18. A Weird Scheme to Get Help
Vulcan’s residents pleaded for years with county, state, and federal officials to repair their rickety bridge. However, their pleas fell on deaf ears, and they were consistently ignored by the powers that be. In the meantime, their bridge kept on deteriorating, and becoming an ever greater hazard to life and limb. Feeling forsaken by their own government, the Vulcanites opted for a weird and drastic move that soon garnered international headlines.
In 1977, Vulcan’s mayor wrote the Soviet embassy in Washington, DC, as well as officials in communist East Germany, describing Vulcan’s plight and requesting foreign aid to build a bridge. The Soviets jumped on the opportunity to embarrass the US and dispatched journalists to Vulcan. By interviewing and broadcasting the locals’ woes, the Soviets finally brought attention to the ignored community.