10,000 new jobs coming to BAFB/Bossier City?

[woob]

lol I can imagine that feeling! I had a similar experience before I got out and walked around downtown Dallas. I didn't encounter homeless people wandering in circles, but I did encounter probably 50 of them in the breakfast line at a shelter. Come to think of it I ALWAYS see that same scene when I'm in downtown Dallas!

Anyway, Casey, to answer your question... it's just the feel, man. It's hard to explain. There's an energy unlike here and it reminds me so much of Chicago. There are so many thousands of apartments and condos in downtown Dallas and all those people are always walking around for exercise, walking their dogs, etc. There are stores and restaurants at street level everywhere, cops and safety patrol people, maintenance and construction crews actually working on Sundays on major jobs, and so on.

I actually told my wife this time that I realized I get a very euphoric (basically high) feeling when I know I'm driving into a city that size. I just feel so at home it's unreal, and then while this is home when I come back here I feel really bad about what all we're missing out on here.

Don't mistake me as trashing my city, I'll never do that. But there's just so much left to do before we can even be 1/10 of what some of those larger cities are. I felt the exact same way after my last urban exploration walk in downtown Houston. It's just unreal!

In a couple months I should be going back to Chicago, a city I'm really missing. I've been there as many times as I've been to Dallas and Houston and I feel at home there as well. I can't wait to walk around and photograph downtown Chicago more than I ever have in the past.

I would invite you to come walk with me in bham through downtown but deggum... progress is being made here.. lots of condos downtown now new ones being built even... just too dangerous!!! did you see the list in the paper the other day? we were more dangerous than detroit per 100,000 people

[dimebag1980]

I would invite you to come walk with me in bham through downtown but deggum... progress is being made here.. lots of condos downtown now new ones being built even... just too dangerous!!! did you see the list in the paper the other day? we were more dangerous than detroit per 100,000 people

That's pretty scary, Craig. I would still walk downtown Bham with you, IF I am ever able to get over that way. I'd love to make it over there, though.

[dimebag1980]

LSUS making its case for expanding into doctoral programs. This would include a partnership with Louisiana Tech.

As a matter of opinion, this very well could be the first step to building a larger University campus here. As a matter of fact, however, LSUS must first convince those in opposition that we do need doctoral degree programs in this area. We'll see...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...60322/1002/NEWS

[baffroom]

LSUS making its case for expanding into doctoral programs. This would include a partnership with Louisiana Tech.

As a matter of opinion, this very well could be the first step to building a larger University campus here. As a matter of fact, however, LSUS must first convince those in opposition that we do need doctoral degree programs in this area. We'll see...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...60322/1002/NEWS

Let's hope they do convince them. SBC is the main metro in NW Louisiana, and largest in the Arklatex region, but its people have to go to rural areas to obtain advanced degrees. IMO, there should be more PhD opportunities in the area, and the programs they want at LSUS would serve the medical community and the future IT community.

[dimebag1980]

Let's hope they do convince them. SBC is the main metro in NW Louisiana, and largest in the Arklatex region, but its people have to go to rural areas to obtain advanced degrees. IMO, there should be more PhD opportunities in the area, and the programs they want at LSUS would serve the medical community and the future IT community.

Exactly. It would be great to see. We're so far behind the curve on doctoral offerings, as we currently have none. You can get an MD here, but not a PhD as far as I know.

[dimebag1980]

According to a banner on the new website for the United States Air Force Cyber Command (link here), the next Cyber Symposium will be in June 2008, in Marlboro, MA.

What does this mean? Are our chances of landing this command slimming? I certainly hope not.

[Metlife]

According to a banner on the new website for the United States Air Force Cber Command (link here), the next Cyber Symposium will be in June 2008, in Marlboro, MA.

What does this mean? Are our chances of landing this command slimming? I certainly hope not.

No, I don't that's the case. If I can recall correctly, the Cyber Symposium will alternate between Shreveport and Marlboro... It will be back here again in 2009.

[dimebag1980]

No, I don't that's the case. If I can recall correctly, the Cyber Symposium will alternate between Shreveport and Marlboro... It will be back here again in 2009.

That's good to know. I never heard that so I was caught off-guard by that banner.

[japrime]

That's good to know. I never heard that so I was caught off-guard by that banner.

I cover the Cyber Innovation Center for The Times. When they had the symposium here, we announced on the final day that the next would be held in June in Massachusetts. But I have since learned they actually plan to hold another one here next fall as well. This one was so well attended and things are happening so fast in the field they felt it was feasible.

[Metlife]

I cover the Cyber Innovation Center for The Times. When they had the symposium here, we announced on the final day that the next would be held in June in Massachusetts. But I have since learned they actually plan to hold another one here next fall as well. This one was so well attended and things are happening so fast in the field they felt it was feasible.

j.a. prime, thanks for the info, and welcome to the UP!

