Culture, Recreation, and Religion – Page 4 – Ralston, Vermont's "Green Island" City

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 4 Summer Reading and Writing Program

Focusing on Ward 4, I think that this would be a good location to develop a non-profit summer reading and writing program. Since Ward 4 is a home to two schools in Ralston, I thought it would be a good idea to set up a summer reading and writing program that introduces people to new forms of literature and writing in the community. It will also provide the area with more things to do and participate in. The program will provide free sessions throughout the summer, reading books and writing their own work at their own paces, working with teacher and peer volunteers to help them achieve their goals. The program will be welcome to everyone in the community, offering children and adult sessions.

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.

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.

Organized Religion

From my understanding Ralston doesn’t have much in the way of organized religion. I think Ralston could benefit from some. Churches, temples, and mosques would provide a stronger community to Ralston, something that Ralston seems to focus on. To go with these places of worship, yearly events could further help Ralston’s social capital. I’ve talked about New Canaan’s May Fair at St. Marks, this event brings together the whole community for a few days of the year. So, giving Ralston some sort of public fair for fundraising could help to better define the essence of Ralston and to bring together the entire community.

Community Art

I guess a good choice would be some sort of art piece that the people of Ralston can enjoy. Some art pieces are usually just made for looks however some are made to be interacted with, like the walkway that goes around the new honeycomb structure in New York. I think something smaller but similar to that would be a great addition to the landscape. Maybe something fun like an ice cream cone that serves as a walkway and a lighthouse (I don’t know) or using the abundance of nature to create a special art piece using the different types of flora found within the area to create chairs or areas to relax. They’d be grown in a way that they’d still be living so the true beauty is in life. It would take on the aspects of Heart and Soul, it literally is made of Ralston. It would show the community growing and change with every generation and as it grows, it starts to incorporate more into it, like each generation adding a new form of flora to make into things like tables, chairs, desks, pillows(use mosses and stones).

Recreation Center

Public amenities, such as buildings, parks, or other infrastructural improvements: Include an image (you can find an image and pretend that it is an image of the community amenity, or you can design one) along with a brief explanation of how this amenity will improve the quality of life in Ralston.Include in your description an explanation for why this makes sense for Ralston—that is, how it aligns with Ralston’s community ways as you understand them or challenges them in a way that you think should be challenged.

A recreation center is a good amenity that helps the citizens of Ralston have another way of building up the community. Not only does it serve as a central hub for weight trainers but also serves as a field for local sports teams to train or host games at. In order to fully optimize the recreation a good location will be for the recreation center be place near the elementary school because the recreation center can double as a safe housing place for students if the elementary ever needs to be evacuated. I remember in my community when my elementary school was threatened all students were escorted to the recreation center which was within walking distance and served as our shelter until parents picked up their children. Ralston is a small town community that will welcome anything that reinforces the community and their citizens’ sense of camaraderie.

Drive-in Movie Theater

I propose that every Saturday should host a drive in movie theater. I propose this because of bringing people together after a long week will ease everyone’s mind. Not only that, but this would allow the community to come closer together and form a ever lasting bond. Neighbors can watch the movie together outside, people who don’t live close can get together and create stronger bonds, and kids can play outside while waiting for the movie to start. Drive in movie theater combines all the outside activities a family would have in their backyard or camp with being in public with the whole community. This proposal would make Saturdays a day to look forward to and be a night that will not be forgotten.