Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.
In the United Kingdom, the term twin towns is most commonly used, generally referring to town-twinning with Europe, differentiating with the term sister cities, which is used for agreements with towns and cities in the Americas. In Europe, a variety of terms are used; most commonly twin towns, but partnership towns, partner towns and friendship towns, are also used. Germany and Poland use Partnerstadt(Ger.) / Miasto Partnerskie (Pol.) (Partner Town/City), France uses Ville Jumelée (Twinned Town/City), while Italy has gemellaggio (twinning) and comune gemellato (twinned municipality). In the Netherlands, the term Stedenband (City bond) is used. North America, South America, South Asia, Australasia and Asia generally use the term sister cities. In the former Soviet Block countries twin towns is used, as well as the term brother cities.
Mary D. Kane (born March 10, 1962) is a Maryland attorney who was the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2010, as the running mate of Bob Ehrlich.
She graduated from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in 1984 and the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. in 1999.
Kane ran unsuccessfully as Republican candidate for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 15 in 2002. She also ran unsuccessfully for the Montgomery County Council in 2000.
She served as Secretary of State of Maryland from August 2, 2005 to January 17, 2007, and as Member, Governor's Executive Council, Chair, Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs and (2005–2007). Before that, she was Deputy Secretary of State and Chief Legal Counsel, (2003–2005). She has also been a member of the Governor's Commission on Maryland Military Monuments 2005-2007), the Governor's Interagency Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 2005–06, and served on the Board of State Canvassers, 2005–07 and Advisory Committee for the Jefferson Patterson Historical Park and Museum, 2005-07.
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After traveling and living in numerous locations while growing up in his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success was as a solo singer. Throughout his life Denver recorded and released approximately 300 songs, about 200 of which he composed. He performed primarily with an acoustic guitar and sang about his joy in nature, his enthusiasm for music, and relationship trials. Denver's music appeared on a variety of charts including country & western, the Billboard Hot 100, and adult contemporary, in all earning him 12 gold and 4 platinum albums with his signature songs "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Leaving on a Jet Plane", "Rocky Mountain High", "Annie's Song", and "Calypso".
Denver further starred in films and several notable television specials in the 1970s and 1980s. In the following decades he continued to record, but also focused on calling attention to environmental issues, lent his vocal support to space exploration, and testified in front of Congress to protest censorship in music. He is known for his love of the state of Colorado, which he sang about numerous times. He lived in Aspen, Colorado, for much of his life, and influenced the governor to name him Poet Laureate of the state in 1974. The Colorado state legislature also adopted "Rocky Mountain High" as one of its state songs in 2007. He was an avid pilot, and died while flying his personal aircraft at the age of 53. Denver was one of the most popular acoustic artists of the 1970s.