- Dr. Gary Joiner discussion about the dog park partnership as it relates to the Civil War Bluff.
- Bike facility public/private funding discussion continuation from our list serve
- August membership ride planning at Stoner Park Trails
- Coates Bluff recap & proposal discussion
In Attendance: Gary Joiner, Susan Keith, Cynthia Keith, David Young, William Hartman, Feico Kempff, Maurice Loridans, Steph Pedro
Gary Joiner:
The hill at Hamel Memorial Park is not a hill, it’s a berm in the middle of the floodplain. It was on the Bossier side of river, but the river jumped to the other side in 1860. The berm was the site of the Chalk Level Plantation (part of Foster plantation) from west of Clyde Fant Parkway to the other side of the Louisiana Downs Racetrack--totaling 26,000 acres. The property was then sold to Fulllove. Confederates came in and augmented the hill to be a fort in anticipation of troops coming up the Red River. The troops never came. Gary says the berm's name is now Fort Boggs. Gary reviewed a diary of a soldier's journals that marched 3 hours from downtown (McNeil) to guard armory at Fort Boggs. Gary has brought in 6 different military National Park Service experts which have identified that a bomb proof, ammo round depression, gun platforms, ramp for guns, and carriage park all exist at the site. It holds 20 guns, but had 4 based on what we know. If you look from above, it’s shaped like a bat wing. There are 4 platforms. There were rifle pits, but the Corps of Engineers destroyed them in 1988 while 'directing the flow' of the Red River. Boring samples were taken down to 16 feet underground. There is a buried elephant on the other berm at Hamel's Memorial Park.
Gary Joiner and ABS agreed to establish a partnership between SDPA and LSU Red River History Center, which he is the director of. Marker should go near the parking lot. The fence should go all the way to the river. There is a steep bluff at the river.
Is there a way to leverage the fence into the historic marker? We will need to go through the state to establish the significance of the site, and Gary can help us. The marker cost is between $1200-1500. Jameel Damlouji from the Northwest LA Archaeological Society, United Daughters of Confederacy, and the Sons of Confederacy will be able to fund the marker. Gary has assisted with 6 markers already. Gary is also president of the Battlefield of Mansfield, another organization to assist in the historic marker funding and civil war-related events and activities at Fort Boggs in the future.
Coates Bluff Recap
Steph Pedro is working on a proposal to Caddo Parish for surveying, design, and establishing a conservation easement for Coates Bluff.
Feico asked if the property near the Hopewell Cemetery is state-owned. Clay Carter of state land office will know if they own the stream bed.
Bike Co-op Grant Progress
Steph Pedro is working on a proposal to Caddo Parish for surveying, design, and establishing a conservation easement for Coates Bluff.
1866 was when the railroad came through the VA/Coates Bluff area.
February 1838 was when the cut off of the Red River happened.
Feico asked if the property near the Hopewell Cemetery is state-owned. Clay Carter of state land office will know if they own the stream bed.
Bike Co-op Grant Progress
Maurice says that he wants to open the bike co-op the day that gas is $5.00/gallon. Stacye Palmer, National Park Service, is writing the bike co-op grant now. Garrett Johnson is assisting her.
August 13 Membership Ride Planning at Stoner Park Trails
August 13 Membership Ride Planning at Stoner Park Trails
Carolyn (event chair): Bike Tri Event consists of meeting at Carolyn's Pie Table at the farmer's market to eat what we choose, and then bike ride north on the Red River Trail to Stoner Park, then ride on the Stoner trails if you have a wide-wheel bike.
Where: 8:30 Farmer's Market Breakfast
9am Market-To-Stoner Ride
9:30-11am Stoner Trails Riding
Where: 8:30 Farmer's Market Breakfast
9am Market-To-Stoner Ride
9:30-11am Stoner Trails Riding
Maurice met someone who just moved from Florida who could not enter the farmer's market with their bikes. Noma was notified and did not approve of this.
Member News
Susan Keith: Diane Cappo will get the trials grant for us to use on Coates Bluff.
Stephanie Pedro: Thanks to the Community Foundation, ABS partnered with ThinkFirst and received a $25,000 grant with the stipulation that the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish, and DOTD all contribute their share of funds to the plan! This is a true public-private partnership!
William Hartman: Should we write a response to the Times Editorial? It was decided to not write a response at this time.
Maurice: To continue the Bike facility public/private funding discussion from our list serve...bikes once ruled the roads along with horses and buggies. Then cars just widened them and used them as their own, becoming the dominant use of roads.
Stephanie Pedro: Thanks to the Community Foundation, ABS partnered with ThinkFirst and received a $25,000 grant with the stipulation that the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish, and DOTD all contribute their share of funds to the plan! This is a true public-private partnership!
William Hartman: Should we write a response to the Times Editorial? It was decided to not write a response at this time.
Maurice: To continue the Bike facility public/private funding discussion from our list serve...bikes once ruled the roads along with horses and buggies. Then cars just widened them and used them as their own, becoming the dominant use of roads.
No comments:
Post a Comment