MPC Director Stephen Jean Pitches Beautiful Idea at Last Meeting!

In attendance: Stephen Jean, Dara Sanders, Loren Demerath, Maurice Loridans, Cynthia Keith, Feico Kempff, Susan Perkins, Amanda Bertrand, Kathryn Brandl, Helen Whitaker, Catherine McGuinn Sailor

The group welcomed Stephen Jean, the director of the Metropolitan Planning Commission, and Dara Sanders, planner for the MPC and coordinator of Master Plan Implementation, as well as Stephen’s wife, Catherine McGuinn Sailor, and friend, Helen Whitaker.

MPC WORKING ON CONNECTIVITY

Stephen talked about how he’s been aware of ABetterShreveport’s interest in making Shreveport more walkable and bikeable, and the MPC has been proactive, looking for ways to do that.  It’s part of the Master Plan, and that’s their guide for development and zoning.  For example, they’ve recently been in conversations with Wholefoods about their new building, looking for way to facilitate bike-pedestrian mobility in that area.  They’ve also been looking into a way of going under 70^th, and have talked with SPAR Director Shelly Ragle and city engineer Robert Westerman about that.

Could this fill the "black hole" to let us finally walk to 70th & Youree?
(This "hovenring" is in Holland, wouldn't you know.)

In addition to the Master Plan’s priorities, Stephen and Katherine described how personal experience has led them to see the need first hand. On a recent bicycle trip, trying to go from Regional Urology to the Krogers on Youree and 70^th, they found the going very difficult, having to negotiate a circuitous route.  It shows the need to find safer connections for those who want to walk and bike as transportation around the city.  Others noted people don’t just want to do that for their own health, or the planet’s health, but also because it’s fun.

Stephen said, though, that developers are often unhappy about implementing the features mandated in the Master Plan.  These developers are used to using a standard model where a group of homes are isolated with but one entry and exit point, making walking and biking difficult.  It was noted that we all need to continue to educate as to what people are demanding in cities these days, and how it will actually be more profitable for developers to build this way.  It was noted that it’s also safer, putting more people on the street and reducing their vulnerability.

Stephen noted that if you talk to people who are older, they’ll remember riding the trolley to a downtown that was a thriving place.  And it’s happening again.  Steven mentioned visiting his son in Austin recently and how lives in a transitional neighborhood, but the amenities are remarkable: right there is the bus stop, the bike lane, the “Yellow Bike” stop, a little pocket park.  But in terms of properties the neighborhood wouldn’t be much that much different from Queensboro or Caddo Heights.  

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT CAN DRIVE POLICY

Bentonville, Arkansas, Stephen mentioned has done a lot.  It has a large corporate presence in the city, so they’ve got people coming in and demanding things, and the demand drives the policy.

As a way of facilitating that demand, Stephen said the MPC is going to reconvene the Citizens Advisory Group (CAG) and get the citizens to advocate for what would help the city.  For example, there’s a lot of people wanting to bike and ride, and doing things like restriping streets and installing paths is low hanging fruit. 

Stephen mentioned that the MPC’s mid-month meeting might be an opportunity to advocate and communicate what’s been done elsewhere and which now amount to “best practices” for city development.  It was agreed that ABS would like to present to MPC, as it has to the City Council.

COMMUNITY GARDENING MENTIONED TOO

Grace Peterson also wants to have connections to different community gardening hubs in a hundred mile radius, not to mention all those within the city.  

Cookie Coleman of the Red River Coalition of Community Gardens has identified deficiencies in food; a local distribution center would help get regionally grown foods out locally.  Having the local governing bodies adopt standards would help.  The Coalition wasn’t asking for financial support but for policy and regulation.  The Coalition helps work on food security.  (Stephen mentioned the Arklatex is the greens capital of the world, and, incidentally, he’s looking for a recipe for chicory; here it grows big.)

DEVELOPERS HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE MASTER PLAN

Loren mentioned that he’s found developers can talk a good game, but haven’t the training of an urban planner on what the best practices are for quality of life.  It’s more than just “a look” as the failure of Villagio has shown locally.

