Early in 2009, Robert J. Lovero was elected Mayor of Berwyn, Illinois. Six members of his organization, Democratic Citizens of Berwyn (DCOB) were elected aldermen, giving Mayor Lovero’s Party a convincing majority on the eight-member City Council of Berwyn, a near-west suburb of Chicago called “The City of Homes.”
One of the factors that helped elect Mayor Lovero was his promise to voters that he would seek and develop all possible relationships that would move Berwyn forward during the economic recession that was hitting all cities hard. The Mayor kept his promise.
One of the newly-elected aldermen, Theodore J. Polashek, a Czech-American whose mother was born in the Czech Republic and who has relatives living in the Czech Republic, suggested developing a Sister Cities International bond with the city of Hradec Kralove. Mayor Lovero liked the idea of expanding the business interests of both cities internationally, thereby improving relations between the State of Illinois and the Czech Republic and creating new business opportunities for all.
Berwyn is a city of 56,800 with a business district featuring a large number of banking institutions along Cermak Road, known as “The Bohemian Wall Street.” It is widely considered to be one of the best suburbs of Chicago in which to live, work and raise a family. With little industry but lots of great housing, recreational facilities, shopping, and artistic opportunities, Berwyn is in an ideal location—outside Chicago but near enough for residents to easily access all the attractions of a big city.
Halfway between two major airports (O’Hare and Midway) and with major railroad lines running directly through the city, as well as public transportation galore, Berwyn features the best of both worlds. Mayor Lovero, along with alderman Polashek and Illinois State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez, decided to take the bull by the horns. They decided to join Sister Cities International and establish a relationship with Hradec Karlove in the Czech Republic.
A delegation of representatives was organized to visit the Czech Republic, mainly Prague and Hradec Kralove, to meet Czech government officials. They met with officials of the Czech Parliament and with then-Mayor of Hradec Kralove, Martin Dvorak, who is now the Czech Consulate General based in New York City.
The representatives of the Czech Republic were only too happy to combine efforts to develop business and cultural ties. Several months afterward, a Czech delegation visited Berwyn to further cement the relationship.
The Czech delegation was led by then-President of the Czech Senate, Milan Stech, along with Czech Senator Petr Pakosta and Secretary of the Senate of the Czech Parliament, Andrea Juzova. After touring the Berwyn area and meeting local business and government leaders, the Czech visitors were honored at a dinner attended by State of Illinois and City of Berwyn officials.
President Stech was presented with a plaque honoring the Czechs for building international relations. John Kamis, Senior Advisor to the Governor of Illinois, Patrick Quinn, along with State Representatives Elizabeth Hernandez and Dan Burke, did the honors. The Sister Cities relationship was blossoming.
Hradec Kralove, home to two universities and voted one of the best places to live in Europe as well as one of the safest cities in the Czech Republic, was working together with Berwyn, Illinois, one of the best places in Illinois to live, work and raise a family. Together, the Sister Cities were establishing new business connections and cultural events in both countries.
Two recent results of the new relationship:
Czech Wine Imports, a Czech company owned and operated by Noah Ullman and Radim Petratur, has established a wine distributorship with Wirtz Beverage Company, one of the largest beer, liquor and wine distributors in the United States. A gala wine-tasting event with authentic Czech entertainment was the kick-off event and authentic Czech wines are now in many Chicago area establishments.
The Chicagoland Czech-American Community Center has been established in Berwyn to serve the needs of people of all ages and ethnicities. U.S. Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, himself a Czech-American with a Czech mother and Slovak father, one of only twelve men to journey to the moon and the last man to walk on the moon, was the honored guest at the grand opening of the CCACC Berwyn facility.
Moving forward, officials of Hradec Kralove and Berwyn will work to improve trade relations and political issues. Mayor Lovero and Illinois State Representative Hernandez will be leading another Berwyn delegation trip to the Czech Republic to expand their Sister Cities activities.
City officials who wish to learn more about the success of the Hradec Kralove-Berwyn, Illinois, Sister Cities activities, Mayor Lovero can be contacted at (708)788-2660 or at the City of Berwyn website.
Photo: David Wilson (cc).
