From Aurora to Romania with love

Their cities are half a world apart, yet Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner and Florentin Costel Pandele, mayor of Voluntari, Romania, hope to build a partnership reuniting Aurora's Romanian ancestors with their homeland.

The mayors will meet at 6 p.m. and St. Michael Romanian Catholic Church, 609 N. Lincoln Ave., to initiate a cultural, educational and business relationship between Aurora, Illinois' second-largest city, and one of Bucharest's most prominent suburbs.

Earlier this year, Weisner and his staff met with a Greek envoy to share similar information.

"We're always interested in meeting with and welcoming foreign dignitaries when they visit Aurora," said assistant chief of staff Carie Ann Ergo. "Aurora has a significant Romanian heritage that we'd like to share with the mayor of Voluntari. It's nice to be able to give Aurora a little more worldwide exposure."

The nearly 300 members of St. Michael and the local chapter of The Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are sponsoring the reception for the two mayors. Also in attendance will be prominent Aurorans of Romanian descent, including Aurora Republican state Sen. Chris Lauzen and the Very Rev. Aurel Pater, pastor of St. Michael.

"We are hosting the meeting in an effort to unite our communities," Pater said Thursday. "It will be a nice meeting."

Visiting from Romania with Pandele will be political consultant Catalin Zamfir. Also attending will be one of Romanian's leading young businessmen, Honorius Prigoana. Chicago businessman Virgil Tiran will present a check from The Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry to Pandele to be used by a student from Voluntari to further his or her studies at an Aurora school.

Despite the potential for a growing relationship, Aurora already has a sister city of 18 years. The city formally Adopted Tlaquepaque, Jalisco Mexico, as a sister city on July 2, 1991.