Sunday, March 04, 2007

Lauderhill’s Mayor Kaplan and Vice-Mayor Holness visit to France - February 26 & 27, 2007


Lauderhill’s Mayor Kaplan, Vice Mayor Holness, and the rest of the Delegation's mission to France is proving to be a worthwhile and rewarding journey. This mission's objectives include developing interest in establishing a Sister City relationship and Friendship Pacts in France, to promote the City’s business and cultural developments, for which the Lauderhill’s Chamber will play a significant part, relating to the Broward County Regional Park, Carishoca, Gospel Complex, All American Cultural Mall and surrounding areas, and learning about the future business plans for creating these cultural facilities.

IN RENNES:
The first two days started early at the National Cultural and Education Complex at Les Champs Libre (formerly a poverty ridden neighborhood), Rennes, France, that includes a combined Library, Children’s Science Museum with Learning Center, Planetarium, and a 450-seat conference center, where the Mayor, Vice Mayor and the Delegation met with Jacques Terrier, the Director of the Facility and Mr. Eric Beaty, US Consulate for Western France. In its first year it has received 1 million visitors.

The Lauderhill assembly also met with in the first two days:
Guy Canu, President of the Rennes Chamber of Commerce who hosted the event in Rennes (Chambers in France have taxing authority)
Clotilde Tascon-Mennetrier, the Vice-Mayor of Rennes and First VP of the Regional (County) government. (NOTE: Elected officials can hold numerous elected positions at one time. Such as a mayor can also be on its regional government, a French Senator, or hold other elected positions.)
Loic Fremont, the Director of Si Tous Les Ports Du Monde ("If All The Ports Of The World")
French Senator Pelletier (at the French Senate in Paris)

A presentation was made on the cultural development and construction going on in Lauderhill. There were follow up discussions by the ASHE Foundation on exchanging exhibits between Rennes and the "All American Museum For Cultural Diversity" to be built in the All American Cultural Mall at Carishoca in Lauderhill. Mr. Winston Fifi (AMERA), Mrs. Angela Jones (Jones Company) and Loise Lipsett-Jackson (MILLENIUM Corp) presented respectively: the CARISHOCA, the Community Children Art and Cultural Learning Center of Broward, the MILLENIUM Investment Corporation.

At the subsequent meeting with Mr. Fremont, he proposed to the Mayor and Vice-Mayor that Lauderhill join his Association, whose focus is to create connections with cities who have historical ties to ports and migration. The goal is for the Lauderhill Cultural Complex to be a platform for business development. The Mayor and Vice-Mayor did not discuss such matters between them, and instead advised that they would later need to bring this information to their Commission for discussion and interest.

Mayor Kaplan and Vice-Mayor Holness, along with the Delegation were taken by Mrs. Anne Couvez (ASHE) and Eric Beaty to the US Consulate for a meeting with Christelle Maffre, Director for the European Union of "Enterprise Florida." The Mayor and Vice-Mayor again gave a presentation on the ongoing developments of the Carishoca, Dr. Bobby Jones Gospel Complex, All American Cultural Mall, County Regional Park, Lauderhill Mall, and Lauderhill in general. The US Consulate and Director advised what their function is, and how they may be able to assist

IN PARIS :
At 10:00AM, the delegation was warmly greeted at the conference room of "CultureFrance," the world largest cultural agency, by Mr. Benoit Etienne, Director of Cooperation and Cultural Engineering, Mrs. Valerie Thfoin and Mrs. Lucie Touya in charge of the Caribbean Rim. This section of the organization is particularly involved in African and Caribbean art and cultural diversity.

Victor Haye made a video presentation on the cultural development and construction going on in Lauderhill. The Delegation was advised that in collaboration with the ASHE Foundation, that interest in exhibits in Florida can be extended to Lauderhill if they desire, though details need to be worked out. Vice-Mayor Holness inquired about whether they had an exhibit on specific American artists who have worked in France

Later in the afternoon, the Delegation met with Senator Jacques Pelletier at the French Senate in Paris. He recommended and set up a subsequent meeting with "CitesUnies" (United Cities), which is our equivalent of League of Cities. It is headed by the Senator Charles Josselin who is also a city Mayor.
CitesUnies works with French cities to establish sister cities relationships, rather than doing it directly as it was being set up. Therefore, no movement towards proceeding with any Sister Cities Relationships resulted, and the matter will be discuss further with the Lauderhill Commission to work through this organization, as is traditionally arranged in France. Subsequent visits in France were to Nantes and Marseilles, and a similar brief report shall follow.

The delegation is expected home on Saturday, the 3rd of March 2007, when they are expected to give a full report on the trip to France after assembling all of the information.

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