TYLER SISTER CITIES NEWS RELEASE TUESDAY, September 5, 2006
Betty Bower, president 903-593-9190
Tyler Sister Cities September Trip to Poland Set to GoEight representatives will travel to Jelenia Gora, Poland on September 22 in a focus on educational opportunities for cooperation between the two communities.
Invited by the President of the Collegium of Jelenia Gora to attend a faculty convocation and to visit sites of interest in the city, the Tyler delegation includes the President of The University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Rod Mabry and Mrs. Merle Mabry; Academic Provost of The University of Texas at Tyler Dr. Richard Osburn and Mrs. Elaine Osburn; City of Tyler Librarian Chris Albertson, President of Tyler Sister Cities Mrs. Betty Bower and Louis Bower, and Mrs. Elaine Andrews Smith Gage.
The relationship with Jelenia Gora, Poland, began over 10 years ago with a delegation visiting Tyler through a government grant initiated by Dr. George Hamm, who was president of The University of Texas at Tyler. The Polish group spent a week in homes of Tyler families, then moved to University apartment complex for three weeks. During their stay here, the group studied operations of city government, police, Tyler schools and higher education. Twinning with the city involved a large Tyler group visiting Jelenia Gora, and Metz, France, one of Tyler’s initial sister communities.
Since then, small delegations from Jelenia Gora have been in Tyler. Interaction through funding and collecting advanced biology textbooks for the city’s high school students, and shipping needed medical equipment donated by area physicians and medical groups to enhance hospital emergency room facilities. Visits for specialized library and computer network programs involved Dr. Mickey Slimp and City of Tyler Librarian Chris Albertson. This year’s visit renews friendships from previous exchanges.