In the beginning, the first Tour de Tech Terrace consisted of just 32 cyclist friends with a single goal to have fun and enjoy an afternoon ride through the neighborhood. As time progressed and Tour de Tech Terrace (TDTT) grew, so did the goals and ambitions of the riders and organizers alike. From less than a hundred to more than a thousand riders, the tour gained the strength to give back to the community. Starting in 2006, TDTT began donating canned food to the South Plains Food Bank, Hurricane Relief Efforts, and Salvation Army. This proved to be most beneficial when in Fall 2009 the South Plains Food Bank ran out of canned goods. Without the Tour riders generous donations, the food boxes would have been short of needed canned food and many people would have gone without. Now the tour has obviously outgrown its infancy and must evolve into a neighborhood-sponsored family and student event. The vision is simple: a day where the unique and diverse Tech Terrace neighborhood can come together and show not only how great a neighborhood we are but also what we have to offer to Lubbock, Texas. So this Saturday May 1st, 2010 come out and show your support for our neighborhood and for the many bike riders in our community. Bring canned goods to any house the tour stops at and wave to the riders that pass. Cheer and smile! We would also like to encourage people to give more than just support. Help spread the word about how great Tech Terrace and The Tour are! Hope to see you out in the neighborhood.
Sincerely, Tour de Tech Terrace Organizers
I am amazed that his is being presented and anything more than a bunch of drunken, many under aged, and stoned students drinking at every 'stop'.
ReplyDeleteHow did this neighborhood get involved in this sort of operation??
Shame on us.
One can sit back and criticize or one can be proactive and work to better a community. The neighborhood is involved through the Safety Committee which has been tasked to work with the Tour Organizers to promote a safe, fun and responsible Tour.
ReplyDeleteAaron Yoshinobu
The city DID NOT issue a permit for the Tour de Tech--although the Safety Committee stated at the last meeting that they had. In other words, it is NOT a legal event. If you object to the Tour de Tech, let the City Manager and other officials know.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, at that meeting, the association did not give the Safety Committee the authority to aprove of the tour. Their mandate was to discuss with the organizers, not to agree to everything they were told by the organizers.
Shame on you Anonymous #1. Who made you judge of everyone in the tour? Must be nice to know it all. Anonymous #1 and #2, why don't you identify yourselves if you know so much? Doesn't the City Manager have bigger fish to fry than taking phone calls from old fuddy duddies worried about some kids on bicycles? There are real issues that City Staff have on their plates.
ReplyDeleteFollowing your logic that the Association did not give permission to the Safety Committee to "approve" or "agree" to the tour, the "leadership" also did not have permission to represent to City Officials that everyone in the neighborhood wanted the Tour to go away. Shades of traffic circles?????
If you see riders pissing in your yard, tell them to get the hell off. Turn the hose or sprinklers on them. If you see innappropriate behaviour call the law/document it.
I guess some folks just want to bitch, gripe and moan. That's easier than doing something positive.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteCyd Seideman stated that the Tour had received a permit - not the Safety Committee. She was incorrect. However, the event is not illegal. No one is required to have a permit to ride one's bike through a neighborhood.
Furthermore, I did not state that "the Safety Committee [had] the authority to aprove [sic] of the tour". Nor did I state that the Safety Committee agreed "to everything they [the Safety Committee] were told by the organizers".
Anonymous, I think you should serve on some of these committees so that you can be privy to the discussions that occur, rather than assert agreements that did not.
Aaron Yoshinobu
It is my understanding that the organizers of the event applied for and were denied a "parade" permit, that until just now, have not been able to secure "porta potties" to be placed in the neighborhood and that they tried and failed to have off duty police officers embedded in the crowd. If the organizers of the event are doing their part, why can't we meet them half way? Riders..feel free to come down the 2800 block of 22nd, I'll wave you on. Have fun and be safe out there!
ReplyDeletePam Pillers
You are absolutely right, Pam. The Tour organizers came to the NA and asked "what can we do to address your concerns about the Tour?" The NA told them to apply for a permit with the City, have security, and deal with the urination in public problem. The Tour organizers addressed every requirement the NA put out there - they applied with the city for a parade permit (even though they didn't legally have to - Anonymous - I suggest you read the First Amendment to the US Constitution - it's called "freedom of assembly") . They asked LPD to let them pay off duty officers to do security. They contacted a porta pottie company to pay to rent porta potties to deal with the urination issues.
ReplyDeleteThe City denied the permit request, the LPD denied the request for security help, the first porta pottie company refused to deal with them.
As community leaders, we should all be ashamed of ourselves. The lesson we have just taught our young people is that it does not pay to go through appropriate channels - you will still get unfairly treated even when you play by the rules. It reminds me of literacy tests used to keep blacks from voting. Even when the black voters could pass the literacy tests, they weren't permitted to vote.
Shame on us!
-Helen Liggett
Remember Safety Committee you guys can get all the city communication about this event under the Freedom of Information Act!
ReplyDeleteI'm a peon at the city and I can tell you that the city manager and mayor Martin had no idea there was a neighborhood association Safety Committee working with the tour. What monkey is running this zoo? Your OWN officers undermined your efforts to address concerns. OMG figure it out and get the papertrail. Pitiful.
