Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership

As part of its 40th anniversary year, the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership is hosting an “iltapäiväkahvi” or afternoon coffee on the birthday of Minna Canth, one of Finland’s foremost writers, who lived an active intellectual life in Kuopio for nearly 20 years. Her drama and prose writing dealt with controversial themes and radical social ideas. In 2007, her significance as a cultural and historical figure was marked when she became the first woman to have an official flag day named after her and designated as social equality day.  Read more at http://www.kansallisbiografia.fi/english/?id=2816.

Please join us to celebrate

Minna Canth Day
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Iltapäiväkahvi  — š  Afternoon Coffee

425 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis, Minn.
(next to Hennepin Ave. Church—parking in adjacent lot)

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
5:30—brief program

RSVP by March 13 at http://minnacanthday.eventbrite.com.  There is no cost for this event.

For additional information, MplsKuopio@gmail.com or call 651-270-9784.

On January 18, the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership lost a most enthusiastic committee member and great friend, Jerry Beltt, who died unexpectedly from cardiac arrest at age 65.

Born into a Finnish immigrant family of seven boys in Cloquet, Minnesota, his heritage was always important to him. He welcomed opportunities to host visitors from Finland, and loved talking about Finland while working at Minneapolis’ Sister City Day. He was also very involved in progressive social and political issues, and enjoyed getting to know the many people he met at various events.

Jerry was a caterer by trade, and was sought after for many, many family events in Minneapolis—birthdays, weddings, bar mitzvahs, holiday parties. He almost always built friendships and remained close to the families in whose lives and events he participated. One of his treasured memories was catering a private dinner for Finland’s new ambassador during her first visit to Minnesota.

A memorial gathering was held for Jerry at his neighborhood community center, where he was active in local issues, and where many recounted how often they greeted and chatted with him when he walked his dog in the area.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Minneapolis and Kuopio as sister cities, and planning for its celebration has begun.

The history of the partnership dates back to June 30, 1972, when Kuopio mayor Eino Luukkonen sent a letter to Minneapolis mayor Charles Stenvig, informing him that the Kuopio Municipal Council had named Minneapolis one of its “friendship towns.”

Over the next few months, conversations took place in Minneapolis about the new Sister City program in the U.S. and the letter from Kuopio. On June 1, 1973, a letter from Minneapolis city clerk Lyall Schwarzkopf invited Kuopio to become an official sister city to Minneapolis, following the Minneapolis City Council decision on May 25. On the history page, read about the projects that have brought the two cities together in the 40 years that have followed.

Following his visit to Minneapolis in November last year, Kuopio mayor Petteri Paronen wrote to members of the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership committee about “positive and important relationships [that] were set up during our visit.” He continued, “I hope this cooperation between our citizens will continue and strengthen onwards, and we will have many opportunities to learn something new from each other.”

Join the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership contact list and watch the calendar during the year as events are planned to mark this milestone.

On July 17-18, the Minnesota-based brass septet Ameriikan Poijat visited Kuopio, as part of their three-week Finland tour. They performed at the harbor, as part of Kuopio’s 2012 Art Marketplace festival. Pictured below (left to right): Tracey Gibbens, tuba; Paul Niemisto (director), euphonium; Nathaniel Dickey, tenor; Becky Jyrkas, alto; Denise Pesola, cornet B2; Jari Villanueva, cornet B1, Russ Pesola, cornet.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Kuopio, Finland, are both regional centers in their countries and are similar in several key aspects. Both are geographically located in a region of lakes and each revels in its long, cold, and snowy winters. Both are also centers of research in fields such as biotechnology and the environment. Residents of both cities share many aspects of Nordic culture—they are health-conscious, sports-loving, and education-minded.

How can Minneapolis and Kuopio learn from each other?

During 2011-12, as the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership nears its 40th anniversary, a number of initiatives are underway that connect the people and interests of Minneapolis and Kuopio:

• Collaborating with Kuopio schools to make connections that develop “international classrooms,” bringing schoolchildren together virtually
• Exchanging information on city government best practices and innovative programs
• Sharing thinking and concerns about environmental practices
• Building connections between our cultural arts communities, including Minneapolis’ stellar cultural dance community and the Kuopio Dance Festival, the largest in Europe.

If you are interested in learning more about these events and projects or becoming involved in the Minneapolis Kuopio Partnership, sign up on our contact list, e-mail us at mplskuopio@gmail.com and join us on Facebook at Minneapolis-Kuopio Sister City Organization.