Sister City Memorial

Sister City Memorial. . [The circular memorial features four smaller circles of stone benches. Many of the stone benches have text engraved on them describing Bloomington-Normal's sister cities or the Sister City program itself. However, many have eroded due to age and are impossible to read. The text below is only for the stone benches whose words could be discerned during a June 2025 visit.] , , [Stones on northwest circle:] , The Sister Cities Initiative was created through President Eisenhower's People to People Program. Bloomington/Asahikawa Sister City officially began in 1962 with proclamations from Bloomington Mayor Robert McGraw in March and Asahikawa Mayor Yozokich Macno in October. , , The Bloomington-Normal/Asahikawa Sister City program provides cultural and educational exchange for Junior and Senior High students. We have also coordinated exchanges of musical, professional and political groups. , , Our Sister Cities program played a significant role in Bloomington-Normal's selection as the site for Mitsubishi to build automobile production plant. , [Stones on northeast circle:] , Like President Eisenhower, who began people-to-people exchanges with Soviets, we mayors support exchanges with Vladimir as our sister city. , , Mayor Jesse Smart of Bloomington and Paul Harmon of Normal, 1989. , , The official signing in Bloomington/Normal, 1989: Paul Harmon (left), Slava Morozov, Jesse Smart, Alexander Rybakov (in 2009 the mayor of Vladimir) , , Our early exchanges included Illinois State and Vladimir university students, professors, and administrators; mayors, police, athletes, humanitarian aid, and Illinois Wesleyan Camerata Orchestra to Vladimir and municipal, small business, puppet theater, and photography citizens from Vladimir.