Living in our Newest National Park

Gary’s Miller Spotlight volunteers couldn’t be happier about the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore becoming the USA’s newest National Park. 

(Rep Visclosky addresses community members at the park's designation.)

Over the years the good folks at NPs have been some of our best community partners and have actively helped us implement our 2025 community vision.

(NPS, VOCART, Northern Lights Eco Adventures, Causes for Change and Miller Spotlight at an adaptive paddle.)

Our 2025 Vision:

Miller is a beautiful, high density, universally designed neighborhood in Gary, Indiana, known as an active arts community and a destination for beach and waterfront recreation. Miller provides quality education and programs for its youth and a variety of activities for residents of all ages. Inviting gateways and transit options make Miller accessible to visitors from throughout the region, and Miller’s inclusive community design make it easy for residents and visitors alike to enjoy the area’s activities and natural environment. A vibrant downtown supports a strong business community and provides quality employment opportunities. Resident leadership and initiative create a thriving, safe, and inclusive neighborhood with government, philanthropic, and business support enriching those initiatives. The Miller neighborhood is a vibrant and functional community to live, work, and play in.

(Brainstorming session in 2015 at Marquette Park UMC)

This vision was created during Gary’s Miller Spotlight Collective Impact Plan process. It was the culmination of a year of relationship-building and planning efforts that happened between 2014-2015. We were part of the pilot year of the Legacy Foundation’s Neighborhood Spotlight program. You can download and read the plan in full here. 

(Monthly meeting of the Access Miller Action Group in 2019 at Anna's Kombucha Cafe.)

This plan is not final; it has continued to evolve with the emerging priorities and needs of our community as new opportunities have been identified and past concerns are resolved. As a community, Miller seeks to participate in the revitalization efforts occurring within Gary via a place-based collective impact process.

(Rep Visclosky discussing transportation equity with Jessica Renslow, Zully Alvarado and Jennie Rudderham at a Take Bike the Streets Event.)

Seven action groups were formed based on themes identified in the vision: 

• Area Context 
• Education, Youth and Child Programming
  
• Environment and Ecotourism
  
• Jobs and the Economy
  
• Property and Blight
  
• Safety and Code Enforcement
  
• Transportation and Infrastructure 

(Northern Lights camper paddling and NPS escorting folks at one of our adaptive paddles.)

We cannot wait to continue to help NPS steward our environment, while also helping our city infuse its economy by this new boon. 

(Zully Alvarado and Jessica Renslow at the Bike Walk Summit in Indianapolis and the Douglas Center's Sign.)

Access Miller Goals Expand

Our Transportation and Infrastructure goal have expanded two NWIndiana wide initiatives, Take Bike the Streets  and the Volunteer Office for Community Accessibility, Resource, and Training aka #VOCART

Take Bike the Streets  
Take Bike The Streets is a comprehensive program that involves community engagement, economic development and intergenerational environmental education. Our volunteers have committed to organize, decide and act upon projects that will profoundly change our community’s future.The goal of Take Bike the Streets is to capitalize on the NWI’s diverse active transportation needs and implement a multiphase project that makes cycling an accessible and enjoyable activity for all our community and our visitors.

Take Bike The Streets is a comprehensive program that involves community engagement, economic development and intergenerational environmental education. Our volunteers have committed to organize, decide and act upon projects that will profoundly change our community’s future.The goal of Take Bike the Streets is to capitalize on the NWI’s diverse active transportation needs and implement a multiphase project that makes cycling an accessible and enjoyable activity for all our community and our visitors.

Volunteer Office for Community Accessibility, Resource, and Training aka #VOCART

VOCART Volunteers work for community accessibility, resources, and training to meet the changing needs of persons with disabilities in the NWI Region.

2018 PARTNERS FOR CLEAN AIR ANNUAL BICYCLING ACTIONS AWARD

Our volunteer community builder, Jessica Renslow, was honored to accept the 2018 Partners for Clean Air Annual Bicycling Actions Award for the State of Indiana on behalf of all our Take Bike the Streets volunteers. 

Thank you to all our community partners, volunteers and donors for helping to make this possible. Read more about this annual event here.

Take Bike The Streets Part 3: Zagster

Please check out http://bike.zagster.com/gary/

What is Zagster?

We obtained our Zagster Bikeshare contract this year and secured the funding for June 2017-June2018. Zagster is the leading provider of bike­share programs for cities, univer­sities, businesses and properties. Both Fort Wayne and Evansville have recently launched Zagster fleets. Zagster simplifies bike sharing through a full ­service model that covers everything involved in planning, building and operating a system. By using right­sized infrastructure and app­based technology, Zagster bike­sharing programs are flexible and affordable for both communities like Gary’s Miller Neighborhood and the riders within them and attracted to them. 

Why Zagster? 

Acquiring a national brand such as Zagster has put Gary’s Miller Community on the map for other ecotourism companies and environmental education programmers. Zag­ster covers the planning, hardware, technology and operations to run a bike­share in a community the size of Miller. (They have 5 different adaptive bike options.) The community fundraised for an adaptive hand cycle that will be installed on September 1st as a part of September’s First Fridays on Lake Street. Zagster focuses on transportation infrastructure with a tangible return on investment. All profits from in­vesting in Zagster are going to run various Miller Spotlight projects. 

