By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of the Hutchinson City Council meeting on Tuesday, the city made a proclamation to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month in Hutchinson.
"Today, we take one small step in recognizing this group of people from our community," said Human Relations Officer Dave Sotelo. "13% of our neighbors in Hutchinson identify as Hispanics or Latinos. Just one percent above the Kansas Hispanic population. The folks behind me are our educators, our healthcare workers, our drivers, our business owners, our students. They start businesses, they build roads, and they innovate ideas. They are Hutchinsonians, they are Kansans, and they are Americans."
Former Mayor Frances Garcia also spoke at the meeting.
"It was indeed an honor for me to have served this community as Mayor and a city commissioner," Garcia said. "As of now, I am volunteering still. I have not stopped. Thank you council members for your work that you do in this community, as well."
Garcia was Mayor from 1985 to 1986 and again from 1989 to 1990.
Oscar Garcia also spoke at the meeting and he invited the community out to a celebration later this month to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month.
"We're going to have a fiesta, a SW Bricktown fiesta at SW Bricktown Park on September 25 from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.," Garcia said. "We'll have all kinds of stuff from food trucks to inflatables for the kids, a mechanical bull, live music from several different local bands and all that good stuff."
National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 to October 15.
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