Stephen said developers may not agree with the Master Plan but it can’t be ignored.  He said they have a lot of support from their board, and that includes Lea DeMarteau, the current Chair.  MPC would now like to start going out more and engaging the community and that it needs help from the community.  

In addition to the renewed CAG, there’ll be an opportunity for community input through the Unified Development Code, and we want to make sure the new code is implementing the Master Plan. The Master Plan is not codified as it stands now; we have language in our current ordinances but they're not design standards or very specific.  A new UDC would also give predictability to developers and make it easier for them to develop here, as well as improving quality of life issues.  

For example, the code can require a grid; when new streets are constructed we can require interconnectivity and you can use the public right of way for multiple functions rather than avoiding it.  Not every street will have a bike lane, but they can be installed by putting streets on “diets” to make lanes thinner; e.g., going from 15 feet to 11.  That also slows down traffic and makes it safer.

A BEAUTIFUL IDEA PITCHED!

Stephen then pitched an idea.  Walking to church one day, he was looking at wildflowers, and had a thought: how about we all throw wildflower seeds everywhere we want bike and walking paths to be.  Once bloomed, the flowers show planners on MPC where the community wants paths.  Arial photographs would show the flowers, and if the tree canopy hides them, we’d see them when we’re driving down the road. 

Wildflower seed showing a suggested bike path locale? 

Stephen has pitched it to some people in city hall and gotten nothing but positive feedback.  He said he wanted to ABetterShreveport on board first before moving forward, since we’re among the strongest advocates for multimodal transportation, and we have such a large following on facebook.  If ABS is interested, we need to sit down and talk about how to get it started.  Shreveport Green is a pivot point as well. 

The idea is that we could hand out a pamphlet laying out the rules that people follow.  Maybe we could even have color codes for what kind of trail or path is intended.  We’d want to be respectful of people’s property of course, so there’d be rules about staying on public right-of-ways, more likely.

Stephen’s talked to Bonnie Moore about the idea too. The notion would be that every neighborhood could do this; we’d want people to see that anyone should be able ride a bike to anywhere they want to.  Katherine noted that just doing errands are what she and Stephen have tried to do, and it’s hard.

WALKING AND BICYCLING HARD IN PLACES

Others testified as to the difficulties.  Kathryn noted that she moved here from Eugene and found she couldn’t walk around.  Dara lives near the shopping area but can’t get there on foot. 

Maurice noted that, as a transportation cyclist, he refers to the area around 70^th and Youree as “the black hole.”  Nonetheless, the recommended bike routes map that he and Stephen Pederson have developed and that ABS is about to publish and distribute should help.

Loren said he loves biking for transportation and manages o.k. on the streets, but there’s always more danger being around cars than being on a bike path away from them.  Generally speaking, those especially sensitive to that, and who won’t go biking otherwise, are elderly, children, and women.  Being an emboldened with the power of a white, middle class male, may have something to do it.

Helen Whitaker said it would completely change this community and make our spaces more usable.  Kathryn noted that she’s from Minneapolis originally, and they have a beautiful parkway system all connected with paths and bike lanes; it’s much more of a bikable community there.  What’s remarkable, Kathryn said, is that we have far more days in the year when you’d want to be outside than they do in Minneapolis, even if July and August are kind of tough.

Stephen also noted that a a significant percent of business improves and crime goes down with a bike path installed.  Catherine attended the NLCOG workshop on bike-ped planning and they said Shreveport has the architecture to be a world class bicycling and pedestrian city.  Loren echoed how LSU's Dr. Bruce Sharky said the same after his visit to Shreveport—and he’s a world leader in designing greenways and bike paths!

CHANGE NEEDED FOR THE GOOD OF OUR CITY

Catherine noted that many of our kids leave Shreveport if they can, but we want them to come back and live near us.  But there’s no reason for them to do that if we don’t build a cool city to live in.  Plus, Catherine noted, I’m a taxpayer too, and when they haven’t given me a place to bike or walk, well… 

Stephen said, as the Interim Director, the MPC is very committed to implementing the Master Plan.  Stephen noted that he was surprised to be named Interim Director, and afterwards thought people might want to know who he is, so he gave a presentation as a citizen at the December 20^th meeting of the City Council.  In it, he describes how two things he’s recently become passionate about are bicycling and eating right.  Having watched Forks Over Knives, he’s now a vegan and his wife is basically an urban farmer.  He’s for everything that’s in the Masterplan, not just the transportation stuff.

