Chula Vista Star-News from Chula Vista, California • Page 11

i 1 February io, 1985- bOUtn people: Sister -Bay Ci People ipetinr Cities goal 7 "I was the only one who spoke Spanish," said Camacho. In the early 1970s the two cities were very involved in exchanging information and ideas. "We were very active with the orphanages down there and their education system," Camacho said. LSince the late 1970s, however, the two cities have had little contact. Camacho said Tecate got a new mayor who "didn't seem in travelled to Chula Vista in 1981 for the sister-city ceremonies, and last year a group of Lantern Dancers came here after performing in Los Angeles.

Included in the 3 1 -member delegation were Brines and Coun-cilwbman Gayle McCandliss. Brines said goup was treated wonderfully. After being led into Odawara by the city's mayor riding in a black limosine, the group was wined and dined during its two day stay. Knowing at the outset of the trip that the Japanese were extravagant gift givers', Brines said she and others gathered as many presents to take, aiossiblel But" that didn't stop the Japanese from showering them with gifts. "You can hardly outdo them in gifts' 'Brines said.

"But I don't think they wanted to be (outdone)." National City has been involved in a sister city program with Tecate since 1968. Recalling the day when the city council was first approached abou the idea, Lou Camacho, a councilman at the time, said he was immediately appointed the liaison between the two cities. counterpart. "White Rock was. a natural location for a sister city," Hafner said.

Not only was its population similar to Imperial Beach's, but' it also shared the distinction of being the most southwesterly city in its country. Perhaps the most important tie between the two cities is the common natural resource they share: sand. The annual sand castle building contest in Imperial Beach is modeled after a much-larger one in White Rock. Chula Vista officially got its first sister city, General Roca, in 1961. It then added Irapuato in 1971 and Odawara in 1981.

The chairwoman of the Chula Vista Friendship Commission that, handles all the sister city activities is June Brines, she heads nine commissioners appointed to staggered, four-year terms. Brines said the commission's responsibility is to "plan, develop and carry out economic cooperation, cultural interchange and mutual understating on mutual friendship." Located 6,659 miles from Chula Vista, General Roca is about 700 miles southwest of with more than 1,100 communities in 85 countries around the world. Playing a part in this international friendship network are the three South Bay cities of National City, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach. Each is in some way involved -with a sister city either as far away as the Orient or as nearly as the border. Leading the way in numbers is Chula Vista with sister cities in General Roca, Argentina, Irapuato, Mexico and Odawara, Japan.

National City has Tecate, Baja California, as its sister city, and Imperial Beach is connected with Tijuana and White Rode, Canada. Of the three cities, only Imperial Beach is not dfficialy a part of the Sister Cities International program, which requires $250 in annual dues. Nancy Hafner, chairwoman of the Imperial Beach commission, said while the city is not now a "formal member," it "will be sometime in the future. Though located ii shouting distance of the international border, Imperial Beach has more dealings with its Canadian By Tim McClain SUff Writer The international world often appears to be in chaos. Wars, financial crises, tariffs, trade em-barfos, threats, and counter threats pretty much dominate the headlines.

But, somewhere behind the forboding Tieadlines, layered far away from the conflicts of the, world are ordinary pjeople. People who raise famines, go to work jeach day and return home, all without giving much thought to what language they speak or their country's geographic location. These individuals, who comprise the intangible "flavor" of their particular communities are the backbone of a program designed to link people of dif- ferent nations on a personal basis. The program formal title is the Town Affiliation Association of the U.S., though it's popularly referred "to as Sister Cities International. The organization has assisted more than 730 U.S.

cities representing more than 90 million Americans, in establishing links Buenos Aires. It lies in the Rio Negro valley and its climate is similar to northern California's. crops are apples, pears, grapes and corn. The main ties with the Argentinian city hae come from exchange students staying in the homes of Chula Vistans. Students from Irapuato have also formed the nucleus of its sister city program with Chula "Vista.

Doris Cox has beeH involved with the Chula Vista program for 25 years. She's made. many trips-to Irapuato, often in the company of junior or senior high school students. The agricultural city has a population of about 160,000, she said, and is the "heart of the strawberry industry." a "It's the only place I've ever had crystalized strawberries," she said, savoring the tasty memory. Chula Vista's affiliation with its newest sister city, Odawara, began in 1981.

In 1983, a delegation representing Chula Vista decided it was time to visit its Japanese counterpart. The mayor of Odawara had 1 i a works building National City's old public Lou Camacho fy, City Tecate gained in match up terested" in the sister program. "He had other, things he wanted to do," Camacho said. "The sister city program wasn't "Tiis priority? Now, however, Tecate has a new mayor and National City has selected a new friendship committee and will soon start making plans for an official trip to the area. Thanks to the efforts of Camacho, all contact between the two cities was not broken.

