Coming soon:
The Everything Green Expo & Early Farmer’s Market at the Everything Green Expo.
Brookshires is shipping in special Farmer’s Market produce for sale in the parking lot of the Bossier Civic Center, Saturday, May 15 at 7 AM. Also, there is still space for local vendors in the parking lot - $10 for parking space to sell locally produced, grown or harvested items and art. About 20 of the 120 booths in the hall are available. See www.EverythingGreenExpo.com for details or contact Marion Marks with questions at (318) 424-0880.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
You're invited to
“Trampin’ in the Park”
Saturday May 1 at 4pm
in Veteran’s Park
(Meet at the dog park banner in Veteran’s Park, across from the parking lot of the Frisbee golf course on Clyde Fant Pkwy)
(Forecasts say it'll be cloudy, bring an umbrella. We'll meet at 5:30 at the Barnwell Center if it's coming down.)
We’ll travel down to the lower part for some tunes played by some that actually played on the amphitheater stage decades ago, along with some that wished they had.
We hope to have Dan Garner, Barbara Jarrell, John Howe, Amelia Blake, Loren Demerath, Fiddle Master-John Peck, Ron Cosby on the dobro, and Chuck Fulco on his harmonica jammin’ as we sing along and picnic.
Cheese and special grape juice provided (shhhh, keep that part a secret). Bring a chair or blanket, something to munch on, and sit under the trees and enjoy an hour or two with us.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
ABS Meeting, Downtown Group, Master Plan Meetings, DDA lunch, all in one week!
Sure was a lot going on this past week! I'm working on summaries and will post them asap. No meeting this week (phew!) but in the meantime, we'll be working on getting paint for street painting and getting poison for that ivy. Last week, suffice it to say we worked on putting the town into downtown, and putting our feet and bicycles into tomorrow's transportation possibilities!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Low Income Housing, I-49, Coates Bluff Trail, Walking Youree & 70th Among Topics at Last ABS Meeting
In attendance: Lamar Wright, David Aubry, Susan Keith, Carolyn Manning, Sarah Savage, Loren Demerath
Sarah Savage described her work on the nature loop section of the Coates Bluff Greenway; how she had gone through the area with Botanist and Biology Professor Dr. Ed Leuch, how she is working on creating two guides for the loop, one for adults, and one for children.
Sarah also noted, as Jon did last week, the low lying sections of the trail near the water, and how natural barrier would help reduce erosion.
It was Lamar Wright's first time attending an ABetterShreveport meeting, and when asked what he thought would make Shreveport better, he said he'd to more places to ride his bike. Lamar lives around Youree and Milicent Way, and that area is difficult to ride around.
Carolyn expressed frustration that the link from Preston to Clyde Fant bike trail hasn't been built yet, and how she had heard it was scheduled to built over this winter.
The Urban Biker MeetUp group is working on meeting at the Robinson to have drinks then roll; sort of a pub crawl on the 22nd of April.
Carolyn said she recently walked from Kings Highway all the way to LSUS to see how dangerous it was and to see if it was possible; she said she received some unfriendly beeps and even got flipped off. She said Southfield is the last safe place as you walk south to cross Youree. Sarah said she's encountered the same sort of thing trying to jog around the Gilbert and Fern intersection, even getting flipped off; and walking from Centenary to Walmart and having to sprint across Youree at Kings.
Lamar noted a link from the end of Clyde Fant path to LSUS would be nice, and it was noted that such a path is in the SPAR plan. Lamar also noted, and others agreed that walking around the 70th and Youree area is all but impossible.
Loren asked David Aubry what he knew about the development of low and mixed income housing where I-49 would apparently go in the future, and David had good things to say about Mr. Harrington's success in developing, and most especially, managing low income housing areas. Mr. Harrington likes mixed income, and doesn't like any product where you could identity from appearances as a low income property, and Harrington insists that all who live in his properties must work--something that can accomplished, apparently, with diligent management. David noted that the funds for I-49 are not there yet. This is a "Hope Six" kind of project where organizations collaborate on the development. Carolyn noted that her brother quit his partnership to work with Harrington, and he's sold on him. The development he did in Texarkana has apparently been a real success and has helped transform a neighborhood. Carolyn has taken the Happi Homes class; a revitalization program for cities where people have to qualify for loans and the city will pay up to 10K for closing costs, and will also help with home repairs.
The conversation turned to Stoner Vista with someone asking who owned it. The housing authority doesn't own Stoner Vista. David said he wished they did, since he thought Huntington would clean it up. Places like that can be managed well or not well; caring or not caring about the behavior or standards that are happening. There are good property managers and bad ones; and good standards held for them and not.
It was said that if the PTA at Magnet were to write a letter to the chief of police, especially this chief, he'd do something about it.