Since last Monday's meeting, the MPC unanimously passed the "Wildflower Trailblazing" program described above.  We'll meet with MPC Director Stephen Jean and Planner Dara Sanders again to discuss program details this Monday, March 10th, 6:00-7:00 p.m., at the Wright Math Building, Woodlawn Ave.  That's on Centenary's campus, just up from the Gold Dome.  All are welcome!

Downtown Energy Among Topics at Last Meeting

In attendance: Loren Demerath, Carolyn Manning, Lani Duke, Katheryn Brandl, Amanda Bertrand, Darras Lattier, Steven Pederson, Cynthia Keith, Feico Kempff, Susan Keith, Maurice Loridans

MEETINGS & CALLS MOVE TRAILS NETWORK FORWARD

Loren updated the group on the HGIO advocacy committee’s work on the trail network, and how we’ve had conference calls, or face-to-face meetings with Jennifer Ruley, planner in the New Orleans area who’s helped implement lots of bike paths there, Dara Sanders, Shreveport MPC Planner, Jeff Everson, City Councilman, and Kent Rogers, Director of NLCOG, and this week will be talking with Lea Desmarteau, Chair of MPC, and Matthew Linn, Caddo Commissioner.   

Part of what we’re discussing with these folks is who might be the best fiduciary agent and coordinator of the effort to conduct a feasibility study and develop plans.  The funding could be obtained in large part from grants, some are available through the federal government, while others are from national non-profits.  Steven mentioned “People for Bikes” for grants and Loren said that Jennifer Ruley had mentioned them.

RED RIVER DISTRICT AND DOWNTOWN DISCUSSED

Carolyn represents ABS on the Red River District Advisory Board and gave a report on what they’ve been doing lately. There are several new tenants there, including a hamburger place, and some others that may come.  Cohab is there even though there were a lot of obstacles they had to overcome to get them in.  They wanted them there because it shows what kind of district they want, not just bars, for example.  As businesses come they’re looking to promote them so as not to make it an isolated zone with little life.  Social media is one thing they’re looking at.  Making it pedestrian and bike friendly is important.  Carolyn said people may end up going because the walk is so cool, as it is San Antonio.  They’re looking at lighting, using the alleys creatively, etc.

Loren asked about mixed-use development, and said places tend to lack a sense of life when they’re homogeneous and have a designed, artificial feel.  Malls are like that; as nice as they are, people go there for one reason usually, and there much interesting see because there’s little variety to the activity.  In an organic urban area, though, if there are lots of folks living and working in a dense area, it’s a vibrant place where folks to want to be just for the energy and people watching of it all.

Noting that one can find surprising life downtown, Darras said he'd recently gone to a basement concert at Foxtrot Studios that’s next to Robinson, where a band from California was there playing high quality music.  Darras also mentioned 4 J’s coffee house.  Stephen said he’d talked to 4 J’s about having a “suspended coffee" "pay it forward” set-up there and they said they’re interested in it.

Shipping container art in Singapore by Mary Iverson

Darras mentioned doing a mural, something spontaneous and open could add energy downtown.  Carolyn said they’re looking to lease the buildings so they wouldn't want to do anything that would decrease the value.  Loren mentioned the proposal presented by his students a year ago about using a shipping container, maybe open at either end and with windows cut into the walls, and where some sort of canvases would be hung outside it.  It was noted how public art adds value and energy to a site.

Darras said he's seen "musician roundtables" work like that, where they can function as a get together jam, but entice people to listen too.  Dead spaces without people living and working are to be avoided.  It was noted that it's a shame Festival Plaza and the area east to the river has no activity there.

TEXAS COMMON ADVISORY BOARD

Wendy Benscotter had met with Carolyn and said the Texas Common Advisory Board would be reconvening again, the better to keep pushing the need for different kinds of things for downtown.