Anonymous by Necessity
Pitiful because we trusted our officers to act honorably? I will not believe bad of someone til I have proof. When we get the paperwork from the City, if it does show misrepresentations made by any NA officer that the NA wanted the TDTT shut down, then we should call for that officer's resignation. But, I will believe each officer did right until I have proof otherwise. I also think our officers should go on the record whether or not they did what you claim. Cyd Seideman has assured me that she has not. Let's wait and see what the City paperwork reveals.
ReplyDelete-Helen Liggett
Re-focus our hot air and pump up our bike tires and let's ride! The student organizers have worked diligently to address past Tour concerns and set a true course of collaboration. It is a perfect Saturday before finals to let the breeze of the day embrace us. 3:00pm! Everyone is invited. Characters are welcome. Skeptics are especially encouraged.
ReplyDeleteRide safe everyone!
Brandy Davis
TT UNIT Safety Committee
Everyone get out to support if you are not planning to ride! If the City really has been misled into thinking that the NA is not behind the Tour, then let's show them how wrong they are!! I suggest posters saying "TTUNA supports the Tour!!"
ReplyDeleteOops! The above was me - Helen. I have a policy of never posting anonymously...
ReplyDelete-Helen Liggett
I'm 65 and proud to ride today (assuming I can locate my unicycle). Thank you with your patience with the old-timers. I plead guilty to having condemned the Tour before, but Mr. Yoshinobu is right. And he was an excellent voice of reason on the news story that one of the stations ran last evening.
ReplyDeletePlease post pictures!
ReplyDeleteTOUR!!!
ReplyDeleteEthan C Minshew
Co-Director and Organizer, 2007-2009
Can someone please tell me what the advantages of The Tour are? What does this do to help or promote this neighborhood in any positive way?
ReplyDeleteWow! What a success! Thanks Austin Keith for organizing such a wonderful and eclectic event for our neighborhood!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Aaron Yoshinobu
Anonymous - I just came up with more than 10 positive ways
ReplyDeletethe Tour promoted our 'hood and then my I-phone zapped it away!
This old lady had a blast and got some exercise.
Met many neighbors I hadn't before
saw many neighbors I don't see that often
saw parts of our beautiful neighborhood I hadn't before
neighbors from ages 6 to 66 participated
fun!!
Taught young adults to work within the system
young adults had fun responsibly
cleaned up after themselves
value of compromise was highlighted
good Samaritans showed their value (yay Sherry!)
inventive costumes!
All ages and circumstances worked together
food collected for the hungry
a good day for TTUNA IMHO
-Helen Liggett
GOOD JOB EVERYONE!!!
ReplyDeleteThere was a stop at our neighbors' house next door. The tour riders were EXTREMELY courteous- asking if they could park their bikes on our lawn, next to our trees & visiting with us and our friends that were over cheering the tour along.
We did place two trash cans on the lawn & after the tour moved to the next stop there was NOT ONE PIECE of trash anywhere!
We had a good time meeting neighbors that we had not before, reminiscing about being in college, & looking forward to garron being old enough to ride with us in the tour! It was exciting to see families, college kids & "more mature" riders :)
Aaron, Austin, Brandy and everyone on the safety committee-- great work! We look forward to the fall tour having even more neighborhood & city support & building on the positive nature of this spring's event!
Laura Anderson
TTUNA Social Committee Chair
"let's have some fun people!"
What a great tour! My family and I watched the riders ride and wave and pick up after themselves... We watched the police help with traffic and keep everyone moving when a rider fell while showing off for a pretty girl.
ReplyDeleteEveryone we saw was so incredibly courteous and nice; neighbors, riders, officers!
KUDOS to everyone involved!
Patrick DeCesaro
One of the stops was across the street from our house so my husband & I sat in our Adirondack chairs and watched the fun. Everyone was super polite. They asked if they could "park" their bikes along our fence and thanked us for setting our a trash can for them. There was no trash left behind.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun to watch all ages ride & have fun. great job to all the riders and organizers. As a person who use to live on the Mardi Gras parade route in New Orleans, I would like to kindly request more costumes next time!!!!
Best to all,
Stacy Jacob
"What are the advantages of the Tour?"
ReplyDelete(1) it is FUN! (2) anyone can participate (3) riding is beneficial exercise (4) friends ride through the neighborhood enjoying one another's company (4) it benefits a food pantry (5) it brings all generations of residents together (6) meet new people who are generous of spirit (7) it's interactive with other groups at the park and on their porches (8) it's a well-known popular tradition (9) it reminds us all to be vigilant of our freedom to assemble (10) it's an opportunity for a diverse neighborhood to collaborate (11) it's a good way to showcase our successes as a mixed population neighborhood (12) it boosts water and beer sales at our local store (13) it's FUN! This is worth mentioning again!
Thank you to the Tour organizers, most especially Kevin Austin Keith, for inviting our neighborhood association to participate at a meaningful level. The ultimate success of Saturday's ride is because of the riders themselves and Lubbock
Police Department motorcade, bicycle patrol and the leadership of Asst. Chief
Thomas Esparza for giving the Tour an opportunity to be a bridge.
Sincerely,
2010 Sensational and Sunburned Safety Committee
Aaron Yoshinobu
Kevin Austin Keith
Jake Schweirking
Paddy Fowler
Laura Story
Miriam Lockhart
Callum Hetherington
Jeff Lee
Matt Russell
Jeff Bynum
Alin Tomoiaga
Brandy Davis
What a GRATE neighborhood!!!! I think I might cry... Oh no, yes, it's a tear!
ReplyDeleteWell that last statement just proved the mentality of our neighborhood.
ReplyDelete