Sister City Delegates Visit From Mexico

With the sounds of a marching band filling Oxnard’s Plaza Park, a delegation from Oxnard’s sister city of Ocotlan, Mexico, received a rousing welcome Thursday.

The celebration kicked off a five-day tour of Oxnard by 32 officials and residents from the central Mexican city. Their visit continues a long-standing sister city relationship aimed at broadening cultural exchange.

In the past, the two cities swapped Spanish and English translations of famous books and sent schoolteachers to their counterparts’ classrooms.

The purpose of the current trip is to let officials from both cities get to know each other better. Ocotlan representatives will also explore the local market for the city’s top industry, furniture production.

“Oxnard is really an international city,” Mayor Manuel Lopez said. “This is reflective of that.”

About 100 people turned out for the midmorning ceremony. The Oxnard High School marching band played both countries’ national anthems. Residents strolled the weekly farmers’ market set up along the park’s sidewalks, choosing between jalapeno bread, nectarines and other fresh foods.

Ocotlan businessman Samuel Flores said he received a warm welcome in Oxnard and was treated by sister city officials to a Mexican dinner. “I have so many friends in Oxnard,” said Flores, a longtime participant in the program.

At the ceremony, officials also dedicated a star pine tree to commemorate the Oxnard-Ocotlan relationship. The tree will be marked by a plaque.

“Everybody will know where it is, what it is and what it represents,” said Michael Henderson, parks and facilities superintendent.