Dear Editor,

The Polk County High School Wildcat Basketball team would like to thank all those who showed their support by attending the 3rd Annual Tip-Off Dinner. The team would also like to thank the local businesses and individuals that were unable to attend but made contributions to the dinner. The dinner was a big success and we look forward to its growth in the future. The Wildcats are looking forward to the 2009-2010 season and appreciate the community’s support.

Thank you,

Rusty Brewer

PCHS Boys Basketball

To the Editor:

I suppose it was inevitable that the rockslide in the gorge would lead to a big push from the people who will profit from building a four-lane road through Polk County. The road builders will make millions, the politicians will make thousands (“campaign contributions”), and the big landowners who can influence the route will do just fine. Another wave of self-righteous indignation against those nasty outsiders was also inevitable. How dare they think the national forest is more important than my commute to Cleveland? I fully expect a few more editorials thundering against those who think “plants are more important than people” and quite a few more promising that an interstate highway through the wilderness won’t harm it at all.

But still, when you see your friends about to make a big mistake, you feel like you ought to say something. Even if you know they’re probably going to get all loud and self-righteous and try to blame you for their problems. Yes, we need to fix the river road. I’ve been saying that for years. I go through there at least once a week. And yes, I know how far it is from Ducktown to Tellico Plains. I also know how far it is over the Kimsey and a few ways to get from Coker Creek to Childers Creek. But no, a bypass is not a good idea. For one thing, just because it’s a four-lane doesn’t mean it isn’t going to have rockslides. Isn’t it amazing how everyone is ignoring the obvious fact that Interstate 40 is closed due to a rockslide, and is likely to remain closed longer than 64?

It would take years to build this road, and we need help now. (A lot of us probably won’t live long to see it even if it is built.) The environmental groups will fight any new road to the bitter end, and I think they should. The national forests were established for all Americans – not just us – and they should stand forever. After all, they aren’t making any more of it. It just flat doesn’t make sense to build new roads to carry truck traffic with all our energy and pollution problems. Instead of continuing to subsidize the trucking industry with billions of our taxpayer dollars, we ought to rebuild the railroads. They are a much more energy efficient way to carry freight.

The economic argument is based on a study that’s decades old. It was done long before the development of our tourism economy. Yes, a four lane will probably bring a few more gas stations, fast food places, and motels to Ducktown, if that’s what you mean by “economic development.” But it will also destroy our tourism economy. Tourists don’t come here to see interstate highways and toll plazas. They come because we still have something that’s special and beautiful and wild. Face it, we just don’t have the infrastructure to attract manufacturing, and that isn’t going to change just because we have a new road. Blue Ridge has lost the manufacturing it had and can’t attract any new industry. In fact, they’ve pretty much given up trying, because it’s hopeless. And Blue Ridge already has a four-lane road. What makes you think Ducktown is going to be any different?

We could fix the river road right now, and it would make a real difference. Even if a bypass is built, the river road will probably carry as much traffic as it does now, with people going rafting, tourists going to the Whitewater Center, and people using it to avoid the toll on the bypass. (Will you pay a $5 or $6 toll every time you go to Cleveland and back?) The road through the gorge will have to be fixed eventually, so why do you think they don’t want to fix it now?

The boosters seem to think that the wonderful, benevolent government wants to build this hideously expensive road just so we can get to back and forth to Cleveland a little faster. I’m sorry, but it just isn’t so. They want to build it to take all the truck traffic off I-40 west of Asheville. The truckers have been screaming about it for years, because they have to stay in the right lane. It’s going to be a truck route, it’s going to be a toll road, and it’s going to be scary enough that our old people probably won’t want to drive on it. If you have no idea what it would be like to have I-40 rolling through Ducktown, why don’t you ride over there and take a look? After all, we’re about to make a decision that will affect this area forever. We ought to make it on the basis of the facts, not false hopes and crazy dreams of instant economic prosperity.

Highway 64 should have been fixed a long ago, for safety reasons alone. TDOT hasn’t done it because they are holding our safety hostage to a four-lane bypass. I hate to tell you, but we’re really only a pawn in a much bigger game. We’re like lambs being led to the slaughter, but it’s much worse than that. We’re like lambs demanding to be led to the slaughter.

Clyde Holler

Morganton, Georgia

Dear Editor,

The family of Glenn and Darrell Long want to express their extreme appreciation to all the people who helped us during and after the wreck on July 2, 2009. We want to thank each one who aided them before and after the rescue arrived.  A special thanks to the ambulance team who worked so hard to save Darrell and the ones from the helicopter team. Thanks to Earl Moorhouse, Richard Chastain and David Collins for helping get Darrell out of the truck and to Anne Walsh who we were told helped with Darrell until the medical team arrived.

We want to thank all our family and friends for all the prayers, food, phone calls and money. Also, thank you to all the churches for all the prayers, money and food. We don’t know all the names of everyone who helped us during this time but we don’t want to leave anyone out. You have all been a blessing to us. Glenn and Darrell are both doing better now. Darrell is one of God’s miracles. He is still mending. He has come a long way in a short time. Glenn is mending too. He is almost back to walking normal. We thank God we still have both of them. But we want to than each and every one for all the support, calls, money and food. From all of us, we love all of you.

Glenn, Judy, Rachel, Catrina & Darrell Long

Dear Editor,

I read the letter written about Ducktown School by John Fowler. I think it is a good idea and you can count me in. I drove to the school and agree that something needs to be done to make the place presentable again. It is a shame for a great building like this one to go neglected for so long a time.

Ron O'Neal used to do repairs there but since he has left the 4th Fractional Township it has gone down hill. There are trees that have fallen near the road that need to be removed. There is trash that need to be picked up, grass that needs to be cut, we need to use "Round Up" or something to kill the grass that grows up through the pavement. I think people will volunteer to work there if someone would head it up.

We have three members of the 4th Fractional Township. If they would call a meeting and ask for volunteers I am sure people would respond. We might have more help than we could use. I have a Roll Back Wrecker with a good winch. I could pull the fallen trees out of the way. I am sure someone would be glad to get them for firewood. I have a Commercial Lawn Mower and a couple weed eaters that we can use.

Let’s get together and clean up the Old School that we all love so much. Thanks to John Fowler for getting this going. Sounds like we might want to have him on the Township next time. We don't want the Ducktown School Building to be trashed like the ones in Copperhill and Isabella. I still say that the Ducktown is one of the best school buildings in the State Of Tennessee.

I retired from the Navy as a Fire Marshal and Fire Inspector. I inspected Ducktown School before it closed. You couldn't burn that building down if you tried. I still say the people that had it closed down were wrong. We never had a fire there that I know of and I know of no one ever being seriously hurt there in any other way. We need to do something with the School Building now.

When Ray Odom, Bill Crouch and Bob Barclay were members of the Township we had money in the bank and only spent the interest. That was good. We need to stick to this policy as we no longer have funds coming in from the Township Property. 

Max Payne

Copperhill Resident