The Kerr walkway – the fenced walkway that goes for one block from Oliver Street to June Lane, has been arbitrarily closed by the city.
KTBS has a video here.
Bossier City spokesman Mark Natale says that vandalism was the problem, kids climbing the fence and turning on someone’s water and kids throwing eggs.
I was told by a resident of Coleman Park that they had a problem with an ‘egg thrower’ back in April and May, but it was all over the neighborhood. I would like to have more information from the city, so today I obtained the addresses of the four houses that sit beside the walkway. I will attempt to get police records of the egg throwing incidents at those locations. I would be interested to know if the city is alleging that the elementary kids from Kerr threw the eggs in the morning on the way to school or did they keep them for the entire school day and throw them in the afternoon?
Any reports that we can obtain will have the times of the incidents listed so that should be helpful.
You can look at the map and see why the parents are upset. The straight red line denotes the walkway. As you can tell, kids in the neighborhood have always been able to use to walkway as a direct path to school. The arrows indicate the route that they will be required to take after the closing. They could walk over to Northgate Road, but it has no sidewalks and slopes down from the roadway.
I sent an email earlier to 3rd District City Councilman Don "Bubba" Williams to get his thoughts on the closure. When I hear back from him, I will update this and share his answer with you.
I think the whole thing is goofy. Kids have always thrown things in other people's yards.
ReplyDeleteI know that neighborhood, and catwalk well. Trust me. Nothing is gonna stop a kid from being a kid. If they haven't been taught better, they'll just throw their junk on somebody else's property.
I think it's a bad call by the City, especially since there is no sidewalk on the Coleman Park side of Northgate.
Jim,
ReplyDeleteI just responded to your e-mail about the crosswalk. The egg throwing incident happened at night all over the neighborhood according to my sources that live on June. Again, my thoughts were to open and close it in the morning and afternoon to accomadate everyone but were denied. I will take another avenue and see if I can get this accomplished.
Is that Bubba?
ReplyDeleteThat was Bubba. I like his suggestion and it certainly seems reasonable. I hope he can get it accomplished.
ReplyDeleteThat'll work. I mean heck, it's like asking the City to close the sidewalk in front of my house because people throw crap in my yard.
ReplyDeleteSilly.
Go for it, Bubba.
This is just crazy. Kids are going to do what they want, period. Parents should try to help out, by knowing and correcting what their children do. If noticed eggs missing from my Frig. I would confront my kid. If he/she admitted to it or if i found he/she was guilty, thats when you knock on the door aplogize and make your child clean it up. They will think twice before doing it again. Besides Children doing "kid like things" these people need to realize the sidewalk was put there for a reason. Simply put up a privacy fence. Having the Gates opened during school travel times is a GREAT idea, that should fit everyones' needs and requests. Children throwing eggs or turning on water hoses, doesn't just happen to the people around the sidewalk. It happens to all people around children, period. If the gates don't come down or we all come to some type of compromise, then we should just bang children all together!!!! I DO NOT like/want my child or other children walking by Airline, when there is a safer route. When a child does get hurt, then people will rethink there decsion. I don't want a child to have to pay the price for this. A water bill or repainting a house isn't worth a CHILDS LIFE! Come on people, think about the real danger of this, and not people be whinny! If you don't like living around Children then by all means, please relocate somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous @ 2:41pm, you are really some piece of work, and with parents like you, there is no wonder that children are out of control!
ReplyDeleteThe very idea of a parent saying, "Kids are going to do what they want, period." and "If you don't like living around Children (sic) then by all means, please relocate somewhere else."
No wonder the children have no respect for private property, they are being brought up by parents who don't have a clue as to civilized behavior.
I live in the Red River Bottoms, over a mile from the nearest neighbor, but I know that people have a right to live where they please, and they should not relocate when there home is violated by others. Those who violate their homes should be brought to justice, and if they are not taught better as children, they are not likely to learn it before they end up dead or in prison.
Obviously, you only read what you wanted to read!
ReplyDelete" If noticed eggs missing from my Frig. I would confront my kid. If he/she admitted to it or if i found he/she was guilty, thats when you knock on the door aplogize and make your child clean it up. They will think twice before doing it again."
Now, I know you where once a kid, and did things that your parents wouldn't be proud of! Parents like me, you DO NOT know me! This has nothing to do with civilized behavior. For all we know one of YOUR kids are probably committing these same acts! Don't ever say your kids won't do something, because they will. My child isn't old enough to do something like this and my niece sure does know better! So, please by all means take your opinion and apply it to your own life. As for a child ending up dead or in prison, openning the sidewalk for a CHILD to use for school is what we are trying to do to PREVENT a DEATH! Idiot!
This is just too much craziness! People this is about CHILDREN under the age of 12! They should be able to walk to school and back without having to be near Airline Drive. The sidewalk was placed there for that very purpose! I have a four year old daughter in preschool walking home with a eight year old cousin. They DO NOT need to be near Airline Drive. My mother is meeting them at the end of the street just to insure their safety, but to be honest I don't even want my mother placing herself in that danger either! It doesn't have to be this way.
ReplyDeleteWell the egg problem is solved. They just did a massive recall on all eggs. Now we just have to worry about that 3rd grade prostitution ring and 1st grade drug lord running around our neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteI live on Oliver Street and I was really upset by the City's decision to close the walkway. I truley do not feel comfortable with my child or anyone elses child walking along Airline, but particularly being exposed to the dangers of Airline and June. You cannot see on Jim's map but the crosswalk and crossguard for the children walking across Airline is a whole block away from the corner. The walkway connecting Oliver and June is also positioned a safe distance from the traffic. I believe this was done for the sole purpose of keeping the school children away from the high volume of cars and buses around the school. I do believe that whoever made the decision to close the walkway did not take any of this in the consideration. As far as crime goes in the neighborhood I don't know of anything serious. My car was egged a few months back and it gave me an excuse to get my husband to wash it. Tell me a neighborhood that does not have its problems.
