Shreveport Dog Park Alliance's reply to the editorial in The Times on Friday Oct 19,2012

 

 

 

"No logic supports holding dog park fund hostage". http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20121019/OPINION03/210190301/No-logic-supports-holding-dog-park-funds-hostage?nclick_check=1The money from the RRWC is earmarked for the dog park and was done fair and square.  It is a done deal.  The mayor got his number one priority, improvements at Riverview Park for $1million ($500k for a bathroom and $500K for a stage cover).  The parish got its number one priority, dog park money-$280K.  If the mayor has his way the city will see improvements only in Riverview Park.  If the parish gets their way too, the city will see improvements at Riverview Park AND improvements at Marie and Charles Hamel Memorial Park. Those are the only 2 options.  Parish reps, and 2 city councilmen, went down to the RRWC to defend parish choice; the city/SPAR went to down to the RRWC to defend their choices.  The amount needed for the dog park was set forth by the city/SPAR, not the dog park alliance.  The dog park alliance has been wanting the city to come down on the amount of money needed to build the dog park.  The mayor is demanding a wrought iron fence, approximately $100,000 extra.  $51,000 is needed to bring water to the site (there is currently no water at the park).  Water is very much needed at this park anyway, many runners, bicyclists, dogs/owners, etc frequent this park.  In many cases it is the beginning of a long run or bike ride, all will appreciate potable water there. The other projects people keep referring to that need to take preference, probably don't have anything to do with this riverfront recreation money and most are not even aware of what all has been requested from the RRWC.

The River Needs Some Love! Red River Cleanup on November 10

Many of you who've enjoyed the outdoors in our area know how natural beauty flows right through our area.  Several ABetterShreveport members have canoed and camped along the river on its sand bars.  Others have motorboated, waterskied, picnicked, swam (skinnydipped?!) mountain biked along its shores.  Join us in cleaning it up!

 

Motoring or paddling or picking up on shore, c'mon out and help!

The following is from Jennifer Carter:

 

Third Annual Red River Cleanup will be held on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at 8:00 am at Stoner Boat Launch. Small motor boats are needed to  ferry people to sandbars for trash pick up and deliver trash to the collection areas. This is a joint effort with the Bayou Chapter of the Arkansas Canoe Club and the Ozark Society and various other community organizations.  Paddle boats are needed to get into small inlets to get trash.

 

Thank you, Gumbo to Geaux!

This is a great event where the community is invited to pick up litter around the Red River area.

Volunteers are needed on the ground to help with registration, distribute supplies, sort recycling items and serve lunch. Lunch will be provided by Gumbo to Geaux.

If you can dedicate a day to clean up our river, please contact Adam Willard at 318 423 1690.

"Like" 3rd Annual Red River Cleanup on Facebook to be informed of updates.  There is also a website at redrivercleanup.org.

SRAC Presents Inspiring Shreveport Common Progress. Let's Make Downtown Culturally Rich and Vital!

  Pictured here from right are Gregory Free and Pam Atchison

The ABS Board hosted the leaders of SRAC and the Shreveport Common proposal.  It was a meeting that left us optimistic for the future of downtown!

In attendance: Kathryn Brandl, Wendy Benscoter, Pam Atchison, Feico Kempff, Maurice Loridans, Brian Salvatore, Loren Demerath

Wendy Benscoter, has been educated in Creative Placemaking at Rutgers University in New Jersey.  Building on that relationship, the State of Louisiana Office of Cultural Development headed by Pam Breux has formed a formal partnership with Rutgers so that people will spend six months in LA in residence.  As Pam introduced Wendy and explained the program, on the topic of urban planning she mentioned that Paul Farmer is from Shreveport, and comes here every three months, and might be a great guest on the radio show “Time for ABetterShreveport”.  Great idea Pam!

Wendy explained that Creative Placemaking transforms communities with art and culture.  SRAC’s offices are an example of leading a cultural revitalization at the west edge as a gateway into downtown.  SRAC says listening sessions helped shape the vision.  An “Inside-Out Charette” on Shreveport Common Day allowed people to imagine what the space around Texas Avenue and Common would be like with art infusing the space.

As for the new SRAC headquarters in the old Central Fire Station, the money has been raised, construction is underway, and they should be moving in in a few months.

ABS has long pushed for bike racks downtown, and we were happy to hear how SRAC held an “Art in Transportation” workshop (a number of bike racks have been designed, judged and are about to be built with SRAC’s support).  At the workshop, national “gurus” in art and transportation led participants in a symposium to work on developing plans.  The principle winning design is by a Tuscon designer, entitle, “Line and Sky” CommonLink; the kiosk cubes (functioning a lot like tablet computers) can play music and feature local works.