COUNCIL OF NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS

Carolyn has also helped represent ABS at the Council of Neighborhood Associations, and Loren will be writing about that in his next Heliopolis column.  Carolyn said they've drafted by-laws and will be meeting more soon.  Loren noted it's a nice addition to our government advisory capacity; it should provide a means for local interests and expertise to reach centralized government decision-making. 

DOG PARK CHECK DELIVERED!

Cynthia delivered a $28,000 check from ABetterShreveport (with the money raised by the Dog Park Alliance) for the dog park on Valentine’s Day!  Cynthia said they want to meet with SPAR and contribute to ideas for the design.  Shelly Ragle said they’ll be having a Dog Park Users Group to bounce ideas off of, get feedback, etc.  Erin McCarty had been interviewing Shelly Ragle about the design.  All the law suits have been dismissed.  Life's looking good!

CRITICAL MANNERS RIDE

Steven wants to do a critical mass ride (though not the obstructionist style), the last Friday of every month, starting 7 p.m. at Highland Park involving Betty Virginia and downtown.  Need to end at a bar, etc.  This will be a general broad reaching thing, using facebook and such to get the word out.  SBC Bike Social will be the name of the group, so check it out, y'all!

Caddo Magnet HS social studies students ply Coates Bluff Trail,Shreveport

Caddo Magnet HS, Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

Some 250 Caddo Magnet HS students have trekked the Coates Bluff Trail in the past 2 weeks, says teacher Robert Trudeau. In addition to Trudeau, teachers Dionne Procell, Debbie Fish and Ken Lerchie are using the trail.

"Students know that use of the trail is for health by prevention, for riparian studies, for contemplation of the Bayou Pierre / Great Raft history, for exploration of the art of trail building," says Trudeau.

Teens learn the difference between sycamores, cottonwoods, hackberry trees and other fauna. "Soon we're going back to stalk the hard-to-identify Bois d'arc, a very important item to the bow-making Caddo people."

"Students know that if the willow tree gives the world the acetylsalicylic acid needed in making aspirin, that the number of medicinal agents waiting to be discovered in the roots, bark and berries of other plants is significant."

Care is being taken with the locally-famous Monte Carlo bridge. Patched in at least 4 places by trail maven Maurice Loridans, the aged Chevy remains a viable slough crossing. But it is a bridge that needs watchful attention, says Trudeau. "Teens are charmed to dickens by that auto bridge."

Little Free Libraries, Nature Trails Links to Riverscape, Passenger Trains for Shreveport Discussed at Last Meeting

In attendance: Lamont Pearson, Brittany Turner, Susan Perkins, Brian Salvatore, Maurice Loridans, Feico Kempff, Loren Demerath, Amanda Bertrand, Lydia McClanahan, Kathryn Brandle, Lani Duke, Chris Chandler

THE GROWTH OF LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES

Lamont Pearson talked about the Little Free Library movement, and several of the group expressed their enthusiasm for them.  Lamont described how people are working to have them proliferate in the city.  There are requirements for their structure; they need to be water-tight, etc.  Lamont said there are a number of people who want to host them, but we need people build some, and the main need there is getting materials with which to build them.  There are building plans on the national web site for Little Free Libraries, but they aren’t optimal.  There are now at least three in Shreveport.  One in Broadmoor and two in South Highland.  

Brittany said the Shreveport Times has donated some old newspaper containers, but they’re intended to be temporary structures to try out the concept before you actually build something.

Shreve Memorial is purchasing two to donate and put in community gardens as part of celebrating the 90th anniversary of the library.  The plan is to have them look like the Shreve Memorial Library!

Lamont described how one can search on Instagram for Little Free Libraries; some people document a given library every day and you can see the turnover, what arrives, what leaves, etc.  

Locally, the one at Line and Monrovia has a lot of turnover.  Twine and Rhino are businesses that both expressed interest in having them.  Brian said the Norton Art Gallery might be a good spot.  Amanda asked if they can work in gated communities and Brittany said they can.  Brittany noted it works on the same model as spots that are set up to share excess garden produce, free artwork, used bicycles, etc.  

