VAN NUYS, CA — At the regular meeting of the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council, a suggestion was made to adopt a “Sister City” as part of the Centennial celebration.
“I would like to see a city in the Netherlands be our “Sister City,” as that is where Issac Newton Van Nuys’ family was originally from, however President Cliff Jacobs’ suggestion of a city in Japan, so we could help those victims, is a great idea as well,” said Councilman George Christopher Thomas.
“This idea just came to me on a whim, when I was speaking to a member of the local law enforcement community about Lithuanian pastries. I was told Kaunas, Lithuiana is a ‘Sister City’ to Los Angeles, and why doesn’t Van Nuys adopt a ‘Sister City?’ We were discussing it at the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council meeting that very night,” said Thomas.
Los Angeles has more than one “Sister City,” here is the list, in alphabetical order…
1. Athens, Greece
2. Auckland, New Zealand
3. Berlin, Germany
4. Beruit, Lebanon
5. Bordeaux, France
6. Eilat, Israel
7. Giza, Egypt
8. Guangzhou, China
9. Ischia, Italy
10. Jakarta, Indonesia
11. Kaunas, Lithuania
12. Lusaka, Zambia
13. Makati, Philippines
14. Mexico City, Mexico
15. Mumbai, India
16. Nagoya, Japan
17. Pusan, Korea, Republic of
18. Salvador, Brazil
19. Split, Croatia
20. St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
21. Taipei Municipality, Taiwan
22. Tehran, Iran
23. Vancouver, Canada
24. Yerevan, Armenia
Information on Kaunas, Lithuania — Kaunas (English pronunciation: /kanəs/; Lithuanian: [kuns] is the second largest city in Lithuania, and has historically been a leading centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the biggest city and the center of a powiat in Trakai Voivodeship of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania since 1413. During Russian Empire occupation it was the capital of Kovno Governorate from 1843 to 1915. It became the only temporary capital city in Europe during the Interwar period. Now it is the capital of Kaunas County, the seat of the Kaunas city municipality and the Kaunas district municipality. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kaunas. Kaunas is located at the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers, the Nemunas and the Neris, and near the Kaunas Reservoir, the largest body of water entirely in Lithuania.
Information on Sister Cities International — Sister Cities International’s mission is to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation — one individual, one community at a time. Created in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the goal of the organization is to develop municipal partnerships between U.S. cities, counties, and states and similar jurisdictions in other nations. Additionally, it works with ordinary citizens to participate in people-to-people exchanges and to build long-term partnerships between U.S. and international municipalities. These relationships transcend national politics with the ultimate goal of world peace. The group represents more than 700 U.S. communities and nearly 2,500 partnerships with sister communities in 134 countries. (sister-cities.org/)