haaga
La Cañada Flintridge Community Center
Diane & Jon Moldafsky
Linda & Fernando Roth
St. Francis High School
Gita & Harpal Singh
Lynn & Don Voss
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Recognizing Community Partners who have Provided Invaluable Support in our Inaugural 2016-2017 Year
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LCF CUSTOM TRAVEL
WORLDWIDE LUXURY TRAVEL PLANNING SINCE 1980
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https://www.betsyasherhall.com/
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La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities
Photo Journal
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Exchange Students Travel to Spain
July/August 2017
Exchange Students
Jack Applebaum & Catherine Condit
travel to Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain
Jack & Catherine arrived and were taken right to a festival, which began at midnight in the City Hall area of Villanueva de la Cañada. The festival went on for four days. No sleep for the students!
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Meeting at City Hall with Mayor Partida, the councilors and the students exchange families
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The four exchange students in Spain with the VP of Villanueva de la Cañada’s Sister Cites Organization
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Señora Marian Price from La Cañada High School meeting with the VP and President of Villanueva's Sister City Organization - August 2017
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Youth Leadership Summit
Virginia Beach, Virginia
July 2017
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Stefan Markarian (LCHS) meets with Councillor Robert Adair, Mayor, Ards & North Down, Ireland.
Every mayor in the United Kingdom has an official medallion for their town and Stefan wears the official medallion of Ards in this photo.
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Youth Leadership Summit students, including David Kim (Flintridge Prep) and Stefan Markarian (LCHS) proudly carrying member city flags.
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Amr Eissa, far right, (St. Francis) collaborates to come to a resolution of the YLS theme: oceans and food safety.
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Executive Board
President – Vicki Schwartz
VP – International (Science and Technology) Programs – Peter Lauenstein
VP – International Cultural Exchanges and Programs – Gabriel Mendham Chuck
Secretary – Katherine Loevinger
Treasurer –Diane Moldafsky, CPA
Youth Advisor - Tamar Tujian
Communications - Pam Knapp
Pat Anderson
Don Voss
Honorary Chair
Mayor Michael T. Davitt
Honorary Founding Board Members
Steve Del Guercio
Bruce Seuylemezian
Dave Spence
Leadership Team:
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Carl Alameda
Mark Alexander
Jim Cartnal
Art Chmielewski
Jon Curtis
Manuel de la Torre Juarez
Elysa Del Guercio
Stephanie Fossan
Denise Gunter
Tracie Heileson
Midge Kimble
June Lam
Celina Lew
Julie Markowitz
Ian McFeat
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Leslie Miller
Sheri Morton
Ellen Multari
Marian Price
Gina Ricci
Tracy Rodriguez
Linda Roth
Melissa Sadler
Linda Segal
Gita Singh
Wendy Sinnette
Melanie Sos
Mary Van Amringe
Terry Walker
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La Cañada Flintridge Sister Cities Association, Inc. is a registered tax-exempt organization as described in
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN No. 81-1880374.
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