PORT ANGELES — Middle school students reaffirmed the relationship between Mutsu City and Port Angeles in a signing ceremony Thursday afternoon at Port Angeles City Hall.

A delegation from Mutsu City, Japan, is in town visiting Port Angeles to celebrate the 20th year of a sister city agreement between the two communities.

Groups of students representing the two cities presented PowerPoint programs of photographs to celebrate the qualities of their hometowns to a group of about 40 people in council chambers.

Ambassador program

The 15 students from the Mutsu City Student Ambassadors program represented six junior high schools in Mutsu City, while seven Stevens Middle School students represented Port Angeles.

Their presentations highlighted similar cities, both located on peninsulas with seaside and mountain activities, popular festivals and outdoor activities, but with challenges that include remote locations, declining populations and a need for more local shopping infrastructure and jobs.

Both communities seek to balance tourism and ecology with industry, students said.

At the end of the presentations, four students — Stevens students Maizie Tucker and Macia Bohman, and Mutsu City student ambassadors Yuki Makata and Mano Shiroyama — signed an agreement that echoes the original sister city exchange agreement signed Aug. 13, 1995.

Mayors attend

Mayor Patrick Downie and Mutsu City Mayor Soichiro Miyashita stood with the four students selected.

“Twenty years ago, adults signed this agreement. Now, 20 years later, it is the students signing the same agreement,” Miyashita said through an interpreter.

“All of our students here are great representatives of their hometowns.”

Before the ceremony, Downie spent the day touring City Hall with students from both cities.

“I am very impressed with these young people. I think our future is bright,” he said.

During their visit, the Japanese students attended class and activities at Stevens with their student hosts, as well as culture fairs at Stevens and Franklin Elementary School.

Stevens teacher Rob Edwards and Amy Miller-Yamamichi traveled with the Mutsu City delegation, and Stevens teacher Stacey Sanders organized the visit.

The students, with seven adult chaperons, each were matched with a host family for their stay in Port Angeles.

Former Mayor Dan Di Guilio and the newly elected Deputy Mayor Cherie Kidd, with a delegation of students, visited Mutsu City in May as part of the 20th year of the exchange program.

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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.