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| "Pete" Monaco with Panamá City, Panamá mayor Eliecer Alvarado in 1968 |
Panama City
By LIDELLE SHANNONThe keys to Panama City (Florida) will be presented
this week to the mayor of Panama City (Panama) by
the mayor of Panama City, Confusing? Perhaps.
But it's true.
Eliecer Alvarado, the mayor of the Panamanian
Republic city of Panama, received
the keys to our city Dec, 17, 1968 when Pete
Monaco, special envoy from Panama City,
Florida's Mayor John W. Silcox Jr., made
the presentation on a visit to the Republic
of Panama.
The mayor of Panama City, Republic
of Panama will arrive here April 3, accompanied
by his wife, for a return visit and "Key
to the city" presentation to Mayor Silcox
in response to the friendly overture.
Goodwill ambassador Monaco arranged
the scheduled visit here of Mayor Alvarado
and his wife, Otilda Alvarado, when he revisited
the Republic of Panama last year after
an absence of several years.
Monaco, who spent 37 years dating from
1923 to 1960 on the Panama Canal as principal
foreman of the Municipal Engineering Division,
had long planned the return trip to
his old home place. He came to the stateside
Panama City following his retirement in 1960
because his son, Dr. Ralph Monaco lives
here. His daughter, Mrs. Adelaide Seldon resides
in the other Panama City, so he hasStaff Writer
ties with both cities.
Before going on his visit, Monaco, a friendly
fellow with personality plus, asked Mayor
Silcox for a letter to the Panama mayor.
"He did better than that," Monaco said, "He
made me his personal representative to
present the keys to the mayor, which I did,
and received a Panamanian flag in return,"
Monaco related.
"Mayor Alvarado took me out to dinner
and spent a great deal of time with me,"
Monaco went on. "At Christmas time he sent
greeting to the Panama City Lion's Club
from his country." he added.
"Before I left, I sent him a letter with
an invitation to come to Panama City. Florida
preferably in the spring in hopes he'd enjoy
the water sports and the weather," Monaco
continued.
"Then I went to the administration building
and requested permission to do something
for the mayor of Panama, I asked permission
to take the mayor on a guided tour at the
Miraflores. lock, my old stomping grounds,"
Monaco went on.
"He accompanied me on the trip and
when we went into the control house, he
was allowed to maneuver the controls to open
close locked doors for the ships to go through."
Monaco stated that the Panama mayor
was very friendly, personable and responded
to the overtures of friendship readily.
Also, Monaco related, "Tommy Thomas,
chairman of the Republican Party in Panama
City (Florida-LS), gave me a letter from (Florida-LS) governor Claude
Kirk to the governor (assume meant president-LS) of the Republic of Panama,
Walter Leber, conveying Kirk's special
Christmas greetings.
The link in the chain of friendship forced
by Monaco's- love for both Panama*, his old
and new homes, has resulted in a special
relationship between the two cities, the mayors,
and their governments.
When Mayor Alvarado and his lovely wife
visit here next Thursday, the Panama City (Florida-LS)-
Bay County Chamber of Commerce will host
a reception for the distinguished couple, at
the Four Winds Restaurant where official
greetings will be exchanged between the two
countries by its representatives.
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| "Pete" Monaco |
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