Preservation of Historic Shreveport Meetings this week

A list of meetings from Teresa Edgerton-Scott on downtown historic preservation:

If you are in favor of preserving the historic districts and buildings in Shreveport, now is the time to make your voice heard. The importance of historic preservation ordinances will be discussed at both the City Council special session called for this purpose and at the regular meeting of Parish Commission. Frank B. Gilbert, a national expert on preservation and the law, will be in town next week to try to jump start legislation in Shreveport to protect historic sites. Please try to attend and invite others.

Special Session of the City Council, Tuesday, May 5, 2:00 pm, Government Plaza--the National Trust for Historic Preservation consultant, Frank Gilbert, will be there discussing the need for ordinances to protect historic properties. This meeting was called just for this purpose. Jean Sayres, his local host with the Louisiana Trust, has urged me to get as many people as possible to attend this special called meeting to show support for historic preservation. We need to show the council there is grassroots support for this initiative in Shreveport. If Highland can't turn out for such a cause, then we are in trouble. Shreveport is the only large city in La that doesn't already have Historic Commission and ordinances to protect historic properties.

Mr. Gilbert has an extremely busy itinerary next week in Shreveport. Sue will be accompanying him on driving tour of Fairfield and Highland Historic Districts upon his arrival. Monty Walford and Matthew Linn will have meetings with him prior to his speaking to their respective "groups." I have his resume and other information provided by Jean Sayres should anyone want to see it.

Regular meeting of Caddo Parish Commission, Thursday, May 7, 3:30 pm, Government Plaza--Mr. Gilbert is first on their agenda and will speak for about 15 minutes, then answer commissioner's questions. Again, it would behoove us to have as many people there as possible to support idea of preservation in Shreveport.

Please rearrange your schedules if possible to attend (as I have had to do during this busy time of year at my work) these meetings. Invite other people who are interested in preservation to attend as well. It is time to be proactive, rather than just respond to problems as they arise.