Some of the toughest-seeming fellows I’ve met in downtown Harrisonburg were scruffy musicians who told me they can’t possibly bike to work — they live in Broadway! So I was curious to meet the lady who had bested them, and amused to find Andrea Schock Wenger so crisply dressed and traditionally accessorized.
But a brief chat reveals a not only poised but thoughtful person, who takes care to point out how her own habits fall short of her ideals. For example, she wishes her family were less car-dependent. “I could say it’s because we have kids at home, and we live out in the country, and it’s hilly,” she notes, “But really, those are just excuses.”
Andrea’s church, work, and family all encourage her to experiment. At the Community Mennonite Church she became friends with Anna and Ben Wyse of Wyse Cycles. Her work as marketing director absorbs her in thinking about how EMU lives up to its (and her) core values: she loves to talk about the College Street Bike Co-op, and how campus dining hall food scraps are transported from dining hall to garden compost by Recycle Bicycle. Her nephew Lucas Schrock-Hurst, an EMU senior, has made his own commitment by cutting up his driver’s license. Andrea commented: “It’s from the younger generation that we really feel that pressure — or, not pressure, but a challenge.”
Many of us find peer pressure helps too — and Andrea considers it ironic that what really pushed her to make the commute from Broadway was competition. In 2010, the first Novice Bike Commuter Distance Prize had been won by her longtime neighbor, colleague, and grass-fed beef supplier, Ann Hershberger, professor of nursing at EMU. Andrea figured that if Ann could do it, so could she — and by living three miles further north, she beat the previous record.
Success in bike commuting often comes down to preparation and rehearsal. Andrea benefited from teamwork with her husband Delbert, an information systems administrator and accountant at Choice Books on Grace Chapel Road: the couple take turns driving to work with a spare bike in tow so they can each bike one way. Their dog has also been helpful: Andrea keeps fit by taking Bentley, a cocker-beagle mix, two- to four-mile walks or jogs every day, rain or shine. On Bike to Work Day itself, she used the EMU’s gym facilities to shower and change into a fresh outfit that had been waiting overnight.
Andrea hasn’t yet fulfilled her ambition of becoming a regular bike commuter, but perhaps she’ll be re-inspired by the new tires she plans to buy with her prize, a gift certificate from the Shenandoah Bicycle Company. Meanwhile, she still sometimes runs her lunch-hour errands to Food Lion or Park View Federal Credit Union in Harmony Square riding a three-speed ‘beater’ bike kept on her office porch.
Spring Break Fun: Top 10 things to do in the ‘burg
http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum/
If you and your children didn’t head out of town for the break, the homestretch of Spring Break can be a little daunting. Are your kids bugging you yet? Are they saying there’s nothing to do? This conversation came up during a planning meeting the other day and we thought, wouldn’t a go-to list be great?! So we asked a few of our “local experts” (aka, parents just like you) what they like to do to get outdoors with the kids and have fun on the cheap. Here are ten ways to add zest to the final days of Spring Break (or add these activities to your “must do” weekend list).
Do you have another, or better, idea? We’d love to know about it. Add it in the comments below.
1- Local parks.
- Visit Harrisonburg’s newest park at the corner of Liberty and Wolfe St: Liberty Park. Bonus: see if anything edible is growing and (before looking at the labels) try to identify what’s there.
- Visit EMU’s Peace Park to check in on the Koi.
- *Crowd Pleaser* Just about everyone we asked recommended biking the easy Rocktown Trails at Hillandale Park. There’s even an exercise course for all skill levels.
- Kids’ castle playground at Purcell Park.
- “Any park is always a hit like Ralph Sampson, Westover, Hillendale including the trails and pump track, Purcell, Dream Come True, and Riven Rock out Rt. 33 W.” – Julie Jenkins, Harrisonburg
2- Animal Farm.
- “Take a trip to the livestock auction where your kids can see the animals and experience part of the Valley’s agricultural heritage. While this may not appeal to everyone, my kids really love it.” -Christine Stephan, Harrisonburg
- Go for a horse trail ride in Keezletown. Try Keezlenutten Farm.
