Mr. E

Renovating the Theater

In our beautiful town of Ralston we have many beautiful buildings, but every town has an abandoned building or two. Sadly in a corner of Ward 1, there is one of these abandoned buildings. Everyone who has the pleasure of living in here has most certainly seen the sad theater, now dark and empty. As time goes on damage and infamy of the theater will only grow, this is where my proposition comes in. I want to take care of the eyesore on the skyline of our stunning town. Take it from a burden on Ward 1 and all of Ralston to a place where we can all collect. Hopefully, this will also bring more business and bustling to a struggling part of town.

What I am looking for is some funding for some of the more important renovations. I have other backers taking care of some of the business expenses but the renovation and clean-up is the highest expense and therefore requires the most support.

Without the support and with some luck, I might still be able to continue the renovation. This less expensive renovation would not be able to preserve the current architecture of the theater, which is a priority for me and many of my supporters. Though the theater is not going to change the heart and soul of the town I do believe that it can bring back a small pleasure to our lovely community.

Ralston Art Museum

The Ralston Art Museum would be located Ward 2 nestled with most of the other popular attractions in that area. This would be a great addition to the area and would be a very influential contact zone. The museum would showcase local artists and artisans from Ralston. It would also have installations from all over the world, bringing the world to transition. This would intersect cultures and cause them to meet, and grapple with each other. Art is universal and has brought people together for ages. It showcases the world in a multitude of mediums. Ralston is strongly centered around its individuality and artisans, this Museum would showcase these values and give the citizens a center of the exhibition. The community could be showcased alongside world-renowned artists and bring publicity to local artist. Museums draw visitors year-round and with frequent exhibit rotations, the community would always have something new to enjoy. Anyone can come and view the installations which means that there is an intersection between all the people of Ralston. No one is excluded from art and community members have chances to be featured. The building itself has a more traditional shape to match the small-town feel of Ralston but with a minimal and contemporary feel. The architecture fades into the surroundings but stands out and clearly states “art lives here.” It may seem to stick out but the building itself is a piece of art and is there to be enjoyed and draw attention. Artisans are at the center of Ralston’s community and they should be showcased.

Ralston Peace and Justice Center

I believe that the town of Ralston would be greatly benefited by the addition of a Peace and Justice Center, similar to the Peace & Justice Center of Vermont. As a nonprofit organization, the Peace and Justice Center would serve to educate the citizens of Ralston on issues of race, sexuality, and justice. Marginalized members of Ralston will be encouraged to teach classes about their cultures, both online and in person. Additionally, there will be classes for other members of the community to become certified to teach their own classes. As Ralston itself is a very diverse town in comparison to the rest of Vermont, it seems important to create a space for its white citizens to educate themselves on the many different cultures present in their community. Not only does this align the community’s values of inclusion and acceptance, but it provides a means for citizens to challenge their own inner biases and expand their understanding of the different people around them. By spreading information and understanding, the diverse culture of Ralston will be preserved and made more comfortable in their own home.

This organization inevitably leads to a discussion of centered whiteness as discussed in class and the glossary provided. The creation of the Ralston Peace and Justice Center will likely prompt the non-white and other marginalized members of Ralston to join and help teach their culture, as the Peace and Justice Center specializes in addressing racism and ignorance in the community. In doing so, it will allow for marginalized voices in the community to gain attention as opposed to the white voices that are heard in places such as Vermont where the population is majorly white. The Peace and Justice Center will allow for non-white people to share their experiences and their knowledge to create a space for themselves in the community, and therefore will allow for a further de-centering of whiteness in Ralston than the systems already in place.

Ward 2 Scenic Park

Probably not an exact look of the picture being an addition to Ralston in terms of geographical structure but I thought where a park with a particular scenery happening every once of a season would be a nice addition to Ralston.Because the sakura (cherry blossom)only bloom during the spring season, I thought itwould entice people or at least families to gather together and enjoy the view. Again it doesn’t have to be an exact replica to the picture but at least a small portion of the geographical area could be dedicated to have this scenery.

Ward Vitality- 2 “Not Much Happen”

WardNeighborliness- 2 “Respected for Personal Space”

Ward 1 Spring Fest!

Spring Fest!

Having a festival or fair in one of the bigger public parks in Ralston with only local business owners as vendors could generate a ton of business and social capital! The tickets for this fair should be very affordable, somewhere around $5, and the majority of the money will be made via a raffle where the local business owners create a basket or coupons that can be raffled off. Creating a business can be hard, so I believe the city should focus on supporting the local businesses already in the city. Making them the only vendors allowed will significantly increase their chances of making a profit. Social capital is definitely the weakest in Ward 1 so advertising there should be drastically increased so that they will come and hopefully meet other people from Ward 1 and form connections with them.

Ward 2 Community Garden Proposal

The Ralston Sustainability Project is proposing a public community garden for citizen use in Ralston. We believe that a community garden would provide multiple benefits to the community of Ralston, which we’ve outlined below:

● Healthier source of food: There is no way to obtain healthier food than growing it yourself. A community garden would provide Ralston citizens an opportunity to grow their own food. The garden would not be designed for families and individuals to rely completely on it; however, the community would be able to use the garden as an additional source of food.

● Providing for those in need: There are members of our community who, for various reasons, do not receive enough food, or do not receive enough healthy food. This garden would allow these community members to have access to healthy food.

