Antelope Valley Press

Sister City co-founders visit Palmdale

Two Poncitlán officials feted at ceremony

By ALLISON GATLIN Valley Press Staff Writer

PALMDALE — Two of the founders of Palmdale’s Sister City program were remembered, Tuesday, with the unveiling of a plaque on the fountain in Poncitlán Square, during the annual visit of the program which they held dear.

Members Chuck and Donna Medicus were honored by members of the Association of Palmdale Sister Cities and their counterparts from Poncitlán, Mexico, who are visiting here this week. Members of the Medicus family were also on hand.

Chuck, who died in 2011, and Donna, who died in 2020, were remembered for their dedication to the cause of the group which they helped found and remained active with until their deaths.

“The dedication that they had to the group and the love they had for everybody, it was a profound love that they found in this group,” Association of Palmdale Sister Cities President Sylvia Magallanes said. “Our gratitude is huge for them.”

“I’ve consistently probably had the most fun and learned the most from Chuck and Donna over the years,” Mayor Steve Hofbauer said. “Their sincere and inspirational dedication to this exchange of the communities and recognizing

the importance of better understanding our neighbors just really meant a lot.”

“I really miss them. I know we all do,” he said.

Magallanes said the water that first trickled through the fountain was brought from Poncitlán.

“It symbolizes a whole lot to be able to see this water flowing. It represents the years of friendship and love that we have between the two cities,” she said.

Following the plaque dedication at Poncitlán Square, the twin associations gathered for a dinner and reception at the Lemon Leaf, where they exchanged gifts representing their respective cities.

Hofbauer presented an original watercolor of Palmdale’s Poncitlán Square, by local artist Renato de Guia.

Poncitlán Sister City Association President Juan Pablo Torres de la Torre presented the City with ornately crafted artwork that depicted the rich history of his region.

The relationship between the two cities began in 1973, when they shared similar rural characters, when Palmdale’s population was only about 11,000 people.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower initiated the Sister City program in 1956. It is intended to develop one-on-one community relations with cities in other countries.

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2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

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