Wendy showed how market value buildings are envisioned to the west of the Municipal Auditorium with a boulevard to it’s east that will lead to the common, a “Grand Promenade” (now funded) just west of where the Makers Fair is now held.

Loren asked if this would help attract residents downtown, and Pam noted that they did an artists survey to help research how they can help artists support themselves, in addition to through training and facilities; they asked what artists would want to live downtown; they’ve planned a market study of the area; including a position analysis of the area of what the market value rates are.  

CHANGE IS HAPPENING
SRAC and the partners (36 organizations!) are helping change to come and allow the plan to become a reality.  The goal is end up with 250-300 market value homes, mainly for people without kids; pre or post family. The market study would look for places for retail to minimize need for driving; elderly people, for example, have noted they like to live in an area where they don’t have to drive.

The Fairmont is being improved and reducing the crime that has been there in the past, and SmarterPhoneApp and iArchitecture have moved into the Fairmont retail space.

Among the work groups SRAC has organized to develop the plan has been the Parks and Green Spaces Group chaired by Donna Curtis; the Transportation Group has included ABS Board members Maurice Loridans and Carolyn Manning; the Developer group is chaired by Edward Taylor, includes various developers; the Artist group is chaired by Bruce Allan; the Vendors group is chaired by Monty Walford; Arts Programming is chaired by Angelique Feaster, with Askari Hinton, Will Andress, April Dahm, among others; public art is chaired by Jodi Glorioso (there is currently a public art call to temporary pieces, and Robert Trudeau has received the first of the awards); the social services group is chaired by Chista Pazzaglia (Loren has since invited her to ally with his urban sociology class); and chairing the communication group is Jennifer Allen.

PLANNERS?
Loren asked is any urban planners have been involved, since this is a project in urban planning, and Pam said Dara Sanders, planner for Caddo Parish, has been an overseer of handing out bond money.

PROPERTY OWNERS?
Feico asked about property owners; who can be negligent with their property.  Brian said he perceived downtown owners as waiting for the big concept; he also noted he liked Louisiana Avenue being the entrance from Highland; Pam mentioned a need for a market space; Maurice mentioned need for a permanent farmers market space. Pam mentioned Shreveport-itis as a problem where people hold out to invest (sell, etc.); and they won’t develop until they see something happen.  One church, for example, doesn’t want to move unless something happens.  Many don’t want to sell just for the appraised value, which is an insult to people who bought it in the 1980’s, Pam said.  And some have been turned pessimistic by previous experiences.  There was push to do something in the ‘90’s called Fame, but didn’t end up happening, so now many have their doubts.  At least a third of property owners are apparently hesitant at selling and are shocked and amazed that their land could be work so little now.  The city has been willing to trade land that they own; that’s been successful; e.g. with the Rescue Mission, and other deals may be in the works.  The partnership with DDA and Bonnie Moore’s department in the city with development has been very helpful.  Wendy and Pam are programmers, but not the developers.  Malcolm Statlander (once a guest on the radio show who spoke on adjudicated property) is the head of doing appraisals for the city.  

RED RIVER DISTRICT CONFLICT?
Feico asked if the city will be able to maintain its focus on this with the Red River District now in their hands.  Pam said Deborah Camis is working on getting stores and is a go-getter.  Pam also said they’re not looking for the big name, established stores that the District would be, but stores that are more unique and less branded and familiar.

Pam noted they hope for a Texas Street bike path that goes through the alleys; Maurice shared the idea of a bike cooperative for downtown, noting that Liz Swaine knows about it, and that we need a building that can be used for storage and security. Maurice also noted that a lot of art goes on in bike coops.

HOW CAN ABS HELP?
Loren asked how ABS can help.  Pam said their challenge is to finish the Caddo Common--the park in the middle of the plan.  They are one piece away from having everything in place; Robert Cochran is the owner they haven’t talked to yet, but are working on getting an appointment with him.  But, none of us present were able to say we knew that person, so Pam went to the following points where we could help:

1. ABS could approve the Shreveport Common Bike Plan.  Maurice will present it to us.  The routes were actually started in ABS, the map was then turned over to NLCOG, and we haven’t seen it since, but look forward to looking at it.

2. Pam said you are the kinds of people who we want to live there; you can help launch that lifestyle; developers want to know who will live here and what do they need?  Putting out a vision of downtown life that’s synchronous with what’s being offered would help developers, she said.

