Covey, Gavinski return from Japan trip

Moses Lake leaders visit sister city Yonezawa

MOSES LAKE —Impressed with their hosts' grace and politeness, as well as with the Japanese's legendary culture and heritage, a city delegation led by Mayor Ron Covey returned from a three-day trip to Yonezawa, Japan.

The Moses Lake delegation was composed of Covey, his wife Patti, City Manager Joe Gavinski and his wife Sue and the first runner-up to the Miss Moses Lake crown, Melinda Hearn.

"They are a wonderful, respectful, courteous people," Covey said. Gavinski agreed, saying the city leaders of Yonezawa had been gracious hosts of the delegation.

The group's activities in Yonezawa included participating at the Uesugi Festival's parade, visiting with the local chamber of commerce members, the chief of police, the president of the local newspaper company, Yukio Seino, and the mayor.

Although no major agreements were signed, Gavinski highlighted the significance of the trip, saying that it is important to continue developing the sister city relationship between Moses Lake and Yonezawa, which officially began in 1981.

No city monies were spent on this trip, Gavinski said, adding that the tickets had been a courtesy of Japan Airlines. The visitors had to pay for their own lodging and transportation, Gavinski concluded.

The trips to Yonezawa have been an annual staple of the city leaders' calendars since 1979. Every year, except 1980, dignitaries from Moses Lake have been invited to Japan, with their Japanese counterparts traveling to Moses Lake every August, as well.

These exchanges, plus the yearly student exchange between the two cities, has increased a great deal of understanding between the two countries and their peoples, Covey said.

Despite 25 years of trips back and forth, some things remain a novelty. For Covey, in his first trip ever to Yonezawa, it was the Japanese people's respectful, courteous manner, their widespread use of bicycles and the mixture between the older, more traditional generations and the younger, more westernized generations.

For the hosting Japanese, the novelty was, among other things, Covey himself.

Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the visiting dignitary from the Basin towered over his hosts and became the target of many looks and comments, as well as requests from people to have pictures taken with the tall visitor.

"Because I was so much bigger, it (was) something of an oddity to them," Covey said, chuckling slightly. "It did not bother me a bit; I considered it a compliment."