Greetings,
I am excited to share some important updates about our community:
National Day of Prayer
On Thursday, May 7 at 6:00PM the City of New Roads, along with parish church congregations will host a local observance of the National Day of Prayer. The event will be held on the grass lot across from City Hall. The theme is, "Glorify God Among the Nations - Seeking Him in All Generations".
The tradition of a national day of prayer observance has deep roots in American history. In 1775 the first call for a national day of prayer was issued by the Continental Congress. Then, in 1863 President Abraham Lincoln called for a day of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" during the Civil War.
In 1952, President Harry S. Truman signed a joint resolution from Congress into law that required the President to set aside an annual day for prayer. In 1988, President Ronald Regan amended the law to permanently fix the observance on the first Thursday of May.
The scripture reference this year is 1 Chronicles 16:24.
Sewer Lift Station Project Update
We have made significant progress on our sewer lift station project. Our city has 13 lift stations, which were previously inoperable. By 2022, this situation necessitated the rental of bypass pumps, which has resulted in an expenditure of up to $100,000 each month.
Thanks to a generous allocation of over $5 million, secured by Representative Lacombe (along with a local match), we have almost completed the process of installing new sewer pumping stations. I am pleased to announce that in the very near future, we will no longer be burdened with those unsustainable pump rental fees. We will soon be able to redirect these funds toward other vital projects in our community.
Grant Updates
We were awarded two $25K grants from Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP) to renovate City Hall. The interior walls and flooring needed attention, so with one of the grants, we painted the building's interior and installed new flooring. With the other grant, we replaced the decades old windows with new energy efficient windows and refurbished the stucco finish on the building's exterior. We will be adding a new sign to the exterior of City Hall sometime this month.
We were also awarded two $25K grants to perform upgrades at the Scott Civic Center. The building is old and has suffered years of neglect. We recently painted the interior walls, but the condition of the floors made it hard to appreciate the new paint. So, we will use both of those $25K grants to install new flooring. This will be a major step towards making the interior of our Civic Center aesthetically satisfying.
Community Water Enrichment Fund (CWEF) awarded New Roads $30K, which will be used to upgrade an aging and insufficient water line that our Public Works department has identified.
Senator Klienpeter secured $50k for police department equipment. We will purchase computer software and add crime cameras to additional neighborhoods. Our plan is to eventually have every street covered by cameras to deter crime or aid in capturing perpetrators.
Vibes on False River
Our free concert series, "Vibes on False River" will be held every Friday in May from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on the Morrison Parkway Riverbank. Each Friday will feature a different genre of music. The event also includes free rides on the mechanical bull, as well as food and drinks for purchase. Mark your calendars!
Sincerely,
Theron Smith
Mayor of New Roads, LA
