(in honor of the Apollo 11 crew)
Sister Cities
The residents of the town of Ramsey on the Isle of Man in the UK
decided that they would partner (we call them Sister Cities) with the
town of Novokutznetsk in Russia. The Manx population was very happy,
as were the residents of Novokutznetsk. A large, joint celebration
was planned in both towns.
To commemorate the event, the citizens of Ramsey constructed a
miniature of their famous "Albert Tower" to go in the city square of
Novokutznetsk. In return, the citizens of Novokutznetsk constructed a
one-acre garden, using Siberian plants, on North Barrule, the hill
overlooking Ramsey. This garden recreated the beauty of the plains
surrounding Novokutznetsk.
It was during the ceremony in Ramsey when tragedy struck. A local
farmer was herding his cattle down the hill toward town. He didn't
know about the new construction along the path he normally took. The
cattle trampled the Siberian plants, and finally, in their headlong
rush to get down the hill, fell over the high terraced edge of the
garden, killing most of them.
Yes, it was one small steppe for Man, but one giant leap for Man's
kine.