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Going South?
In response to Barry Henderson’s [March 18] article, I would like to add a slightly differing opinion to the South Knoxville road debate. Believe me, I know South Knoxville. I was born and raised south of the river. South Knoxville is a town within a town. Many South Knoxvillians are very proud of the community, from Island Home on the river to Lakemoor Hills on the lake, to the boundaries with Sevier and Blount Counties.
I tend to agree with Mr. Henderson regarding the routing of the James White Parkway Extension. To come out at Little Switzerland Road on Chapman Highway is ludicrous. Are they going to straighten Chapman Highway, or are they going to build some ridiculous cloverleaf type of intersection to enable access to Chapman Highway?
The intersection of John Sevier Highway and Alcoa Highway is oh-so-much fun to navigate. It gets the job done, but please give me a break, the solution seems permanently temporary.
If you must build it, do it right. Otherwise, do not destroy more of the quaint South Knoxville neighborhoods for no real benefit. For those of you who remember the old Moody Avenue and Davenport Road area, wouldn’t it have been nice to have an attractive boulevard-type of road to not only move cars, but also enhance our neighborhoods? Instead they gave the new road a look of desolation.
My primary difference of opinion with Barry Henderson concerns access to Alcoa Highway from Chapman Highway or vice versa. It takes a whole 15 minutes to get from the Maryville Pike/John Sevier Highway intersection to Central Street and Woodland Avenue via Maryville Pike, Blount Avenue, Henley Street, etc. It currently takes 5-10 minutes to get from Henley Street/Main Avenue to Alcoa Highway at the University Hospital.
I do not know what Mr. Henderson is complaining about regarding access to/from Alcoa Highway from/to Chapman Highway. Is it because he does not like the areas in which he has to travel? Welcome to South Knoxville. Is it because he has to drive the 30-40 mph speed limit? Big deal, you’re only going 4-5 miles.
I truly was entertained by Mr. Henderson’s description of the alternate route, instead of John Sevier Highway, from Chapman Highway to Alcoa Highway. There are numerous routes to/from Alcoa Highway from/to Chapman Highway. The route he mentions is truly one of the last routes this native South Knoxvillian would use, unless I just wanted to “grin like a dog and wander aimlessly” (Jim Philips, Philips File). How about the Chapman, Henley, Cumberland, Alcoa Highway route? Or, how about Martin Mill to Maryville Pike to Maloney (or Woodson)?
Best wishes to Councilman Joe Hultquist and the rest on their efforts to work with the city of Knoxville, Knox County, TDOT, and the rest to come up with resolutions that will not further degrade this fine community South of the River.
Michele Neal
Alcoa
Not for Normal Folks
It has been my strong opinion since I first saw Metro Pulse on the free stands that it is a weird publication. I have been amazed to see some of the people downtown who pick up this tabloid.
I find the Metro Pulse ad on page 33 of this week’s [March 11] edition to be way out of line for respectable people. I’m aware that this has never been intended to be a “family” paper, but my God, man, are you sending a message that it is for weirdos to match the weirdness of your subject matter.
I’ve been aware since two years ago that it is mostly for the drinkers who are friends of those who work there, not for normal folks. But, now, you are making this town look bad for anyone who may accidentally pick it up because it is free and think we all think that way.
Shame on you and your editor for putting filthy intent in pictures and words for all to see.
Betty Burks
Knoxville
What is Marriage?
I would like to acknowledge Mr. Lowe’s passionate letter [March 4] defending same-sex marriages. Even though I am heterosexual—or I should qualify that by saying that a previously suppressed gene, the emergence of a repressed childhood experience, or some unexplained chemical imbalance has not yet led to a change or realization of my true sexual preference—I agree that marriage is a right and an obligation to which same-sex couples should be entitled. The responsibilities of love, honor, protection and fiscal sharing should be a part of any human union. I just wonder if homosexual couples appreciate the enormous implications that a legally binding contract brings to a relationship.
