Sister Cities Set to Welcome State Conference

The Sedona Sister Cities Association (SSCA) provided a significant update to the Sedona City Council on Tuesday, October 22, regarding its search for Sedona’s first sister city. Members also shared details about the upcoming Arizona Sister Cities State Conference, set to take place in mid-November.

During the meeting, SSCA Canmore team leader Don Groves presented a friendship city certificate from Canmore Mayor Sean Krausert. This act, performed on April 23, was deemed a “concrete indication” of progress in establishing international relations, according to Groves.

In a pioneering effort in educational collaboration, West Sedona School teacher Deb Sanders visited the Elizabeth Rummel School in Canmore in mid-October. There, she read “The Three Little Javelinas” to first-grade students, fostering connections between the two communities. Furthermore, Verde Valley School Head of School Ben Lee is collaborating with Luc Arvisais from Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy in Canmore to develop future educational programs.

Edyta Wieczorek, another SSCA member, spoke about potential partnerships with her hometown of Jasło, Poland. She noted the cities’ shared winemaking traditions, after a group of SSCA members visited Jasło in August. Following this trip, SSCA organized a screening of the documentary “Raze to the Ground” at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on September 13, documenting the town’s historical challenges during World War II.

Wieczorek further announced that Jasło will host a photography exhibit titled “The Beauty and History of Sedona” in November. Additionally, Sedona has been invited to participate in the Jasło 2025 regional volleyball tournament.

SSCA representative Marr pointed out that Jasło officials are expected to visit Sedona, ideally during the 2025 Sedona International Film Festival. He emphasized that post-visit evaluations will guide future recommendations to the City Council regarding this budding partnership.

The SSCA will host the Arizona Sister Cities State Conference on November 15 and 16, a first for the group in Sedona. This event aims to showcase the city and foster networking among sister cities across Arizona. Marr highlighted the expected attendance of around 150 people for the kickoff dinner and approximately 80 for subsequent sessions, with mayors from Mexico and Canada participating.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Dr. Ricki Garrett, president and CEO of Sister Cities International. SSCA hopes to institutionalize the dinner as an annual tradition. Following the presentation, the City Council instructed staff to examine how the city could support SSCA with minimal resources, including responding to emails and allowing the use of city marketing materials.

During the discussion, Councilwoman Jessica Williamson raised inquiries about the feasibility of establishing multiple sister city partnerships and the criteria used for selecting potential partners. In response, Marr clarified that the number of partnerships would depend on volunteer engagement and their financial commitment to these relationships.

Marr reassured council members that SSCA has consistently managed its operations independently without relying on city funding. He expressed optimism that Canmore would formalize a sister city agreement with Sedona by 2025 and that Jasło would enter a two-year friendship agreement.