Greg Ezell, Council and Mayor,
I was at those meetings two years ago and recall that the number one response of the citizens was to clean up our town and not the Exit 1 project. It was discussed that our town needed to be cleaned up first.

In this economy we must think of our necessities first. While the beautification of Exit 1 would be nice, our infrastructure needs attention. If people get off Exit 1 because it is pretty, what are they going to think if they come a couple of miles down the road?

Our city has always been known by the community feeling of its residents. Our residents who wonder where the money for their next house or insurance payment is going to come from are having a hard time wanting to spend $400,000 of taxpayer money on the beautification of exit one.

Exit one by name is a problem. As people get off now, it is simply just that, an exit. It shows no signs of it being an exit to a city. When our town fixes up our streets to look like a city, it is at the other end of town. A simple fix, and, yes, less costly, would be to have "Welcome to East Ridge" banners or small flags on street lights and poles at the exit on one end. Decorations denoting holidays or events as soon as you get off would give more feeling of a city. Matching grants from the city for small business owners to change the facade or appearance of their businesses and a partnership with the city for landscaping would start that process. We can start small and as business grows add more.

The thought of a flag memorial is a great idea on a smaller scale. A $400,00 flag memorial is not the answer to make our city better. When the flag project was started it was thought that it would be paid for by grants, fundraising and donations and not taxpayer dollars.

Last year on Dec. 17, the state of Tennessee awarded over $600,00 in grants to 12 cities for landscaping and beautification of their cities. Close neighbors of Cleveland and Lakesite were recipients of these grants. Did we even apply?

The residents of East Ridge built this city, not city government. It was the dream of citizens not government that has made us progress. There are so many valuable assets in this city in its residents that are never used. It was groups of citizens who made Camp Jordan, Pioneer Frontier and many other dreams come true, not government.

As a resident of East Ridge for the past 30 years, these were my family's dreams also, and as a family, we worked with our neighbors to make them happen. Our community is capable of making many dreams come true if they are allowed. Instead of our citizens supporting the government, let the government support the citizens in this task. It will bring pride back to our citizens for a job well done.

Mimi Lowrey
Proud citizen of a great community