Erin’s Open Letter to Mayor Cedric Suggests He Should ‘Shake Hands and Get Healthy’

Like so many of my friends, I want this dog park fight to go away. We have been arguing about it for more than a year. It's time for our leaders to reach an agreement on this and move on to more important issues.

Here's my open letter to Mayor Cedric Glover. I hope in some small way it might help our city get beyond this political skirmish.

Dear Mayor Glover,

Over the past 30 years, I have watched you work tirelessly for the underdog. For many years, I was assigned to cover city hall and would watch you ask the council for more attention in the Martin Luther King Drive Community.

Often your requests fell on deaf ears, but you never gave up. I have admired that trait about you for all these years. You continued working for the less fortunate during your time on the City Council and then in the State Legislature.

You fought hard to win the Mayor's race and I actually attended your celebration on election night for your first term. I was so proud to see a man who cared so much about the "little guy" win the city's top post.

It is obvious you care deeply for this city and I, like so many others, am worried about your legacy. I hear this everyday from my friends and listeners. They say, 'why is he letting this fight over the dog park ruin all the good he has done in this city? We won't remember the great accomplishments!' I feel exactly like that.

I have seen the physical change you have made since your injury last year and you have inspired me to get started working to lose weight myself. I would like to encourage you to join me with some of my listeners as we walk in Mall St. Vincent. You have an open invitation to join us as we work to get Shreveport fit.

In some way, I hope this can bring us all together for the benefit of our community. I have the commitment from the folks at the Dog Park Alliance to walk with us. We won't talk about the dog park. You and I could team up and make a major difference in the effort to get our local residents healthy.

Thanks for Your Consideration,

Erin McCarty