Loren noted that these kinds of things add value to a neighborhood; they evidence the outward, sharing nature of a neighborhood, and they show that people are just out and about, and that they’re communing through something as intellectually healthy as just reading.

Lamont noted that anyone who’s deconstructing old buildings can donate the materials to make it.  Loren mentioned how past ABS attendees, Steve Shelburne and Dan Marcalus, have both expressed interest in getting a non-profit architectural salvage center started in Shreveport. Such a center would, itself, be another instance of where sharing resources and would add to the positive energy and cooperativeness of a community.  

Brittany said they’ve talked to NORLA about getting materials from their deconstruction of shotgun houses.  

BIKE DEPOT COMING?

When Maurice asked about the Bike Depot, Loren said he hopes to get official approval by next Monday’s meeting.  In the meantime, designing the banner, and shopping for the place to make it for it is our next task.

A FUTURE OF PASSENGER TRAINS IN SHREVEPORT?

Feico mentioned that Chris Chandler one of the people trying to bring trains to the city.  The talk is about connecting Dallas to Meridian, Mississippi, and from there, to Atlanta.  It would make for a route directly across the deep south region, and connect to the north-south route that goes from Miami to Montreal.  They’re trying to restore the passenger rail traffic from San Antonio to Chicago, as well, and the southerly route could help that.  

State Representative Roy Burrell has been the main “engine” pulling that “train” in Shreveport.  Loren noted he might be willing to talk about it on the radio show.  

{Later that week, Loren ran into Representative Burrell at Centenary’s Founders Day Convocation and talked with him about the radio show possibility.  He said he’d like to do it, and we’re working on the date.  He might even be able to attend an ABS meeting after the show as well, and we might be thinking about what agenda items he would be interested in discussing, such as inequality in education, economic development, jobs, the paths network, etc.}

GROUP REPORTS ON MEETING WITH DAVID ALEXANDER

Most of the meeting, though, was spent reporting and debriefing on the meeting several ABS members had with the leader of the Riverscape Development, David Alexander.  Last week, Dionne Purcell, Amanda Bertrand, Lydia McClanahan, Loren Demerath, and Robert Trudeau met with David Alexander to discuss what possibilities there might be for preserving the nature trails that already exist to the south of Riverscape, and for providing links to the trails from his development.  It was noted during the meeting that we want developments like Riverscape to succeed, for the good of the city, and that ABS sees the Coates Bluff nature trail as an amenity that would help the development.  David asked the group to put together a wish list for the kinds of things we’d like.  One thing on the list would be a gravel trail laid over the drainage culvert that will be installed, and that would connect Magnet High School at the northwest corner of the development to the nature trail at the southwest corner.

SOUL AND ALEXANDER’S NATURE TRAIL WALK NEXT WEEK

Jon Soul, Director of Montessori Outdoor Education, and Will Roufe a Centenary Sustainability Living Learning Community Member at Centenary College, walked the trail with David Alexander the day following the ABS meeting, and to deliver the wish list.  

For a report on how the walk went, as well as progress on other projects, and, who knows, maybe ideas for new ones, come to the next ABS meeting, Monday night, 6-7, in the Wright Math Building on Centenary’s campus.  All are welcome!

ABS Celebrates Dog Park, and Frets Over Coates Bluff by Magnet at Last Meeting

In attendance: Dione Procell, Loren Demerath, Lydia McClanahan, Cynthia Keith, Brian Salvatore, Lani Duke, Maurice Loridans, Stephen Pederson, Jon Soul, Susan Keith

In small talk at the beginning of the meeting, Brian Salvatore noted that he’s discovered that 1906 N. Market, which used to be a Holiday Inn where Sam Cooke was inspired to write “A Change is Gonna Come,” after he and his friends were denied rooms there because they were black.