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Berwyn, Illinois and Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic: A Good Partnership
November 22, 2013
Early in 2009, Robert J. Lovero was elected Mayor of Berwyn, Illinois. Six members of his organization, Democratic Citizens of Berwyn (DCOB) were elected aldermen, giving Mayor Lovero’s Party a convincing majority on the eight-member City Council of Berwyn, a near-west suburb of Chicago called “The City of Homes.”
One of the factors that helped elect Mayor Lovero was his promise to voters that he would seek and develop all possible relationships that would move Berwyn forward during the economic recession that was hitting all cities hard. The Mayor kept his promise.
One of the newly-elected aldermen, Theodore J. Polashek, a Czech-American whose mother was born in the Czech Republic and who has relatives living in the Czech Republic, suggested developing a Sister Cities International bond with the city of Hradec Kralove. Mayor Lovero liked the idea of expanding the business interests of both cities internationally, thereby improving relations between the State of Illinois and the Czech Republic and creating new business opportunities for all.
Berwyn is a city of 56,800 with a business district featuring a large number of banking institutions along Cermak Road, known as “The Bohemian Wall Street.” It is widely considered to be one of the best suburbs of Chicago in which to live, work and raise a family. With little industry but lots of great housing, recreational facilities, shopping, and artistic opportunities, Berwyn is in an ideal location—outside Chicago but near enough for residents to easily access all the attractions of a big city.
Halfway between two major airports (O’Hare and Midway) and with major railroad lines running directly through the city, as well as public transportation galore, Berwyn features the best of both worlds. Mayor Lovero, along with alderman Polashek and Illinois State Representative Elizabeth Hernandez, decided to take the bull by the horns. They decided to join Sister Cities International and establish a relationship with Hradec Karlove in the Czech Republic.
A delegation of representatives was organized to visit the Czech Republic, mainly Prague and Hradec Kralove, to meet Czech government officials. They met with officials of the Czech Parliament and with then-Mayor of Hradec Kralove, Martin Dvorak, who is now the Czech Consulate General based in New York City.
The representatives of the Czech Republic were only too happy to combine efforts to develop business and cultural ties. Several months afterward, a Czech delegation visited Berwyn to further cement the relationship.
The Czech delegation was led by then-President of the Czech Senate, Milan Stech, along with Czech Senator Petr Pakosta and Secretary of the Senate of the Czech Parliament, Andrea Juzova. After touring the Berwyn area and meeting local business and government leaders, the Czech visitors were honored at a dinner attended by State of Illinois and City of Berwyn officials.
President Stech was presented with a plaque honoring the Czechs for building international relations. John Kamis, Senior Advisor to the Governor of Illinois, Patrick Quinn, along with State Representatives Elizabeth Hernandez and Dan Burke, did the honors. The Sister Cities relationship was blossoming.
Hradec Kralove, home to two universities and voted one of the best places to live in Europe as well as one of the safest cities in the Czech Republic, was working together with Berwyn, Illinois, one of the best places in Illinois to live, work and raise a family. Together, the Sister Cities were establishing new business connections and cultural events in both countries.
Two recent results of the new relationship:
Czech Wine Imports, a Czech company owned and operated by Noah Ullman and Radim Petratur, has established a wine distributorship with Wirtz Beverage Company, one of the largest beer, liquor and wine distributors in the United States. A gala wine-tasting event with authentic Czech entertainment was the kick-off event and authentic Czech wines are now in many Chicago area establishments.
The Chicagoland Czech-American Community Center has been established in Berwyn to serve the needs of people of all ages and ethnicities. U.S. Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, himself a Czech-American with a Czech mother and Slovak father, one of only twelve men to journey to the moon and the last man to walk on the moon, was the honored guest at the grand opening of the CCACC Berwyn facility.
Moving forward, officials of Hradec Kralove and Berwyn will work to improve trade relations and political issues. Mayor Lovero and Illinois State Representative Hernandez will be leading another Berwyn delegation trip to the Czech Republic to expand their Sister Cities activities.
City officials who wish to learn more about the success of the Hradec Kralove-Berwyn, Illinois, Sister Cities activities, Mayor Lovero can be contacted at (708)788-2660 or at the City of Berwyn website.
Photo: David Wilson (cc).
