09.09.2006
Mexican delegation to visit Storm
Lake
Exploring sister city agreement
A local
government delegation from Ayotlan, Mexico, will visit
Storm Lake the week of Sept. 17 to explore a formal
sister-city relationship.
Ayotlan is
a rural county in the central state of Jalisco (capitol
Guadalajara) where a large number of Latinos in Storm
Lake originate. A delegation from Storm Lake led by
City Councilwoman Sara Monroy Huddleston visited
Ayotlan last fall.
Four
representatives will come: a county council member, the
county administrator, the county attorney and the
county economic development director.
They will
arrive in Storm Lake late Sunday night. On Monday
night, the public is encouraged to meet the delegation
at The Embers Lounge at 9 p.m. Natives of Ayotlan are
especially encouraged to attend.
Ayotlan
initiated the sister-city query through the Iowa
Governor’s Office.
It is a
county of about 35,000 population. The village where
many Storm Lake immigrants come from, Santa Rita, is a
town of 4,000 to 5,000 people. The main industry is
agriculture, tequila distilling and manufacturing
women’s garments.
Ayotlan
wants to establish formal economic, educational and
cultural exchanges with Storm Lake.
A brief
itinerary of the Storm Lake visit:
Monday:
Tour the middle school and high school in the morning.
Tour the Tyson plant in the afternoon. Attend the Storm
Lake City Council meeting at 5 p.m., open to the
public. Supper at The Embers with public reception to
follow at 9 p.m.
Tuesday:
Tour the Sara Lee plant in the morning and the Allee
Mansion. Tour Buena Vista Regional Medical Center and
United Community Health Center in the afternoon. Dinner
at Lake Creek Country Club with public officials from
the school district, city and county plus Buena Vista
University, health care and industry.
Wednesday:
Tour Buena Vista University in the morning, lunch at
Plaza Mexico, tour the Iowa Great Lakes in the
afternoon.
Thursday:
Tour Santa’s Castle, BV Historical Society Museum
and Harker House in the morning. Visit Iowa State
University in Ames in the afternoon.
Friday:
Tour the capitol and meet with the Iowa Department of
Economic Development in the morning. Tour the Iowa
Historical Building in the afternoon.
Saturday:
Return to Mexico.