Cynthia was happy to report that Mayor Glover did sign last next week to move the dog park ahead; the Red River Waterway Commission, and the Shreveport Dog Park Alliance were the other signatories.  After a cooperative resolution had been passed the site was shifted to Stoner Park.  The Dog Park Alliance is donating $28,000 which they’ve fundraised through dog washes, silent auctions, puptual nuptuals, etc., which will be put towards the design, planning, engineering and construction of the park.  It’s gonna happen y’all!  Won’t those playing pups be happy!

The main topic of that night (expected to be at tonight’s meeting as well), Dione Procell, (teacher of World History, Psychology and Sociology at Magnet) presented to the group on a proposal to reenvision Tract F of the Riverscape Development, including the possibility of saving the Coates Bluff Extension Plan.

Her colleagues at the meeting were Amanda Bertrand, mother of a senior at Magnet, and former PTA President, and Lydia McClanahan, a retired landscape architect for the city and MPC.

Dione spoke on how she had recently explored the forest on the other side of the bluff from Magnet High School where she now teaches.  She said discovering not only the beauty, despite the trash, but the history as well, was a revelation.  She got angry about the trash and had talked to Jon Soul about it, who recounted how he first felt and how he’d call Loren late at night and vent, and how he’s since founded Bayou to Bay and worked with ABS and others to create the trail.  

Dione showed Riverscape’s Plan and how Tract F--which is the section which goes north to south just behind Magnet and below a steep bluff is a forested pond, beautifully secluded.

A dotted line going through Riverscape’s plan shows the easement which they can’t build upon, and over which they have shown a meridian.  Maurice has read the legal document that covers the easement over the sewer line and says they can’t build over it.

Another Magnet teacher, Ginger Marks, called Oliver Jenkins about the burning, but it seemed to continue.  

Loren recounted how some years ago, when the plan first came out, he and Sharron Swanson, and Feico Kempff met with David Alexander to ask about the possibility of allowing the easement to be used for a trail.  The meeting ended with Mr. Alexander saying it was a possibility and that he would have to consult with the investors in the development, but we hadn’t heard anything about it since then.

Lydia asked if mightn’t it behoove the group to reapproach David Alexander.  She pointed out that those are deep lots along the back, bordering on that bayou.  Dionne said there were many, many ducks there, so it could be a wetlands issue.  Feico pointed out that developers can get credit for doing something to preserve wetland areas.  Dione heard from the U.L. Coleman company that she needed to talk to Debbie Hicks about it, but hasn’t been able to reach her yet.  Loren noted that Cole Guthrie spoke to the group about Coates Bluff apartments at one point a year ago or so.  Coleman may have bought the property behind Magnet on Tract F from Riverscape.  The concern of the group is that they’re now bulldozing it, and may be hurting the natural beauty that’s developed there.

Dionne is wondering if we can get somewhere by talking about this, or if there’s even a point to trying to make a trail or cleaning up the trash if developers are going to bulldoze it all.

It was noted that if any ABS members have contacts with Sequoia Construction, such as with Devid Pettiette, Cole Guthrie, Dennis Procell, Debbie Hicks, we could find out what the plan is.  Feico said, what they’ll want to know is what we want from them.  It was noted that we know what we want: a path to connect from Montessori School end to the Veteran’s Park end; it’s only the stretch directly behind Valencia Park and Magnet where there’s not a path yet, so we almost have a complete connecting trail.

Dione showed pictures of the area below Magnet, noted what a great outdoor education resource it is; it’s so close to Magnet with art, science, and nature lab possibilities, and is already being used by Montessori and Stoner Lab Elementary Schools.  There’s lots of trash in certain places right behind Magnet, and to clean it would be a massive undertaking on the scale of Jon’s Anderson Bayou Cleanups.  

When Feico asked what cashe is the concept of “outdoor classroom,” Loren noted it’s rising, particularly noting the success of people like Jon Soul, Outdoor Education Director at Montessori, at many sites around the country.  Amanda said it has great potential for grant writing whenever you can connect something to the classroom.

Amanda said we’re missing at Magnet a sense of neighborhood because so many students drive there.  Magnet’s contributing to the trail would help tie it into Valencia Community Center, and to the other schools in the area that also use the trail.

