Hood River thanks Tsuruta and its stalwart mayor, Kenji Nakano, for the impressive monument at the newly named Tsuruta Park. At Wednesday’s anniversary dinner, Nakano earned high praise for his tenacious efforts to sustain the Sister City program, believed to be the longest-standing such exchange between any two towns in the U.S. and Japan.

Thanks and credit for nurturing the program must also go to the Hood River program steering committee members and the dedicated host families who welcome Tsuruta visitors to their homes each year. Their hard work on the Hood River end of the cultural bridge strengthens the whole span.

Cherry trees, gifts from Tsuruta, were planted by Nakano and Hood River Mayor Linda Streich Wednesday. The budding trees also stand as a testament to the strong cross-Pacific friendship. The Tsuruta stone is not the only reminder of that bridge. Dayna Reed’s elegant park sign, also unveiled Wednesday, brings a second prominent hallmark to the park.

With hope, such improvements will draw more visitors to what has been an underused green space. As more people go to the park, it would be a good time for the city to be mindful of access safety needs at the 13th Street intersection, and at other pedestrian crossings along State Street. Of particular concern is the lack of a crosswalk on State where one had existed at the County Administration building but no longer does.

The crosswalk had been covered by new paving last fall, yet it was never re-done, even though the crosswalks at Sixth and State, a half-block away, were replaced immediately. Many people cross at the county building, and vehicle speed and street slope make visibility and stopping distances a dangerous combination.