Grands Ballons

Grands Ballons (//; : Les Grands Ballons [ ]) is a major on the  coast of southeastern Gold Coast in the Sierran Southwest Corridor. As of 2016, its population was 583,384. It is the second most populous city in the Gold Coast and the tenth largest in the Kingdom. It is the seat of St. Anthony County and is an integral part of the Greater Porciúncula Area. In colloquial speech, it is commonly referred to by locals of the Southwest Corridor as GRABA or Graba (from GRAnds BAllons).

Grands Ballons is a major center for tourism, finance, logistics, international trade, culture, commerce, media, entertainment, music, education, and the arts. It is home to the, which together with the neighboring and Port of Little Gibraltar, form one of the world's largest cargo ports. The strong, historical presence of maritime trade and casual boating has led the city to proclaim itself as the "Aquatic Capital of Sierra". In 2011, it was recognized as an. In 2016, the city ranked fourth in Sierra in importance in terms of economic activity, human capital, culture, and political status. It is well known for its strong French and Spanish heritage, and is considered the cultural center of the Saintiana, or the Creole Coast, an interprovincial region of Creole and French culture in the Southwest Corridor. It is also famous for its cuisine, music, and drinking culture (particularly for its s and ), as well as its year-round festivals and international events.

The city is home to over 12 neighborhoods, 9 of which are referred to as wards. Downtown Grands Ballons is home to the most of the city's banks, international firms, and business, and is located along Half Moon Bay. The famous Old Spanish Town is a predominantly Sierran Creole neighborhood and includes the city's oldest buildings and establishments. The colonial Franco-Spanish architecture can be found here, featuring brightly colored homes with balconies and archways, and narrow one-way streets. Northtown is also another predominantly Creole, working-class neighborhood and is the birthplace of Sierran funk and hip hop. The city is home to four beaches, of which the Petit-Rivera, a 1.8-mile stretch of resorts and hotels, are lined up, overlooking the Pacific. The Belmont Shore and Naples section of the city is very affluent and is home to some of the nation's wealthiest millionaires and noblemen. Western Grands Ballons is primarily industrial-based and is the site of the Port of Grands Ballons and. The neighboring Porciúncula neighborhood of is the primary location of the Port of Porciúncula and is where the northern terminus of the Bonaparte–San Pedro Tunnel is (which connects the Sierran mainland to the city of Little Gibraltar on the Channel Islands' Catalina Island).

The 2017 Pawnee earthquake caused significant damage to buildings and infrastructure in the city's historic Old Spanish Town and older neighborhoods. As much as $20 million in damages in personal property were incurred as a result of the disaster. Like many other cities in the region recovering from the earthquake, Grands Ballons is undergoing an ambitious renovation project that includes earthquake-proofing the city infrastructure and updating its telecommunications network.

History
Human settlement in the area around Grands Ballons has existed for over 10,000 years. Various Amerindian peoples built their communities around the coastal plains of the, and had a rich maritime culture of boating and fishing. It is believed that although there were no permanent settlements within present-day Grands Ballons' city limits, the area was used for hunting and fishing. When the Spanish arrived to Sierra for the first time, the primary group of Amerindians who inhabited Grands Ballons were the, although there was a minority population of peoples as well. As the Spanish and the French began to establish themselves in the region, the Amerindian population in the region dropped at alarming rates. The Tongva lacked the immunity defense against the diseases introduced by the Europeans, and the survivors were often relocated or sent either to or. In 1784, rewarded a large land grant named  to Spanish soldier. Nieto was a Mexican-born who served at the  and later, Mission San Gabriel. With the land grant, Nieto was allowed to use it for raising cattle and allowing them to graze it. The land grant included nearly all parts of modern Grands Ballons, parts of Porciúncula's Harbor Region, and other parts of St. Anthony County. The original grant included 300,000 acres (1,200 km$2$), but this size was reduced nearly by a half to 167,000 acres (680 km$2$) shortly after the next year. This was made in response after Mission San Gabriel disputed the boundaries of the grant, which overlapped with the mission's southern property areas.

In 1797, Julian Manuel Coronel, a soldier from Mission San Gabriel, and a family friend of Nieto, was granted permission to build a house in present-day Grands Ballons. The Coronel Estate, which remains standing to this day, became the city's first known establishment. Coronel was also responsible for the city's future name, giving his place the name Bola Grande, in reference to a large, spherical rock formation he discovered by the beachfront, a few acres away from his home.

