EVENTS to mark the 20th anniver- sary of the twinning of Ennis and Phoenix aim to increase business and educational links between the two areas. In October, business and poltical representatives will travel to Arizona to celebrate the official twinning of the two towns in 1988. The trip is viewed as a way to pro- mote Ennis as an investment and tourist destination and an opportuni- ty to explore opportunities for trade. One avenue the Ennis delegation are keen to explore is the potential establishment of third level outreach facilities in Ennis through linkages with the University of Phoenix. Aedin Moloney of the Ennis Phoe-
nix Board said, “They will be defi- nitely looking at forming some sort of partnership with the University of Phoenix.
‘These trips, whether representa- tives from Phoenix coming here or us going over there, have always been beneficial, from a tourism and a business standpoint.”
Details of the annual student ex- change programme have also been finalised with three of the four stu- dents already selected to travel to Phoenix in July. Since it began, 52 students from the Ennis and Phoenix areas have participated in the pro- eau-eabenlee
Although, it has been running for the past 20 years, it is only in the last couple of years that it has been open
to schools in Ennis, where the teach- ers select the four students to go.
The students spend three weeks in Phoenix, learning about the city and its culture, meeting with city dig- nitaries and observing the political process at work in the city council and at official functions.
The group will also visit one of America’s best-known landmarks, the Grand Canyon, and visit neigh- bouring states such as California.
The Ennis group will be joined by 80 other students from the 40 towns and cities Phoenix is twinned with.
Ms Moloney said that while there hadn’t been widespread awareness, the exchange programme has helped bolster the relationship between the two communities.
“People that would have gone on the student exchange programme 20 years ago have continued to travel back and forth with their families and that has helped continue the links,” she said.
“It is a fantastic opportunity to visit America, especially with the 20th anniversary coming up, but not that many people seem to know about it. This year in Phoenix they are trying to bring over everyone who has taken part in the programme.”
Preceding that, as has been tradi- tion since the programme began, a group of students from Phoenix will first visit Ennis in June. Last April the Deputy City manager of Phoe- nix, Cynthia Seelhammer, made a four-day visit to Clare.