Let's Make Bessie Proud Again

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I am writing to encourage the mayor's office and the City Council to do everything in their powers to help make the New Bessie Smith Strut sponsored by the Bessie Smith Cultural Center a reality. 

  It is regrettable that one of the very institutions that has for decades help bring the diverse citizens of our great city together has recently become a point of contention. The mayor's recommended improvements of fencing and tighter admission controls have been needed for some time, and thankfully the thought of moving the Strut from MLK Boulevard adjacent to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center to the riverfront has galvanized the community into action.

 

 Hopefully, insurance and other requirements for a safe and well managed event are within reach, and the great tradition of bringing people together that the Strut has always represented will live on. Let's make Bessie proud again.

Garnet Chapin


Leave Lincoln Park Alone

I am saddened and disappointed that city officials are planning on placing a road through the former site of Lincoln Park.   Lincoln Park was a rare source of enjoyment and entertainment for African Americans, where families came together for relaxation and celebration.   The park was a preferred destination for African Americans throughout the local region and residents ... (click for more)

Roy Exum: Hypocrisy And Horses

I am still wincing over the fact a horrendous bill passed in the state legislature that would make whistle-blowers into criminals would have actually gone into law had it not been for Governor Bill Haslam’s eleventh-hour veto. Called the “Ag-Gag bill,” similar efforts in other states have also soured because it is no more than a Catch-22 trick to protect those who abuse animals, ... (click for more)

Lee, 5 Juveniles Charged In Multiple Robberies

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Head Of BB&T's Chattanooga Commercial Banking Operations To Plead Guilty To Making Fraudulent Loans

The head of BB&T's Chattanooga commercial banking operations has been charged by federal authorities with making fraudulent loans. Tracy Brown is set to plead guilty to bank fraud on June 4. Authorities said Brown "appropriated the identities of three customers and took out fraudulent loans in their names. In October 2012, a customer of BB&T, D.M., went to the Ooltewah ... (click for more)

Ooltewah Hires Massey To Take Over Softball Program

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – While the prep athletic spotlight is on Spring Fling, Ooltewah High School managed to make news Thursday afternoon. Jon Massey, who formerly played and coached baseball at Ooltewah High School, has been hired as the Lady Owls’ new softball coach. Massey, who turns 49 next month, replaces veteran Norma Nelson, who was fired on May 14 after 20 years ... (click for more)

Silverdale Strikes Back To Bounce Decatur County, 6-2, For Shot At Title

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Talk about resiliency. Three-time defending state Class A champion Decatur County Riverside routed Silverdale Baptist Academy, 18-1, Thursday to force a winner-take-all showdown and determine the upper bracket winner at Middle Tennessee Christian’s Joe Baron Field. Decatur County had the momentum. Silverdale had its horse on the mound – senior ... (click for more)