Delegation arrives from Spain – while mayor is in Spain

Like ships passing in the night, Vice-Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline will need to stand in for St Augustine Mayor Joe Boles on Tuesday to receive an official delegation from our Sister City, Aviles, Spain; while our mayor, and a cadre of city staff members and their spouses are taking a couple of weeks to do some hobnobbing themselves — in Spain.

The delegates arrive on September 2nd and depart on Monday, September 8. According to Dana Ste. Claire, Director of the St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Department, the cost of the trip for the visitors was paid for by the City of Aviles, Spain.

The leader of the Spanish delegation is Aviles City Councilman Roman Alvarez and he will be accompanied by Bernardo Rodríguez Cánovas, Luis Rodríguez Pérez, Beatriz Margarita Carrera Lazo, Mª Rosario Huerta Fernández, Antonio Sabino Garcia, Manuel González Iglesias, Maria Del Pilar Fernández Rodríguez, José Antonio Amago Hernández, Pilar Del Pozo Delgado, and Benjamín Ángel Lebrato Menéndez.

“They are planning to attend the September 6th Founder’s Day landing and reenactment ceremonies at the Mission Nombre de Dios,” Ste. Claire said. “Because this is mainly a Sister Cities program, Len Weeks, Elaine Fraser, Bill Lennon and other Sister Cities members will be organizing the visit, assisting in transportation, and other activities for the delegation.”

Although Ste. Claire reported that the schedule is tentative, for one day he says the group will travel to Tampa and there is a proposed lecture by Councilman Alvarez at Flagler College one evening. Since many of the delegates are representing Spanish Rotary organizations, they may attend a local Rotary luncheon.