- Give your child a few dollars to purchase her/his favorite tasting (or funniest looking!) fruit or vegetable at the Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market. Find a recipe together and incorporate it into lunch or dinner.
3- Tour the alleys.
- “Harrisonburg’s Old Town and Waterman neighborhoods have lots of alleys to poke around in both by bike or by foot.” -Ben Sandel, Harrisonburg
4- Hiking for everyone.
- For little legs or little time, check out these short hikes in the National Forest: www.vawilderness.org/hikes
- For a beautiful nearby spot, head out to Fridley’s Gap and throw rocks in the pools.
- Drive Skyline and stop for a short hike.
5- Explore JMU’s Arboretum.
- Take a quarter to buy food for the ducks.
- Have a picnic.
- Look for wildflowers.
- “We spent a few hours there today – turtles and catfish galore!” -Carol Lena Miller, Harrisonburg
6- Let the kids play in the creek.
- Even the creek running through Westover Park has wildlife. “We’ve already spotted crayfish and minnows and frogs.” -Carol Lena Miller, Harrisonburg
7- Catch a game.
- “My son, Ethan, loves JMU sports, so softball, baseball, or lacrosse games are always fun.” -Julie Jenkins, Harrisonburg (schedule)
8- Sensory experiences.
- Visit the creatures at White Oak Lavender Farm.
9- Rainy day go-to activities.
- Check out a Local Fry Viewing. The friendly folks at Route 11 Potato Chips (Mt. Jackson) are happy to talk to you about the potatoes, the process, and the daily realities of chipland for free! Call first to make sure they’re frying (540-477-9664; Mon-Sat 9am-5pm).
- Bring the theater to you. Make popcorn, get cozy, and enjoy a matinee at home. Massanutten Regional Library has lots of good kid-friendly DVDs. “Old movies are great. Our kids like Beatles and Marx Bros movies and other old comedies are fun too.” -Ben Sandel, Harrisonburg
- Saturday matinée at JMU’s Planetarium. Schedule of events here.
- Westover pool is open under the dome.
- Funky’s Skate Center (roller rink) is a hit for all ages.
10- Check out the Kids Community Guide.
- Compiled by the parents of Woodland Montessori School, this is a wonderful resource for tons of activities your kids will enjoy.
Share your own experience or add to this list by leaving a comment below or posting on the Greenway’s Facebook page.
Continue reading...The Daily News-Record on the Greenway: “Public Need, Private Aid?”
Continue reading...Trail: Public Need, Private Aid?
City, Greenway Supporters Eye Partnership For $1.3M Bike-Pedestrian Path
February 18, 2012
By Preston KnightTom Benevento (left), Suzi Carter and Aaron Johnston walk Friday along what they hope will be the future Northend Greenway. The first phase of the estimated $1.3 million bike-and-pedestrian trail would connect Parkwood Drive near Eastern Mennonite High School with downtown Harrisonburg. (Photos by Nikki Fox)
HARRISONBURG — City Council members and the residents they serve realize the other side’s bank account can make a difference.
Private-public partnerships are nothing new. But in a recovering economy and a city desiring more amenities, joining forces to pay for certain projects may now become the norm rather than the exception.
The latest example is the Northend Greenway, a bike-and-pedestrian trail that will link Park View to downtown. About 150 supporters packed city hall this week to update elected officials on it.
The number that bears watching, though, is the estimated price tag of the first phase of the project. At $1.3 million, supporters say they need city assistance to get it going.
Harrisonburg officials, meanwhile, like the idea of the greenway, but they are handcuffed by limited funds to allocate to new projects.
“If we had the money to do it,” Mayor Richard Baugh said, “we’d just do it.”Private Turned Public
Aaron Johnston (left), Suzi Carter and Tom Benevento walk along the planned Northend Greenway Friday. Benevento, the project’s lead organizer, says, “citizens might be more interested” if the city kicks in.
Originally, greenway supporters pitched the idea as a privately funded endeavor.
Last May, the group’s goal was for $300,000 to come from private and public donations; $200,000 from possible grants; and $300,000 from the city, according to meeting minutes of the city’s bicycle and pedestrian transportation subcommittee.
Since that meeting, however, the project’s estimated cost has jumped by more than 60 percent.
