posted October 30, 2007
It's regrettable that Commissioner Richard Casavant has decided to blame the state of Tennessee and me for an ill-conceived idea of relocating the new Signal Mountain High School. Apparently, in Commissioner Casavant’s mind, the new high school fails miserably to address traffic flow. Now, the commissioner arrogantly wants the state of Tennessee to bail him out of his foolish predicament.
State forestry officials are simply trying to act in the public’s behalf and in good faith as stewards of our environmental treasures by telling him, “No”. The state is not budging right now, so Commissioner Casavant is playing this out in the media by throwing a political tantrum and pointing fingers at innocents.
Had Commissioner Casavant built the high school where he originally promised all the voters, this would never have been an issue by “boxing in” the school. In retrospect, this very political high school project ostensibly obtained our support and votes on the following false pretenses.
In a meeting almost one year ago to date, Commissioner Casavant said that the original reason to relocate the high school was to save $500,000 and prevent building a multi-story high school. Unfortunately, the new high school is still a multi-story high school. Now Commissioner Casavant is trying to peddle an expensive road-building project that destroys state forest, threatens an endangered skullcap flower species and negates any proposed savings.
Commissioner Casavant has also been discussing in private, a county-state forest land swap to destroy more forest if he has his way. In March of 2007, I found surveyors commissioned by Casavant in my back yard and Prentice Cooper State Forest for purposes of building an unauthorized road. Hamilton County and the commissioner were eventually reprimanded by the state for illegally surveying Prentice Cooper State Forest. Fortunately, the state officials are better stewards of our forests than our county commissioner.
When the flood gates of construction eventually open on Signal Mountain, the residents are going to need all the woodland buffers they can keep to prevent eventual destruction of our trees, roadways and privacy. This is not renewable.
Commissioner Casavant has also gouged out the most signature and majestic part of the Shackleford Ridge Park and put three football stadiums in its place. The walking trails for families and retirees who hike for health have been redirected and rebuilt on three separate occasions at great expense to make way for three football fields and additional school development. The newest trails are too steep for some older folks because there is no level southwest border left of Shackleford Ridge Park to complete the trail without entering Prentice Cooper State Forest.
The term “Shackleford Ridge Park” is quickly being replaced by the term, “high school property” even though for 10 years it was marketed primarily as a “park”. Pretty soon nothing will remain of the county park wilderness if the voters and Signal Mountain residents do not realize how this resource is suddenly disappearing.
The only other comparison locally is Baylor High School. Until last year, Baylor School had a single small half mile long road in and out of their location for 100 years. This served well all their football games and sporting events when I attended school there.
One thing for certain, Commissioner Casavant is not a good steward of land resources in Shackleford Ridge Park and, if he has his way, Prentice Cooper Forest.
I urge all Signal Mountain residents to take note and prevent a huge mistake. There are several things you can do. First, call the forestry department and voice your opinion of this travesty. Also, call the county mayor' office and speak to Jeannine Alday. Demand to see a Hamilton County land use plan for Shackleford Ridge Park and see the single-sided, one-page 8.5 x 11 inch map that the commissioner passes off as a land use plan. Remember this, Commissioner Casavant sold us one location and built on another with your votes and mine.
One final thing, Commissioner Casavant, you need to personally take responsibility for your own mistakes and poor decisions. Don’t blame me or the Tennessee State Forestry for not covering your arrogant misguided direction.
Dr. Robert Spalding Jr.
Shackleford Ridge Road
Signal Mountain
Rts9999999@aol.com
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Richard Casavant was up on Signal Mountain last week sharing his idea to plow right through Prentice Cooper State Forest to build a road to Signal Mountain High School. There is already a road to Signal Mountain High School. True, the students might have to drive a little slower and be a little more careful than if they had a direct shot at it, as the road that Richard Cassavant is proposing.
Casavant says that though the endangered skullcap flowers might be destroyed in the process "they can grow elsewhere". One wonders if that might be Casavant's attitude toward trees and nature in general, "not in my backyard".
When asked how much the road would cost, Casavant replied $390,000. But not to worry, citizens of Signal Mountain, would not have to pay for it. What does that mean? So if you pay for something with your tax dollars, you are not really paying for it. Somehow I believe that we will end up paying for this road.
The citizens of Signal have already paid an unprecedented amount for this school, over $10 million. This was another "sweetheart" deal that Casavant and Chip Baker worked out for
us.
When is a state forest truly protected? What else is in store for us out in Prentice Cooper - a Wal-Mart or a mall? I'm sure it would bring in more tax dollars than a bunch of skullcap flowers, but sometimes nature is worth saving. That is why Teddy Roosevelt went to the trouble to make these parks, to keep nature out of the hands of politicians.
Racie Miller
Signal Mountain
* * *
Is it any wonder that District 2 Commissioner Richard Casavant has no
problem with bulldozing a portion of Prentice Cooper State Forest to
build a second road to the high school he helped tax mountain residents twice to build for his developer friends?
He and his crony Chip Baker had no problem with the original "bait and
switch" where one site for the new school (directly on Shackleford Ridge Road with no traffic problems) was "sold" to the citizens only to be swapped (in December, when everyone was focused on the holidays rather than politics) for another site that their buddies preferred.
Never mind that the new site was smack-dab in the middle of miles of
hiking trails built by Sam Powell and countless volunteers including
Eagle Scouts. "Our" representative in county government says "bring on the bulldozers to level the park to build the school, and bring 'em on again to wipe out the state forest to build another road to it."
How ironic that the existing road to the scene of the destruction is
named "Sam Powell Trail." More to the point, what an insult to, and
what a heartbreak for, the dedicated Mr. Powell to see his beloved
trails erased by a school that didn't really need to be built at all...
and certainly not on the site that was railroaded through the School
Board with the commissioner's full knowledge and consent.
The article says "Commissioner Casavant said he expects that if the road is approved that the county would build and maintain it." Well, duh. The county taxpayers already foot the bill for everything else, and RINO (Republican In Name Only) Casavant has never voted against a tax increase in 9+ years in office. Why not one more tax hike, "for the children" (or for the road for the children, anyway)?
How sad that District 2 has such poor representation on the County Commission and the School Board. The 2008 and 2010 elections can't come soon enough.
Joe Dumas
Signal Mountain
joe@joedumas.com
* * *
First of all, the skullcap flower, it is either endangered or it is not. Benefit of the doubt on Casavant possibly being misquoted, but "not very endangered" made me laugh out loud. Isn't that like not very pregnant?
I don't know much about the skullcap flower, but isn't the point that state parks were set up to protect nature in its entirety, not just to protect "endangered nature."
Even though, I myself would stand to benefit from this road since I will have kids at this school, whether it benefits me or not, is not the point. The point is that state parks are set up to be protected and we should not open up that flood gate of what is important enough, in the name of development, to compromise any amount of our state parks.
I think it would be a travesty to start letting politicians decide when it is important enough to take our state park land.
Joe M. Austin
Signal Mountain
* * *
This guy Casavant is made for politics. Voters are fools to be suckered. Taxpayers are sheep to be fleeced. The public trust is a tool to be manipulated for private gain.
All you Signal Mountain chumps suck it in and give it up. Casavant will let you know your arrangements.
David Saluk
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