March 16, 2009

3/15/2009 Letters to the Editor

Thanks for the honor

An open letter to the citizens of Cleburne:

What an honor it was to be in Cleburne on Texas Independence Day for the 6th annual Cleburne Christian Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

I am humbled and privileged to have been selected as honoree for this year’s prayer breakfast.

I offer sincere thanks to Lonnie Holliday, the members of the Prayer Breakfast Leadership Committee, and all those who were able to attend. I also want to thank Mayor Ted Reynolds for presenting me a Certificate of Recognition and Appreciation from the city. It was most thoughtful.

I have always been proud to call Cleburne, Texas, my hometown. Its people and values contributed in so many ways to any success I may have achieved as a man, husband, father and Air Force officer.

You all can be very thankful for the Cleburne Christian Business Club and the local Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and all they contribute to making Cleburne a great place to live, work and raise a family.

Jeff Beene

CHS Class of 1978,

Colonel, USAF (ret.)

‘Pillars’ should not be allowed

For almost 60 years I have joined the hundreds, even thousands, of dedicated parents, grandparents, Cleburne ISD and Sunday School teachers, Camp Fire, Girl Scout, Boy Scout and other youth leaders in working with children and youth.

Our efforts as teachers, leaders, mentors, parents and grandparents have been to influence children and youth to choose a high moral lifestyle.

I am appalled that the Cleburne ISD deliberately works against our efforts by requiring — even offering — a book like “Pillars of the Earth.”

Having read a few excerpts from the book, I can honestly say it is the vilest, most de-grading, and filthy material I have ever read.

I can think of no possible way “Pillars of the Earth” or any book of its caliber could have a positive, uplifting effect upon anyone much less students who are still in their formative years.

I commend Dr. and Mrs. Ted Benke, Dr. Barney Maddox, Pete Kendall and all others who have made us, the public (and taxpayers), aware of the nature of this book and controversy that surrounds it.

Wilma Reed

Cleburne

What will it take?

My question is how many more lives are going to be lost before something is going to be done about the death trap on the ramp in front of Home Depot?

I don’t know who hired the drunk that designed that loop, but now that there are so many trucks on it, it is even more dangerous. All of the exit ramps are dangerous to exit.

My husband has to take that highway and exit to work every day, along with a lot of others trying to support their families.

There was another bad wreck there last week involving two tractor trailers and a car. Our children are driving on these roads too. They may be safe drivers, but you have to watch out for the other guy.

The on ramp on the south side needs to be moved about 50-75 feet to the east so the people who can’t read the signs that say don’t cross don’t try to dart across the road.

The trucks coming through there don’t have time to stop if they are going the speed limit.

The road there is too narrow for the exits and on ramps; it’s dangerous for both.

There have been too many lives lost and too many lives turned upside down because of wrecks at that intersection. So, is anything going to be done?

Do we have to get a petition to get our highways safe for our citizens?

Linda Garner

Cleburne

Time to stop rinky-dink thinking

Every time there is an accident on U.S. 67, it closes down the whole road for miles.

This is the third such incident in the recent past. That road was constructed when the speed limit was still 55 mph. Now the speed limit is 65 mph.

The highway department stretched out the turn off lanes, but it needs more.

U.S. 67 needs to be made into a four-lane, divided highway like it is between Keene and Alvarado.

How many more accidents are going to happen until then? U.S. 67 needs a frontage road alongside it with on and off ramps, not two-direction loopty-loops as present.

They don’t allow drivers to gain enough speed to really merge into traffic because the drivers on the loop don’t want to slow down for you.

Ya’ll are still thinking of Cleburne as a rinky-dink town. The amount of traffic that comes through and around it proves that it isn’t one anymore.

Start thinking more like a big city. Big cities have traffic signals on their loops, not just occasional stop signs.

Loops need warning signals along with their stop signs.

Those who think they might want to cross the loop need to be warned to stop, and those on the loop need to be cautioned against such tomfoolery as thinking they might cross that road.

Go look at Lufkin if you don’t believe me.

When their loop was starting out, traffic signals were installed. Nothing in particular was out there yet.

They just had a bunch of log trucks traveling on it.

Have you ever seen log trucks? All those pine trees piled up between stakes on a trailer, with one itty-bitty chain over it, one itty-bitty hook fastening that chain.

Being next to them on the highway is scary.

Houston has frontage roads to access their freeways. I had never seen loopty-loops till we moved to Arlington in 1994. They are ridiculous and a waste of good road access.

Diesel trucks need more room for turning than cars do.

Remember when trucks were crossing the loop between the two access roads and causing lots of accidents?

I almost had an accident when an 18-wheeler crossed the loop in front of me at the Texas 174 entrances right in front of Home Depot.

There is no reason for two diesel trucks to hit each other head-on for lack of room on that road. Divide it with esplanades in between.

That way if a diesel truck needs to get off suddenly, they have someplace to go besides into an approaching vehicle.

I drive all the back roads to prevent having to get on the loop because it is so dangerous.

We live 15 minutes from town, or 4.5 to 5 miles away. Going the back streets is faster than getting on the loop. Least I won’t get run over by a diesel, I hope.

Theresa Williamson

Cleburne

Smith Center needs to be built now

According to reporting in the Times-Review a proposal was presented to the city council to expedite the construction on the Smith Center.

Most citizens are not aware that the museum must now house many of its artifacts in storage buildings all over the city.

Some of these storage areas are not optimal, and we are gambling on the preservation of many items.

Now there is a reasonable compromise that would allow these items to be in a proper site some time next year.

I have read that the city is concerned that the recession could deepen, and we will need these funds for our daily operating funding.

Most of these funds were given by some of our finest citizens for a specific purpose. These are not tax-driven funds but are extra gifts for a specific purpose!

These gifts could, and should, be reclaimed by the donor if they are not used for the specific purpose.

This is enough of a reason to expedite the re-building of the Smith Center, however, there is a more important reason to begin this project.

One of the main reasons North Central Texas is not as affected by the recession is the continued commercial building in our area.

We all know the Barnett Shale is a big contributor to our economy, but it is not sufficient to keep our construction workers busy. We must also act to keep these jobs active in our community.

If we refuse to use the funds we already have to open jobs in our community, we are no different from the major banks that took government money to open credit then promptly sat on that money because they wanted to take care of themselves first and always.

As you fellow small businesses know, you can forget about help from the major banks. When our local government refuses to spend money in hand to expand the local payroll, they are making the same mistake that lengthened the great depression four or more years past its natural recovery.

If we were talking about borrowing massive funds, the arguments would be different, but we are simply talking about using dedicated funds for necessary projects.

Put North Texans to work. Use the funds for the good of Cleburne and Johnson County.

Fight the recession by prudently putting our city funds to work.

This proposal would not raise our taxes. It would not deplete our operating fund.

It is simply a forward-thinking plan to finish a project that has been on the back burner far too long. Build the Smith Center, and build it now with the funds available.

If property comes available for a northwest Cleburne park that is suitable, we can find a way to fund that project, but don’t continue to hoard funds when there is no property.

Begin the Smith Center project now and put people to work.

Dennis Kissell

Cleburne