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It’s Cullum!
There is no excuse for the author of the [Aug. 26] article on John Cullum’s return to UT’s Clarence Brown Theatre to consistently misspell his name. With so many reference sources that are available, misspelling the subject’s name is inexcusable!
Lydia Schoen
Knoxville
Frank Attack
Please accept this wheel-taxpayer’s rebuttal, to the latest verse in Frank Cagle’s vendetta song:
It’s quite obvious, to anyone with a political pulse in this town, that the latest addition of “Frank Talk” to MP’s line-up is just another forum for Cagle to seek revenge upon those who will have nothing to do with him.
In the interest of full-disclosure, it’s no secret that Cagle has campaigned for employment with the powers-that-be around town and any welcome mat at most stops has been yanked. As a result, Cagle has focused all of his energies on such issues as a 22-year old drunk, who lost control and made stupid threats one night, and a $2.50 per month tax increase that’s in lieu of a long overdue property tax hike.
FYI, most of the “peasants” Cagle defends are indeed fixed income seniors and/or renters who would be financially slammed by their own property tax hike or that of their landlord.
On a much more positive note, we do have this pundit to thank, by vice of his vitriolic political prowess, for helping elect our current governor and banishing his candidate to virtual obscurity. Godspeed to you, Frank, and let’s all pray that your shrewd political efforts in print will pay off for our local leaders like they have for our top man in Nashville.
Brad Hill
Knoxville
P.S. If this latest newspaper gig doesn’t quite work out either, there’s always the Halls Shopper, where you will fit right in.
Missing Out?
Having read your editorial on “Public Discourse in Peril” [Aug. 19] mentioning dieting on media personalities and broadcasters, how in the holy name of MSNBC did you forget to mention the “I-Man”... Don Imus?
Someone at your Metro Pulse office must be keeping at least an occasional watch on the veteran disc jockey and talk show host with a radio audience of around 10 million listeners. We who do watch his morning cable simulcast are both informed and entertained while sipping our morning beverages.
I think I get your point and agree that we readers and listeners should diversify and seek out all points of view on all levels of the political land.
If one takes the opportunity to pick up a Maryville Daily Times, Mountain Press, Tennessean, or the Courier News from Anderson County, you could find golden tidbits that will expand your local horizons.
Should you Pulsers need a reality check, tune into Imus in the Morning and you’ll find I’m not just whistling Dixie Media.
Bob Williamson
Knoxville
Train Your Thoughts
It’s become a favorite topic of discussion over the last several years: What can we build that will revitalize downtown Knoxville? Most folks agree that we need something to serve as the key attraction, but opinions vary widely as to what that something should be. The current option—a movie theater—joins the ranks of such suggestions as an enclosed shopping mall, an aquarium and the ambitiously named Universe Knoxville. A great deal of time (and, naturally, money) has been spent looking at other cities for inspiration.
The answer may, in fact, be right under our feet.
It’s difficult to make even a short trip in Knoxville without going over (or under, or alongside) a set of well-used railway tracks. For the most part, Knoxville’s railroads are used for hauling freight; the only notable exception is the Three Rivers’ Rambler, the excursion train operating out of Riverfront Park. But the potential exists for a regional passenger train system, based in Knoxville and serving all of East Tennessee.
Imagine, for a moment, a large train station adjacent to downtown Knoxville, one that blends nostalgia with efficiency. Train-watchers could mingle with travelers in the main part of the terminal, and a railroad museum and souvenir/hobby shop would attract both school groups and train buffs. Excursion trains could alternate with express trains to Dollywood and McGhee Tyson Airport; other destinations could include the Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, and the mountains.
Tourists could begin and end their day in Knoxville, staying in downtown hotels, eating breakfast on the train and dinner in local restaurants, and checking out the live music. Residents could bypass traffic jams on their way to Dollywood or into the mountains. Out-of-town Vols fans could enjoy pre- and post-game festivities instead of trying to find a place to park.
Of course, it’s not just a matter of slapping together a few coach cars and a club car. At a minimum, three elements are vital to making the passenger train system a success: The main terminal station must be located within downtown Knoxville; the train routes must be chosen to maintain Knoxville’s centrality; and the entire system must appeal to a broad range of people.
An ideal location for the train station would be on Jackson Avenue near Gay Street, adjacent to Old City and near the new visitor’s center. Market Square, Riverfront Park, the convention centers, and the World’s Fair Park, as well as a number of hotels and businesses, would be within an easy stroll. If the visitor isn’t inclined to walk (or the weather isn’t conducive), red trolleys provide rides throughout downtown and into the UT area. Accessibility is key; any kind of barrier to foot traffic—distance, a highway—would draw people away from downtown, rather than into it.
Train routes should focus on scenic excursions and destination cities comparable in size or smaller than Knoxville. Some destinations should be avoided, at least initially; a connection to Nashville, for example, might keep the railroad busy but wouldn’t keep travelers in Knoxville.
The majority of the passengers would likely be tourists and daytrippers, but the trains should still function as practical transportation to encourage business travel. They needn’t be Amtrak-bland to be modern; laptop connections and an efficient ticketing and boarding system can lurk beneath a romantic exterior. An old-fashioned aesthetic and a variety of cars (dining/club & viewing cars, a little red caboose) would go a long way to making the train ride an event in itself.
Planning an appealing passenger train system is one thing; paying for it is another. Sharing costs with destination cities would certainly be one aspect of a payment plan. Another would be to seek out a variety of funding. The EPA, for example, might help out, if the trains can be shown to reduce automobile traffic and the resulting pollution. Or the Department of Defense might provide funding in trade for discounts to military personnel. Even something simple like adding routes of historic interest and restoring old trains could make the railroad eligible for private and public grants.
Much of the infrastructure already exists in the form the rails themselves. Making use of these would cut costs without sacrificing quality. Coordinating the construction of the train station with other projects (e.g., the upcoming replacement of the Gay Street viaduct) would likewise reduce expenses. Networking with existing trains, such as the Three Rivers Rambler, could expand the system without expanding the budget.
A passenger train station may be the defining element that Knoxville needs. Or it may be one of a number of attractions, like Market Square and the World’s Fair Park, that adds to Knoxville’s overall identity. But trains are undoubtedly part of our heritage and our economy. Surely they deserve a place in our future.
Dawn Archdeacon
Knoxville
A Parking Tip
I keep intending to weigh in on the downtown parking discourse to recommend the James White Fort. Parking there requires walking one additional block beyond the Dwight Kessel Metropolitan Parking Garage (or riding the free trolley), and paying $15 a month.
One has the additional satisfaction of contributing to the operation of this wonderful Knoxville historical site and the daily opportunity to enjoy beautifully maintained landscaping. The staff members value their parking customers, offer home-baked goodies at holidays, and one morning the manager called to let me know I had left my headlights on.
Genet G. Weber
Knoxville
September 2, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 36
© 2004 Metro Pulse
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