New group "Shreveport Greenways" formed last night!

As many of you readers know, ABetterShreveport is devoted to promoting ideas for improving quality of life and community health of Shreveporters. As such ABS has incubator (or "thinkubator") for a number of projects. Once those ideas get momentum, teams, groups, even formal organizations can emerge from that process. The ABetterShreveport Downtown is one such group, and now we've got another one.

At the Coates Bluff meeting last night, with Feico Kempff, Carolyn Manning, Loren Demerath, Jon Soul, Susan Keith, Maurice Loridans, and Cynthia Keith in attendance, we decided to form a group devoted to promoting Greenways in Shreveport.

We voted on several options, and the results were that the group is called "Shreveport Greenways".

We defined our independent roles as follows:
secretary and blog editor: Loren Demerath
coordinator: Carolyn Manning
marketer / enewsletter editor: Carolyn
fundraiser: Carolyn
project leison: Feico Kempff
project manager (timelines): Feico
legal council: Maurice Loridans
bicycle transportation advisor: Maurice Loridans
treasurer: Ian Webb
public relations spokesperson: Ian Webb
education facilitators: Susan Keith, Jon Soul, Robert Trudeau

We're all fired up and ready to go! Really, we don't just want to talk about, we want to make it happen, starting with the pilot project of the Coates Bluff Greenway. Stay tuned to this blog to monitor our progress. Naturally, anyone's more than welcome to join us. Feel free to drop by a meeting, or comment on a post!

NOW is the time for DETAILED input on revitalization! Meeting on downtown/waterfront Tues, Nov 17, 6 pm, Spt C of C

Su Stella at Barnwell Art Center
Originally uploaded by trudeau

NOW is the time for DETAILED input!

But, uh, before you read this, did you hear about Velo Dendro as reported in the post below this one? It was AWESOME! What's next ya'll? A biking tour of city architecture? Home gardens? Community gardens? Sites of historical events? Ah, the possibilities!


Anyway, here's an important announcement from the Master Plan Folks. And check out that first phrase!:

"Now’s the time to give detailed input about revitalizing parts of Shreveport-Caddo, and about changes to the Downtown/Waterfront area! Master Plan meetings on these topics are coming up Nov. 17 and 19, and we encourage everyone to participate and to spread the word.

Additionally, the final neighborhood workshops, designed to gather neighborhood-specific input, which were cancelled in October due to weather have been rescheduled for December 3 in the north sections of Shreveport-Caddo. Details on both sets of meetings are attached. Please share with your networks, and put these dates on your calendar today.

November Meetings

Downtown/Waterfront Workshop
Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, 400 Edwards Street, Shreveport, LA 71101


Revitalization Strategies Workshop

Thursday, November 19, 2009, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Willis-Knighton Community Center, 2401 Bessie Street, Shreveport, LA 71103


December Meetings

North Neighborhood Workshops (Rescheduled from October 29th)

DATE/TIME: Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
LOCATION: Green Oaks High School, 2550 Thomas E. Howard Drive


DATE/TIME: Thursday December 3, 2009, 6:00pm to 8:30pm
LOCATION: Louisiana Technical College Shreveport-Bossier Campus, 2010 North Market Street

- Loren Demerath

Velo Dendro tour, Shreveport: 555 Herndon St

Velo Dendro tour, Shreveport: 555 Herndon St
Originally uploaded by trudeau

With some 100 people riding through East Shreveport in a green wave of high-viz shirts, Velo Dendro was a distinct success on Sat, Nov 7.

Hallie Dozier, forestry prof at LSU and former Shreveport resident, was articulate and informative as the tour guide. Matthew Linn, Caddo Commissioner and proprietor of Columbia Cafe, was accommodating as host and co-planner.

All ages were represented. There were tots in handlebar seats, small fry on their own small bikes, college students, 30-somethings and the sanhedrin.

A typical stop is seen in the photo above. Bruce Allen and wife, Kristin Dorothy Hannah, opened their yard at 555 Herndon to the tour.

The only question unanswered at the end of the day was "When and how do we do this again?"

- Robert Trudeau

Last Meeting Summary (what a wild one!)

Meeting Notes for 11/2/9

In attendance: Matthew Linn, Maurice Loridans, Loren Demerath, Cynthia Keith, Ryan Tew, Ian Webb, Robert Trudeau, Caroline Majors, Feico Kempff.

The group discussed the sharrows that been painted in town along the southern half of the route of the upcoming "Velo Dendro" tree tour of city on Saturday. Those who helped paint had received permission from Mike Strong, head of the Department of Operational Services to do so. Hallie Dozier, Maurice Loridans, Steve Godfrey, Valerie Loridans, Micheal Feldman (from Providence House) were among those who helped. The template for sharrows was then donated to ABS along with the paint. After the sharrows appeared some homeowners near them had called DOS to ask about them, and they were told they were there to remind people to share the road with bicyclists. Mike Strong said he'd received compliments about them; Matt Baily, Assistant Director of Economic Development for the Mayor's office, said he'd seen them in every other city he'd been in except Shreveport, and that he welcomed them.

