Last week, the Town of Fountain Hills honored Mayor Oscar Gomez of our Sister City of Ataco, El Salvador, by presenting him with a proclamation respecting the 16 years of our close relationship with El Salvador.

The proclamation was read by Mayor Ginny Dickey with Vice Mayor Art Tolis and Town Manager Grady Miller in attendance. Also present, along with community and Sister City leadership, were members of the Diplomatic Service including Consul General of Ecuador, Laura Machuca; Consul of Honduras, Tony Banegas; Consul Siebe Van der Zee of the Netherlands; Consul Bogumil Horchem, of Poland; and myself, Consul Enrique Melendez of El Salvador. The last three Consuls are all long-time Fountain Hills residents.

Further, we applaud the support of Carol Carrol and Christine Colley, officers of Sister Cities.

Mayor Gomez also visited with leadership of the Ft. McDowell reservation and Fountain Hills School superintendent and principals in an effort to continue the student exchange program which provided Fountain Hills an international award in 2011 when 60 students and chaperones built 20 houses out of the jungles of Ataco.

We thank Mayor Dickey, Vice Mayor Tolis and Town Manager Grady Miller for the professional government courtesies extended to a mayor who loves and respects our country. Many agreements between government and school officials were entered, including the possibility of the Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation becoming the first Native American Sister City in Latin America with Ataco, adding the support of Dr. Bill Myhr, Director of Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

A powerful trip with great business, educational and tourism possibilities .