In a city with a pretty strict sign code I was surprised to see this banner in front of City Hall today. Was a permit issued for this banner? Who paid the fee?
What's up with this banner? Why is it there? For how long will it be there?
At the Woodstock City Council meeting on May 15, 2007, a resident suggested that a sister city program with a city in Germany would be a better reflection of Woodstock's heritage. According to the Minutes, Mayor Sager responded that this (sister city program with Zacatecas) program "...is not a matter of immigration. This is an opportunity to partner with a large portion of our population. The City is working toward becoming a 'One' Woodstock."
Zacatecas, by the way, is the capital of Zacatecas, which is one of 31 constituent states of Mexico. Zacatecas has 58 municipalities and the main economic activities are mining, agriculture and tourism. An estimated 800,000-1,000,000 Zacatecanos live in the United States. Source: Wikipedia
Right now there is the English-speaking Woodstock and the Spanish-speaking Woodstock. I'll tell you how we can become a "One" Woodstock. Help the legal newcomers assimilate into America. Become part of Woodstock. I'm sure that Zacatecas is a very nice place, and I'm pretty sure that Woodstock residents are not packing their bags and fleeing Woodstock to become residents of Zacatecas (either the city or the state).
Help them understand that we don't park on front lawns here. We don't over-crowd in housing. We learn traffic laws. We maintain our vehicles and we insure them. We speak English here.
Can you just imagine my moving to Zacateras and expecting them to accommodate my inability to speak Spanish? I can hear the laughter already.
And we welcome all legal immigrants. How this for a vision of "One" Woodstock?
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