In the center are Comala Municipal President Santana and Councilmember J. Angel Calderon flanked by Comala Municipal President C. Felipe de Jesus Michel Santana’s staff.  Courtesy photo

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Acting as the sister city liaison, Councilmember J. Angel Calderon and Fire Chief Chip Fowler recently traveled to Gridley’s sister city, Comala, Mexico.

Calderon was the guest speaker at the Gridley Rotary Club on Oct. 17.

Comala is located in the state of Colima, about 31 miles from the Mexican west coast. Calderon and Fowler spent four days interacting with the people and enjoying the sights and sounds of the “Pueblo Magico” (Magic Town), a designation earned from the Mexican government for towns that offer “cultural richness, historical relevance, cuisine, art, crafts and great hospitality.”

The Sister City Agreement was signed by Mayor Mike Farr and Comala Municipal President C. Felipe de Jesus Michel Santana in August.

When they arrived, Calderon and Fowler were given a police escort and were impressed that it was very peaceful in Comala, according to Calderon. This has been an outcome of establishing the Mexican National Guard in 2019, not only in Comala but elsewhere in Mexico as well, according to Calderon. In addition, Comala has no homeless residents, according to Calderon, who also indicated that a Gang Affiliation Prevention Program has eliminated drugs and gangs there.

The trip itinerary included visiting a coffee farm and a bakery. Coffee is one of the primary crops of Comala, along with corn and sugarcane.

The government palace in Comala is almost 500 years old and all decorated for Mexican Independence Day.  Courtesy photo

Coincidentally, the Mexican Independence Day celebration took place on Sept. 15 while they were there. The Cathedral of Michael the Archangel and the government palace were patriotically lit up with the colors of the Mexican flag: green, white and red. The celebration included “El Grito,” or the cry for freedom, and the ringing of the town bell, traditions since independence was won in 1810. 

A brainstorming session was held with local officials. Several areas of collaboration were discussed such as culture, education and commerce. However, agriculture was the primary focus since Gridley and Comala are both agricultural. Almost half of the population in Comala is employed in agriculture.

Fowler visited the Comala fire department and offered some suggestions for improving it.