Road renaming for 2nd time meets resistance

As the St Mary Parish Council convenes Wednesday, an agenda item that will reconsider the recent name change of a portion of Cypremont Road to Joseph “Tooney” Davis Drive is being carefully watched by his son, Trent Davis.
Davis said that his father was a visionary who brought many conveniences and opportunities for multi-ethnic residents living in the area.
He spoke of his late father’s accomplishments ranging from establishing waste and sewage lines as a St. Mary Parish councilman and St. Mary Parish Police juror to taking the lead in proposing street lights, 911 services, parks and the St. Mary Parish Civic Center.
Davis claims there were residents who went to the St. Mary Parish Council to try to change the name back to Cypremont Road and “they too are reaping the benefits of my dad’s hard work.”
Davis referred to an agenda item that will be considered at tonight’s St Mary Parish Council meeting, proposed by Councilman Paul Naquin “providing for the renaming of a portion of Joseph ‘Tooney’ Davis Drive.”
Davis pointed out that there would be little inconvenience to those accepting the name change, all residents’ house numbers would remain the same. The name change has already gone into effect, the part of the roadway being challenged would only affect a portion of Cypremont Road.
Among the list of Joseph “Tooney” Davis’ accomplishments are that he was the first African American hired at Cabot Corp in 1964, the first to serve on the Teche Electric Cooperative Board of Directors and the first to be elected to the St. Mary Parish Police Jury.
The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in public hearing and at 6 p.m. in regular session on the fifth floor of the St. Mary Parish Courthouse.