Why I do it! & CALL TO ACTION!

Connect our Schools Campaign

I still remember the City Council meeting that started my engine and drive for local bicycle/walking advocacy, it was just after the opening of SBC in 2000. Previously, I was active in mountain bike advocacy.  But that Tuesday evening in the City Council Chambers sparked my drive to help our City build a better transportation system for everyone!

My friend Len VanWyke asked me to attend that Council meeting to support a potential path to connect Thomas Harrison Middle School to Hillandale Park. The City had a grant for $90K to build the path. All the City needed to do was to kick in $10K and some support.  I was very excited to attend this meeting.  This opportunity is exactly why Tim and I started SBC, to support our City in building a better community.

I went into chambers that evening thinking I would say some obvious things about how a great path would be and we would all leave with smiles, never was I so wrong. City Council Chambers was packed that evening including a neighbor determined to block the building of this path.  They succeeded. The persuasive, vocal and organized opposition to the path presented their concerns to Council.  They feared the path would bring "drugs and prostitution", "crime", "unwanted individuals". At first, I was angered by these individuals who spoke about the evil things a path would bring to their neighborhood.  Then, I just felt sorry for their misinformed beliefs of what a simple 10' wide path actually does for a neighborhood.  Paths like these DO THE OPPOSITE! Paths bring our community together, making for a safer and more connected community!

Now it is time for round 2 and I believe a neighborhood and a City that once fought a path will now do the right thing and support building the trails that will connect our neighborhoods to our schools and to our parks.

For the past several months my good friends Charlie Chenault, Kyle Lawrence and I have been working to bring the "Connect our Schools" Campaign  to the City and here it is!  We need your support to show the City that the time to build these trails is now!

Please sign the support letter NOW! Share the link with your friends! Contact City Council members!

I ask you to help reverse what happened that Tuesday evening so long ago!  Together we can be the persuasive, vocal and organized force that will CONNECT OUR SCHOOLS!

Thomas