City Of Omaha: Mayors Sign Sister City F ...

Press release from the City of Omaha:

September 22, 2021

The Mayors of Omaha and Carlentini, Sicily signed a Sister City Friendship Agreement today, the first step towards becoming Sister Cities in the future.   

The virtual signing ceremony was held at the Durham Western Heritage Museum recognizing the Union Pacific Railroad as an employer for many of the first Carlentini immigrants.

“Union Station is a National Historic Landmark and a symbol of the railroad’s important role in the history of Omaha and the people of Carlentini,” said Mayor Jean Stothert, Honorary Chair of the Omaha Sister Cities Association.  “The early Carlentini population led to the development of Omaha’s Little Italy neighborhood with family-owned restaurants, shops, food markets and small businesses, just a few blocks from where we are today.”

The first immigrants arrived in Omaha more than 100 years ago. 

“I know this story well. My paternal grandparents were among those immigrants,” said Celann LaGreca, Chair of the Omaha Sister Cities Association Carlentini Committee. “They left a small hill town in southern Italy and came to Omaha via New York where they married, and Philadelphia, where the first two of their nine children were born. My Nana insisted that she and my grandfather stay in Omaha and raise their family here. Omaha was now her home.  I’m forever glad they chose to stay.”

Over the past year, three Italian heritage organizations in Omaha—the American Italian Heritage Society, the Santa Lucia Festival Committee, and the Orders of the Sons and Daughters of Italy, helped lay the groundwork for today’s ceremonial signing. They formed the Sicula Italia Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to bring these two cities together. 

Carlentini is an Italian city in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily; population approximately 17,000. Mayor Giuseppe Stefio called the agreement true and unconditional friendship.  “It is a great honor and a great emotion to represent the citizens of Carlentini on this historic day to link the cities of Omaha and Carlentini,” he said.

The Sister City Friendship Agreement provides opportunities for cultural, educational, and business partnerships and exchanges. It is an initial step that can lead to a formal sister city agreement.  The Omaha City Council approved the resolution to support the Friendship Agreement on September 14th.

“A great distance separates our communities, but a great friendship connects us,” said Mayor Stothert. Omaha is proud of our strong ties to Carlentini. Friendship is said to be the world’s greatest treasure, today, we begin many years of friendship.”

Omaha has six sister cities: Shizuoka, Japan; Braunschweig, Germany; Siauliai, Lithuania; Naas, Ireland; Xalapa, Mexico; and Yantai, China.  In 2019, a Friendship Agreement was signed with Isigny-Omaha Intercom.

This press release was produced by the City of Omaha. The views expressed here are the author’s own.