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Logan says 'Jambo!' to Kenyan skiers By
Marshall Thompson
Two members of the Kenyan Cross Country team and Logan Mayor Doug Thompson bask in the cheers as a capacity crowd at the Spectrum welcomes Isaac and Phillipe as honorary citizens of Logan. Members of the Kenyan Olympic cross-country ski team were officially adopted as citizens of Logan during the Olympic torch ceremony at the USU Spectrum Wednesday, and a Logan City Council meeting later that same evening. "Jambo' is the Swahili word for hello and welcome," said Logan Mayor Doug Thompson, who spent six weeks once in Kenya. "Please join me in saying 'jambo' to our new citizens." "Jambo!" replied the enthusiastic crowd that filled the Spectrum stadium at USU. The greeting was followed by a hearty round of applause. "The event was amazing for them. They were so excited to see all the people in the Spectrum. It boosted their egos for competing," Angela Peterson, a USU student doing public relations for the team. At the City Council meeting after the torch ceremony, some mused about the novelty of a Kenyan cross-country ski team. "They [the Kenyans] didn't seem to enjoy the cold weather too much," Thompson said. Karen Borg, council chairwoman, said later, "I'd like to see by a raise of hands, anyone who enjoyed the cold weather the last few days." Hardly anybody raised their hands for enjoying the cold, but nobody had any hold-ups about adopting the Kenyans as Logan citizens. Some businesses have expressed interest in sponsoring the team, Thompson said. Alan Peterson, the team's director of public relations, said there is even talk of the team moving its training operations from Albuquerque, N.M., to Logan. "What was neat was to be able to see the total acceptance that everybody had for them," Peterson said.
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