State of The Town Address 2009
25th Anniversary Nagaokakyo& Arlington – Sister Cities
April 27, 2009
Kevin F. Greeley, Chairman, Board of Selectmen
I am honored to be here this evening to deliver this State of the Town
My 7th time as Chairman – even luckier to be here for this celebration between our 2 cities. My 2nd time as chair – the 10th celebration
For the first couple of minutes Reayko Tanaka will translate for me and she’ll come back for the ending.
Tonight we celebrate 25 years of cooperation between our 2 cities.
Nagakakyo is a city of about 79,500 people in Southeast Japan. Served as capital of Japan from 784-794
Every 5 years Nagaokakyohave sent a delegation to Arlington.
Mayor Yutaka Oda - Head of the Delegation
Mr. Hiroshi Yagi – Chairman 25-member City Council
Ms. Nobuko Asawa – Chairman – 3 member School Committee
Mr.Toyohiko Yamamoto – City Council Secretarial Dept.
Ms. Ayumi Nakagawa – Staff of School Education Division
Also welcome Mr. Masuru Tsuji – Consulate General of Japan to Boston.
There are also 19 students who have traveled here with the delegation - Conichiwa
The delegation generously gifted Arlington with a Japanese Cherry Blossom Tree for our gardens. Mr. Oda and I planted it yesterday.
Thank you for joining us for the opening of our annual tradition called State of The Town.
Now I’ll continue in English.
Let’s face it they’re the lucky ones who don’t have to listen to me.
I know that some of you received invitations to this State of The Town for April 27, 2098, the rumors that I intend to stay on the Board are not true. I have no intention of ever going past 2020!
Let’s look at these 2 communities:
Nagaokakyo: Arlington:
Pop: 79,449 43,000
Area: 7.4 Sq. miles 5.5 Sq. miles
40% Forests
Density: 10,736 per mile 7,818 per mile
Kyoto & Osaka suburb Boston suburb
Schools:
14,000 students
10 Elementary 7 Elementary
4 Middle Schools 1 Middle School
2 High Schools 1 High School
1 Private College
1 Private Jr. College
Industrial: Offices & Factories of Mitsubishi, Suntory, Panasonic,
Government:
Japan – Emperor – Symbol of the state – but sovereignty rests with the people.
House of Rep– 480 members H. of Councilors
47 Prefectures - each with an elected Governor and a legislature
What is the State of their town – healthy, economically challenged by US Stock Market, Real Estate & Banks – struggling with an aging population.
Board of Selectmen - Town Manager
Town Meeting – 252 members
Superintendant & 7 Member elected School Committee
What Is The State of our Town?
We are also being challenged by the stock market, real estate values, and banks. But we are in fairly good shape especially as compared to many comparable communities. Through the cooperation of many elected and appointed officials, Town Meeting, Finance Committee, employees, and unions we have stayed true to the Lyons 5-Year Plan and have earned a Triple AAA bond rating as a result.
Here too in Arlington – Sovereignty Rests with the citizens.
The citizens select their Selectmen, School Committee, and Town Meeting Members, with other elected officals and multiple boards and committees.
I believe that it is the Board of Selectmen which has the responsibility to lead this Town.
Leadership is given by followers. I would like to take a moment to recognize a few individuals who each have many followers:
Ms. Clarissa Rowe – Tree Hugger, Immediate Past Chairman.
Ms. Diane Mahon – Vice Chairman; Champion of Town Employees, Cheerleading Coach, Fiercely Loyal to her people.
Served as Chair – 4/5/2004 - 4/4/2005
Mr. Jack Hurd – Subcommittee Champion; Transportation, Snow, Housing, Veterans, etc.
Served as Chair – 3/29/1999 – 3/3/2000 & 4/4/2005 –4/3/2006
Ms Annie Lacourt – Data Head, Financial & Technology Warrior
Served as Chair – 4/16/2007 – 4/4/2008
Mr. Brian Sullivan, Town Manager.
These are Arlington’s Leaders over the past few years!
Unanimous Vote By The BOS
Mayor Yutaka Oda – Honorary Chair, Arlington Board of Selectman, 27/2009
On behalf of the Board of Selectmen I would like to reach out to all of Arlington’s stakeholders to continue to work cooperatively.
This year – I believe that we need to focus on some key issues facing the town:
1. We need to formalize and execute the next 5 Year Plan.
2. Continue to stress education, conservation, and participation.
3. Carefully guide the Symmes project through the tough
economic storm we current sail in.
4. Re-build Thompson & Stratton – and then start all over
again!
5. Grapple with compensation – for elected officials and
especially for our excellent employees – who year after year do
more for Arlington with less.
6 Continue to be a welcoming community for all peoples.
We have sailed through storms before – we can weather them again - together.
To my daughter Katie
To my son Sean
To all young Arlingtonians who will be running things soon enough and to the students of the Nagaokakyo Delegation. Keep this cooperation between our 2 cities alive. Let the 50th celebration be a vision for you. A vision to strive for even more cooperation and make us truly neighbors in a much smaller world community.
This Sister City Anniversary serves as testament that;
We can overcome prejudice.
We can forget our disagreements.
We can learn and appreciate our cultural differences.
We can cooperate and become a Sovereign One World Community.
Nagaokakyo& Arlington...
25 Years
Sisters
Brothers
One
Bansai!
Bansai!
Bansai!
Domo Arrigato
Thank You
God Bless!
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