TODAY’S BIBLE VERSE
Trenary’s good work, great spirit
I did not know Memphis Chamber CEO Phil Trenary personally, and I had only touched upon him professionally on occasion while in a room during meetings that I attended while serving as the director of operations for the Millington Area Chamber of Commerce years ago. Little did I know, or recognize at that time, what a great man he was and how fortunate I was to be in his presence to absorb his knowledge and wisdom.
Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t until a
One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7 few days ago — when I read about his untimely passing and subsequently read the many testimonial accolades and memories written about him from almost everybody of note in this city and afar — that I came to realize what a special and important ambassador for Memphis he was.
I am not an emotional person who writes personal sentiments in such a public forum, but I felt compelled to write. I wish that I had worked with and around him more. I wish I had personally recognized his love for this city more. Memphis has suffered a tremendous loss at a time when it is beginning to experience an explosion of positive growth on so many levels.
Mr. Trenary had a greatness of spirit, charm and personality to envision and champion all that he held dear about Memphis. He held this love close to his heart and wore it openly on his sleeve to share with everybody around him within earshot, from the big corporate executives near and far to the little Memphis storefront owner and the common man on the street. He was an executive economic development leader and visionary who at the same time recognized and embodied the hopes and dreams and the true grit of the everyday bluecollar “Joe” and those less fortunate. He embodied the greatness that is Memphis heart and soul.
This city has suffered a tremendous loss, but as our long-storied history has exhibited time-after-time — Memphis strives on loss and adversity. From great tragedy, it has become stronger. It has persevered. It built its character and strength by weeding out the weak from the strong, and it will prove this once again. When one hits rock bottom, there is no way to go but up. Mr. Trenary built a strong base and legacy that we can never forget or take for granted by con-
LETTERS
tinuing to move forward as a tribute to him.
Rest in peace Mr. Trenary, and God speed to your family, friends and colleagues. Phil Trenary has now left the building, and in the immortal words of Elvis Presley, “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Teri Flannagan, Atoka
Why can’t we feel safer in Memphis?
I live in downtown Memphis. Mere blocks from where Phil Trenary was gunned down. A couple hundred yards from where multiple people were shot at Purple Haze nightclub a few weeks ago. Fifty feet from where an off-duty member of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department was shot a few months ago.
These high-profile cases are just a few of the many murders, shootings and assaults that plague our city. Many cities across America deal with the same circumstances that make Memphis a breeding ground for crime, including high rates of poverty, strained public education systems, criminal gangs and illegal drugs.
Many of these cities have also managed to decrease, sometimes greatly, rates of violent crime even as they work to mitigate the factors that contribute to criminal activity, such as those mentioned above. No one I know believes Memphis is going to turn into Xanadu overnight, if ever. And no one with whom I talk longs for that. Most of us realize deep-rooted issues must be addressed to make Memphis a livable place for all Memphians.
That said, of 19,354 areas in the United States designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as cities, 19,350 of them are safer than Memphis (Forbes named Memphis “America’s 4th Most Dangerous City” in 2018). Is it too much to expect a level of public safety that, at the very least, ends our perennial designation as one of America’s Most Dangerous Cities?
There are 19,350 cities that have managed to pull this off. Surely, that bar can’t be unreachably high. Or, to sum it up in three simple words: No. More. Excuses.
Keith Goldberg, Memphis