By T. Scott Boatright
Landscaping and discussing new Events Center equipment were primary orders of business as the Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control held its December meeting to close out 2025 Thursday evening inside the Jack Beard Community Room of the library.
The landscaping issues involve a number of crape myrtles on the east side of the library’s front and along U.S. Hwy 167 north that cause problems during rain and ice events.
Library Director Jeremy Bolom said that not only do some ot the crape myrtles droop into the book drop-off lane at the library when they get weighed down by rainwater and ice, but they also make it hard for people in passing vehicles to be able to read the LED sign on at side of the library in addition to the fact that the trees also block a clear security view of the library’s parking lot
“The crape myrtles on that side of the building have been a pain for a while now for several reasons,” Bolom said. “When the light pole got hit at the top of the hill (along U.S. Hwy. 167), nothing could be seen from the (LPL) camera because looking that way all that could be seen was the top of a tree.
“So, I would suggest that those two trees (farthest south) be removed just for the cameras’ sake. It’s either that or we’d have to reinstall the cameras up to a higher point. The other part is the LED sign, even with no leaves in the wintertime block the sign especially because there are so many trees lined up back-to-back. I don’t know if thinning them out would help the problem or not.”
Bolom said that because they have not been trimmed and maintained properly, the resulting growth along the bottoms of the crape myrtles adding to the line-of-sight issues as well as the problem during rain and ice storms.
“There are two right along the start of the entrance of the drive and when it rains, the branches lean into the actual book drop-off drive and people complain that the branches are hitting their cars,” Bolom said. “So we have to go out there and shake the water off the branches so (patrons) don’t complain the branches are hitting their cars.
“The tree could be cut in half (topped), but I don’t know what that would look like and that would result in more growth from the lower part. That’s the thing with crape myrtles — you can’t really kill them (easily). Even if we remove them, there will be a problem with some more growth coming up out of the ground.”
Bolom said he had LPL Maintenance Department Head Everett Harris trim the trees down earlier this fall, but that the trees have still flourished during warmer weather that Lincoln Parish has seen in recent months.
“I thought that when we got to fall, surely if we trimmed them back once fall got here they wouldn’t grow again, but guess what? They did,” Bolom said.
Bolom said that he wanted to make sure he had the Board’s support to move forward in resolving the problem, starting with the landscaping company the library uses, with the Board granting that permission.
The Board also learned of the recent purchase of an industrial convection oven and four 5-foot warmers along with two cases of trays that caterers will be able to use when working during functions at the Events Center.
That purchase was made at the recommendation of Lincoln Parish Police Juror Chris “Moose” Garriga, a restaurant owner and caterer who during the meeting when the LPPJ approved the LPL Board’s request to amend its regulations concerning alcohol being allowed to be served in the building told them such equipment would likely result in more rental patronage at the facility.
“The equipment was purchased today and will come out of this year’s budget because we do have enough money in there to do it,” Bolom said.
And the Board also approved its meeting schedule for 2026, keeping its meeting time slate for 5 p.m. the third Thursday of each month, but the Board did vote to move those meetings to the Library’s George Byrnside Room, which is smaller than the Jack Beard Community Room.
“That will move us closer together where we can hear better,” said LPL Board President Jan Canterbury. “And if we do have a big meeting planned for whatever reason, that can be moved to the Community Room to accommodate more people.”
