Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets (left), and Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk of Herzberg, Germany, unveil the Herzberg flag presented to the city at Monday's Dixon City Council meeting. An official Sister City signing cermony will take place on April 4, 1999 in Dixon.

A sister City agreement formalizing relations between Herzberg, Germany and Dixon will be signed April 4, 1999, Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk announced Monday evening during the Dixon City Council meeting.

A German delegation of 11 citizens arrived in Dixon on June 28 for a 10-day stay. They leave Wednesday for home.

Oecknigk said in the mission of seeking a new Sister City partnership, Herzberg residents found heartfelt hospitality, friendships, honesty, openness and solidarity. He thanked the people of Dixon for the openness and warm hospitality.

Oecknigk pledged to continue into the future what began in Herzberg in 1997 when four Dixonites visited Herzberg.

"We will further the exchange between citizens, clubs, fire departments, and especially our youth.

"In the name of freedom, friendship and peace, we want to organize our future working relationship with the other Sister Cities and Dixon. We want to go into the future together.

"God's blessing is secure because the friendship between Herzberg and Dixon is a true service to people by the people," Oecknigk said.

He recalled that a year ago the two cities were seeking an official partnership. "In this mission, we found good and honest friends who visited us last year in Herzberg." Oecknigk said.

Kornelia Grassman, parliamentary chairman of the Christian Democratic Party in the Herzberg Assembly, called Oecknigk's selection of April 4, 1999, Easter Sunday, a choice date.

"Schools are on vacation, the flights are cheaper (for Herzberg residents) making it possible for more people to come," she said. Grassman said Herzberg is very interested in how the United States operates and they want to meet as many people as possible.

Several potential delegation members could not come this time including teachers and business leaders because they could not get time off.

Mayor Donald Sheets introduced the Herzberg delegation members individually to the council session after welcoming them on behalf of the city. Sheets said it was difficult to put into a few words, the emotions of this past week.

"We began as strangers. We took many steps this week in walking, but the joy of it was that we walked together, which created the friendships that developed because we were all walking in the same direction," Sheets said.

"This has been a wonderful week not only for Herzberg, Germany, but also for Dixon, Illinois," he declared.