There was discussion about whether publicizing the sharrows would be seen as positive and create support, or create controversy.
It was said that marking this trail, and hopefully others, is useful for people to see that these are good coridors for bicycling around and about the city.

The group looked at NLCOG's maps that Lisa Frazier dropped by and discussed NLCOG's role in creating a more bikable, walkable city. It was noted that Bike/Ped Advisory Committee had been formed nine months ago, but hadn't met more than twice, and that NLCOG may be busy, or may not see it as a priority. Some wondered whether contributing to the maps would be a wasted effort, and may even slow down our progress: if our contributions don't get used, but we think they will be, we may stop pushing to make that contribution, and progress will stall without our knowing why. Some said we should sit down and have a conversation with NLCOG about what our expectations and intentions are.

There was much discussion about we can do as a group to further alternative transportation and make the city more walkable and bikable. It became a free-for-all mixer that was a lot of fun, but difficult to summarize. I'm working on it...

Don't Miss First Ever Bicycling Tree Tour of the City Saturday!

It's time everyone!
The first ever bicycling tree tour of the city!
We meet on Saturday, November 7th, at 9 a.m., at Columbia Cafe on Creswell.
We'll go slow and easy, take lots of breaks, and soak up plenty of urban tree knowledge!

And stay or drop by the reception afterwards from 1 to 3
to enjoy the live music of "A Fine Romance" trio!

Bring $10 for registration. For that you get a t-shirt and refreshments, not to mention the professionally guided tour of some of the city's most notable trees from Dr. Hallie Dozzier.

It promises to be a special day.
An interesting & fun experience for us to share!

Join us!

Monroe's on the Bike Trail too!

Ribbon Cutting set for November 6 on bike trails...

Staff report • news@thenewsstar.com • October 29, 2009

• A Friday ribbon-cutting event to mark the official opening of two bicycle paths in Monroe has been postponed until 11 a.m. Nov. 6 at Forsythe Park because of the threat of bad weather.
  
  The bike trails are the result of over a year of cooperative efforts between the city of Monroe, Monroe Advocates for Safe Streets and the Rotary Club of Monroe.
  
  Mayor Jamie Mayo and other city officials will join representatives from MASS and local students for an inaugural bike ride immediately following the ribbon cutting.
  
  Each of the two bike paths begin in Forsythe Park. One route goes to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo, while the other path goes to the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Thanks to David Aubry for passing this on!

Halloween Community Garden Events

Surely a better Shreveport is one that includes more opportunities to come together and grow healthy delicious food. There are two events that allow us to do that this Saturday.

One is in Ceder Grove. At Line and 73rd St., from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., there'll be a celebration and activities featuring live music and games.

The other is on Tulane Ave. off of Linwood. Here's that information, from the director, Leia Lewis, who always puts on great events.

Dear Friend,

You are welcome to join the Sankofa Gardens Fall Planting of GREENS and STRAWBERRIES!

This Saturday, October 31st

12:30 to 3:30 PM

Sankofa Gardens

1651 Tulane

This is a FREE, family event.

Please bring a friend and share this message/flyer.

Wear work clothes and bring your gloves and tools, too!

For information, call:

Leia Lewis

(318) 230-2892

www.sankofavision.org

No meeting today; good lunch meeting at Valencia Park earlier

No meeting tonight, since a number of us have already met earlier today.

Those of us on the Coates Bluff team had a very good lunch meeting today at Valencia Park with Councilman Monty Walford, Head of Caddo Parrish Department of Parks and Recreation Larry Reynolds, School District 4 representative Charlotte Crawley, and Stoner Hill Neighborhood representatives Bessie Smith and Howard Allen.

Thanks Jon Soul for making salad, Ian Webb for coming through with the s-video cable, John Davenport for his crime and property value write up, Robert Trudeau for his pictures, Feico Kempff for his research on ownership and easements, and Carolyn Manning for her great graphics and framing work on both the powerpoint and the flier.

Can't wait to share with everyone what we learned at our next meeting, but suffice it to say that it was step forward today, and we learned a lot about what we next need to do.

In the meantime, we were told at the meeting today that if you're able to go to the masterplan meetings tonight or tomorrow night, talk up greenways and bike paths!

Why we're all green at heart, and should resist our own intolerances

This is a great 30 second video on green politics from Global-MindShift.org.

Anyone who disagrees with it should be exiled to Venus.

Lovingly, of course.

(But surely there'd be no exiles, right?)