Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets shakes the hand of Herzberg, Germany Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk to thank the Burgermeister for a photo of the Herzberg City Hall. Oecknigk presented the present during a farewell dinner for 11 Herzberg residents Tuesday evening.

Eleven residents of Herzberg, Germany spent the day in Chicago before boarding a plane to return home following a 10-day visit to their new Sister City - Dixon.

On Tuesday evening, the German visitors attended a farewell dinner at Sauk Valley Community College with their host families.

"The farmer says the seed is planted, now is the time to grow and ripen," Kornelia Grassman told a joint farewell dinner of Herzberg visitors and Dixon host families. "We think that the days we spent in Dixon could be compared to the farmer seeding his field.

"The hospitality, friendliness and openness that was demonstrated to all of us is the beginning of the growth of the seeding. This little plant of friendship needs to be cared for and nourished by the citizens of Dixon and Herzberg," Grassman said.

Dixon Mayor Donald Sheets compared the visit to a marriage. "We have traveled the road to friendship and that is how good marriages begin. We have learned about each other's likes and dislikes, our hopes and our dreams. We have learned to love and respect each other.

"We are now awaiting the arrival of the official Sister City document which will be born on April 4, 1999."

Sheets and Dixonites will miss the delegation's laughter, smiles and hugs. "We will miss your questions, your accents as well as the loving ways with which you have furthered our Sister City relationships."

Herzberg Burgermeister Michael Oecknigk responded that soon after marriages a new family member comes along. "About nine months or 270 days, you are pretty happy. From today to April 4, 1999 (when the Sister City agreement will be signed) it is exactly 270 days."

He presented Sheets with a photo of the Herzberg city hall. Sheets gave Oecknigk a Dixon Arch pin and a photo album of the visit.

Both the Burgermeister and Grassman expressed thanks on behalf of the delegation to all the host families, Kay and Les Govig, Bill and Carol Wadsworth, Don and Judy Finch, Chuck and Alberta Nusbaum, Don and Virginia Sheets and Ira G. Kelly, as well as to Karin Floto who served as translator for the visit.

"The language barrier was a small one, other borders do not exist," Oecknigk said. He noted that many people came up to the visitors and told of being of German ancestry.

The freedom to be open with each other was something the delegation was not able to take advantage of until 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell, Oecknigk said.

"This is our last night here. After this night we say goodbye with tears in our eyes. And I say we come back next year in April," he concluded.

The delegation spent nine days on a whirlwind tour of Dixon, living in homes, visiting schools, businesses and industries. At Monday's Dixon City Council meeting, Oecknigk announced he would sign a formal Sister City Agreement on April 4, 1999.