3. Pam also said it helps to build the destination in advance; Downtown Neon helped sell Robinson, Tipitinas, and Artspace, and they plan to do the same with Shreveport Common in March, and will do so again quarterly.  They don’t have a name for what it would be, but Uncommon Saturdays in Shreveport; Undone in Shreveport Common, are top nominees at this point, but anyone can help name it!

Downtown Shreveport Common Update from SRAC on Monday!

Join us for our regular Monday meeting at the Wright Math Building for an update on the Shreveport Common with Pam Atchison and Wendy Benscoter

Wendy is shown on the left here with ABS, TACA, and Makers Fair cofounder April Dahm, who's work we'll also be discussing!

The present is area in which the Shreveport Common will exist is show below.  What's the future hold?  Will it be like either of the following images?
 

from Nicholas and Associates

from O'Conner and Blessing

We'll also address other topics, such as:

• the route and time for our ride to TACA's Maker's Fair
• the Louisiana Film Prize as another city gem event, what's it's future, and how can ABS help enhance its effects
• bike route street painting: is it time again?

As usual, we meet from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Wright Math Building, right across from Magale Library on Woodlawn, two blocks north of the Gold Dome.  All are welcome.

First Home-Social Meeting Last Monday, Shreveport Common Update Scheduled for Next Monday (10/8)

We had our first home-social meeting in the lovely home of Kathryn Brandl this past Monday.  We’ll have one like this every first Monday of the month. It was BYOB but our hostess provided us with delicious humus regular and black bean.  (Would we have eaten those things 30 years ago?  Who says life hasn’t gotten better!)

In attendance: Brian Salvatore, Kathryn Brandl, Feico Kempff, Maurice Loridans, Victoria Provenza, Cynthia Keith, Loren Demerath, Susan Keith.

MOVE AWAY OF LOCAL PLANNERS SADDENS
The group bemoaned the leaving of local urban planners Stephenie Pedro and Caroline Majors Eckel to Dallas. Relatedly, Victoria noted how frustrating it can be small local businesses to have city government farm out work that could be done in the city and keep talented people here rather than have to move out to the big metropolises. Loren reflected that was a complaint of former local planner at MHSM architects when the city chose an outside firm to do the master plan. That planner to has left the city and now we appear to be left with no one in the private sector who has been trained primarily as urban planner. The isolation of Shreveport may make it more important that we develop within and not farm out what we don't need to.

CAROLYN MANNING UPDATES ABS ON RED RIVER DISTRICT PROGRESS
As many people know, El Dorado Casino has turned over management of the Red River District properties to the city.  The RRD Commission has now accepted a bid on maintenance. Among the issues are crime.  Apparently it can get rough after midnight (though it’s also known among young Air Force people to have the best night life of any big base town).  A greater police presence would help with crime, and the Commission has asked for the police substation there to be used to that effect. Litter is a problem in addition to crime (or at least perceptions of it) with Carolyn reporting that people are throwing trash into the flower beds.  The Commission is working on that as well.  It was noted that the area has great potential and people in the past have used it well, particularly the Mexican American community during Cinco de Mayo, when the shade under the bridge works well. It was noted that drum circles and hula hooping could be a nice activity there too.  The Commission wants it to be a more family oriented district then it is now. the businesses they are making room for appear to be or and it more in that direction.

WENDY BENSCOTER TO SPEAK ON SHREVEPORT COMMON AT NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting on October 8th will feature Wendy Benscoter giving us an update on the Shreveport Common plan that SPAR has been working on.  

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MAKING PROGRESS
The Downtown Development Authority seems to be making progress. Later in the month we hope to have Liz Swain talk about what they’re working on, and how ABS might help with getting more residence and retail downtown.

NOVEMBER 10TH RIDE FROM RHINO’S TO MAKERS FAIR SCHEDULED
The group began planning for a November 10th social ride to the Makers Fair, one of the great events now in downtown Shreveport. We’ll start at the star new local hangout, Rhino’s coffee shop at the end of the month students from centenary's urban sociology class will present a variety of ideas for the city.

DECEMBER FOR TRAILS, JANUARY FOR EDUCATION
We scheduled December to be our trail month with trail cutting freer of mosquitoes and poison ivy.  Brian and Loren agreed to work on January as our education month.  The month would feature a meeting of invited guests and big thinkers for Shreveport education at the beginning of the month and ending with the work session creating output that should help access to education in our city.

