CULLMAN — Dear Mayor Richard Nerding & Frankweiler Friends of Cullman:

It has been a pleasure to have members of our sister city — Frankweiler, Germany — in Cullman the past few days! I thank you for your letter and for the lovely poster commemorating the 25lh anniversary of the partnership of our two cities.

Cullman is very proud of its heritage. We are grateful that Frankweiler native Col. John G. Cullmann came to the United States and pursued his vision of founding a thriving colony for German immigrants like himself. His dream is still alive, and his colony is still growing and thriving.

Even after last year's terrible storms, Cullman is an exceptional community. By various national publications we were recently named Best Place to Raise Kids in Alabama, Third Top U.S. Micropolitan for New & Expanded Facilities, Number 1 Region in the Southeast U.S. for Overcoming Nature's Adversity, and Number 6 "Manufacturing No-Brainer" Community. We also won the Municipal Excellence Award from the National League of Cities and our City Parks & Recreation Department was a finalist in the National Gold Medal Awards. So 1 think that Col. Cullmann would be proud of how far his city that bears his name has come, and I know he would be excited about our future!

I am enclosing a book titled "Day of Destruction" which includes photos and stories from the April 27, 2011, tornado. I'm sure you saw first-hand how different our community looks after this devastating storm. But since its very founding, Cullman has been a "city of character." Through the actions of our citizens and businesses and the help of countless volunteers and others who provided various types of assistance, we have made great strides towards recovery. The generous and thoughtful donation and kind words from Frankweiler Friends of Cullman also helped us tremendously. So, rest assured, Cullman will emerge from the destruction better than ever!

On behalf of the City Council and all of our citizens, thank you for your friendship, kind words, and prayers throughout the years. It is an honor and a privilege to know that our communities are forever united, and we cherish the bond that continues to develop between members of both our communities.

Also, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the partnership between our two cities, I am sending the official flag of the City of Cullman to Mayor Nerding and the citizens of Frankweiler, Germany. I ask that this flag be displayed at your city hall building, your city library, or some public place in your community where everyone can come view it and be reminded of the friendship and partnership between our two cities.

It is an honor and a privilege to know that our two communities are forever linked, both by our founder Col. John G. Cullmann and by the official "Sister City" partnership that began in 1987. We cherish the bond between the people of our two cities, and we appreciate the work of the Cullman Friends of Frankweiler and the Frankweiler Friends of Cullman clubs to protect, preserve, and strengthen our bonds. It is our sincere hope that future generations realize the importance and significance of the partnership and continue the tradition.

Please accept this flag on behalf of me, the City Council members, and all of our citizens.

Sincerely,

Max A. Townson

Mayor