Lamar Partnership Inc Plans for September Certification Meeting

The Lamar Partnership Incorporated board discussed the historically oriented Certified Local Government Workshop which will be held in the Shore Arts Center in Lamar on September 27th and 28^th.  The workshops are free and open to the public and detail the value of historic preservation sites in communities throughout the country and the best means to develop historic designations for qualified buildings.  Speakers will discuss topics related to that development as well as funding sources through available grants, tax credits and rehabilitation of the structures to meet with and maintain historic code designations. Each session will last about an hour for each of the two days.  A chuck wagon cookout has been planned for the Pocket Park adjacent to the Shore Arts Center.  Depending on weather conditions, the meal could be quickly moved indoors if there’s a need.  Historic architect, Tim Stroh, from the Department of Local Affairs and Elizabeth O’Rear, the Heritage and Agritourism Manager for the Colorado Tourism Office will cap the two day event with their discussion on Wednesday, August 28^th, at 11:20am.

Board members noted that an outdoor E-Waste Recycle location in Holly is of definite interest, but not yet a reality as a suitable location and staffing for return-ables is still being discussed by the LPI board at this point. The dates for staffing the Lamar location were revised for the end of the year.  New dates are Sept 10 and 24, October 8 and 22, November 12 and December 3, 10 and 31^st, all from 10am to 1pm at Thrifty King on South 6^th Street.

The façade squad has determined that two locations along Main Street, the former JP Penny store and the Main Café will display banners in the near future. Volunteers recently cleaned the windows in the storefronts but one of the store windows has been layered with a mirror film-light filter which requires more effort to scrape off.  Two banners will be placed at the JC Penny location and one will be set in the window of the Main Café.  Pictures from the Big Timbers museum need to be altered with a high resolution digital process that will be used in the banners so the photos will be more easily viewed from the street.  Board members priced the cost of the process and in the future, the banners will be moved to various stores along Main Street in Lamar.  The next LPI meeting will be held on September 29^th at Noon at the Lamar Community Building.

By Russ Baldwin