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Riverdale Park should be a place where residents and visitors are able to enrich their lives through the enjoyment of cultural and recreational activities. In our vision of the town, people will experience art and culture through public exhibitions, performances, festivals, educational opportunities and other activities that promote public access to the arts. Riverdale Park residents of all ages will participate in organized and individual activities that take advantage of park areas and other public facilities located in town. Building on the examples of the Riverdale Boys & Girls Club and the Nature Club, the town will become a center for team sports, community dance classes, martial arts groups and other activities that encourage the physical well-being of residents. In addition, we believe Riverdale Park should celebrate its rich and distinctive history through activities that call attention to such features as traditional architecture, the various transportation systems associated with the town, the history of local businesses and organizations, and the historic record of people and events that define Riverdale Park. In order to achieve these goals, we envision an environment where local residents, businesses, organizations, and the town government form partnerships to promote the cultural life of Riverdale Park. Riverdale Park has changed over the years and will continue to do so. All residents of Riverdale Park should feel a part of the community through a concerted effort on the part of the town officials and organizations to include them. Riverdale Park will celebrate its diversity.
Riverdale Park Arts Council
To encourage and coordinate artistic and cultural activities in the community, the town will create a citizen's advisory board, the Riverdale Park Arts Council. The Arts Council will be representative of the community and appointed by the mayor and council after soliciting nominations or volunteers. The primary goal of the Arts Council will be to find and encourage artistic talent within the town, including both performing and visual arts. As part of this duty the Arts Council will assist in allocating artistic resources (mainly display and performance space). The Arts Council will coordinate activities that overlap with the Recreation Board.
A uniform requirement for all forms of artistic expression is space. The performing arts need a stage or at least a place for an audience to gather, and the visual arts need galleries. Town Hall, Riversdale, and local businesses are examples of sites that would be appropriate for performances and arts displays. The Art Council will work with public and private entities to create opportunities for artistic expression. The town will work to provide this resource in cooperation with both private and other public entities. Riverdale Park will explore the development of a community center which features recreation and art space. Another way in which the town will encourage artistic expression is to allow art to be installed in the small outdoor public spaces available throughout the town. The Arts Council will assist in selecting the art displayed in each venue.
Recreation Board
To promote the physical well-being of its residents, Riverdale will expand and strongly support its Recreation Board. In addition to its current programs, the Recreation Board will begin to develop opportunities for Riverdale Parkers of all ages and interests. The town will set as a goal access to conveniently located interior recreation spaces with appropriate staff to coordinate and manage recreational activities.
Cultural And Recreational Tourism
Riverdale Park is an old community with a long history. Its heritage is a resource that can and should be preserved and promoted. Current events such as the historic house tour can encourage civic pride and attract customers to local businesses. Riverdale will actively participate in state and county initiatives that promote cultural tourism in the town and neighboring communities. The town will include cultural tourism in its economic development plans. Riverdale Park has several jewels within its limits including many County Historic Sites and the Riversdale Mansion. The town will celebrate and incorporate these resources into all of its plans. Riversdale in particular will become an integral component of the fabric of the community. Riverdale Park has a small town feel partly due to the large amount of park land within its boundaries. The playing fields and bike trails are heavily used by both town residents and non-residents. Riverdale Park will install signs on the trails and in other appropriate places to encourage those using the park to visit town businesses.
This page was last changed on Monday, July 5, 1999. Questions, comments, or submissions? See the Website Committee web page. This page has been accessed 8523 times.