New York Times’ criticism of monument misplaced

The New York Times, in an editorial, criticized New York City’s monument to the women’s suffrage movement for not including African American women. It also took the opportunity to praise the way Memphis plans to honor the memory of important figures in the movement when it unveils its monument, “Equality Trailblazers,” on August 18.

In Memphis and across Tennessee, Paula Casey is recognized as the mother of the effort to memorialize the 12 women – and one man -- in the downtown monument. Our monument correctly depicts five African American pioneers, including anti-lynching crusader and journalist Ida B. Wells and suffragist Mary Church Terrell.

It also honors three courageous women I’ve had the privilege to call my friends: the civil rights legend Maxine Smith; Lois Deberry, the first female Speaker of the Tennessee General Assembly; and Minerva Johnican, the first African American woman to serve on the Shelby County Commission and Memphis City Council. They were true trailblazers.

Steve Cohen, Congressman

Let public comment on Tom Lee Park changes

I am writing to fully support John Doyle’s May 3 guest column regarding proposed changes to Tom Lee Park. Memphians should hear the full facts and be afforded the opportunity to voice their opinion of the major redesign of Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive being proposed by the River Parks Partnership. No changes to this important part of our riverfront should be undertaken without a well-advertised, formal public hearing.

A traffic analysis of the proposed narrowing of Riverside Drive from four lanes to two lanes must be presented. A narrow, two-lane Riverside Drive will impact traffic between Interstate 55 and Downtown for the 350 days each year that Memphis in May (MIM) is not on the Park. This is anathema to the goal of Memphis in May to improve Downtown Memphis business each and every day of the year.

Tom Lee Park was enlarged by the US Corps of Engineers in 1990 to stabilize the bluff and protect the new houses built on top of the bluff. The City of Memphis raised Tom Lee Park above the 100-year flood stage and then constructed the parking lot and a serpentine network of concrete walkways designed and constructed to accommodate the spaces and heavy vehicular traffic needed to support the MIM attractions including the Beale Street Music Festival and the World Championship Barbecue Contest. After over 25 years of use, it is hard to find a single crack in the original walkways.

Currently, a visitor can see the vista of the Mississippi River from anywhere on Tom Lee Park and so can motorists on Riverside Drive. The proposed heavy landscaping of the Park will impair sightlines of the river and require visitors to walk through the trees up to the riverbank to take in a full view of the Mighty Mississippi.

Unless MIM is in full agreement with the changes to the Park, nothing should be done that will jeopardize MIM remaining in Memphis - on the Mississippi River - and in Tom Lee Park. Downtown hotels, restaurants, homebuilders and entertainment venues have invested heavily in Downtown Memphis in support of MIM.

The city business leaders cannot afford to lose the 150,000 visitors and 130 million dollars that are spent each year during the MIM Festivals. The Harahan Bridge walkway, the light shows on both our bridges, Bass Pro, Redbirds Stadium and the Fedex Forum are just some of the great downtown attractions that will suffer if MIM leaves Tom Lee Park or is forced to drastically scale back its activities.

I have just finished my 23rd year of volunteering for MIM during the Beale Street Music Festival and I am now volunteering during this week’s Barbecue Contest. In past years, the stone-lined riverbank along Tom Lee Park has always been kept clean and clear of trash and unwanted vegetation.

I was very disappointed to see Willow trees - 6 to 10 feet tall - growing up through the stone along the river bank and large driftwood tree trunks and branches scattered along the bank in an ugly mass.

If this is any indication of the level of maintenance that will be provided for the heavily landscaped changes in Tom Lee Park as proposed by River Park Partnership, we will again be wasting money on a Riverfront project that will fall into disrepair.

I am eagerly awaiting the outcome of Mayor Strickland’s arbitration between Memphis in May and the River Park Partnership that will have a major impact on the future of Downtown Memphis.

Richard Hoffman, Collierville

Signs needed when streets close

When a street is blocked on its south end (turning an otherwise through street into a dead end street) would it not be logical for the City to place a sign on the north end of the street to warn drivers: “No Thru Traffic During Month of May”, thereby notifying Memphis drivers as well as tourists that they must find another route?

A sign on the north end of Wagner (at Union) is what did not happen when Wagner/beale was blocked on the weekend of May 11 and 12, but Wagner/union remained open with no warning to drivers. Consequently, car after car rumbled leisurely down Wagner only to confront barriers at Wagner/beale. Cars then had to maneuver to turn around in a confined area made more difficult if there were cars lined up behind the first car to do the exact same maneuver. (Fortunately, so far there has not been a traffic mishap, but it could only be a matter of time.)

This is not the first time the “streetblocked-confusion” has happened during Memphis In May, but hopefully, one year common sense will prevail.

Meredith Hardin, Memphis

Don’t move MIM

As a Downtown business owner, I am excited each April knowing that May is just around the corner, and with it comes the arrival downtown of thousands of Memphians and out of town guests for the annual Memphis in May events. The massive influx of people downtown in May is vital to the success of the businesses my husband and I own, City Market and Quench Wine & Liquor, as it is to all other Downtown merchants, restaurants and hotels.

Because of this, I’m troubled by the

Lakeland needs high school

We moved to Lakeland two years ago from Parkland in South Florida. We were looking for a place to buy a property and send our kids to good schools. In Parkland, the school system was great but overcrowded and I just had invested in the real estate business in Memphis and the metro area.

Our first choice was Collierville, however, as soon as we went to the schools we saw a multitude of kids and the same situation we had before in Parkland. That was when we were told about this small town Lakeland and it’s brand-new middle school. My wife and kids got excited and so did I. The price of the homes were so much lower and the school was beautiful. On top of all that, we heard about the elementary school having so many rewards and it was recognized by the state with the blue ribbon. When you are from South America and you make it here into the U.S. one of the major things to consider is the security and the education of your kids . ...

Also, our schools are being recognized as never before. Today more than 90 kids from elementary school were admitted on the National Elementary Honor Society, my daughter was one. The middle school they got first place in every category of the Music in the Parks in Pigeon Forge band and orchestra less than two weeks ago.

When you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, you take chances to improve your business and you plan, you analyze and you sometimes leverage “lost of times” and when you see that the seeds you are planting are growing and the results are great you keep on planting and expanding.

That’s what we need to do in Lakeland we need to finish the school system and let this young generation rise up to their potential. The teachers and the schools we have shown that they can and these young kids are eager to make it happen.

Aigo Pyles, Lakeland