Holiday Update
20/12/09 01:58 PM Filed in: News
Greater Memphis Greenline, Inc. (GMGI) began five years ago as an advocacy organization, solely to promote the purchase of the unused CSX rail line from midtown to Cordova. Since then, we have expanded our mission to read,
“..to collaborate in a public-private partnership with local government in the development of unused railroad right-of-ways and other easements in Memphis and Shelby County , to create a world-class recreational hiking/biking/equestrian trail system.”
To accomplish this, we have strengthened our leadership considerably by adding new members to our Board of Directors, and by creating a Board of Advisors, members of which have experience in community affairs, funding, and administration. Please see http://www.greatermemphisgreenline.org/board/ for their names and affiliations.
We have hired an Executive Director, Syd Lerner.
We also have created a website, www.greatermemphisgreenline.org, and a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Memphis-TN/Greater-Memphis-Greenline/55635647590 with over 1150 “fans” to inform the community of the benefits of an integrated trail system in Memphis, and to provide a means for communication and community input and support.
We have taken on other projects, including-
* Negotiating with Union Pacific RR for a 2-mile segment of unused right-of-way in North Memphis, near Chelsea Boulevard. This will provide a route under I-240 to link bikelanes and trails with uptown, with the Wolf River Greenway, and the Mississippi River Trail. It also would link with nearby public schools and Rhodes College, St. Jude, and the rest of the developing bikeway/greenway system within Memphis and Shelby County. Lastly, it could be another stimulus for redevelopment of this presently economically depressed area.
* Developing a map, with the help of the bicycling community, to determine where to place bike lanes throughout Memphis. This will include suggestions for very short lanes to connect neighborhoods with local amenities such as grocery stores, pharmacies, schools, and libraries. We are contributing to both the MPO bikelane plan and the ULI/Regional Design Center efforts.
* Beginning the effort to create trails along the 400 miles of utility easements in Memphis and Shelby County. We will soon have an accurate mapping of easements in place, and will begin contacting nearby landowners.
* Establishing a trailhead at the corner of Broad and Scott Streets. At the moment, this corner is a traffic hazard. We hope to remove the building which blocks traffic views, and establish a trailhead which will connect the Shelby Farms Greenline with Overton Park.
To continue on, WE NEED YOUR HELP !
You can contibute to the GMGI through Paypal on our website at this link:
http://greatermemphisgreenline.org/support/
You can sign on as a contributor though eScrip. GMG will receive 3% of all your grocery purchases at Schnucks, if you register us as your designated nonprofit group with eScrip, which you can do by either calling 800-931-6258, or else registering at www.schnucks.com , and entering "Greater Memphis Greenline" as your non-profit of choice. (When you register your Schnucks card with eScrip, the number you need to enter includes the starting number "4" which is to the left of the rest of the numbers on the Schnucks card, and ends with the number on the far right as well.)
We are starting an electronics recycling program. If you have extra cell phones, or laptops, etc. which you just have stuffed in a drawer somewhere, GMG will gladly accept them. We are in the process of setting up receiving locations. Meanwhile, please contact Syd Lerner at sydlerner@comcast.net .
You can volunteer to serve on any number of committees. We have posted a “volunteer” form on our website: http://greatermemphisgreenline.org/sign-up-form/index.php Our volunteer coordinator is our Vice President, Bill Draper. billdraper@earthlink.net We need help with-
- cleanup
- design/development
- membership
- fundraising
- community liason
- volunteer support
- publicity
- long-term planning
- security
- newsletter
Again, thank you for all your previous support of the Greater Memphis Greenline. We will continue to work to create the user-friendly city we all want.
Bob Schreiber
President, Greater Memphis Greenline, Inc.
“..to collaborate in a public-private partnership with local government in the development of unused railroad right-of-ways and other easements in Memphis and Shelby County , to create a world-class recreational hiking/biking/equestrian trail system.”
To accomplish this, we have strengthened our leadership considerably by adding new members to our Board of Directors, and by creating a Board of Advisors, members of which have experience in community affairs, funding, and administration. Please see http://www.greatermemphisgreenline.org/board/ for their names and affiliations.
We have hired an Executive Director, Syd Lerner.
We also have created a website, www.greatermemphisgreenline.org, and a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Memphis-TN/Greater-Memphis-Greenline/55635647590 with over 1150 “fans” to inform the community of the benefits of an integrated trail system in Memphis, and to provide a means for communication and community input and support.
We have taken on other projects, including-
* Negotiating with Union Pacific RR for a 2-mile segment of unused right-of-way in North Memphis, near Chelsea Boulevard. This will provide a route under I-240 to link bikelanes and trails with uptown, with the Wolf River Greenway, and the Mississippi River Trail. It also would link with nearby public schools and Rhodes College, St. Jude, and the rest of the developing bikeway/greenway system within Memphis and Shelby County. Lastly, it could be another stimulus for redevelopment of this presently economically depressed area.
* Developing a map, with the help of the bicycling community, to determine where to place bike lanes throughout Memphis. This will include suggestions for very short lanes to connect neighborhoods with local amenities such as grocery stores, pharmacies, schools, and libraries. We are contributing to both the MPO bikelane plan and the ULI/Regional Design Center efforts.
* Beginning the effort to create trails along the 400 miles of utility easements in Memphis and Shelby County. We will soon have an accurate mapping of easements in place, and will begin contacting nearby landowners.
* Establishing a trailhead at the corner of Broad and Scott Streets. At the moment, this corner is a traffic hazard. We hope to remove the building which blocks traffic views, and establish a trailhead which will connect the Shelby Farms Greenline with Overton Park.
To continue on, WE NEED YOUR HELP !
You can contibute to the GMGI through Paypal on our website at this link:
http://greatermemphisgreenline.org/support/
You can sign on as a contributor though eScrip. GMG will receive 3% of all your grocery purchases at Schnucks, if you register us as your designated nonprofit group with eScrip, which you can do by either calling 800-931-6258, or else registering at www.schnucks.com , and entering "Greater Memphis Greenline" as your non-profit of choice. (When you register your Schnucks card with eScrip, the number you need to enter includes the starting number "4" which is to the left of the rest of the numbers on the Schnucks card, and ends with the number on the far right as well.)
We are starting an electronics recycling program. If you have extra cell phones, or laptops, etc. which you just have stuffed in a drawer somewhere, GMG will gladly accept them. We are in the process of setting up receiving locations. Meanwhile, please contact Syd Lerner at sydlerner@comcast.net .
You can volunteer to serve on any number of committees. We have posted a “volunteer” form on our website: http://greatermemphisgreenline.org/sign-up-form/index.php Our volunteer coordinator is our Vice President, Bill Draper. billdraper@earthlink.net We need help with-
- cleanup
- design/development
- membership
- fundraising
- community liason
- volunteer support
- publicity
- long-term planning
- security
- newsletter
Again, thank you for all your previous support of the Greater Memphis Greenline. We will continue to work to create the user-friendly city we all want.
Bob Schreiber
President, Greater Memphis Greenline, Inc.