Letters From Our Readers

Helping the growth of downtown Huntsville

To the editor:

Members of Huntsville First enjoyed a special treat on Thursday, April 19, when they met with downtown merchants at King’s Candies. In addition to fresh lemonade and other goodies, the group was treated to an enthusiastic presentation on Huntsville’s Main Street program given by Harold Hutcheson (better known as “Hutch”).

Hutch is a treasure, hidden or otherwise, for Huntsville and is dedicated to seeing our downtown area thrive.

The members of Huntsville First chose to meet with downtown merchants in order to examine how the organization might work with and encourage further development and vibrancy downtown especially in light of the spotlight focused on downtown in the Huntsville Horizon Comprehensive Plan.

Huntsville First is available to assist our Main Street coordinator and the downtown merchants as they devlop plans for the future. For those residents who do not know Hutch or do not know much about the Main Street program, please stop by his office on the square.

You will be impressed with the program but even more impressed by the man behind the Main Street program, Harold Hutcheson. Thanks to King’s Candies for allowing Huntsville First to host the meeting.

Nancy Franklin

Huntsville First, spokesperson

Huntsville

Responding to Sunday guest column

To the editor:

I was significantly misrepresented in an article on the Sunday Opinion page that purported itself to be factual, and I hope you will allow for a brief response.

The statement that “Wayne Barrett categorically [is] opposed to economic incentives for retail businesses” is, itself, categorically false, and such a summation bears little resemblance to the extensive, positive ideas I shared with the committee from the group calling itself “Huntsville First.”

Their summation makes me wonder if there is another Wayne Barrett in town with whom they spoke.

I was also left off the listing of candidates who were cited as the “only” ones who have a “positive outlook and voiced support for critical economic developments such as Ravenwood Village.”

My campaign and outlook for Huntsville are entirely positive, and my guess is that I speak more about needed economic development initiatives in Huntsville than anyone else running.

This kind of self-serving misrepresentation of residents who are participating in the public discourse regarding Huntsville’s welfare is one of the major problems we have in our city right now. We can do better.

In its future efforts to “fulfill its mission to inform the public,” I hope that “Huntsville First” will try harder to put truth first.

Wayne Barrett

Huntsville

Long-range vision for the community

To the editor:

On May 12, our city will be involved in an election which will determine its future for many years to come. We have a small group of residents who, for whatever reason, appear to be negative about everything, and attempts to suppress every progressive project presented to them.

In this election, we have an opportunity to elect a man who, through his service on numerous committees and civic projects has a working knowledge of city affairs and, through his long-time involvement with our university, has developed and sustained a close relationship with the administration at SHSU, a lifetime of personal and professional fiscal responsibility and the unique ability to have a positive outlook for our city’s future.

This man is George D. Miles, Jr., and I urge you to vote for him and his long-range vision for our community.

Leroy Wilkinson

Huntsville

Reporting on the news

To the editor:

Following your practice of editorial censorship over your readers and customers on the subject of our newest TIRZ, one would think that

The Item would report on Thursday afternoon’s votes (4-19-07) as news rather than like a head cheerleader leading cheers for a touchdown.

William M. Menger

Huntsville