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• Well, I just found out that the [Farragut] Board [of Mayor and Aldermen] has just opted out of getting any government funds to help us poor folks keep our houses in order: energy-wise, weatherization-wise, any kind of home repair and upkeep that we used to get. That’s not fair. We’ve paid our taxes all our lives, and here we are old and poor, [receiving] Medicare and Medicaid. Some of us on food stamps; widows by ourselves. Whoever did that has no right. The Community Action Committee of Knox County, Tennessee, told me that [the day of this call] people like us will be getting no more help because Farragut has opted out. You didn’t ask us; they didn’t take a vote [of the public]. You need to put us back on. [The county spokesman] said I was not the only one that was complaining to her, and she told me to call Town of Farragut and complain, which I did. I want it in the paper so other poor people know they’re not going to get any help either. It’s just not right.
[Editor’s note: Barbara Kelly, CAC executive director, spoke about a Community Development Block Grant, “Our primary source of funding for home repair” assistance for those in need. “Right now the Town of Farragut does not participate in the CDBG program, so we’re not able to use CDBG funds for home repair in the Town of Farragut at this time. ... We’re looking at the possibility of identifying some other resources that we might be able to use.” The caller, and others, are welcome to call Kelly and speak about “other resources” at 865-546-3500.]
• I was just curious of who, in their right mind, decided to put Dollar General [Store] where they put it on Kingston Pike and didn’t even line it up with the traffic light at Old Stage Road? Now, there’s an in and an out with a turn lane turning into Old Stage Road going west. And people going east [are going to be] crossing over that turn lane to turn into Dollar General. What in the world, and who in the world, made this very unwise decision? And it’s such a crazy place for a store. It’s amazing. All up and down Kingston Pike in Farragut there is building after building that doesn’t have anybody in them. Just messy, messy, messy. We have friends that come from different places around the United States — and they cannot believe that a town with the houses and everything that we do have has only one shopping area. And everything is going and being put out of business up and down Kingston Pike in Farragut. It makes absolutely no sense.
