Dome preservation plans spark thanks
On Feb. 1, an article about the Terminal Station appeared. I am so thrilled that it will be preserved. My thanks to Jon Kinsey, his son and Cornerstones for their preservation efforts.
In 1934, my mother's body was accompanied by my father and his brother on a train from this station for her burial in Altro, Ky. During World War II, my family members were sent out on troop trains. My first train ride as a child was from this station to Toledo, Ohio. My husband, after serving four years in the Navy, worked for the postal service on the mail trains from here to Cincinnati, Meridian, Miss., and Bristol, Va.
My granddaughter, who had spent summers in Chattanooga with us, came here for Christmas with her husband, who had never been to Chattanooga. We took them to see the beautiful dome and have pictures made by the side of the train on the track.
Thanks again for efforts to preserve this wonderful landmark for our city.
Jean Holt
Senate bill steals school buildings
Sen. Todd Gardenhire's recently proposed Senate Bill 1755 is legislative thievery. If passed, counties would have to hand over school buildings and their contents to a municipality that separates from the county school system. For free. As a resident of the town of Signal Mountain, I am appalled at the lengths the faction pushing for an independent school district is willing to go. I wonder why Gardenhire introduced it; he is not my state senator.
I spoke to my state senator, Bo Watson. He told me he thought that the legislation was premature. He said if the people of Signal Mountain voted to separate from the county schools, then legislation could be written to make that happen. No, no, no. If Signal Mountain wants to separate, then Signal Mountain should pay for the buildings and the desks, library books, office equipment, active boards, lunchroom equipment, etc. Those costs have to be a factor in the town's decision to separate.
Kill this schoolhouse heist bill!
Chris Tanis
Signal Mountain
Weather closings prevent tragedies
I am old enough to remember the March 1960 ice storm that hit the area, including Soddy-Daisy. I wonder if children or adults could go through what students and school bus drivers did when they had to attend school during that storm.
During that time, school buses had to avoid railroad crossings whenever possible. The road we lived on had a railroad crossing. Students in the neighborhood had to walk several blocks to Highway 27 to catch the school bus. We had a gas station we could wait inside of for our bus. During normal weather, we walked on the side of the road to avoid passing cars. During the storm, we had to walk on the road because of black ice. We also had to watch out for falling power lines and tree limbs.
Back then, school buses had no power steering or automatic transmission. Bus drivers had to pay attention to their driving, especially on icy roads and viaducts. Sometimes our school bus slid going to and from school. Thank the Lord there were no accidents.
We don't need another bus tragedy. That is why schools cancel at the first signs of bad weather.
Jennifer Riggins Bradford
Tyranny result without Trump
More than 200 years ago, Alexander Hamilton wrote, Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint!
What would our founders think of our government today?
The plane I was to take home from Montana was full, and the gate agent announced that because of thin air the plane was unable to take off until 10 people disembarked. He offered to refund the ticket and seat the volunteers free in first class on the next flight.
Instead of an airline trying to fairly resolve a problem, what if the government decided who gets life-saving health care, for example. What if they used a phony document and a FISA court warrant against you because of the way you vote?
Jefferson said: "Experience hath shown that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."
If not for the stubborn determination of Donald Trump to become president, we would be there today, and all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
Ed Huber
Copperhill, Tenn.
Oppose Senate bill to give up schools
As the school board representative for District 2 in Hamilton County, I stand in support of the recent decision by multiple groups and individuals to come out against Senate Bill 1755, the "Schoolhouse Heist Bill." Just this year, Hamilton County made the first $100 million installment on a $320 million maintenance and capital projects deficit the school system faces. That was a big step in the right direction for this county.
Senate Bill 1755 has the potential to kill all future investments in all schools throughout the county and in the state of Tennessee. Why would anyone in Hamilton County support an infrastructure investment in any other part of the county if that municipality can simply take the buildings and leave the taxpayers in Hamilton County with the bill?
We are making progress toward a better school system for all Hamilton County children and becoming the fastest improving school district in Tennessee. Let's work together to continue the investment in our future.
Kathy Lennon
District 2, Hamilton County Board of Education
Fleischmann owned by monied
Congratulations to Chuck Fleischmann on winning the money primary for Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District! In case you've never heard of them, money primaries are the unofficial, undemocratic system that allows a few people with a lot of money to pick who gets to run for office in America.
And that $1 million war chest Chuck's got? Twenty-two thousand dollars of it came from pharmaceutical giants Sanofi, Novo Nordisk and Lilly, who are currently named in a class-action lawsuit for allegedly colluding to price-fix the cost of insulin. Oh, and he is on the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, too.
The people of the 3rd District may be the ones who elect or reject this con man, but his actions show who he truly represents - Big Pharma and anyone else with the money to buy a shady politician.
Laurie Dworak
Red Bank
President serving as (bad) example
I have finally found a way I can be thankful for Trump.
My grandson was blaming others for some problems he had clearly brought on himself. He sounded exactly like Trump. "Of course, I had trouble with this. Johnny messed it all up for me."
I thought a minute, then I said, "You sound just like Trump. When you lie and try to shift blame, you're acting just like Trump."
He was instantly quiet. He's heard Trump many times on the news, and he's old enough to understand the lies and bullying.
So, thank you, Trump, for showing so clearly how not to behave.
Is this really the kind of president we want? Bullying and lying without accountability; also, the boasting of abusing women because he could get away with it because of his fame.
Dorothy Brandt