All Contributions 1 – Page 10 – Ralston, Vermont's "Green Island" City

Ward 1 Dog Park

For my second contribution I would recommend building a public dog park. More specifically I would recommend building it in Ralston’s first ward. This would help with multiple issues that community members have with this area, as stated in the survey of Ralston residents, as well as bring together people who may not have interacted before by means of a shared interest: dogs. By building it here it would allow for easy access to the older residents that live in the higher end homes while still being reachable by most people throughout Ralston.It would bring people to this area as there would now be something to do and a reason to visit.Finally, the first ward of Ralston has issues with economic disparity, in that the majority of people who spend time here are the wealthier residents who have homes in this area. But this dog park would help reduce that disparity by providing a free place to enjoy that anyone, no matter their income or current wealth, can visit. This would create a fantastic contact zone between the richer and poorer residents of Ralston as they are able to come together in a shared space and bond over their mutual love of their pet dogs.

Ward 2 Community Movie Theater

When trying to think about more addition Ralston could use to the quality of life of its residents, I looked to what my own town has that I personally enjoy that Ralston does not. One of these things that I noticed that Ralston was lacking is a community run movie theater. This would act as a contact zone for the residents of Ralston and would probably sit in Ward 2 among the other attractions that the community has to offer. It makes sense to make a Movie theater of all things in Ralston because it’s a place people can go on days where maybe the weather is not looking so nice where they can run into people they may know that have a common interest in the same type of movie. This would create another way to help foster relationships within the community, which is one of the things Ralston is all about.

Hiking Park

I feel like maybe something like a small hiking park would be nice, or some type of educational park. Hiking is pretty prominent here so it makes sense that a large portion of people probably want to learn how to safely climb, or what plants are edible and what plants are deadly. There could be some edible flora grown throughout the park and smaller safer trails for smaller kids to be able to go on. The park itself wouldn’t be too big and have more of a jungle gym feel. When connecting to the wards it’d be something for everyone to enjoy. Vermont is filled with nature and the more people know the better. It could provide small rock formations to climb on and they could try and have little signs near every area that has edible plants so that way people know what to do when they see them.

Ward 1 Waterfront Arcade

The addition of a waterfront activity such as a Boardwalk Arcade would greatly benefit Ralston’s first electoral Ward. Not only will this liven up the area given its low Ward Vitality score by providing the citizens with a bright and exciting waterside area, but it will help to link the wealthy and low-income areas of the Ward. An arcade – and potentially even expansion to include ice cream shops or food stalls – along the waterfront on the south end of Ward 1 would provide entertainment and energy to the normally uptight area, and would give the Canal Gardens affordable housing development a link that ties them to the wealthier section of the Ward, increasing the vitality score while also increasing the connection between neighbors. In an area where the economic divide is so vast and neighbors feel disconnected, it is important to provide a space where the inhabitants of this area – especially the younger generation which Ralston relies on – can come together and simply enjoy themselves. This arcade will also act as a contact zone of sorts in which the wealthy and lower income residents of Ward 1 will be able to interact on equal footing.Ward, increasing the vitality score while also increasing the connection between neighbors. In an area where the economic divide is so vast and neighbors feel disconnected, it is important to provide a space where the inhabitants of this area – especially the younger generation which Ralston relies on – can come together and simply enjoy themselves. This arcade will also act as a contact zone of sorts in which the wealthy and lower income residents of Ward 1 will be able to interact on equal footing.

Proportional Term Limits

My contribution to Ralston would be to have the elected officials have the maximum length of their terms dependent on the percentage that they were elected by. So for example, if the mayor was elected with a percentage of 80% of the votes. This would translate to an unlimited number of terms. Although, this can be overridden depending on their votes for the next term. As another example, if the current mayor who is currently on an unlimited term setup, only beats the other candidate by a couple percent (within 1-5%) Then his maximum terms are permanently shortened UNLESS the candidate that came close to getting more votes than current doesn’t run again. This would make sure that there is a fair rotation of electoral candidates and also promote good behavior and follow through with good promises to keep their votes significantly above opponents if they want to keep power.

The people of Ralston will have power.

Ward 2 Canal District Restaurant

I would start a restaurant in the canal enterprise district, Ward 2, based on a familiar business model I have been following in Essex Junction, Vermont. The business is called Mark BBQ, and the community comes together over food and helping one another. The idea is to serve great food to the public while coming up with ways to donate money to causes, gain community attention for other businesses, and set up days where the food is all about being where it’s needed. Members who need a meal or are struggling can come into the restaurant or call and have a premade meal given to them no questions asked. To get to this point in functioning, I would need to have support from the community. The neighbors who came in when they were struggling, will remember the restaurant, telling others to spread the word, or come back to support when they are able. Including everyone and giving back, when possible, will be a great accomplishment. Another way to help reach people all over the island, especially Ward 1, would be offering delivery. This could be an option depending on how things are planned but having a building as near to the district in need as well as one with the most attraction and business potential would be a good compromise. This business would be a contact zone because there is a social space where customers would come together. There would be clear differences in the members gathering and coexisting in the restaurant.

Ward 2 Zoo

I believe that a Zoo would help bring more life, and more revenue, to Ralston’s second ward. As the primary commercial ward, the zoo could help bring in people to the many businesses in Ralston, so that they may be more inclined to shop around. And as with many zoos people may wish to visit multiple times, bringing in more people to Ralston. Additionally, zoos provide a great source of education and entertainment for people of all ages. The zoo could also help Ralston’s second ward to have a better built environment. With the open land and all that comes with a zoo, the second ward would see more natural life in it.

Ward 2 Haunted House

I propose that ward two should have a haunted house in their neighborhood. This proposal is to get the peoples attention to their part of Ralston with a eye catching building. Plus, who does not love a haunted house? Haunted houses bring in lots and lots of people each and every time to the attraction. It’s a memory that people hold on to for years. This addition will bring in new ideas on how to make the hunted house even better and bring in many helpers. The haunted house proposal is perfect for people to come together to create something fun and memorable.

Ward 2 Campsite

This contribution is very different then my first but looking at the Map of Ralston it made m think putting a campsite in the west woods of Ward 2 would be really cool. Like one of those artificial campsites where everyone just stays for a month or two in an RV. I think it’s a nice getaway for Ralston residents or people from outside of Ralston could vacation too.

Nature Center

My proposal before was a community nature center that could be put in one of the many parks that Ralston, VT has. This new building would fit perfectly under the Public Amenities Ward because it would be a nice place where people can convene and look at all the different living animals and plants that live around the city. A phenomenal reason as to why the city of Ralston needs a nature center is because it could bring in tourists to the town. This would help local businesses and it could boost the joy that is already spreading around Ralston. This would also fit perfectly with the Heart and Soul of Ralston because it can reconnect everyone back with the animals and nature around the city/town.