Culver City has another tie to Eisenhower. After his election, Eisenhower established the Sister City Program, a “people to people” program to promote world peace and understanding. Eisenhower has been quoted saying, “I think that people want peace so much that one of these days government had better get out of their way and let them have it.” No wonder his campaign buttons read “I like Ike!”
Culver City established their Sister City Committee on Dec. 10, 1962, followed by the first sister city relationship in 1964, with Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico. Kaizuka, Japan followed in 1965, followed by Iri City, Korea in 1983, which name changed to Iksan City. Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada became Culver City’s sister city in 1989 and for a time, the city also had a relationship with a city in China.
There is evidence of the relationships throughout the city. The Julian Dixon Library is enriched with a Japanese meditation garden, a gift from Kaizuka. Designed in Japan, the hardscape was shipped to the United States, plant materials were purchased locally, and installed by professionals from Kaizuka with help from local experts who obtained the plant materials nearby. There are gifts on display at City Hall and the Veterans Memorial Building has rooms named for each sister city. In light of the 50th anniversary of Culver City’s Sister City relationships, there are new artistic plaques outside each designated room. The weekend of Jan. 12-13 brought visitors from sister cities, for whom many special events were planned.
On Jan. 12, at Duquesne Avenue and Culver Boulevard, a colorful new signpost was unveiled. It points the direction to each sister city, and a bronze embedded in the sidewalk at City Hall commemorates the Sister City relationships. Sister city guests joined their host families, walked downtown, and after lunch, they visited the Veterans Memorial Building for festivities in their honor, all free and open to the public.
The evening finale was a dinner in honor of the sister city visitors, with special cultural performances. In addition to many locals and guests who went back to early times in the form of elected and appointed officials, there were two members of the first Sister City Board in attendance (est. Dec. 10, 1962). Bill Douglas was a young Jaycee, appointed to the inaugural committee by Dan Patacchia, and continuing resident Henry Shapiro attended with his wife, Miriam, who is known as Mim.
The warmth of Culver City is felt in many ways….one is through the Sister City program.