A Brief Account of Newport-Skiathos Ties

Thanks to Dimitrios Ioannidis in Boston, we now have a hold of some official papers chronicling the creation of the sisterhood between Newport, Rhode Island and Skiathos. Among many documents and letters, we received the Newport Council’s resolution authorizing the sisterhood, and summation of the meeting in which the Municipal Council of Skiathos approved the sisterhood.

Here's a timeline of the Newport-Skiathos sisterhood formation:

January 3, 1996:

A letter from Newport resident Demitri Damaskos is addressed to Newport’s Mayor, David Gordon expressing the interest of Mayor Dimitrios Prevezanos to form an official sisterhood between the two cities. 

October 23, 1996:

The City of Newport, Rhode Island Resolution of the Council NO. 109-96 approves the Sister City relationship.

November 27, 1996:

The Municipality of Skiathos Meeting agrees to engage in the sisterhood.

Summer 1998:

First meeting held over Mayor Gordon’s first official visit to Skiathos.

Resolution of the Council of Newport

Letter from Mayor Prevezanos to Mayor Gordon

Though Newport and Skiathos became Sister Cities in 1996, the relationship between the two cities dates back to exactly 100 years before the sisterhood’s formation.

In 1896, four Greeks from Skiathos moved to Newport, in pursuit of the fishing industry. These four Skiathans became the founders of Newport’s Greek community. For the next half of the century would remain a constant immigration flow of Greeks from Skiathos to Newport.

Today there are many descendants of Skiathos immigrants living in Newport. If fact, Newport actually has an Island of Skiathos Organization. More information on that soon…

-Tori