[Metlife]

Groundbreaking set for Monday on the CIC...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...NGNEWS/80115020

[dimebag1980]

Groundbreaking set for Monday on the CIC...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...NGNEWS/80115020

I knew this, I never thought to post about it.

I didn't even notice they had anything about it on The Times website. Next month is supposed to be when the Air Force makes their official announcement about Cyber Command, so let's all keep our fingers crossed that this all works out.

[jcasey]

Bad News for Cyber Command at Barksdale?

Cyber Command headquarters announcement may be delayed

[dimebag1980]

Bad News for Cyber Command at Barksdale?

Cyber Command headquarters announcement may be delayed

Wherever it's going, I wish they'd just say it and get it over with. If it's not going to be here, just tell us and move the heck on.

It's become quite a disappointment watching the dynamics of this situation change literally from day to day.

[jcasey]

Wherever it's going, I wish they'd just say it and get it over with. If it's not going to be here, just tell us and move the heck on.

It's become quite a disappointment watching the dynamics of this situation change literally from day to day.

It almost feels like it is going to go to the highest bidder. It seems like a done deal is being stolen away from us.

[Metlife]

Pretty good read on Barksdale's potential future...

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS01/801170317

[dimebag1980]

Okay, so this morning is the ground breaking ceremony for what will either be the largest economic engine the Ark-La-Tex region has ever seen... or the largest flop. There are still a lot of dynamics playing out in this situation, but with Bobby Jindal in Bossier City this morning leading the event, he is proving that this is one of his top priorities at this point. Why? Because it will be good for Shreveport-Bossier (even though Shreveport has shown absolutely no support for the project as yet,) it will be good for Monroe, it will be good for Alexandria, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and even New Orleans. It will be a benefit to the entire state. If it takes off as planned, this project will show the rest of the world that Louisiana can compete in the global technology sector... and we can compete hard. Just like Huntsville has shown the world that Alabama is not Hickville, USA... Bossier City has an opportunity to show the world that north Louisiana, and Louisiana in general, also is not.

The United States Air Force is the biggest factor here. Their imminent decision (which may not be quite so imminent now as they're toying with the idea of pushing back this major decision yet again) has the capability to make or break this project. However once the CIC is in place, even without AFCYBER we will have a center set up that could easily rival any technological powerhouse in the nation.

What we have in play here is many times larger than the Boeing plant which was proposed for our region back in the (80s?, 90s?) We missed out on a huge deal by missing out on the Boeing plant... but that was just a grain of sand compared to CIC. Let's just hope and pray that, even in the event we don't end up with AFCYBER, our leaders know how to promote CIC to the world.

[Metlife]

Okay, so this morning is the ground breaking ceremony for what will either be the largest economic engine the Ark-La-Tex region has ever seen... or the largest flop. There are still a lot of dynamics playing out in this situation, but with Bobby Jindal in Bossier City this morning leading the event, he is proving that this is one of his top priorities at this point. Why? Because it will be good for Shreveport-Bossier (even though Shreveport has shown absolutely no support for the project as yet,)

Whoa, not so fast my friend. I wouldn't say Shreveport hasn't shown any support. Remember the proposed center of academic excellence... http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS01/711080322. Shreveport can only do so much in regards to support with the Cyber Command and CIC both being tenatively set up in Bossier City. This is Bossier's lead project; Shreveport and the surrounding communities can lend their support in various capacities...

[dimebag1980]

Whoa, not so fast my friend. I wouldn't say Shreveport hasn't shown any support. Remember the proposed center of academic excellence... http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.d...EWS01/711080322. Shreveport can only do so much in regards to support with the Cyber Command and CIC both being tenatively set up in Bossier City. This is Bossier's lead project; Shreveport and the surrounding communities can lend their support in various capacities...

That is true.. the academic center would at least be beneficial. But this is the only initiative Shreveport has made in this situation and it only came up a while after Bossier Parish had put up their $50 million. The state of Louisiana and Bossier Parish have both chipped in major money... why not Caddo Parish or Shreveport? They could have even offered support in other ways. They are supposedly the larger city in this region and are supposed to set an example for the smaller communities, but their involvement has amounted to nothing more than mere chatter about a "center for academic excellence." And again, not a word was even whispered in Shreveport about this project until after all the money was put forward. If the state could get involved and offer money for the project, Shreveport could have offered even a little bit.

And I won't mention any names, I just know that some who are close to the project, who are based in Shreveport (not Bossier,) aren't happy with Shreveport's lack of concern over the project. We're not talking about a municipal project like a convention center or an arena... we're talking about a technological powerhouse that, if done correctly, literally has the potential to change Shreveport and Bossier for the best.

There is a lot more going on inside the inner circle of this project than most people are aware of, and I've just been fortunate enough to have a peek into that and see all the dynamics at play. The major players here - a lot of them based in Shreveport - are angry that their city has offered no direct assistance of any kind for the project.