Monday will be the next ABS meeting to talk greenways, bike lanes, and downtown development.
Sarah Savage described her work on the nature loop section of the Coates Bluff Greenway; how she had gone through the area with Botanist and Biology Professor Dr. Ed Leuch, how she is working on creating two guides for the loop, one for adults, and one for children.
Sarah also noted, as Jon did last week, the low lying sections of the trail near the water, and how natural barrier would help reduce erosion.
It was Lamar Wright's first time attending an ABetterShreveport meeting, and when asked what he thought would make Shreveport better, he said he'd to more places to ride his bike. Lamar lives around Youree and Milicent Way, and that area is difficult to ride around.
Carolyn expressed frustration that the link from Preston to Clyde Fant bike trail hasn't been built yet, and how she had heard it was scheduled to built over this winter.
The Urban Biker MeetUp group is working on meeting at the Robinson to have drinks then roll; sort of a pub crawl on the 22nd of April.
Carolyn said she recently walked from Kings Highway all the way to LSUS to see how dangerous it was and to see if it was possible; she said she received some unfriendly beeps and even got flipped off. She said Southfield is the last safe place as you walk south to cross Youree. Sarah said she's encountered the same sort of thing trying to jog around the Gilbert and Fern intersection, even getting flipped off; and walking from Centenary to Walmart and having to sprint across Youree at Kings.
Lamar noted a link from the end of Clyde Fant path to LSUS would be nice, and it was noted that such a path is in the SPAR plan. Lamar also noted, and others agreed that walking around the 70th and Youree area is all but impossible.
Loren asked David Aubry what he knew about the development of low and mixed income housing where I-49 would apparently go in the future, and David had good things to say about Mr. Harrington's success in developing, and most especially, managing low income housing areas. Mr. Harrington likes mixed income, and doesn't like any product where you could identity from appearances as a low income property, and Harrington insists that all who live in his properties must work--something that can accomplished, apparently, with diligent management. David noted that the funds for I-49 are not there yet. This is a "Hope Six" kind of project where organizations collaborate on the development. Carolyn noted that her brother quit his partnership to work with Harrington, and he's sold on him. The development he did in Texarkana has apparently been a real success and has helped transform a neighborhood. Carolyn has taken the Happi Homes class; a revitalization program for cities where people have to qualify for loans and the city will pay up to 10K for closing costs, and will also help with home repairs.
The conversation turned to Stoner Vista with someone asking who owned it. The housing authority doesn't own Stoner Vista. David said he wished they did, since he thought Huntington would clean it up. Places like that can be managed well or not well; caring or not caring about the behavior or standards that are happening. There are good property managers and bad ones; and good standards held for them and not.
It was said that if the PTA at Magnet were to write a letter to the chief of police, especially this chief, he'd do something about it.
Monday will be the next ABS meeting to talk greenways, bike lanes, and downtown development.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Time Line and "Tramp in the Park" Discussed at Last Greenways Meeting
At the most recent Greenways group meeting of April 5 (a bunch of folks were there, but yours truly forgot to take attendance) Jon Soul went over a time line of tasks he thought would be appropriate for the nature loop trail and larger Coates Bluff Greenway, as follows:
2010
Spring and Summeradd signage
- signs at various points indicating where to enter trail and branches of the trail
- John Davenport, Jon, and Mike Day are at work on those signs.
a sign to the effect that the nature loop trail is “maintained September through May” would allow people to understand that they would not be able to rely on the trail being maintained over the summer.
improve Valencia trail
- the access point to the Valencia park needs work; either at the up-slope going to the new gate into Valencia park (thank you SPAR for installing that!)
- Maurice Loridans said he was considering using a maddock to chip out sections and it make level that downslope.
- An alternative would be to focus on the older double gate, though it apparently needs replacing with a U-latch; that gate could be decorated and to make the trail head entrance more visible from Viking Drive.
pollution control
a storm drain marking program is necessary to indicate where leakage appears to be happening.
- on area in particular off the northwestern corner of Anderson Bayou has been reported as smelling bad and looking suspiciously bad.
Fall and Winter
to install screens
establish additional trails
including several, perhaps, to Riverscape
2011
to hold a 3rd Annual Celebration and Project Day, either working on clean-up or trail maintenance.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Coates Bluff Greenway project video shows progress in the woods alongside old Pierre Bayou
Jon Soul, Feico Kempff, Loren Demerath, Carolyn Manning, Maurice Loridans and other members of A Better Shreveport are fashioning a trail that will become a greenway in East Shreveport.
While funding, surveying and the writing of specs are still being worked on, the group has removed trash and cut a path through the bottom alongside the Bayou Pierre channel.