New Community Project, the nonprofit that is handling donations, has received $90,000 in contributions and has hired a fundraiser who will start work next month.
Because the greenway involves adding infrastructure to Harrisonburg, though, it is a project that should have some city funding, lead organizer Tom Benevento said in a phone interview. Compared to the “millions and millions” a small portion of road can cost to construct, the greenway represents a bargain, Benevento said.
“If the city plays in [with money],” he said, “citizens might be more interested [in donating].”
Councilman Ted Byrd said the city’s decision ultimately boils down to whether the project benefits Harrisonburg. Funding it through a partnership is a worthwhile concept, he said.
“You have just got to be sure all parties are doing what they’ve got to do,” Byrd said.
Second On List
The greenway’s first phase would run 1.6 miles from Parkwood Drive to the intersection of Main and Washington streets. A potential second phase will continue it farther downtown.
The paved path will be for all nonmotorized traffic, serving a part of the city short on connections to downtown, Benevento said.
A bike-and-pedestrian plan adopted in 2010 established priorities for such projects in Harrisonburg. The greenway was not among them, but it was added last March. It jumped to second on the to-do list in the plan, next to a path at Purcell Park called the Bluestone Trail, which is under design.
Yet, even if the greenway leapfrogs the trail, funding first must be available to move forward. That goes for the private and public sectors.
“It’s the correct approach to me,” Councilman Charles Chenault said of the partnership. “I think we’ll see more of it in the future. Rather than postponing a project forever … you’re able to leverage that money.”
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com
Better Together: We showed the city our love…
Well, folks, we did it! We showed our love for Harrisonburg and our support for the Northend Greenway. What’s more, it seemed clear to the 150+ of us packing the council chambers that our councilors felt it. The City will be remembering last night for a while.
They were impressed by our presence and our presentation. We heard each one of the city council members speak out in favor of the Northend Greenway last evening. Our Mayor, Richard Baugh, even said that he knows that a lot of people will use this path from day one and he wants to “prioritize this particular project.” He recognizes that this path meets the transportation needs of this community in a unique and critical way.
This was a key moment to show the city our priorities for our community. Our presence last night will stick in our Council’s memory as they move into budget season. In his response last night, Councilor Kai Degner noted the timeliness of our presentation within this funding process. As we move forward, we hope that he and others on City Council continue to be willing to put their energy to work with the efforts of the broad cross-section of this community represented by the Northend Greenway.
We’re eager to keep working closely with local government and the community to make the Greenway a reality. Harrisonburg has made significant progress toward developing a “bike-friendly” reputation in the past five years. With national and international awards coming our way recently, the time is now for the city to build on a growing national reputation. We hope that the City is willing to “drop the pedal” on community-supported infrastructure by contributing significantly to provide safe, family-friendly, healthy, fun, and affordable transportation routes for our diverse community.
Last night was a success, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Your support continues to surprise and encourage us. Parents, students, retirees, toddlers (like the little ones who took to the dais last night!), avid cyclists, and casual walkers alike — you are the energy behind the Northend Greenway. Together, we can make Harrisonburg an easier, safer, more connected, and healthier place to live.
Better together,
Lars, for your Steering Committee
Continue reading...
Greenway Event Rolls onto DNR’s Front Page
Continue reading...City To Hear $1.3M Greenway Update
Project Representatives To Give Council Details
A portion of the proposed site of the Northend Greenway, a multimodal transportation corridor, will run behind Eastern Mennonite High School’s baseball field near the corner of Mount Clinton Pike and Virginia Avenue. The north-south path will run 1.6 miles from Parkwood Drive in Park View to Main Street on the north edge of downtown Harrisonburg. (Photo by Justin Falls / DN-R)
HARRISONBURG — A multipurpose path connecting the Park View area to downtown Harrisonburg is expected to cost about $1.3 million and could be funded through a private-public partnership, according to city documents.
Representatives of the project, called the Northend Greenway, are scheduled to update City Council on the proposed path tonight. Council meets at 7 p.m. at 409 S. Main St.
The greenway will be a 1.6-mile paved stretch from Parkwood Drive to Main Street. It’s expected to wind through neighborhoods and undeveloped land along Blacks Run to the intersection of Main and Johnson streets.
