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From Santa Cruz Sentinel Santa Cruz Sentinel
Dolphins seem to be swimming alongside vehicles as traffic flows around the roundabout adjacent to the entrance of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The traffic circle, which won a first-place award from the American Society of Concrete Contractors when it was built in 2016, was constructed by concrete magician Tom Ralston and his crew. At the time Ralston said, “Rather than using arrows that seemed unattractive and industrial I thought we could use dolphins that would point traffic in the correct direction of the flow of traffic.” The dolphins were made in 8-foot, 6-foot and 4-foot sizes and the 8′ dolphins weigh almost half a ton. The dolphins have beach glass, seashells, aquarium sand and each had a custom hand ground abalone eye. Ralston added that he hopes the project can, “serve to lift the soul and psyche of many of the harried individuals in traffic.
Note: This project won the award for “Best Round-a-Bout" the year it was built!
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Shifting from tragedy to reflection, friends, coworkers, and family gathered March 14 at Willowbrook County Park for the unveiling of the memorial area in honor of Sheriff’s Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller...Gratitude was extended to the donors, whose generosity was instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.
Special recognition was expressed to Tom Ralston of Ralston Concrete, Steve Sutherland of SSA Landscape Architects and K&D Landscaping for their invaluable contributions. Project support was provided by County Park Friends, the Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the office of Supervisor Zach Friend, and County Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services.
It is through their collective dedication and generosity that Willowbrook Park stands as a symbol of remembrance, unity, and enduring love.
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From Lookout Santa Cruz
The memorial to fallen Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy Damon Gutzwiller is now finished. Gutzwiller, you’ll remember, was shot and killed while responding to reports of a suspicious van near Ben Lomond — in other words, doing his job — in the summer of 2020.
The memorial is a beautifully designed spot in Willowbrook Park, a tiny county park in Aptos that Gutzwiller and his dog frequently visited. As created by Santa Cruz’s accomplished concrete artist Tom Ralston, the new memorial features shoeprints of the fallen deputy and his family, and a trio of bronze plaques placed in stone, honoring Sgt. Gutzwiller. Pay a visit sometime and reflect on the sacrifice of this fine public servant.
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from Lookout Santa Cruz
He fronts a 14-piece R&B/soul band, but Tom Ralston is perhaps best known as the man behind one of the Santa Cruz area’s most high-profile construction companies and the artist behind many local concrete artworks. Ralston reluctantly took on his family’s longtime business, but it has defined his life and his standing in the community.
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Front Page Feature from Santa Cruz Sentinel Wednesday, October 11, 2023
A pedestrian casts a long shadow in the late afternoon sunlight on the new green sidewalk at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz. Tom Ralston, who designed and installed the sidewalk with his concrete company crew said, "I have had a special fondness for the Rio for as long as I can remember. I also have a great respect for Laurence Bedford who took over the Rio in 2000. I was able to get the city's approval to revamp the sidewalk with a "'leprechaun green* concrete, a bronze logo and a bronze plaque with Laurence's profile. We also were able to mount a Historie Land- mark plaque from the MAH." Ralston also installed three protective bollards in the concrete to protect the theater and ticket booth. In 2014, a 34-year-old Santa Cruz man drove a Mercury hatchback into the lobby of the Rio, smashing the entrance and then stabbing himself to death.
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Tom Ralston spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, October 28, 2022. He spoke about how inpsiring the Evergreen Cemetery’s Renaissance has been, and how that inspiration was contagious. It inspired Tom, his concrete company and employees, and all who contributed to the project.
Evergreen Cemetery is one of the oldest public cemeteries in California, and it is the final home to many of Santa Cruz County's early pioneers, leaders, and makers of history. The Cemetery is owned and managed by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) with the leadership of a group of energized volunteers.
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- Traffic Flows with Concrete Dolphin Design at Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf
- Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History: Restoration of Evergreen Cemetery
- Pads help to create safer steps: The Santa Cruz Sentinel