Meetings have created a dialogue between the Caddo School Board, the City of Shreveport, the Caddo Parish Commission, Montessori School, Stoner Hill leaders and A Better Shreveport.
If you'd like to hike the trail or join the effort to build the greenway, email Loren Demerath at ldemerath@centenary.edu.
Also, please say hello at ABetterShreveport.blogspot.com or at the ABetterShreveport Facebook group page.
Listening to Feico: Andrea Masters-Everson and Jeff Everson.
While funding, surveying and the writing of specs are still being worked on, the group has removed trash and cut a path through the bottom alongside the Bayou Pierre channel.
Meetings have created a dialogue between the Caddo School Board, the City of Shreveport, the Caddo Parish Commission, Montessori School, Stoner Hill leaders and A Better Shreveport.
If you'd like to hike the trail or join the effort to build the greenway, email Loren Demerath at ldemerath@centenary.edu.
Also, please say hello at ABetterShreveport.blogspot.com or at the ABetterShreveport Facebook group page.
Listening to Feico: Andrea Masters-Everson and Jeff Everson.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Highland Clean-Up is this Saturday, lunch included!
This was sent from Dan Marcalus. Thanks Dan! Sounds great! Should be a satisfying experience for hearts and stomachs both!
"In conjunction with the Great American Clean Up being run city-wide. Volunteers from the Highland Restoration Association are participating in the Great American Clean-Up Saturday, April 10, by picking up litter and other debris in the neighborhood. Join us in this effort and meet at the Highland Center parking lot on Olive St at Highland Ave at 8:00 am. We will work until until 11:00 am, and lunch will be provided to those who help all morning. See you there!"
"In conjunction with the Great American Clean Up being run city-wide. Volunteers from the Highland Restoration Association are participating in the Great American Clean-Up Saturday, April 10, by picking up litter and other debris in the neighborhood. Join us in this effort and meet at the Highland Center parking lot on Olive St at Highland Ave at 8:00 am. We will work until until 11:00 am, and lunch will be provided to those who help all morning. See you there!"
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Dr. Davenport lectures on signage and discusses Cyclist's Manifesto
NOTES FROM TODAY'S CLASS:
Dr. John spent some time in class today talking about the importance of signage for getting a space to used and then accepted and acknowledged as a city feature.
John noted how people can know a space with different names. The Anderson Bayou is also known as the Cedar Sykes Bayou. The space where Riverscape is developing was known as Lemon Farm, said Ricky Coleman in history lesson at the Bayou Cleanup on Saturday. He said when he was a boy a man named Lemon used to milk his cows there and his grandmother used to churn that milk into butter for Ricky's breakfast.
Turning to the Cyclist's Manifesto, John noted two themes:
1. Signs and Signifiers in the American Landscape.
2. "In love with the machine, out of step with society."
Who rode the bicycle to significant effects, how they rode it, the result, and what the social commentary was about the ride:
1. Hiram Percy Maxim
MIT grad, the first to strap a motor to a bicycle, contemporary with Henry Ford. At first wouldn't go over hills or any incline and was highly unstable. He becomes a lead engineer at a car manufacturer. Many others throughout the U.S. working on the bicycle idea as transportation, including Ransom Olds and Henry Ford.
Leads to "Maxim's Theory of Motor Madness" -- the bicycle leads to people asking for more roads and places to pedal; after the car replaces it, the bicycle doesn't start selling highly again until the 1970's. 1973 is the high mark in bike sales and still has been passed.
In the 1880's the League of American Wheelmen emerged. The bike is a luxury good at first, but becomes more affordable. The LAW become the "respectable riders," with others seen as less so, e.g., "The Rolling Hoodlums" -- two stripes of wheel jockeys. They're fighting over the symbol and what it means. Who should be riding it and what does it mean? Road surfaces improved at the result of the LAW's advocacy. After a group of cyclists was banned from New York's Central Park, cyclists then negotiated a place on roads. That was part of distinguishing themselves from the "hoodlum" types of riders, and helped define the streets as a public good.
Bicycle racing in the 1890's was seen as equivalent to NASCAR now. The racing is similar to Kirin racing in Japan that goes on now and is similar to Velodrome racing. (John shows a youtube video of a Kirin race -- excitingly close at the finish with dramatic crashes!)
2. Major Taylor
Professional cyclist who was African American in the 1890's (preceding the negro league in baseball); rode with success; but died penniless in a community hospital and whose invention of the steel wheel didn't take off.
3. Tom Cooper
National champion bike racer who was a vocal opponent of Major Taylor who also raced; Taylor was banned, attacked, ganged-up on, strangled, and knocked unconscious. The social commentary element of it shows how sport can serve as a venue for racial equality.
