NEWBERG, Ore. — In a room at the Windrose Conference and Meeting Center in Newberg, a group sits around a large, U-shaped table, walking through a checklist of discussion items before they move to the next room over, where an easel and instructor wait to check up on the group’s German language progress.
“I’ve been practicing,” said delegate Wallace McKeel. “I’ve been listening to podcasts, and watching German TV.”
The group of 14 delegates will serve as representatives of Newberg as they journey across the Atlantic to connect with one of Newberg’s two sister cities: Poysdorf, Austria. They met together for the final time on Aug. 7 before embarking on the journey in early September, a trip they take every four years. A delegation from Poysdorf visits Newberg every four years, with a two-year gap between the visits…