by Ruth Robinson
posted May 14, 2008
) Photo by Ruth Robinson Karen Stone, center was the speaker for the Signal Mountain Lions Club meeting. She was introduced by Lion Jerry Pala, right. Lion Jason Davidson, left, presided. |
In her vision, "It's unbelievable what is on the other side of the river. There is more variety of plants in a botanic garden there than anywhere except in China." she said.
"It's a big, new concept of a national park in downtown Chattanooga that is unique," she said. "We will not have it without citizen participation. If Chattanooga wants it, people will have to open their pocketbooks."
A feasibility study is now underway for an interpretive center to be built with private and public funding. "We plan a fund drive in the fall and hope to have the center in two years."
Other aspects of the vision include a recreated Indian town, a night sound and light show, a cog train, a water taxi, Indian sculptures, restaurants, meeting rooms and films about Moccasin Bend during the Civil War and another on the people who were there 10,000 years before.
She compared the financial impact on Chattanooga of the completed park with that of other visitor sites such as the Aquarium.
Already contributions have made possible a fall lecture series featuring nationally renowned speakers, a summer intern who researched, wrote and recorded Moccasin Bend Moments, radio spots heard on WSMC Classical Radio 90.5 FM, and exploration and preliminary planning for a new Chattanooga Southeast Native American Fine Arts and Culture Festival.
During the meeting it was announced that the next meeting, the annual picnic, would be held at the Nolan soccer field beginning at 6:30 p.m. May 27.
A feature of the meeting will be a tour of the new middle and high school, which will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the rear of the middle school.
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