"I visit them (Tecate) to at least keep the spark going," he said. 0 On the front of the bus was the name "El Rejidor." Following behind were 12 police officers, each wearing a refurbished National City hclmet and carrying a shotgun that looked like new, Camacho said. "They then lined up and passed them in review," Camacho "It felt great." And what does El Rejidor mean in English? Why "The Councilman," of course. June Brines children down to Irapuato alone. "W.r don't have the funds to send a chaparone," she said.

"We're hoping to get adults to go and stay in some of the homes." 1 7 Reconstructed building in via the efforts of its own club, got; a chapter of the Kiwanis Club started in the city. Another trip provided furnishings, including matresses, from a National City hotel that was being remodeled. "Some of those children had never even been in a bed before," Camacho said recalling the experience. Though Camacho has made numerous trips to the area, one in particular stands out in his mind. National City had donated an old Chula Vista assistsrapuato when broken dams flood city Imperial Beach has sandcastles in common with Canadian city Tecate bus712 police helmets and some shotguns that had become worn and were too.

expensive to Camacho journeyed to Tecate to represent National City at an 3nnfivehT made about the previous year's acomplishments. Near the end of the proceedings he was taken to a certain area and told to wait. Suddenly, up drove the old bus which didn't look so old It had been refloored, reupholstered, overhauled and repainted. homeless by the flood. "Money was" also cbllecied to outfit a van as an ambulance to replace the one lost in the flood.

The ambulance and other material wereruansported- to-Irapuato by a caravan of campers and cars from Chula Vista shortly after When the aid was no longer necessary the flow of students. often led by Cox, to the area continued on. The most recent exchange" ocured in 1983 when five girls from Bonita Vista and Hilltop went down to the area and stayed for three weeks with host families. "They then returned with their host sisters to Chula Vista for three weeks," Cox said. "That wasnirue exchange." This is the type of exchange that Cox hopes to promote between the two cities in the future.

"The problem is she said, a lot of parents worry about sending their with National here and-took it apart, Camacho said When- the -struc- ture- had been reasembled, the National City council was. invited down for the dedication. 11 LiailU lllll Camacho said. "They were prouder than anything that they were the only community in the area with their own public works yard During the hey-day of the sister jcity relationship with Tecate, National City provided school desks, fire equipment, and even, head judge and briefs all the other judges," Nichols said. Kirs-tein's wife also judges.

The White Rock sand castle contest is much larger perial" Beach's because it's held on a bay that's nearly empty when the tide goes out, she year 161 groups entered the" competition, -Sand Castleevents are deper dent on the tides. Because of the necessary tides, the Imperial Beach competition has always been held the week before the White Rock competition, cutting short the Kirsteins' visit. But this year the White Rock event is on July 21 with Imperial Beach's falling the following week. Though Kirstein is no longer the White Rock mayor, he Twill still be a judgefcr While here, the Kirsteins will again stay with the Nichols fami-1 ly, much to the pleasure of Mary Nichols. A public vorks yard is a rare almost- unheard oLmunicipal luxury in Mexico, But Tecate has one, thanks to its sister city relationship with National City.

-yrrjj 'Z Lou Camacho, who was a councilman at the time, said it all began when, National, City decided to build a new yard and was getting ready to pay $2,500 to have the old one torn down. Instead, the structure was offered to" the city of Tecate. "Their engineers came down Tom Kirstein, and his wife, Marylouy accepted. They've par-" ticipated now in every Imperial Beach competition since. "He (the mayor) acts as the Mary Nicrjols -J -1 A shinning example of the good a sister city program can do" occurred in the summer of 1981 when the Irapuato, Mexico, jChula Vista's sister city, was flooded with wateFfrom broken" dams.

Doris Cox was visiting the area at the time with from local schools. Summer Jslhejainy seasoi nin Irapuato," Cox said. "We left the city one day before the dams broke and flooded the area in six feet of water. "We were fortunate to get but," she said. When the group returned to Chula Vista, a sister city relief organization for Irapuato was set up with the local chapter of the Lions club leading the way.

ThrTirst response from Chula Vista" was sending of money to the area to provide, food, clothing, water purification devices and medical aid for the estimated 100,000 eople left If you had told Mary Nichols 10 years ago that she'd spend part of each summer sloshing around an emptying bay thousands of miles her home helping mark out a couple hundred plots of sand, she might have raised an eybrow and then slammed the door Jn your face. But that's exactly what the Im perial Beach woman does for a sand castle competition in the sister city of White Rock, Canada. And, she "enjoys it. "Those of us who like to do sand castles don't mind" she laughed. Though uot involvcd-with sister cities, Njchols was put in charge of rounding up judges for Imperial Beach's first sand castle building competition in 1981.

Since the competition was pat- terned after the one in sister-city 'White Rock, why not Invite its mayor to be the head judge, she thought. So she did, and the mayor, I.