So, far we have conducted a canvas and clean up in Gary's Emerson, Midtown and Miller Communities. We have ones planned in Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart for April. Political signs are more than symbols.
(Created by a union, minority-owned shop within INHD3.)
They represent the candidate they’re branding, but when you choose to buy local and support a union shop, as I have, you choose to support a small business. My vender lives, owns and operates their company within INHD3. They are also from a population underrepresented in our unions. One thing I vow to do as a state representative is to help bridge the gap between our area employers, unions and population to help bring and retain 21st Century job opportunities for all of the people of Indiana House District 3.
Sign up for a Renslow 4 Rep sign and/or to donate a sign here:
With the loss of Lake Station’s Central Market, Jansen’s Fruit Market, along with the wide range of limited food options across Gary, our nutritional situation can seem bleak.
(Volunteers plant the beginnings of an orchard in Gary's Emerson Community.)
Marketing our area as a tourism destination is paramount to Indiana House District 3's economic development. Agritourism is a unique opportunity for INHD3 to capitalize on a combined blending of both the tourism and agriculture spheres to bring financial, educational and social benefits to our community. It will enhance the tourism industry by increasing the volume of visitors to our area and the length of their stay, while also infusing our House District with locally grown food sources.
(Volunteers plant an orchard in Gary's Emerson Community with artist, Francis Whitehead.)
Agritourism grants farmers an opportunity to create extra revenue streams and a way for direct marketing to consumers. It also leads to a higher quality of product, which helps bridge the food desert divide.
(The Renslow4Rep crew supporting one of Gary's Pop-up markets.)
(Shannon Farm Homestead is part of the effort to get Farmers Markets to urban communities.)
Agritourism can provide Hoosiers communities like ours the potential to expand their tax base and new job opportunities.Additionally, agritourism provides educational opportunities to the public, helps to preserve agricultural lands, and allows House Districts to develop micro and macro enterprises.
(The Cultivated Culture Cafe features locally sourced goods from INHD3 farmers on their menu. )
Agritourism can include:
• U-Pick operations
• hay rides •on-farm farmers’ markets
• corn mazes •demonstration farms •cut-your-own Christmas tree farms •living history farms
• pumpkin picking patches
• agricultural museums •winery tours and wine tasting
• dude ranches •garden tours
• bed & breakfasts
Tourisms will raise our quality of life, beautify our blighted areas, build up our transportation networks, all while raising Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart’s profile on the national/international level.
(Jessica Renslow helping plant the orchard in Emerson last November. Jessie helped Francis Whitehead write the original version of the grant for the orchard's seed funding.)
If elected, Jessica Renslow will fight to:
Create and implement an INHD3 tourism strategic plan and marketing campaign that will give our area presence on the national/international level.
Pursue local businesses to start prioritizing active and passive tourism in all seasons as an economic driver.
Advocate for business investment in INHD3 that is complementary to promoting life-long communities.
Foster sponsorship relationships between area businesses and industries to help infuse tourism initiatives, support active transportation, improve infrastructure and protect our environment, so that the burden of funding is not on INHD3 residents.
Encourage local eateries and food venders to build relationships with local farmers to promote “farm to fork” products.
Increase jobs and economic development by monitoring/ maintaining compliance of our local and targeted hiring programs.
Ensure that INHD3 tourism revenues and benefits stay in Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart.
(The regionally famous Marilyn's Bakery at Johnson's Farm in Hobart sells a wide range of products.)
Universally designed public transportation and infrastructure is a integral part of the solution to our economic and environmental challenges. Smart growth means incorporating inclusive public transit, structures and programs, which will help us rejuvenate our business districts, allow area employers to tap into larger workforces and increase our property values.
( Jessica Renslow with blue trail advocates in INHD3 celebrating the ribbon-cutting of the only universally designed kayak launch in NWI. These volunteers received a $25,000 grant and fundraised the remaining project costs, while collaborating with multiple community partners to implement the project in a record-breaking 6 months.)
Our nation is transitioning into being a country where in the not so distant future, our oldest and youngest populations combined will compose 43% of the US. Indiana House District 3 will not escape this trend. Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart need to create sustainable communities, wherein our youth and elders can both thrive.
( Great uncle and great nephew play with bubbles in an INHD3 park.)
If elected, Jessica Renslow will fight to:
Create life-long communities so that our seniors can remain in their homes and our House District 3 entrepreneurs can create cottage industries to help service this ever-growing population.
Connect our blue and greenways with infrastructure that infuses our economy.
Advocate for active transportation initiatives that raise our community health index, thus improving the quality of life in HD3 and lowering medical expenses.
Promote transportation options that link House District 3 with northern Indiana so that Gary, Lake Station, New Chicago and Hobart become accessible to allhttps://www.planning.org/blog/blogpost/9137464/.
Ensuring HD3 residents are afforded employment opportunities to help rebuild the region by monitoring/ maintaining compliance of our local and targeted hiring programs.
( Jessica Renslow with the Lakefront District Slow Rollers in Gary's Miller Community. These bicyclists meet at the 46403 zip code's farmers market regularly between May-September. They buy locally sourced items, tour the community’s many trails and advocate for transportation and infrastructure projects.)