At the turn of the century, the Spaniards had recognized the value and importance of Grands Ballons' Half Moon Bay. With wide banks and calm surf, it was an ideal place to moor ships. In addition, it was close enough to the Channel Islands, where the French had begun settling just two decades earlier. The Our Lady of Catalina was reported by many French and Spaniard soldiers who were convinced that the region was blessed for further development. Although the apparition was claimed to have appeared over Catalina Island from whence the title owes its name to, further eyewitnesses at Coronel's estate in Grands Ballons also reported seeing it. This event has been attributed as a major factor in Spanish development in the region, which spurred at a phenomenal rate as stories of the account spread across the Empire. With the approval by the Spanish government, Nieto and Coronel worked towards expanding Coronel's residence into a pueblo town which could be a useful link between the Channels and Porciúncula. Recognizing the great economic potential for the region, the demand for Amerindian labor was high. Many Amerindians themselves were interested in the economic opportunities offered by the Spanish, and thus Nieto established a with the help of local tribesmen to attract natives throughout the region.

Government
The government of the City of Grands Ballons operates under a. Citywide elections for most offices are held every two years, with the city divided into six wards. The Grands Ballons City Council includes seven members, six of whom are elected from each of the single-member wards, and one who is elected at-large. The mayor is elected from within the council as a first among equals and is chosen to chair its meetings and represent the city on ceremonial occasions. The current mayor of Grands Ballons is Earl Hughes Delafose (D), who was elected by the council on April 23, 2015. The council is empowered to pass citywide ordinances, adopt regulations, appoint officials in other offices, approve the city budget, set the tax rate, and carry out any other powers granted by the City Charter. In addition, the council appoints a city manager who is responsible for planning and creating an annual city budget, supervising each of the city departments, overseeing public complaints and intergovernmental correspondence, advising the council on operational affairs, organizing public events and meetings, and developing architectural plans for construction projects in the city. The current city manager is Marco Regalado, who was appointed on June 18, 2014.

The Grands Ballons Police Department (GBPD) has a force of over 3,500 sworn officers. The GBPD serves the City of Grands Ballons, as well as neighboring unincorporated communities, and cities which have entered into contract agreements with the department. The Chief of Police is Tyler Bertrand, who was sworn into office on February 8, 2008. Its headquarters is located in Downtown Grands Ballons on 3783 East Broadway, with two other stations in North Grands Ballons and the Old Spanish Town respectively. The Grands Ballons Fire Department has 459 full-time firefighters and works closely with the St. Anthony County Fire Department in fire prevention and firefighting. The city fire department is also responsible for providing, with all of the department's sworn members certified in performing and. Its emergency medical service's members are paramedics and health care specialists employed to performing and assisting the department in ambulance services.

Crime and public safety
Like most major cities, crime has always been a serious issue for Grands Ballons. Violent crimes are mainly concentrated in the city's less affluent neighborhoods, especially North Grands Ballons. The murder rate has historically been higher than the national average, although a large percentage of murders were the result of gang-on-gang violence. The number of homicides reached its peak in the 1970s when the city saw 279 murders in 1977. In response to increased crime, the city passed a series of ordinances to crack down on gang violence, including the banning of attire that depicted gang symbols and colors. In 1981, the city was listed at third place for the Top 10 Murder Cities in the country, behind Bernheim and Porciúncula.

Aside from murders, other major violent crimes committed in the city include, , , and. Although violent crime as a whole has been in decline, the city has seen a steady rise in cases, and misdemeanors by the city youth. Throughout the city, special emergency hotline poles have been installed. Brightly lit during the nighttime, citizens witnessing or escaping an active criminal act can press the pole's button to alert law enforcement authorities, and help bring attention to the location. Since the installment of the poles, crime has dropped significantly around these poles, and the police has been able to capture more criminals in such areas.

To prevent crimes against private property, many city businesses are heavily fortified with metal bars and armed with s and alarms. Since a 2009 ordinance, all lodging establishments have been required to deny any non-guests access to any parts of the establishment except the lobby or its affiliated restaurants or stores. In addition, a citywide curfew has periodically been issued for underaged minors to halt nighttime youth gang activity, including the Old Spanish Town (parentally supervised children and adolescents are exempt). Some have taken further measures on controlling access at the front door by manually locking it, and only allowing access to cardholders and other individuals at a case-by-case basis from a security officer. Despite this, many bars and restaurants have had very lax standards regarding public safety. Due to city tolerance, these establishments may stay open past midnight and may continue serving alcohol until 3 am.

The city also sees some of the highest rates in larceny and car-related theft, which is not limited to the underdeveloped parts of town. Theft has become an increasingly problematic issue in the more tourist-friendly parts of Grands Ballons. Local authorities caution visitors to be vigilant about and con artists. These criminals frequently take advantage of tourists' unfamiliarity with the city and crime. First-time tourists and international tourists are especially vulnerable due to their general assumption of safety in being in a public, tourist section of town.

Sister cities
Grands Ballons has nine sister cities:


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