The path will be accessible to pedestrians and nonmotorized vehicles. Amenities will include picnic tables, benches and green space with native plantings.
Grass-roots supporters of the project say residents at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community and of Section 8 low-income housing in the city are among those who will benefit from the greenway.
The New Community Project, a faith-based nonprofit, is raising money for the project. It has received enough support to hire a fundraiser, who will begin next month.
[...]
Contact Preston Knight at 574-6272 or pknight@dnronline.com
The Greenway, Council, and Cookies
Friends,
We’re heading back to City Council! The city has invited us over on Valentine’s Day to give them an update on our progress. We hope you’ll join us to show your love for Harrisonburg by supporting the Northend Greenway. The public meeting is downtown at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14.
To make it an extra sweet evening, Harrisonburg’s own Brown Butter Bakery is bringing cookies at 6:45 p.m., so come early with a friend for yours. We’ll meet outside the City Council Chambers at 409 South Main Street, Harrisonburg.
At the meeting, we’ll give an update to the council on the current engineering and design process. The presentation will also address the financial viability of a potential partnership with the city for the implementation of Phase I of the path.
This is the time to show your local government that you’re committed to building a more sustainable, just, vibrant, and connected community here in Harrisonburg. Let’s pack out the Chamber to tell them we expect their help, too. Don’t miss out!
Spread the Word!
In the meantime, tell your friends about us! It’ll be a bicycle and walking path that connects neighborhoods in North Harrisonburg, scenic undeveloped land, and the heart of downtown. The route will be paved and accessible to non-motorized vehicles only. Phase I will be a 1.6-mile section running from Parkwood Drive to Main & Johnson Streets and will cost $1.3 million.
The Northend Greenway will be a path connecting people and the places they want to go, a strategically located linear park, and a prototype of a high-caliber multi-modal transportation network for Harrisonburg. More information about the Greenway can be found here. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter!
Local graphic designer Jon Styer made a poster for this event: feel free to print it, pin it, or share it!
Continue reading...Meet the new Greenway intern, Tyler Groff
Hi, my name is Tyler Groff, and I’m the Northend Greenway’s newest intern. I’m a senior at EMU, majoring in peacebuilding and development with a minor in economics. I first heard about the Greenway when I was talking with some other bicycle enthusiasts at EMU’s bike co-op. Of course, as an EMU student, the idea of a bike path that connects the university with downtown is pretty exciting. This path will make it easier and safer to get out and about and experience everything Harrisonburg has to offer.
For me, that was enough to get excited about this project. However, it wasn’t quite enough to make me want to get involved. As I learned more about the Greenway though, things started clicking. This spring semester, I have to do an internship to complete my major. As I started looking into the options, I wanted something that would be applicable to my interests in community development. I also wanted something that fit into a larger vision of peacebuilding, extending into areas of human health, improved quality of life, and care of the environment. After a conversation with Tom Benevento about interning for New Community Project, I learned about how the Northend Greenway fit into the larger vision I had been looking for. Hearing about how it will help so many more people than just EMU was particularly helpful in peaking my interest. Promoting walking and biking helps people get active and out of the house. The Greenway will also help people meet one another in public spaces, and strengthen this community. It will also hopefully lessen people’s need to drive cars for short trips in town, and will help lower pollution.
This coming semester I hope to learn a lot about how coordinating a project of this magnitude and significance works. I also hope to help the EMU student community connect with the Greenway and raise awareness and even involvement from students. We’ll make it a reality together…
Welcome aboard, Tyler!
Continue reading...Suzi Carter joins the Northend Greenway as Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator
Six weeks ago, we announced the Northend Greenway was ready to hire our first Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator. After a great summer and fall with our paid graduate intern, Nicholas, we decided the best way to keep the community at the center of the Greenway initiative was to hire someone whose job it would be to do just that. Someone who could give special attention to making sure this project remains all of ours – supported by and serving this community – from beginning to end.
It was a big step for us, but the posting saw a lot of interest and enthusiasm. In the weeks that followed, we received a number of well-qualified applications, and thoroughly enjoyed several great interviews. But the process has run long enough, and we’re thrilled now to be able to announce that Suzi Carter will be joining the Northend Greenway team this spring as your Fundraising & Outreach Coordinator.
