David Haake and Dino Parks confer with Kelly Rose and Catherine Tyrrell of the Friends of Ballona Wetlands on the 2nd Tour de Ballona, January 31st
January 31st was the second Tour de Ballona on the Ballona Creek Bike Path. Over 60 participants met at Culver Park near Jefferson and Duquesne and biked in two groups to the beach and back. Along the way they listened to 6 presentations of organizations involved in some way with the Creek and the surrounding areas. The ride was made possible by Marie Massa and Joseph Prichard of Concerned Bicyclists of Ballona Creek, with much help from Damien Newton, a biking activist who writes for LA Streetsblog.
Here are the neighboring organizations and their web links. Get to know your Creek!
Stop 1: Culver City Public Works
In 2007, the Culver City Department of Public Works oversees environmental programs and operations related to refuse and recycling, stormwater, and sewer system management. This includes maintenance and repairs to the creek and the bike trail.
http://www.culvercity.org/pw/pw.asp?sec=gov
Stop 2: Mountain, Recreation & Conservation Authority
The MRCA provides natural resources and scientific expertise, critical regional planning services, park construction services, park operations, fire prevention, ranger services, educational and leadership programs for thousands of youth each year, and is one of the lead agencies providing for the revitalization of the Los Angeles River.
http://www.mrca.ca.gov
Stop 3: Los Angeles County Bike Coalition
The Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition (LACBC) is a non-profit, membership-based advocacy organization dedicated to improving the bicycling environment and quality of life in Los Angeles County.
http://www.la-bike.org
Stop 4: Friends of the Ballona Wetlands
Friends of Ballona Wetlands offers education and habitat restoration programs to the greater Los Angeles Community. Since 1994 over 60,000 participants of all ages have participated in these programs, coming to Ballona to learn about this valuable coastal ecosystem and help to restore native coastal habitat.
http://www.ballonafriends.org
Stop 5: Ballona Creek Renaissance
Ballona Creek Renaissance (BCR), an all-volunteer Culver City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to renewing Ballona Creek and its watershed for a healthier, more sustainable environment and community.
http://www.ballonacreek.org
Stop 6: Mar Vista Family Center
Mar Vista Family Center (MVFC) provides low-income families with quality preschool education, youth enrichment, and educational tools to create positive change in their lives and in their communities. Every program adheres to the basic premise that it is critical to empower children, teens and adults to play vital and responsible roles – as decision makers, community leaders, mentors, classroom volunteers, and fundraisers – at MVFC.
http://www.marvistafc.org
This past Sunday’s NY Times Book Review had a great discussion of Jeff Mapes’ new book Pedaling Revolution by the illustrious frontman of Talking Heads. The book’s been getting some attention in the cycling world and Mapes was even in town last weekend. But it was nice to see it reach a larger audience in the NY Times and also to get Byrne’s personal views on the subject. He introduces himself as a long time Manhattan cyclist and talks about how it’s not just for the hard-core anymore. This is part of his take on the changes to come:
