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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate the citizens of Rockford
4and Ferentino, Italy on the occasion of the 15th anniversary
5of their sister city partnership; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Rockford has a substantial Italian American
7population that celebrates its ancestral heritage, including
8many families and individuals that tie their ancestral roots
9to Ferentino, an ancient hill town southeast of Rome; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Immigrants to Rockford from Ferentino founded the
11Society of Saint Ambrogio Martyr Mutual Benefit Society (Saint
12Ambrogio Society) in 1918, which is still in active operation
13today; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Efforts to create an Italian sister city to
15Rockford began in 2005 through family ties between the
16DeCastris and Giorgi families in both Rockford and Ferentino,
17leading to robust community efforts to formalize the lasting
18connections that have linked the people of Rockford and
19Ferentino for over a century; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The Italian Sister City Committee was formed in
21Rockford in 2005 to facilitate the ongoing communication

 

 

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1between citizens and officials from Rockford and Ferentino to
2promote and support a sister city agreement between the two
3cities; and
 
4    WHEREAS, A delegation of nine public officials from the
5Ferentino City Council and the Pro Loco Association visited
6Rockford for a week in May 2006, where they took part in
7several official meetings and activities that culminated in
8the signing of a sister city agreement by Mayor Larry
9Morrissey of Rockford and Mayor Piergianni Fiorletta of
10Ferentino at Rockford City Hall on May 15, 2006; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Italian sister city activities have included
12international exchanges, student pen pal programs, peace pole
13installations in Rockford and Ferentino, gift exchanges,
14creation of the Italian Sister City garden and plaque at
15Rockford's Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, participation in the
16Rockford Sister Cities Advisory Commission, and cultural
17displays at the Rockford and Ferentino City Halls, and at
18Rockford's Festa Italiana, Midway Village Museum, and Ethnic
19Heritage Museum; and
 
20    WHEREAS, The 15th anniversary of this historic event is
21being celebrated this year with several commemorative
22activities undertaken by the Rockford Italian Sister Cities
23Alliance (RISCA) in conjunction with the Greater Rockford

 

 

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1Italian American Association (GRIAA); therefore, be it
 
2    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
3HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
4we congratulate the citizens of Rockford and Ferentino, Italy
5on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of their sister city
6partnership; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8presented to the cities of Rockford and Ferentino and
9representatives of the RISCA and GRIAA organizations as an
10expression of our esteem and respect.