April 4, 2022 at 11:10 a.m.
ArtStart hosts listening session on proposed skate park
ArtStart hosts listening session on proposed skate park
Ashley McLaughlin, ArtStart program & operations director, admitted in an interview Thursday that the organizers were pleasantly surprised by the turnout.
"We had over 50 surveys turned in, it was a very good turnout," McLaughlin said. "We did have to make more copies (of the survey). I made 50 copies initially and ended up having to make more."
She said the listening session was anything but the standard audience in seats hearing someone speak about a proposed project.
"One of the critical things about this process is we need feedback. We need the community to tell us what they need, what they want, and we're just dreaming here," McLaughlin said. "So we want to hear from the community, pull it all together and make the best proposal that we can with the information from the community."
In addition to a larger than expected turnout, McLaughlin said she was impressed by the wide variety of ages and perspectives represented.
"We had brothers and sisters of young skaters, we had grandparents of young skaters, so it was really varied," McLaughlin said. "It was really great, it was a great broad spectrum."
She said the public left the organizers with a lot of input, including stars on a city map denoting locations participants felt would be good sites for the park.
Organizers are planning on holding another session near the end of April, McLaughlin said.
"We're hoping to have two more of these," she explained. "The next one I'm hoping to have on a Sunday evening to catch the people who couldn't come during a weekday."
In addition the surveys collected from participants at the listening session, McLaughlin said over 200 people have filled out the online version of the survey.
"This is just one way that we're collecting feedback," she said. "We have the online survey, we have the listening sessions where we are listening to the community in our space. Then we have the pop-up skate park that we'll be using, as well."
She said the latter is the creation of some local skaters and supporters. It is made of wooden components that can be arranged in countless configurations and easily transported to various community events.
"This allows them (skaters) to engage with the community to gather more feedback," McLaughlin said.
Another important part of the listening sessions is for the community to get to know the skaters, helping dispel any stereotypes adults may have.
"They're not bad kids," she said. "Anybody's kids can come to the skate park. Hopefully young adults will be able to use it."
As a Rhinelander native, McLaughlin said she is keenly aware of how long the promise of a new skate park has been dangled in front of local youth.
"This has been a conversation in our community, a challenge in our community now for about 40-50 years. It's resurfacing now with a passion, and we at ArtStart feel that we can help, guide and facilitate the conversation in a really creative way. Because the standard ways of having a conversation in our community don't seem to be working for this project," she said. "We're creative thinkers, creative problem solvers and hopefully we can help to help guide the gathering of more information in a more creative process."
To take the online skate park survey, go to www.artstartrhinelander.org and click on the skate park button at the top right of the homepage.
Comments:
You must login to comment.