● A greener option: Growing our own food and plants will help reduce our carbon footprint. Not only will the plants help lower carbon dioxide emissions, but the garden as a food source will limit how much is spent on gas to drive to the grocery store, and emissions created to prepare the products sold in the grocery store. The garden’s location in Ward 2 will make it within walking distance for a large portion of Ralston residents.

● Learning opportunity: The garden could serve as an educational ground for students to learn about plant growth and sustainability. We can raise the children in Ralston to understand the importance and benefits of sustainability.

● A bright spot: The colorful garden can become a symbol of hope and joy for our community. Simply being in the presence of nature can increase one’s serotonin.

Funds: We plan to request funds for this project from the Ralston City Council. Should they see this project as a suitable use for city funds, they will provide the costs for construction of the garden. The estimated startup cost is currently $4,200. Upkeep will cost about $1,200 a month. Should the City Council propose to include these costs in residential taxes, the tax would be proposed as a vote to the community before anything was decided.

About the Ralston Sustainability Project: The Ralston Sustainability Project is a non-profit organization whose main goal is to make Ralston a cleaner and healthier community through means of sustainability. This includes methods such as research, studies, community projects, and community structures that encourage a litter free, green energy community. The Project was founded by horticulturist Rosalin Page.

Ward 2 Minimum Wage Hike Zone

A good way to help the residents of Ward 2 would be to raise Ralston’s minimum wage to $15 per hour. Housing costs have been steadily rising in Ward 2 without an increase in pay that reflects the higher cost of living: homes that used to be affordable for blue collar workers are now far too expensive. Ward 2 also has very little affordable housing, making it difficult for anyone working a minimum wage job to be able to pay their rent. Increasing the minimum wage would not only help people afford their rent and be able to buy homes: it would also reduce the number of people receiving government assistance and the amount that they are receiving, so that money could be redistributed. Because of the history in Ralston, the built environment in Ward 2 is not designed to accommodate people that are living on a low income, and this built environment is not changing fast enough to meet the residents’ needs. Rather than doing a total upheaval of the housing in Ward 2, an increase in the minimum wage would help to make sure that people that are working full-time will be able to pay their rent and continue to live in Ward 2.

Ward 3 Affordable Housing

Ward 3 of Ralston is undergoing a project that will convert unused industrial space west of Meadow Park Road, and east of Industrial Avenue, into affordable housing. The first part of my contribution today is to plot out the space.

There doesn’t seem to be a space between Meadow Park Road and Industrial Avenue, as Industrial Avenue is right above Meadow Park Road, but it can be assumed that the area for construction is in this spot (circled in red). It is okay to cut into the Ward 4 area a bit if the people there allow it, but this is unlikely according to Ward 4’s history. Ward 4 makes use of the natural environment, using the wetlands as a place for birdwatching. Ward 4 has worked around the wetland issues partially, as the bridges built were for the purpose of seeing these birds better. Ward 4 opposed two housing proposals for municipal development of public tiny housing, which is why this new building area will probably be halted at the border between wards. Still this contribution will be helpful to the people of Ward 3 because it makes good use of the space around the Animal Hospital building.

The second thing to be taken into consideration for my contribution is where the roads will be built to connect this new housing development to the rest of the town. E. Bardier Road is an important road because it connects to the Ralston Middle School and Ralston High School. These public schools will be important to those living in this affordable housing area in the future, so it is good to have them in proximity. My contribution would be to have as many driveways link to E. Bardier Road as possible, and have the remaining driveways link to Meadow Park Road.

Ward 2 Duplex Housing

Looking at “Ward 2” there is an issue that will continue to become more significant which is housing. The antique housing from the World War II era will likely continue to appreciate in value which will inevitably force a bigger wage gap and make housing unaffordable. In the other part of this ward there is a lot of affordable housing, this leads to people in the ward having two very different lifestyles. Although diversity is needed in some communities, I feel as though this diversity will likely drive Ralston’s citizens apart rather than bring them together. In order to prevent this issue from becoming too overpowering it would be in Ralston’s best interest to change. A possible solution could be to introduce a project creating duplex housing, this could allow for the wealthier side of Ralston and the moderate side to join and become more connected. This change would create much stronger relationships between the citizens, and prevent the antique housing situation from becoming out of control.

Ward 4 Cafe

Another contribution I would make to the Ralston community would be to Ward 4. In “A Structural Look at Ralston”, this ward scores a 3 for Ward Vitality, but a 2 for Ward Neighborliness, showing it could benefit from something that brings residents together. Ward 3 has an active group of birdwatchers, as well as Ralston High School and “Rivet” High. I think a small cafe between the schools and the canal would be a perfect way to bring people together here. It would draw students both before school to get breakfast/coffee, as well as after school as a place to get a snack or meet with friends or a study group. It would draw birdwatchers as well because of its proximity to the canal, therefore being an ideal spot to grab a bite to eat. By being located in between the canal and the high schools, it would be in an easily-accessible spot for students and birdwatchers, while not being too close to disrupt the local wildlife that is so important to the birdwatchers. A cafe would also offer new job opportunities for the Ralston community – and its location would be perfect for students looking for after-school jobs.

A cafe would greatly benefit Ward 4 by bringing together the multiple groups that are already drawn to it. This would help to raise the Neighborliness score that unfortunately falls behind some of the other wards.