Sister City delegation visiting Americus, Sumter County: Aug. 17,2016

Published 3:00 pm Saturday, August 27, 2016

By BETH ALSTON
beth.alston@americustimesrecorder.com
www.americustimesrecorder.com

AMERICUS — A delegation of a 18 people from Americus’ sister city of Konu, Miyoshi City, Japan, arrived  in Atlanta Tuesday evening. They were to arrive in Americus this afternoon for several days to visit the community and especially, the Sumter County Schools.
The group of six ninth-grade students from Japan, as well as adult school and municipal leaders, were to tour the Carter Center and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta this morning and arrive at the Rees Park Economic Development Center here in Americus early this evening where they will enjoy snacks and music as well as welcomes from Sumter County Schools Superintendent Larry Walters and Americus Mayor Barry Blount before a dinner for the adults in the delegation.
On Thursday, the students and adults will meet at the Americus Welcome Center downtown and the Windsor Hotel where Sam Mahone will give a presentation on the Civil Rights Institute. Malcolm Argo will act as their host on a ride on the Americus Trolley for a tour that promises to be informative as well as entertaining as Argo is certain to use his incredible knowledge and wit with the group.
The group will also visit Habitat for Humanity International’s Global Village, Café’ Campesino Roastery, as well as take a guided tour of historic South Lee Street.
After touring Koinonia Farm and enjoying a great, Southern, home-grown and home-cooked meal there, the group will visit the historic Rylander Theatre where they will hear from former Georgia Southwestern President Bill Capitan and former Americus Mayor Russell Thomas Jr. about the creation of Americus institutions.
After shopping with downtown merchants, the contingent will travel to the Sumter County Schools’ Central Office for snacks, and then back to Americus to be recognized at the regular meeting of the Americus Mayor and City Council. That evening, the group will dine with the host families at Shriner Hall.
On Friday, the group visits SCS Central Office again for snacks before traveling to Plains where they will visit the Boyhood Farm, part of the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site. Kim Fuller, daughter of the late Billy Carter, will give a presentation to the group on the Carters.
Friday afternoon, they will visit Americus Sumter High School, and Sumter Middle School for performances, before going to a Japanese and Americus mixer at Café’ Campesino downtown. The students will return to their host families, and the adults will enjoy a dinner at the Windsor Hotel with the SCS superintendent and school principals.
On Saturday, the visiting students will spend the day with their host families to enjoy activities such as swimming, a picnic, visiting Andersonville and discounted rides on the SAM Shortline Excursion Train. The adults will enjoy a trip to the newly refurbished Pasaquan in Marion County, followed by lunch in Americus at Monroe’s hosted by the Downtown Development Authority. Chris Usrey, a local pilot, will also offer the students plane rides over the area, weather permitting.
The mayor and his wife entertain the adults with a dinner at their home Saturday evening, followed by a reception hosted by Chris and Meg Usrey.
On Sunday, students will remain with host families while the adults tour Andersonville. A good-bye ceremony will be held shortly after lunch in the Windsor Hotel lobby prior to the group’s departure for Atlanta. They fly home to Japan on Monday.
Earlier this summer, a delegation from Sumter County Schools were guests of Konu, Myoshi City.