Quoteworthy

The most memorable quotes in the Chattanooga Times Free Press for June 8-14.

"She was there for me. She listened to me, never judged me. She was my ear when I couldn't talk to my mother."

- Leslie Cross, a close friend of shooting victim Frances "Prin Prin" Smith, who was killed June 8 at her home on Woodland View Circle. Smith, a 40-year-old mother of five grown children, was a beloved member of her community.

"Out of five times playing Riverbend, this is my first time playing for the Lord. I'm living proof that you can come out of the belly of the whale."

- Vocalist Chris Gomez, formerly of local rock cover band Bud Lightning, on his personal, spiritual transformation that led him to form the Victory Praise Band this year. The band performed during Christian music night at Riverbend.

"Chattanooga is a quality of life city. The reason people come here is quality of life. If we're making decisions in City Hall and elsewhere that bring down quality of life, we're losing ground."

- Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, a featured speaker at a Brookings Institute event in Washington, D.C., last week, on a key advantage the Scenic City has in attracting talent here.

"Dog after dog, puppy after puppy, in just horrible conditions. I mean five or six dogs in one kennel, and there's no telling how long it's been [since] these dogs have been cleaned. It's horrible."

- Ashley Crittenden, a volunteer with the SPCA, on what she saw at a home in McDonald, Tenn., where 240 dogs, mainly beagles and smaller breeds, were discovered.

"I wasn't looking for a job. This job and I found each other."

- Fred Fletcher, who served as a police commander in Austin, Texas, on his hiring as Chattanooga's new police chief

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