The calendar still says February, but there was plenty of St. Patrick’s Day spirit in front of San Jose City Hall on Tuesday, as city officials welcomed a delegation from Dublin, San Jose’s sister-city in Ireland.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan thanked the group — which was led by Dublin Lord Mayor Daithí de Róiste and included Deputy Lord Mayor Claire O’Connell, Councillor Anne Feeney and Deputy Chief Executive Eileen Quinlivan — for traveling halfway around the world to visit Silicon Valley.
“Our collaboration in economic development, arts, sports, community affairs and local government have made both of our cities stronger,” Mahan said during a ceremony to raise the flags of Ireland and Dublin on a windy afternoon at City Hall Plaza. Former San Jose Mayor Tom McEnery, who helped forge the connection with then-Dublin Lord Mayor Bertie Ahern in 1986, also spoke at the event, along with Micheál Smith, the consul general of Ireland in San Francisco.
Mahan’s current counterpart praised the work of the San Jose-Dublin Sister City Program for its work in keeping strong the link between the two communities for nearly 40 years. “It’s been truly astounding to see the hard work people are putting in, meeting on a weekly basis, a monthly basis, to really drive that relationship between our two cities,” de Róiste said. “It’s so so impressive and for our part, it’s so very welcome.”
Like all previous mayors, Mahan couldn’t help but notice the impressive chain around the neck of Dublin’s lord mayor. “I really need to lobby my colleagues for an upgrade in title and a giant gold chain,” joked Mahan, who will almost certainly be re-elected to a four-year term next Tuesday. Mahan might have an easier time persuading his 10 council colleagues than he would in Dublin, which has 63 city councillors.
The Irish delegation, which arrived Monday and will depart Friday, has a slate of meetings on the economy, education and arts and culture planned — along with some receptions. Unfortunately, the delegation won’t be around for the San Jose-Dublin Program’s annual Shamrock Run, the 5K/10K race through downtown on March 16. I’m sure plenty of people will be raising a post-race Guinness for them at O’Flaherty’s Pub in San Pedro Square.
WINNING SPEECH: Let’s hear it for Anderson Ortiz, an El Salvadoran immigrant and student at Oxford Day Academy student. He was selected as the Youth of the year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula after delivering a speech before hundreds of people during a Feb. 15 ceremony at the group’s East Palo Alto Clubhouse.
Ortiz was one of four finalists — along with Azaria James, Makasini Broussard and Johanna Castillo — whose speeches were evaluated by a panel of high-powered business leaders: Birdies CEO Bianca Gates, Kleiner Perkins Partner Mamoon Hamid, Box CEO Aaron Levie, Sunshine CEO Marissa Mayer and LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky.
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Ortiz’s speech was about how he has thrived as a product of two cultures since immigrating to the United States in 2019. He not only found a community of youth that has helped him succeed academically but has shared his skills with younger soccer players in the Boys & Girls Clubs program. He advances to the regional competition within the National Youth of the Year program, where he’ll join Matthew Van, who was selected earlier this month as the Youth of the Year for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Silicon Valley.
OH SAY CAN YOU SING?: The San Jose Giants are getting ready for their season opener on April 5 at Excite Ballpark and have launched a search for talented fans who want to perform the National Anthem at home games. If you think you’d like to sing or play “The Star Spangled Banner” on an instrument in front of a baseball crowd, submit a video or audio audition to community@sjgiants.com.