Steve Dolton, from Oxford, England, stayed with the Sweeneys from July 1980 until after graduation in 1981, and that year's stay has developed into a lasting relationship between the two families, the Doltons and the Sweeneys.

The Sweeneys have three children, Roger, Barry and Joan. They also consider Steve as one of their children.

"He is like one of our own," Ida said recently. "We consider him part of our family."

The Sweeneys attended Dolton's wedding in England, and he attended the wedding of their son in New York. The Sweeney's daughter Joan and Dolton's sister, Carolyn, have become good friends. Joan has visited her in England.

Last spring the Dolton family visited Wiscasset. While the family was here they toured Wiscasset High School.

Martha Dalton, who was an ed tech at the high school when Dolton attended the school, showed the family around. Dolton wrote the former ed tech a letter thanking her.

"It meant a lot to me to visit my old school after 23 years," Dolton wrote.

"I did not feel much has changed. Mr. Flanagan and Miss Pinkham seem to be the same."

"To cap the visit it was great to see that Steve Dolton trophy was still in the cabinet," he said, "and also that the school had achieved so much success on the soccer field."

Dolton also commented on the death of Richard Dodge, his former teacher.

"He was a great teacher and a lovely man," Dolton wrote. "Without his efforts on AFS I would never have had the chance to spend the great year in Wiscasset."

According to the Sweeneys, Dolton is the owner of his own accounting firm in Oxford, England called AZZURRI.

"We learned a lot from Steve," Ida said. "We probably got more from him than he got from us."

The Sweeneys may visit the Dolton family in England this coming spring.