Busy, Busy, Busy

It's a good thing that RRBJ is taking some vacation time next week. We'll need it to recuperate from all the happenings this weekend. Trudeau has the scoop (we'd link to The Times and their entertainment section but those links go dead in a couple of weeks, so what's the point?).

You can even wrap up your weekend with a casting call for Denzel Washington’s upcoming movie. RRBJ plans on going to Chimp Haven Saturday and then on Sunday heading down to the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

Thank you Cybertoad for the use of your Pano's Diner shot. It's a reminder that if you dine out this weekend to try something locally owned. Pano's in downtown Shreveport is open Saturday morning from 6:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. They've been in business for 33 years.

100

Bossier City kicked off its centennial birthday over the weekend. It's a year long celebration that will wrap up with a time capsule being buried in April 2008.

Mayor Lo Walker says Bossier Parish is the fastest-growing parish in the state. According to the Bossier Chamber of Commerce website "The Bossier-Shreveport community serves as the trade and cultural center of the 200-mile radius extending into Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas (the “Ark-La-Tex”)."

Spirit of Progress

The classically draped figure of a woman bearing a torch and balancing on a small globe on the front of the artspace building has a name. She's the "Spirit of Progress."

And while we'd like to think she's unique to Shreveport, she actually graced many Montgomery-Ward buildings across the country. Maysville, Kentucky turned their old building into a conference center. This one in Fort Worth appears to have three full stories. The pictured statue sits atop the Montgomery-Ward building in Chicago, which has been renamed One River Place and converted into condo units that are priced between $225,000 and $500,000.

Progress holds the torch of knowledge while using her key to open the door to the future. Can't think of a better symbol of all that is happening in the West Edge Arts District. Trudeau has the scoop on two upcoming events in that area, one's at the West Edge Artists' Co-op and the other's at Noble Savage.

To see what the Shreveport building looks like today go visit Alexandyr Kent's blog (otherwise known as movie boys blog).

Special thanks to Henry VIII for the use of the the photos of the two buildings. And to Corydalus for his photo of the statue on top of the Montgomery-Ward building in Chicago. flickr.com is a great place to find all kinds of nifty-cool photographs.

The Glenwood Village Tearoom on Line

How'd you savor this last cold snap? RRBJ consumed pots of hot tea at the Glenwood Village Tearoom. The exterior of this drugstore-turned-antique shop and tearoom is unassuming, but the inside is charming. We drank a red tea of the day and consumed a sconewich, which is a large cheese scone with chicken chutney pecan salad.

Is The Glenwood a fluffy place just for girly girls? A glance at the menu says no. The top item listed under "Extras" is bacon. Next time we're ordering extra Glenwood Pickles.

On a completely unrelated note: Can't sip hot tea without thinking of cozy British murder mysteries and doesn't this guy look like he should be a character in one?

Happy Easter

Despite the cold temps in SB Land there were sunrise services sprinkled about. The Times photographers even captured some of the faithful.

(P.S. Thanks Mom, for making a delicious ham and for not stabbing Dad with the carving knife when he got a little sassy mouthed because dinner was late and he missed the opening of the golf tournament. Why they gotta play sports on religious holidays anyway? We mean, WWJD?)

Eight Miles

The trail along the Clyde Fant Parkway is called the Red River Bicycle Trail. It's 8.2 miles long. RRBJ learned that from SPARs website.

Best new addition down there? The metal quarter mile markers that tell you how far you've traveled.

Break

You're mid way through spring break in SB Land. Run out of ideas? There's the Skate Plaza on the banks of the Red River.

You'll find three sets of stair elements, concrete blocks and benches, low concrete walls, high and low rails and ramps. This Shreveport park is just a year old and when it was built it was the first time a city architect designed a skate park with the help of skateboarders.

It's open 24 hours a day with space for skateboarding, inline skating and BMX bike riding.