[Metlife]

That is true.. the academic center would at least be beneficial. But this is the only initiative Shreveport has made in this situation and it only came up a while after Bossier Parish had put up their $50 million. The state of Louisiana and Bossier Parish have both chipped in major money... why not Caddo Parish or Shreveport? They could have even offered support in other ways. They are supposedly the larger city in this region and are supposed to set an example for the smaller communities, but their involvement has amounted to nothing more than mere chatter about a "center for academic excellence." And again, not a word was even whispered in Shreveport about this project until after all the money was put forward. If the state could get involved and offer money for the project, Shreveport could have offered even a little bit.

And I won't mention any names, I just know that some who are close to the project, who are based in Shreveport (not Bossier,) aren't happy with Shreveport's lack of concern over the project. We're not talking about a municipal project like a convention center or an arena... we're talking about a technological powerhouse that, if done correctly, literally has the potential to change Shreveport and Bossier for the best.

There is a lot more going on inside the inner circle of this project than most people are aware of, and I've just been fortunate enough to have a peek into that and see all the dynamics at play. The major players here - a lot of them based in Shreveport - are angry that their city has offered no direct assistance of any kind for the project.

I kinda see your point, however, and I preface this by saying that I'm not a government expert, I just don't see how Shreveport could legally do that (pledge monetary support). Another viewpoint is, is Shreveport in a financial position to match Bossier's $50 M, especially after the Convention Center/Hotel project...

[baffroom]

I kinda see your point, however, and I preface this by saying that I'm not a government expert, I just don't see how Shreveport could legally do that (pledge monetary support). Another viewpoint is, is Shreveport in a financial position to match Bossier's $50 M, especially after the Convention Center/Hotel project...

I agree. Shreveport's not a rich town, and it has plenty of debt right now. If I was a Shreveporter, I wouldn't expect my city to pay for projects in another city

[dimebag1980]

Guys, we all know Shreveport doesn't have that kind of money. But I also mentioned Caddo Parish, which has bigger coffers than you think. As well I mentioned other kinds of support, besides monetary support. This project has been in the planning stages in the background for a long time, and Mayor Glover has known about it for his entire term thusfar. Yet it wasn't until Bossier Parish and the State of Louisiana put up their money and began talking about how it could help the entire region. It was at that point that Mr. Glover thought to himself "My city can benefit from this? I guess we better show some interest before it's too late."

Trust me, the guy is not all about the CIC, he's all about making himself look good at this point since he has ignored the project for so long. And in the process he sees a way for his city to profit... a city/parish which showed no interest whatsoever when Bossier City and Bossier Parish first began planning. They could have at least used Glover's lobbying power in the beginning, considering he used be a State Representative.

Either way, those close to the project, who are based in Shreveport, feel like their own city doesn't take their work on this project seriously. They view Glover as an opportunist in this case, and quite frankly I believe they're right.

[Mudbugger]

This whole Cyber Command scenario is playing out like the old Mudbugs in Shreveport debate.

Remember when the Mudbugs were in Shreveport and were becoming successful?

The city said "let's do a study to see if we need a new arena".

Bossier took initiative and actually built it while Shreveport was wasting cash on study after study.

Same thing here.

Shreveport waits, watches and sees another prime opportunity taken away from it by our more industrious and brave neighbors in Bossier City.

Anyone else see a pattern here?

Just wondering,

Mudbugger

[Metlife]

This whole Cyber Command scenario is playing out like the old Mudbugs in Shreveport debate.

Remember when the Mudbugs were in Shreveport and were becoming successful?

The city said "let's do a study to see if we need a new arena".

Bossier took initiative and actually built it while Shreveport was wasting cash on study after study.

Same thing here.

Shreveport waits, watches and sees another prime opportunity taken away from it by our more industrious and brave neighbors in Bossier City.

Anyone else see a pattern here?

Just wondering,

Mudbugger

Okay, I can agree... sometimes Shreveport has dragged its heels on some things. But I don't think you can compare the Mudbugs and the Cyber Command fairly. The Cyber Command is, or will be, a military operation with civilian support. Having Barksdale enhances it chances of locating here permanently. If we didn't have Barksdale here, there would be NO chance of landing it here. And, also, this command will be beneficial to not only both cities, but this entire region, and the state as well. In essence, we can't look minimize the total impact of the command... it goes much further than Bossier City or Shreveport (It just won't be limited to Bossier, or even Shreveport).

[dimebag1980]

By the way, guys, despite how I feel about Glover's lack of involvement here, I shouldn't have made fun of his breathing problem. God knows I may have lost a little weight but even I weigh right at 300 lbs right now. I certainly can't - and shouldn't - make fun of anyone else. That was tacky of me and I would feel bad for Mr. Glover to have read that. And I have edited it out of my comment above.