Mayor
supports idea of sister-city relationship
He sees natural connection
by art cullen
The City
of Storm Lake should look at forming a sister-city
relationship with Ayotlan County, Mexico, Mayor Jon
Kruse says.
“We
should do something,” Kruse said.
“It’s natural.”
Kruse
referred to the fact that many people from Ayotlan work
in Storm Lake at the meatpacking plants. Santa Rita, a
town of about 4,500 in Ayotlan County, has hundreds of
sons and daughters living in Storm Lake.
Storm Lake
had a sister city relationship with Taitung, Taiwan,
but it fizzled because it lacked a connection.
The
relationship with Storm Lake and Santa Rita has existed
informally for a decade as workers filtered into The
City Beautiful to work at Tyson and Sara Lee.
Delegations
of health care professionals have already exchanged
visits between Santa Rita and Storm Lake.
“Given
the connections that exist, it’s pretty hard not
to move forward,” Kruse said.
That is a
decision for the council to make. Kruse said it is
important for a delegation from Ayotlan to visit Storm
Lake before making any formal decisions. A visit here
could occur next October.
Ayotlan
officials on Oct. 11 suggested a sister-city
relationship that involves exchanges in education,
agriculture, industry, public safety, and arts and
culture.