I guarantee that the American Bar Association does. The inevitable proliferation of millions of new divorce settlements to argue could be a potential cornucopia to members of the legal profession. President Bush will be pleased at the prospect of dramatically lowering the unemployment rate by putting jobless lawyers back to work. I also foresee new fodder for the nightly news and the late night talk shows with nasty, high profile, same sex divorces. Be careful, Rosie! I wonder if People magazine will separate homosexual and heterosexual marriage and divorce announcements or just lump them all together. If they lump them together, readers may have trouble differentiating which are same and which are opposite sex, especially if one, or both, of the partners have unisex first names such as Francis or Taylor or Butch. I suppose that the least offensive ploy would be to put their chromosome type behind their name such as Robin(xy) Smith or Terry(xx) Jones. We could have a national lottery on which city will be the first to allow a questionably legal same-sex divorce after a questionably legal same-sex marriage.
The best solution to this problem is to make it a nonproblem. After all is said or grumbled or shouted, we do live in the freest society in the world either because of or in spite of the fact that it is held together by the most vague and complex set of laws in the world. Any couple should be free to join in a legal companionship contract and have the same benefits and rights no matter what the sexual preference or chromosome composition of each. When you get down to the root of the problem, marriage is just an emotionally charged noun that is wide open to so much interpretation and misinterpretation that it might best be expunged from our language for the good of all.
John Mack
Knoxville
Risk Mismanagement
Joe Sullivan’s [March 4] article regarding medical high-risk pools is an excellent analysis of a problem and a solution. It also points out the complexity of a health care system where a solution to one problem often makes other problems worse. This complex of issues is often referred to as acting like a balloon squeezed into the hand so that when pressure is applied to one side, it bubbles out on the other. Of all the fiascos and fiasquitos engendered by TennCare, its inadvertent torpedoing of the TCHIP program is one of the most unfortunate.
Sen. Mark Norris’ bill to re-establish a high risk pool in Tennessee is a step in the right direction and one that is supported by many in the insurance and health care industry including the Knoxville Association of Health Underwriters and the statewide organization, Tennessee Association of Health Underwriters.
Your article is a positive service to the understanding of health care issues in Tennessee. It would be interesting to see others on topics such as cost-shifting, medical malpractice insurance, direct-to-public drug advertising and the state of public health in Tennessee.
John Carlton Templeton
Knoxville
Let’s Have a Pet Park
I am a tax-paying citizen who lives in the East Knoxville area, a University of Tennessee graduate, and the devoted owner of a Jack Russell Terrier named Rimshot.
Since I live in a rented house on a small lot, I have no place for Rimshot to get any exercise at home, so I’ve been using the nearby public parks to let him run. He’s never caused any trouble, never bitten or barked at other park users, or chased anyone on foot, on bicycle, or in a car. But I’ve come to find out, (the hard way) that no matter what part of the city you’re in, be it streets, sidewalks, or public parks, your dog must be restrained. Apparently, this applies to all parks in the city, including Morningside Park, Cherokee Park, World’s Fair Park, and all others.
I understand that animals should be kept under control and not allowed to cause harm or inconvenience any other park users, but where am I, or any other dog owner for that matter, supposed to let our dogs run? I thought a park was just the place for that until I got a [$203!] citation from the city of Knoxville because my 14-inch Jack Russell Terrier was At Large in the park.
True, I am a fairly fit young man, but I could never run as fast as my dog, even if I tried. So my argument is that if the city can give me a ticket for exercising my dog at a public park, they should provide an area exclusively for pet-friendly purposes. I suggest a small lot, maybe one acre, fenced in, where citizens can bring their dogs to let them run in peace and act like dogs.
Billy Nelms
Knoxville
No-parking Lot
Several issues ago, your paper noted that there were not a lot of folks parking at the new county parking lot on State Street, between Union and Commerce.
I walk through that lot every day, on my way to and from work. I also walk my dog there, almost every night. During the day, I can observe the lot from a window in my office. You may be interested to know that over the last several weeks I have never observed more than nine cars parked in that lot, which has the capacity to hold 285 cars.
There was a sign at the entrance to the lot this morning, which proclaimed an “Early Bird Special.” All day parking for $3 for those who arrived before 9 a.m. At 9 a.m., there were six cars parked in the lot.
David E. Waite
Knoxville
April 1, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 14
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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