Morgan Hill Sister Cities
Ireland
Tunc Soyer, Mayor of Seferihisar, Turkey (center), hosted Morgan Hill
Sister Cities delegates Einar and Karen Anderson, Victoria Escuton,
Dennis Kennedy, Nuzhat Alavi, Bernie Mulligan, Marilyn Librers and
Jill Kirk in 2013. The two cities were officially twinned in 2014.
For more than a decade, Morgan Hill has deepened its
sisterly bond with Headford, Ireland. To celebrate the ten-
year anniversary, delegates traveled to Headford where they
were greeted by a large Irish contingent. Headford is located
in County Galway (their government seat) in western
Ireland. It is an agrarian community and, as with Ireland in
general, its people are known for their hospitality to visitors.
Archaeological sites, from burial cairns to castles, date back
to the Norman Conquest and earlier to the Iron Age.
“We have visited Headford regularly,” Kirk said, “and
both county officials and private citizens have welcomed us
warmly. One couple, the Monaghans, have visited Morgan
Hill on several occasions. On their last visit, they brought
an ensemble of Irish dancers and musicians to entertain our
citizens. It was an amazing experience.”
“In 2015, a Morgan Hill couple by the name of Chris
and Mike Sullivan read about our connection with Headford
and decided to stop there while touring Ireland. They were
welcomed so warmly by our friends there and enjoyed the
experience so much they extended their stay.”
Japan
Morgan Hill Mayor Steve Tate and Mizuho-machi Japan Mayor
Ishizuka exchanged gifts at an outdoor celebration in July of 2016.
Below: Taiko drum musicians entertained guests.
Mizuho-Morgan Hill Student Exchange
In 2015, Cindy van Rhijn and Mary Wakatsuki became
co-chairs for the Morgan Hill-Mizuho Student Exchange, a
program that originated with Morgan Hill Sister Cities and
continues to evolve, under the Morgan Hill Community
Foundation umbrella, in partnership with the Morgan Hill
Unified School District (MHUSD). Every year, Morgan
Hill and Mizuho alternate between hosting and sending
exchange students and chaperones to each other’s cities to
stay in the homes of local families. MHUSD middle school
students and their families will host students from Mizuho
this summer, and then travel to Mizuho next year.
According to van Rhijn, “MHUSD students commit to an
18-month program that includes learning Japanese language
basics, preparing to host their Japanese guests, fundraising
toward their trip costs, and making presentations in Mizuho.
They learn to be ambassadors of good will, at home and
away from home. Every student has that “aha moment”
when they discover people are different and yet the same
underneath. It opens their minds.”
Local Landmarks
Morgan Hill Sister Cities
Meet Fourth Thursday of each month at 7 pm
Morgan Hill Centennial Recreation Center
Edmundson Avenue, Room 1
Membership: $25.00 per year
morganhillsistercities.com.
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Morgan Hill’s sister cities are commemorated at the
Morgan Hill Civic Center, where their names are etched
in concrete. In the coming months, the City also plans to
install in the Civic Center plaza, a signpost with directional
signs pointing toward each sister city.
“We’ve been treated so well by the people of our sister
cities,” Mulligan said, “I’d like to think that Morgan Hill will
continue to offer its hospitality to them in the future. We
welcome local families to join Morgan Hill Sister Cities and
travel with us, and to encourage their kids to get involved
in a student exchange program.”
MARCH/APRIL 2017
gmhtoday.com