Outcomes?

In its first month of opperation our bike share has had 35 regulars and 25 one-time users join the program. 

Press about the project so far:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-gary-adaptive-escape-st-0712-20170711-story.html

http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-gary-miller-bikes-st-0709-20170708-story.html

http://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/bike-sharing-coming-to-gary-s-miller-neighborhood/article_525b228d-da40-5de5-b904-9d9f17718c37.html?utm_content=buffer89d0d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC

So far the most common rental zone area is The Stage Gary Small Business Incubator/ CoWorking Space. It will be interesting to see how this project evolves. We are seeking sponsors for the 2018-2019 contract. Please email Jessie Renslow (Community Builder) via millerspotlight@gmail.com for more info.

(To Learn more about Take Bike The Streets click here.)

Access Miller’s Original Community Goals (created in 2015, Implemented in 2016 & 2017)

Goal 1: Identify and engage at least ten (10) key regional partners involved in development, improvements and funding of transportation infrastructure to advocate for and find means to achieve our short and long term goals beginning 10/31/2015. 

Since October of 2015, we have identified more than 10 regional partners (City of Gary, City of Gary’s Parks & Recreation Department, National Lakeshore, City of Gary’s Council, City of Gary’s Department of Redevelopment, Gary Public Transportation, Coastal Grant, NICTD, NIRPC, RDA, Indiana General Assembly, Ped-Pedal-Paddle) and have been working with them from the planning stage to implementation stage on several projects. Little by little we are advocating and working with those who are helping us become a universally designed community/city/region. 

                    

Goal 2: Increase number of residents biking, rolling and walking in Miller 500% by 2025. 

We are well on our way with our Take Bike The Streets initiative read all about it here.

Goal 3: Bike Share and Car Share programs will increase from zero users to a combined twenty (20) users per day by 2019. 

We launched our Bike Share program in June as a component of our Take Bike The Streets initiative. Read all about how we partnered with Zagster here.

Goal 4: Provide shuttle bus services to 500 Miller residents on weekends and for special events by summer 2016 and increase numbers by 10% each year until the beginning of 2018. 

This service actually launched a year early in the summer of 2015! We have been working all summer to up the ridership and market this amazing service/ partnership with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

Goal 5: Develop a website tracking physical obstacles to accessibility in Miller and improve the 10 public sites identified as least accessible by 2020. 

Access Miller has partnered with Barrier Free Beach 2020 and The City of Gary on this project. We ran 6 workshops on this subject and received a 2016 ADA Indiana Community Grant. We created a multi platformed educational series on accessibility. Access 4 All premiered as part of the Directed by Women Global Film Festival this September. A portion of the series Access 4 All: Progress in our Parks was featured in the Indiana Dunes Film Festival.  

It is now available here: Access 4 All

Please watch the series, take the survey and encourage others to do so too.

Goal 6: Make all Miller Spotlight web content accessible by 2019. 

We have designed our content to be as universal as possible and continue to do so. Please email any notes/ recommendations to millerspotlight@gmail.com 

Our 2015 & 2016 Greatest Hits

Please check out this video that explains Gary's Miller Spotlight Project process and highlights the amazing 1000+ volunteers and 64 community partners that have helped us implement our community plan. 

We premiered this video at our 4th of July in January Event on Saturday, January 28, 2017 at our backbone institution, The Miller Beach Arts & Creative District. 

 

We have made great progress on our original 29 goals, so the thirty-three people who braved the snow last Saturday, helped add to our community plan. 

If you live, work, study, worship and/ or play in the Miller-Aetna-Glen Ryan footprint of Gary, Indiana stay tuned for how these new ideas will help rejuvenate our community! 

(Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson chatting with our Chairwoman of The Ed./ Child & Youth Programming Action Group, Gretchen Sipp.)

 

(Our Rice Krispies Treat Sandcastle decorators took their jobs quite seriously)

Harnessing Your Narrative: Steel City Academy

Our Steel City Academy podcasts are live! 

Seventh and ninth graders teamed up on a digital project. Gary's Miller Spotlight volunteers covered equipment management, digital literacy and basics of podcasting in our 4 day-long course called Harnessing Your Narrative. 

 

They're teaching Gary kids how to harness their narrative through podcasting at Steel City Academy in Glen Park, Gary, Indiana. StoryCorps recorded 12 pair interviews (24 people) in the Miller community of Gary on Saturday 3/19/16 and Sunday 3/20/16. This was the first time StoryCorps in Chicago had recorded in Indiana. 

They rarely do onsite interviews, but our Area Context Group convinced their producers that our neighborhood was ripe with interesting and positive tales to tell. We are looking for more sites to host oral history recording sessions across Gary this winter.

 This will be a way to capture the voices of Gary, Indiana in a virtual museum and be a way to deliver digital literacy workshops. If you're interested in our volunteers running a workshop near you please contact our community builder, Jessica Renslow, via millerspotlight@gmail.com .

We are a Legacy Foundationinitiative and the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District our backbone institution. Click here for the entire YouTube Playist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY_uHsyQdKZG68tYaZq-BY04kv1JBhLaX or click on the videos below.