4. Francis Willard
A big figure in womens' suffrage, and rode a bicycle against the "better judgment" of men and cut off her blumers in order to ride. After crashing on her first ride she said she'd "tasted freedom... and it has done me no harm"...
5. Japanese Soldiers who fought on bicycles in World War II.
6. Dave Stoller
He challenged the cultural norms of sport; going European and risked being an "Italian bum".
On the issue of protest, "critical mass" is a movement of taking up public space and riding bicycles en masse. Though it has often been successful and peaceful, it has also led to disputes between motorists and riders. "Critical manners" is an alternative form of collective riding that is based on doing the same but without being antagonistic. Dr. Davenport says he realized today that he is Dave Stoller!
Dr. John spent some time in class today talking about the importance of signage for getting a space to used and then accepted and acknowledged as a city feature.
John noted how people can know a space with different names. The Anderson Bayou is also known as the Cedar Sykes Bayou. The space where Riverscape is developing was known as Lemon Farm, said Ricky Coleman in history lesson at the Bayou Cleanup on Saturday. He said when he was a boy a man named Lemon used to milk his cows there and his grandmother used to churn that milk into butter for Ricky's breakfast.
Turning to the Cyclist's Manifesto, John noted two themes:
1. Signs and Signifiers in the American Landscape.
2. "In love with the machine, out of step with society."
Who rode the bicycle to significant effects, how they rode it, the result, and what the social commentary was about the ride:
1. Hiram Percy Maxim
MIT grad, the first to strap a motor to a bicycle, contemporary with Henry Ford. At first wouldn't go over hills or any incline and was highly unstable. He becomes a lead engineer at a car manufacturer. Many others throughout the U.S. working on the bicycle idea as transportation, including Ransom Olds and Henry Ford.
Leads to "Maxim's Theory of Motor Madness" -- the bicycle leads to people asking for more roads and places to pedal; after the car replaces it, the bicycle doesn't start selling highly again until the 1970's. 1973 is the high mark in bike sales and still has been passed.
In the 1880's the League of American Wheelmen emerged. The bike is a luxury good at first, but becomes more affordable. The LAW become the "respectable riders," with others seen as less so, e.g., "The Rolling Hoodlums" -- two stripes of wheel jockeys. They're fighting over the symbol and what it means. Who should be riding it and what does it mean? Road surfaces improved at the result of the LAW's advocacy. After a group of cyclists was banned from New York's Central Park, cyclists then negotiated a place on roads. That was part of distinguishing themselves from the "hoodlum" types of riders, and helped define the streets as a public good.
Bicycle racing in the 1890's was seen as equivalent to NASCAR now. The racing is similar to Kirin racing in Japan that goes on now and is similar to Velodrome racing. (John shows a youtube video of a Kirin race -- excitingly close at the finish with dramatic crashes!)
2. Major Taylor
Professional cyclist who was African American in the 1890's (preceding the negro league in baseball); rode with success; but died penniless in a community hospital and whose invention of the steel wheel didn't take off.
3. Tom Cooper
National champion bike racer who was a vocal opponent of Major Taylor who also raced; Taylor was banned, attacked, ganged-up on, strangled, and knocked unconscious. The social commentary element of it shows how sport can serve as a venue for racial equality.
4. Francis Willard
A big figure in womens' suffrage, and rode a bicycle against the "better judgment" of men and cut off her blumers in order to ride. After crashing on her first ride she said she'd "tasted freedom... and it has done me no harm"...
5. Japanese Soldiers who fought on bicycles in World War II.
6. Dave Stoller
He challenged the cultural norms of sport; going European and risked being an "Italian bum".
On the issue of protest, "critical mass" is a movement of taking up public space and riding bicycles en masse. Though it has often been successful and peaceful, it has also led to disputes between motorists and riders. "Critical manners" is an alternative form of collective riding that is based on doing the same but without being antagonistic. Dr. Davenport says he realized today that he is Dave Stoller!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Coates Bluff Trail Now Cleaner and Well-Celebrated!
Thanks to all who helped clean and celebrate the Coates Bluff Trail this past Saturday!About 40 people contributed to the effort, some on the Valencia Park Side, others on the Montessori end, to pick up trash that had long sat along the beautiful forested area between Magnet and Montessori.
The trail is now clearer and cleaner than it's ever been! (Check out that newly mulched path navigating a soggy section!)
BTW, the nature loop is a "must see". It starts at Montessori. Signs are posted to designate natural features such as native plant species and wildlife signs. Get out and walk it!
Thanks again to all who pitched in!
TO COME: SIGNAGE! (Thanks to John Davenport, Jon Soul, and Bill Day!)
NEXT MEETING: Monday April 5th for Friends of Shreveport Greenways!
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