South Valley ’ s Sister Cities
In the 1950s , while the world was still recovering from the ravages of World War II , former President Dwight Eisenhower held a White House conference on citizen diplomacy . He called on Americans to reach out to people of other nations , celebrate our diversity , and live in peace . His words led to the creation of Sister Cities International ( SCI ), and inspired a movement that has grown globally for more than half a century .
Headford , County Galway , Ireland San Casciano in Val di Pesa , Italy Mizuho , Tokyo , Japan San Martín de Hidalgo , Jalisco , Mexico Seferihisar , Izmir , Turkey
Morgan Hill Sister Cities
Morgan Hill has five sister cities . Bernie Mulligan and Jill Kirk , Morgan Hill Sister Cities Association ’ s current and previous board presidents , provided gmhTODAY with an overview of the group ’ s activities .
Italy
In 2003 , Morgan Hill established its first sister city relationship with San Casciano , located in Italy ’ s famed Tuscany region . San Casciano is known for its wine and olive oil as well as agritourism . Morgan Hill ’ s connection with San Casciano began with the Guglielmo family , whose grandparents immigrated to the U . S . from Italy in the 1920s and founded the Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill . Through their ties with family and friends in Italy , the Guglielmo ’ s facilitated an introduction for the mayors of both cities when Dennis Kennedy was Mayor of Morgan Hill .
“ Our goal is to rekindle our cultural exchange with the people of San Casciano ,” Mulligan said . “ We have kept in close touch through one of our members , Pier Antoniucci , and we ’ d like to send a delegation there in the fall .”
“ We ’ d also like to see a cultural exchange between students from our two cities at some point in the future ,” Kirk added .
Sister Cities delegates Jill Kirk and Bernie Mulligan presented a 10-year Anniversary Proclamation to Councilwoman Marry Hoade in Headford , Ireland ( 2016 )
George Guglielmo with Mayor Soyer of Seferihisar , Turkey ( 2014 )
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Turkey
Seferihisar became a sister city in 2013 . Located in Turkey ’ s Izmir Province along the picturesque shores of the Aegean Sea , its economy is primarily driven by agricultural exports including citrus , olives , vegetables , flowers and wine grapes . Like Morgan Hill , Seferihisar is taking steps to increase awareness of its appeal as a getaway destination .
“ Morgan Hill has enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Mayor Tunç Soyer and the people of Seferihisar ,” Mulligan said . “ We are looking forward to seeing them again .”
Mexico
Morgan Hill Sister Cities is looking for a new member interested in taking the lead on its relationship with San Martín de Hidalgo , located in the central-western state of Jalisco , Mexico . The region is notable for its 37,500-acre nature preserve , the Sierra de Quila , an area rich in biodiversity and studded with pine , redwood and oak forests .
“ A few years ago , we visited San Martín de Hidalgo during September , Mulligan said . “ They invited us to their annual Día de la Independencia event . We watched a professional rodeo , ate great food , and were treated to music performed by an awardwinning Mariachi band .”
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2017 gmhtoday . com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MORGAN HILL AND GILROY SISTER CITIES PROGRAMS