Delegates from German sister city will visit Dixon

DIXON – The Dixon Sister Cities Association will welcome 25 delegates from Dixon’s sister city of Herzberg/Elster, Germany, for a weeklong visit to celebrate the 25th anniversary of signing the sister city charter.

The German delegates will arrive in Dixon about 4 p.m. Friday, July 19. Until their departure Sunday, July 28, they will be living with host families in Dixon and spend their days touring popular local landmarks, including the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home, the John Deere Historic Site, the Dixon Park District and more, said Steve Caudillo, president of the Dixon Sister Cities Association.

The community is invited to welcome the delegates to Dixon during a small greeting reception at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 19, in the community room at the Public Safety Building, 220 S. Hennepin Ave. There also will be two meet-and-greet events that the public is welcome to attend. The first will be hosted at the Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St., at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 23. The second will be at the Crystal Cork, 219 W. First St., at 5 p.m. Friday, July 26, Caudillo said.

Herzberg is located in the state of Brandenburg in Germany. The sister city relationship was formalized in Dixon on April 4, 1999, by Herzberg Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk and Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets. Burgermeister is a German term that translates to “master of the citizens.”

The delegates will have Saturday, July 20, and Sunday, July 21, to get to know their host families and rest up for a busy schedule. Starting Monday, July 22, the delegates will be led on a tour of the Northwest Territory Historic Center, have lunch at Lowell Park and tour the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home.

On Tuesday, July 23, the delegates will tour Raynor Garage Doors, the Dixon Park District, the Dixon Police Department and the Dixon Fire Department. At 3 p.m. that day, they will meet at the riverfront for a photo opportunity. Then, on Wednesday, July 24, the delegates will attend a Chicago Cubs game.

On Thursday, July 25, the delegates will tour Self Help Enterprises and Wahl Clipper Corp. of Whiteside County before heading to the Dixon Elks Club for the charter’s 25th anniversary dinner.

Friday, July 26, will wrap up the delegates’ visit in Dixon with Yoga on the Riverfront hosted by Discover Dixon and a tour of the John Deere Historic Site.

Dixon is a member of Sister Cities International and has other sister city charters with Dikson, Russia; Castlebar, Ireland; and Thika, Kenya. The idea behind the sister city charters is to increase global cooperation at the municipal level while promoting cultural understanding and stimulating economic growth. Over the years, delegates from Dixon have visited Dixon’s sister cities, and Dixon has hosted delegates from those sister cities, Caudillo said.