DOG PARK BECOMING POLITICAL FOOTBALL IS BEMOANED
The group briefly discussed what had happened at the City Council meeting recently and how the dog park has become a political football in that it has become a means for politicians to make points to their constituencies about how they care about them, rather than straightforwardly discuss the issue what a dog park is and how the city as whole benefits from it.  What ABS has tried to say for many years now is that anything that benefits one constituency--like dog owners--can actually benefit the whole city if it's something that people have come to expect as a standard amenity in a city with good quality of life. Dog parks have become standard in this country. As Loren Demerath said in front of the City Council this past week, Shreveport maybe the last city in the south to get a dog park and it will be because politicians have played one constituency against another for their own political benefit instead of uniting everyone in what helps the city overall. Many dog park supporters are like Demerath in that they don’t have dogs, but want dog owners in the city to be happy, just they’re glad boat owners are with the Stoner boat launch, or mountain bikers are with trails there at the launch.

Would you bike more frequently if you didn't feel you had to strap on a helmet?

Bicycle classic from Lake St, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

“Statistically, if we wear helmets for cycling, maybe we should wear helmets when we climb ladders or get into a bath, because there are lots more injuries during those activities.” The European Cyclists’ Federation says that bicyclists in its domain have the same risk of serious injury as pedestrians per mile traveled.

Thoughtful opinion piece at NYTimes called
To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets.

Peanuts, Valencia Park Community Garden, Shreveport

Peanuts, Valencia Park Community Garden, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Peanuts were planted in the Valencia Park Community Garden last spring by 4 geography students at Caddo Magnet HS. Subsequently, Valencia gardeners added many more seed peanuts to the patch.

In October the peanut patch will be harvested.

See a photo series on a recent work session at Valencia by clicking on the photo above.

LSU Ag Center's Grace Peterson wants to build a city-wide program that will result in steady growth of locally-grown produce.

Above: unidentified student, Shalon Lewis, manager of the Valencia Park Center and Dr. Peterson.

First Monday of the Month House-Social Scheduled for Kathryn Brandl's House on October 1st. Join us!

We discussed several topics at our first official meeting of year:

A B.Y.O.B. MEETING OCTOBER 1st AT KATHRYN’S HOUSE!!
Next week--on October 1st--we’ll kick off our new homemade version of the first Monday social meetings at home of board member Kathryn Brandl: 323 Washington.  Bring a beverage and a social attitude.  We’ll be chatting about what we could do for the month of October, and for the year!

CENTENARY HEALTH ACTIVIST TO SPEAK
Centenary student Tia Landrum will likely be at the October 15th meeting (stay tuned) to share her vision of what her non-profit can be and tell a bit of her remarkable story, saving the life of a woman in Africa.  She’ll be a guest on “Time for ABetterShreveport” the previous week on October 8th.

UPDATE ON SHREVEPORT COMMON AT OCTOBER 8TH MEETING
Wendy Benscotter will come to the meeting on October 8th to update the group on the Shreveport Common plan.

PROGRESS ON A LAND TRUST FOR COATES BLUFF
Feico Kempff reports that he’s heard Caddo Parish would be willing to consider a new application for support for establishing a land trust (or conservation easement).  ABS met with the obstacle last year of not being able to find a party who hold the land, but now may have found it in Centenary College.  Loren has talked to the Vice-President of Advancement, Scott Rawls, and will be following up on that with Feico.  The signs are positive.  ABS will also contact Matthew Linn to get his council.

Feico noted that the trust would benefit Centenary, increasing their endowment, and being a positive gain for fundraising.  Any liability would be on the non-profit to operate and maintain it.  Centenary has already contributed to it, hosting a community meeting, and on “The Big Event” contributing about thirty people to cutting trails.

CAPTAIN SHREVE KEY CLUB A RESOURCE
Loren reported meeting with Captain Shreve Social Studies teacher and Key Club faculty advisor, Ned Leffingwell.  Ned says a number of students would be likely enthusiastic about helping ABS with such things as trail cutting.  Their counterparts at Magnet High are also likely participants.

CENTENARY LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY “NODE” MAY DEVELOP A GAME FOR A BETTER SHREVEPORT
Loren reported on the “NODE” the living learning community at Centenary that is exploring social change through technology.  Mark Goadrich is a computer science professor who’s been working on an “augmented reality game” you can play on a smart phone (here’s the wikipedia article on that kind of thing).  Loren explained how it might work, and how playing the game could end up connecting people, educating them, and empowering them.

END OF ACADEMIC YEAR DONATION TRUCKS SUGGESTED
Feico suggest that donation trucks from a place like the Salvation Army be used at the end of the spring semester.  He’s noted that lots of good stuff is thrown away as students move out for summer.  (Loren admitted he remembers doing that himself!)

