Dye said Anderson had the resolution framed and placed in the pub in Tarland called Aberdeen Arms. Then earlier this year as Shona Anderson began planning the annual food and music festival—which this year was held virtually—she decided to include a presentation on the possible twinning.

“At the Town Council meeting last month, they approved a letter renewing their invitation to Tarland to become a sister city,” Dye said. “The next step is for both communities to sign this resolution of agreement that we share with Sister Cities International to make it official.”

Stanardsville Mayor Gary Lowe discussed the idea in a conference call Sept. 29 with leaders in Tarland and will present it to the Greene County Board of Supervisors at the Oct. 13 meeting.

“People on their side were very excited and enthusiastic about the whole idea,” Dye said. “We’re thinking that initially, given the pandemic, we’d do virtual exchanges and the first being related to the schools, maybe like the old pen pals, but video exchanges instead. And we’ll just take it from there.”

Dye said one of the first steps is to establish a committee of volunteer community members to brainstorm the projects and get them off the ground.

“There are projects that will benefit students, but also exchanges about art, music and other topics,” he said. “One major connection between the two communities is that our musical heritage is Scots-Irish music because of the Scots-Irish who immigrated to Appalachia back in the 1700s and that influence on our music.”