Sequim Mayor Ken Hays welcomes a group of 14 students from Sequim’s sister city, Shiso, Japan, upon their arrival at the Sequim Transit Center as part of the annual student exchange through the Sequim-Shiso Sister City Association. The ninth-grade students arrived Sept. 21 and were placed with eight student ambassadors from Sequim, each of whom will travel to Japan in October. The students attended a day of school at Sequim High School, visited local attractions with their host families and had a goodbye party at Carrie Blake Park. Sequim Gazette photo by Amanda Winters