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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend September 2, 2005 From left, Sara Pressenda and Valentina Foglio, both of Alba, Italy, Charlie Bufalino and Lisa Fthenakis, both of Medford, and Martina Abrigo of Alba clown around during a welcome party for the visiting exchange students Wednesday. Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Cultivating friendships The Medford-Alba sister-city program celebrates its 45th year of fostering international understanding By BUFFY POLLOCK for the Mail Tribune Alba, Italy, Mayor Giuseppe Rossetto says his first visit to Medford, Alba’s sister city for 45 years, surprised him. "He was remembering that when we first started the exchange with Alba, they were both much smaller cities," said Rossetto’s interpreter, Elena Usan, on Thursday. "Alba is still small (about 30,000 population) while Medford has grown incredibly. He was surprised at the city’s growth." Rossetto and three dozen Alba high school students are in Medford for a three-week exchange sponsored by the Medford Alba Sister City Association. The Italians marked the 45th anniversary of city sisterhood and the 20th of student exchanges in a ceremony during the Medford City Council’s noon meeting Thursday. So far the students have visited Crater Lake, taken a jet boat trip, toured the Harry & David plant and seen a Britt concert. They fly back to Alba on Sept. 13. Advertisement North Medford High School senior Lisa Fthenakis spent three weeks in Alba over last spring break and is hosting her own host family’s daughter, Sara Pressenda, during this visit. Fthenakis said she found everyday life in Alba most intriguing during her trip, including "the way their kitchen was set up, how their houses were different. � I think I’ve probably made a friend I’ll have for life." Fthenakis said she noticed similarities in climate and economy between Medford and Alba, but felt the biggest difference was that the smaller town had more of a night life for teens. "Discos were a new experience, definitely. They’re open to teenagers. That’s not something we have available in Medford," she said. Her sister city friend, 18-year-old Pressenda, said she enjoyed learning about Medford. " I love the city. It’s very nice. I feel at home here," she said. "Medford is bigger and a little bit different. It’s more green. More garden(s)." The exchange is part of the Sister Cities International Program, an effort that began under President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to encourage "people-to-people" citizen diplomacy. The organization currently represents more than 2,500 communities in 126 countries around the world. Over the years, student exchanges have occurred annually since 1960 with emphasis in interests ranging from sports and education to arts and culture. Medford students typically visit Alba during spring break every other year. Alba students come every other year during the summer. Liz Smith, chairwoman of the Medford Alba Sister City Association, called the exchanges a "wonderful way to cultivate friendships and give those in Medford a view of the outside world." Medford Mayor Gary Wheeler called the exchange "probably one of the nicest things that we do." "The exchange programs give everybody such a taste of everybody’s cultures — and to have the mayor over here for his first visit was very enjoyable," Wheeler said. Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy Online Casino Reviews Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Discount Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Advertisement s