A year ago, ABS had tossed around the idea of getting Centenary to be the recipient of a conservation easement.  Maurice had wanted this to be more of a guerilla group that makes trails and if one doesn’t get used it’ll grow back and maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.  Maurice thinks the connecting link to the bike trail going to the east may be in doubt if it doesn’t get enough use.

The group agreed the Coates Bluff trail with it’s bayous and forest used as educational resources, alternative transportation link, is an important community resource worth trying to preserve.  Next week’s meeting is relative open for agenda items, so we can feature this one again.  Loren offered the meeting as site Dionne could offer to meet with David Alexander.

In the week since then, Dionne has set up a meeting with David Alexander for this Wednesday.  We’ll meet tonight to talk about what that meeting might offer, and other options that are before us for the area’s preservation.  Join us!

Strategizing on How to Preserve the Coates Bluff Trail Key Topic at Tonight's Meeting

A large tree being taken down near the Coates Bluff Trail

Lots of stuff on the agenda for our meeting this evening:

- Efforts to preserve to the Coates Bluff forest behind Magnet High

- The possibilities for a used bike depot

- Makers-spaces and bike coop possibilities

- Update on the bike-routes map

Join us at the Wright Math Building on Centenary's campus, 6-7 p.m.!

Artisanal Spaces and History Tours Discussed at Last Meeting

Notes from the Meeting of January 20^th

In attendance: Feico Kempff, Brittany Turner, LeVette Fuller, Stephen Pederson, Maurice Loridans, Loren Demerath

In pre-meeting small talk, Maurice recounted how Stephen passed him the other day on a “fixie”; and he once climbed Mr. Driskill on one.

Biking on the parade route before the parade was a topic, and how it’s a natural Cyclovia.  {Loren later wrote about it for a column in the Heliopolis newspaper.} LeVette recalled the San Francisco Grand Prix bike race where people could ride the route before the race.  Maurice uses the Centaur and Gemini for his own Cyclovia.  Stephen recalled how this past weekend people did it the night before the Houston marathon.

Feico has sent a book notice about happy cities; about how the advent of cul de sacs and roadways that’s created a development system that’s really an “autopia” that keeps people from walking and biking and using your car to do everything.  An example is Coates Bluff apartments.  Part of it is a fear of crime and part of it, LeVette, noted is perhaps a bit of elitism.

Some To-Do’s for us on getting a used bike depot started:

Loren reported talking to Don Hooper about a space, and it could be that people would drop off the bikes near his office and we could collect them from there.  Don Hooper gave the o.k. to use a certain amount of space, and gave ideas about a storage design.  Loren later then talked with Chris Sampite about putting a bike donation bike rack along the eastern wall of Centenary Square on the southern corner, right across from the laundromat, at Woodlawn and Kings.  Looks like we’re likely to get approval.  

    The next step is making a sign, maybe one that might read:

Used Bike Depot

Take One or Leave One

(and in small type below:)

You can visit ABetterShreveport.blogspot.com or {QR code} to learn how a new

bicycle cooperative will use your old bike to benefit those in bicycling need,

and how you can attend coop clinics to learn bike repair. 

Thanks for your donation and for facilitating fun and healthy transportation! 

For keeping our tools, placing a shipping container near the storage area might be useful. For downtown locations it was mentioned that under the Makers Fair location the DDA has been renting space that will soon come available, but at $400/month it’s too rich for our blood.

We discussed Feico’s idea forwarded the week before about developing a particular space to be used by artisanal entrepreneurs.  An artists and musicians cooperative is more specialized, but utilitarian craftspeople could be included, like tailors, shoemakers, quilters, weavers; and more utilitarian crafts like welding, glass blowing, pickle making; the list kept going! wool, candles, furniture, decorative arts, vodka making, chocolate making, pencil making!  Maurice noted that in Mexican towns they’re called “artesianas” where people can go to buy things from artisans.  LeVette noted that in Paducah, Kentucky, the city gave away a lot of downtown space to artisans.  HandmadeintheUSA.org has used Ashville as a base.  One furniture maker some of know in town is Wade Easley; people like him might be interested. 