Suzi is coming to us from the Friendly City Food Co-op where she has been instrumental in their recent start-up campaign. 
Everyone we’ve talked to who’s worked with her has had only glowing things to say, and her co-facilitation of the food co-op’s successful membership and capital campaigns has put Harrisonburg on the national map of community-owned initiatives. Her qualifications are strong, and her personality is well-matched with the Northend Greenway’s vision. Needless to say, we’re eager to have her on board.
I could go on, but there will be time for you to get to know her soon. Instead, I’ll let Suzi close in her own words. “As a graduate of JMU,” she says,
our community has a special place in my heart where, with engagement and cooperation, anything is possible. My passion for community-centered projects that allow us all to celebrate more sustainable and just ways of living is alive with the Greenway. It will be a safe, sustainable and beautiful way to create a more connected and vibrant Harrisonburg for residents and visitors. I’m honored and excited to be given the opportunity to work for the Northend Greenway. Let the fun begin!”
Welcome, Suzi!
Continue reading...City Bike Advocates Gearing Up
Plan Took Shape In 2010
Spurred by members of the biking coalition and other enthusiasts, the city has instituted a number of trail projects and other features to improve recreation, access and safety for cyclists in Harrisonburg.
First introduced in 2010, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian plan was last updated in March.
Thomas Jenkins, chairman of the Harrisonburg Bicycle and Pedestrian Subcommittee, said he’s happy to see recent progress on two of the city’s major projects, the Bluestone Trail and the Northend Greenway. But they aren’t necessarily the key elements of the city’s bike and pedestrian plan. The plan’s focus lies more in enhancing connectivity between neighborhoods.
“This will be an opportunity for people to get familiar with [the plan] and hear updates and how it’s progressing. And like any plan, [it’s] constantly evolving,” he said.
The Bluestone Trail is a proposed mile-long bike trail that planners envision running from the James Madison University area on Port Republic Road south through Purcell Park, then on to Stone Spring Road. The Northend Greenway is a planned 1.5-mile multi-use trail that will serve the north side of Harrisonburg.
Thanh Dang, a public works planner for the city of Harrisonburg, said City Council recently endorsed the Bluestone project. Engineering and cost estimates are expected this summer. To help bring the project to fruition, Dang said the city plans to apply for a grant that may fund up to $75,000 toward the overall cost, which hasn’t been determined.
“It’s a small pot of money, but it would get the project started,” she said.
Jenkins and Dang say they hope that even those who rarely walk or bike will take the opportunity to give input and gain insight on what’s envisioned for the Harrisonburg area.
“The upcoming events [are] nothing formal, but hopefully people will learn about the things that are going on the community,” Dang said.
Contact Nate Delesline III at 540-574-6275 or ndelesline@dnronline.com
Where do the children play? The greenway and local justice
What’s wrong with this picture?
If you didn’t guess, it’s those green shapes on the map. They represent public green space – parks – and most of them are toward the south and west of Harrisonburg. Imagine a line following W. Market across town; hardly any of the parks are north of that line. In fact, it’s generous to say that 40 of the city’s 450 acres of park land fall north of that line. That’s less than 9% of the city’s park land in an area that is home to 30% of the city’s residents. Sound lopsided? It is. Add in the private green space (JMU’s Arboretum, the Spotswood Country Club, and the EMU arboretum, as the largest examples), and the picture gets even more skewed.
So the next logical question is why is this a problem? In Harrisonburg, the answer has at least two parts. First, a mounting and reputable body of research is finding direct correlation between the public green space in neighborhoods and the health, safety, and well-being of the residents of said neighborhoods (the topic of another post in the near future; take our word for it for now). Second, the question of who does and doesn’t have access to public green space in their neighborhoods needs to be asked. What types of people have the easiest access? Who, if they wanted to go to the park, would have the hardest time getting there? These two parts help us understand the potential problem better, while the issue at the heart of the matter boils down to, does this city serve all of its residents equitably so as to create places in which communities and individuals can thrive? (more…)
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