By Paige Nash
Earlier this month the Webster Parish Convention and Visitors Commission (CVC) announced their partnership with the Louisiana Tech University Community Design Activism Center (CDAC).
The CDAC was established by the Louisiana Tech’s School of Design to provide service- learning opportunities for students enrolled at the school. These future architects work together to provide tangible visions on certain community outreach projects.
Students who have enrolled in the upcoming spring quarter CDAC class will have the opportunity to create an overall plan for Miller Quarters Park. This plan is expected to be completed by the end of the upcoming spring quarter. “Yesterday (March 14) we had the architect team from Louisiana Tech come out to the park and they walked the perimeter of it. They were taking notes and coming up with ideas on how to utilize that space in the most effective way,” said CVC Executive Director Serena Gray. “After hearing input from myself, Sara and Johnnye, they think that they can come up with a wonderful plan for us by the end of the Spring Quarter.”
This design plan is the next step required so that the CVC will be able to determine the cost and how many phases the project may need to be broken down into. It will also help to lay out a timeline for a project completion date. Commissioner Sara McDaniel said, “The land is very hilly and there is also a creek that runs through it. They (CDAC) have a program that is going to map out the topography and they will build the features around the topography. They said halfway through they would meet with us to present what they have done so far. We could give them feedback- yes, no, keep going and by the end of the quarter, they would give us the final plan.”
The CVC is in the process of scheduling a second round table discussion to be held in the Pelican Room at Minden City Hall. A date will be determined in the coming weeks.
“The round table discussion is something we have introduced to invite community members to come and hear about the discussion of Miller Quarters and to provide an opportunity for people to share ideas or just stay in tune with what’s going on,” said Gray. “We would like to invite people to come in and share their thoughts and ideas.”
In the previous round table meeting the CVC has discussed the possibility of a stage, pavilions, restrooms, playground, walking, trails, dog park, additional parking and transforming the existing building on the property into a museum or exhibition that we will highlight the history of the land and families that once lived there.
The CVC is set to host their first major event since the purchase of Miller Quarters Park property in just a few weeks.
The Scottish Society of the Louisiana Highlands will be holding their 21st Annual Tartan Festival at the park on April 22nd. This event will celebrate Scottish culture through living history exhibits. They will have Scottish cattle herding, demonstrations of Highland games, bagpipe music, Gaelic language seminars, dog show competitions, clan tents and plenty of food and beverages.