LeVette wondered if it might not make sense to offer an alternative to what SHRAC already has so much momentum on with the Shreveport Common.  Others pointed out that there’s an artist’s tour in Highland right now of people that aren’t incorporated into  SHRAC.  Dorothy Christy Hannah exhibits work in Highland, and one artist/craftsman has just built a workshop in the area.

In this particular location proposed by Feico, the current owner—the School Board—might continue to own it and get credit for it.  The Rescue Mission had made an offer but was only going to pay half of what they asked for it.

Feico also floated an idea of the old Rex Theatre, cum Don’s Seafood and Steak House, and now a possible funeral home, becoming a music venue supper club.  LeVette was skeptical the neighborhood would approve, but Feico’s vision wasn’t for a bar.  It was noted that neighborhood is continues to transition, as Styr has just closed.

There are other ideas that have been floated in recent years, like the Blue Goose District.  In Copenhagen there’s a neighborhood called Christiania that was made by people squatting there.  The hard part may be rounding up people that’d be interested.   Maybe the library makers-spaces could be incubators for developing those interests.

Maurice asked about the Red River District, Loren said Carolyn is representing ABS on the committee, and she's since reported that haven't met for a few months. They’re doing “Free Fridays Forever” under the bridge, starting at 9:00, but really it started more like 10:00; the Lackadaisies played there recently and were great.

History tours were also discussed.  Brittany Turner has posted an opportunity to partner with the library and the DDA on hidden history tour; photographing sites and loading them onto “Historypin” (a mapping site run by archivists and librarians; a wiki based site where folks can add things to a map; e.g., a picture of the Methodist Church without its steeple) and organizing them into different tours, music, crime, politics, etc.  April Dahm with Stephanie Pedro did a walking tour.  The difference here is that it’s live and you can supplement it.  As well as the usual suspects, Dan Garner and Brain Salvatore were mentioned as others interested in Shreveport history and as possible helpers in getting something like that going.

Our recommended bike routes map is almost ready to go.  We have a group of transportation cyclists on email to which Loren will send it out.  The group includes Garrett Johnson, Jon Soul, Robert Trudeau, Troy Messina, Ed and Beth Leuck, Chris Chiocetti, Ian Webb, Carolyn Manning, and the map’s primary authors: Maurice Loridans, Stephen Pederson.  We’ll ask for one more go-round of feedback, then get it ready to print and distribute!

Dog Park was asked about… Word is we need one more signature, the Mayor’s, and we can’t think of a reason he wouldn’t sign now.  Fingers are crossed!

Since that meeting: Loren sat in on a conference call with members of the advocacy group of the HGIO coalition pushing for a network of paths and trails.  The call was with Jennifer Ruley, a state expert on getting that kind of thing done.  It was a very useful call, and Loren will summarize it at the next meeting.

Other agenda items to come:

Coates Bluff Trail – Final Leg Ready to Be Completed!

Bicycle Depot and Cooperative – Might We Be Ready to Start?!

Bike Map Revisions and Final To-Do’s – Are We Ready to Print and Distribute?!

Canoes News – And a Springboard for a Centenary Outdoor Adventure Cooperative?
General Updates – Speaking of Finalities, Doggedly Reached!

To discuss those things, we’ll meet Monday evening, 6:00-7:00, in the Wright Math Building on Woodlawn, across the street from the Magale Library on Centenary’s Campus, two blocks up from the Gold Dome.

Meeting Today on History, Paths, Maps, Mardi Gras, Coops, etc.!

I'm posting this here in case you're not part of our facebook group (what?!).

Sure, we're meeting!  6-7 p.m. as usual in the Wright Math Building on Woodlawn, just up fro the Gold Dome.  Talking on the radio too, 5:00-5:45 on KSCL 91.3.   

First Meeting of 2014 set for Monday the 13th

Since our institutional host, Centenary College, is still on break until Wednesday, we'll have our first meeting of the year on Monday the 13th.  Lots of stuff percolating, including Stephen Pederson and Maurice Loridan's map of recommended bike routes, a tactical plan for developing the city's first trails network plan,  some progress on the bicycle cooperative, and of course, we'll have a dog park update!  See you next week!