ReplyDeleteThese tricycle terrorists have met their match.
ReplyDeleteWake up city officials. You constantly defend spending more than $30,000,000 on a cyber innovation center to complement an Air Force command that never came into being, but you can't find a way to open this walkway twice a day?
On second thought, I can believe it.
And the folks at city hall wonder why people give them a hard time!
I was wondering if money was the issue. Is the city making an issue of crime to cover up their true intention of not spending money on the up keep of maintenance to the walkway? I mean a great solution to making everyone happy would be to put up a privacy fence. Am I wrong????
ReplyDeleteI like "notlowalker." He or she is correct. The Cyber Command Center should be a major issue with many people raising cane. But many did not.
ReplyDeleteNow this side walk, dwarfs in comparison (monetarily) to Cyber but I understand it is important to the parents of the children that live in the area.
So my point is this, Parents, Fight like hell to get the side walk open. Then continue to fight like hell about the waste of money and resources we are having to endure as tax payers.
And you can't blame the mayor, cause others are running the city.
This is the problem.
ReplyDeletear·ro·gant (r-gnt)
adj.
1. Having or displaying a sense of overbearing self-worth or self-importance.
2. Marked by or arising from a feeling or assumption of one's superiority toward others: an arrogant contempt for the weak. See Synonyms at proud.
Got a "wonderful" E-mail today that I would like to share with you:
ReplyDeleteI have sent Don Williams, President of the City Council an email, asking that the city extend the school zone further south, so that the traffic along that area of airline will only be going 25 mph. I suggest you do the same. It's the intelligent resolution.
I responded:
I sent Don Williams an e-mail and spoke with him personally on the telephone regarding opening the gates for morning and after school traffic. It's the intelligent resolution.
Received another:
Actually they are jumping the gate any way now....so until they close it and those folks move their fence over it won't make a difference.
Thanks for quoating me, you must have liked it. However, THAT obviously is not the intelligent resolution since the gate isn't effecting them at this point. BUT since YOU don't live over there you WOULDN'T KNOW that little fact. (Her Husband)knows him personally, they served together.
Is it the drug dealer or the tricycle terrorist jumping the fence?
ReplyDeleteThe only intellegent solution would be to open the damn gate back up. It shouldn't have been closed to begin with.
ReplyDeleteOk your not helping are cause when you spell intelligent wrong, but I'm glad you do have common sense.
ReplyDeleteNot helping 'are' cause. Okay, you guys are funny.
ReplyDeleteHow about 'smart' and 'our'?
Heh.
Is there anyone who agrees with the closure of the walkway?
ReplyDeleteStop attacking each other!! I know some attorneys (they have law degrees) whose grammer is horrible!!
ReplyDeleteTotally don't agree that the kids can't AT LEAST use it for a route to school. The walkway was placed there for decades, for that very reason!
ReplyDeleteI'm frustrated because there isn't a legitimate reason why it was closed and know one will come forward and explain the reasoning for me.
ReplyDeleteThe only intellegent solution would be to open the damn gate back up. It shouldn't have been closed to begin with.
ReplyDeleteAugust 19, 2010 6:01 PM
Ditto!
The whole thing is just flat out ridiculous! It is a walkway under the control of the City...just like any other sidewalk on any other street in our fair city.
I own a house. I bought it knowing that there is a sidewalk easement under the control of the City that runs right straight across the front. If they choose to bust it in a million pieces and leave it that way, or to put up a sign that says, "Please throw all your garbage in this front yard as you pass by," it is their prerogative.
ANYBODY that purchases a house adjacent to a catwalk should be well aware that chirrens will be regularly walking back and forth next door to their property. And, if they are old enough to actually purchase a house they should be sharp enough to know that kids are likely to be kids, and do mischief from time to time.
As I said initially, the whole thing is goofy. Just open the dang catwalk back up, and let the offended parties suck eggs.
Look, we have ALL had to deal with unruly younguns that don't respect the property of others. This is a true titty-baby deal from the get-go.
Jeepers! Some adults can be such wusses.
Just sayin'...
Correction "No One" or was I right the first time I'm really confused and I have a degree this is sad and I'm feeling really self conscious
ReplyDeleteDoes everyone agree with Andy?? I sure do!!!
ReplyDeleteNext blog post:
ReplyDeleteWho authorized the closure?
Is there anyone out there who thinks it's a good idea?
Oh, and of course I agree with Andy. I always agree with Andy.
ReplyDeleteIf that's true, you're in a world of hurt, Jimbo.
ReplyDeleteJust sayin'...
So, what do we do from here? Wait?
ReplyDeleteClose the damn sidewalk, that what they get for causing problems. They should understand that there is a consequence for their actions.
ReplyDeleteSo it's better to punish every child in the neighborhood because maybe 2 or 3 caused some problems? Interesting way of thinking.
ReplyDeleteThis attitude of 'no indivivdual accountability' is one thing that is wrong with our society.
The problem I have with punishing the Kerr Children, is THEY aren't the ones doing it. It is the older ones who use the walkway after dark! Get over it, and open the walkway for school.
ReplyDelete