Cole to Visit India, Rekindle Sister-City Relationship
"CARBONDALE -- As Americans send aid to tsunami-devastated countries in Asia and Africa, the people of Carbondale also are sending relief -- and the mayor.
Carbondale Mayor Brad Cole will go to India in February as a one-person delegation to rekindle a sister- city relationship with Shimla, India -- which dates back to 1973 but was eclipsed by Southern Illinois University's connection to Nakajo, Japan.
The city council will vote on a resolution tonight to re-establish a sister city relationship that has been left unattended for three decades. The goal is to cultivate mutual friendships and positive interactions between the citizens of each community, which are important in today's global society.
Planning for the one-week excursion began in October and Cole officially unveiled the idea of the international visit during the State of the City Address in November."
http://www.southernillinoisan.com/articles/2005/01/11/top/doc41e3cd41d12f1967582212.txtAnyone know about this guy's political ambitions? I mean, God Bless him for going there and giving people more initiative to donate support, but this will also help him in terms of name recognition and something great to point back to later down the line.
Southern Illinois people, do you have alot of Indians in the area? The article made it seem like there were a decent amount. There is even a India Association of Southern Illinois.