URBAN SOCIOLOGY CLASS DEVELOPING SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS
Loren reported how the service-learning dimension of his Urban Sociology class is asking students to research and advocate some proposal or each student’s choice that would help our community.  Among the projects are proposals for are a public city art locale for graffiti, a city-wide composting program, a redesign of the Centenary amphitheater, a “grocery store tour” for nutritional information for food stamp recipients (normally an add-on to an advanced personal training program), and a proposal for helping the local homeless population, and another for helping downtown development.

ABS will have the chance to view the webpages and hear students give brief presentations on them in late November.

Feico noted that Centenary has recently tried to make the college more outward and community focused.  They’re also looking to increase the college’s revenue by offering their facilities for rent to other groups, such as having the chapel available for weddings.  It was noted the amphitheater could be used better; a grassy hillside would be more comfortable than the current concrete benches; a “movies and moonbeams” program could be shown on a screen; a movie festival; midnight shows of rocky horror, etc; could have a music festival.

DOG PARK PROGRESS
Cynthia shared some recent successes in fundraising, including receiving a $1,000 check from “Locals Love Us”, while completing a wonderful silent auction and arts and crafts fair at Karpeles Manuscript Library on Saturday the 22nd (total earned from that not yet known).  She also described working with one potential donor, and how there are different levels of sponsorship, such as naming the entrance, but naming the park isn’t one of them because of the existing Hammel name.  

As it happens, the day after this meeting, the City Council put the dog park on the agenda.  Cynthia, Susan, and Loren were on hand, as well as other member of the Dog Park Coalition.  Loren spoke to the council on how having a dog park has become an accepted best practice in cities, and how people have come to expect that as an amenity as a standard quality of life feature.  The Council unanimously voted in favor of using funds supplied by the Red River Waterway Commission for that purpose and that have to be used along the riverfront.  The Mayor opposed it though, arguing instead for public restrooms to be built closer to the splash fountains than the ones currently across the street.

OPPORTUNITY TO HELP LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO APPROACHES
The group agreed we should offer to help man the phones during the upcoming fund drive for Red River Radio.  Having good public radio has become another established best practice in enhancing a city’s quality of life.

The group looks forward to our first “First Monday of the Month House-Social” from 6:00 to 7:00 at Kathryn’s house at 323 Washington.  BYOB or not, but DO join us!

First Meeting of the Year, Monday the 24th

We'll be meeting to discuss possible monthly themes for the year, service projects, and agenda items for upcoming meetings.  As always, the meeting will be from 6:00 to 7:00 at the Wright Math Building, across from Magale Library on Woodlawn, just up from the Gold Dome. Join us! 

Valencia Park Community Garden Work Day is Saturday, Sept 29

9 am. Tentatively visitors will be invited to view the garden at 9 (pending permission from Valencia Park manager Shalon Lewis).  

9:15 - Jon Soul will speak about the Coates bluff Trail near the Valencia Park entrance to the trail.  

9:30 - 10:15 a Coates Bluff trek.

 

A pre-Work Day trail grooming walk will be held Fri afternoon, time TBA.    

Precautions, thanks to reminders by Meaux Loridans: West Nile-carrying mosquitoes are active until the first cold weather. Long sleeves, long pants and bug spray are recommended. Loridans explained that he does not fear mosquito bites as long as he's walking. What he warns against is stopping and working in the woods. 

Because it's Centenary's big beginning of the year faculty meeting and party on Monday, and some of us wouldn't be able to attend the ABS meeting, we'll wait one more week for Monday the 24th, to really get started for the year.  (Some of us did meet last Monday, though, on how summer travels gave us ideas for our own fair city--notes to posted soon.)

HOWEVER, as you may know, we do have a BIG, FUN, fundraiser for the Dog Park coming up at the Karpeles Manuscript Library (formerly the Christian Science Church on Centenary Blvd.) this Saturday.  Let all the dog owners you know, know about this!  Plus, some might be happy to volunteer too, so feel free to forward this plea from Cynthia:


The Shreveport Dog Park Alliance is a very active bunch right now and we are definitely in the limelight.  We bring with us our parent group, A Better Shreveport.

We really want to make a good showing at our upcoming fund raiser, "Wine & Whine, a Dog Park Art Affair", Saturday-Sept 22 from 4-7pm at the Karpeles Museum (Centenary Blvd @ Atkins, behind Brothers Hair Design, 1 block across from the campus).  See our flier, attached.

We need people helping in shifts of 2+ hours between 3-8pm (earlier too if you can make it).  It would be mostly manning tables, selling drinks/art/entrance wristbands and need a few rovers that can be troubleshooters.

If you can help with any of these jobs let us know, it's our last minute call our for help!

Let us know by email if you'd like to help us!

Cynthia Keith cynthiakeith@bellsouth.net
Shreveport Dog Park Alliance