Traveling committee made to feel welcome

To the Editor:

Sometimes our pubic servants in state government get criticized for being aloof to the interests of their constituents. I found the opposite to be true on a recent visit to Nashville.

On May 13, I traveled with a group of people from Martin to Nashville to deliver, in person, our plan to build a greenway in our city. We came on bicycles and in cars, and four of us rode the entire 140 miles on bicycles in about seven hours.

We were warmly met on the steps of the Capitol by our Rep. Mark Maddox and Marilyn Holland, Chris Christianson and Ed Cole from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Rep. Maddox invited us to wheel our bicycles right into the legislature's building, where he introduced the group to the House Finance Committee. Sen. Roy Herron also took time to greet us and to offer support for the greenway project.

It is a long ride from Martin to Nashville, but our elected representatives and TDOT officials made us feel like the most important people in town and right at home.

We hope to return the hospitality and invite them to Martin to walk on our greenway when it is completed.

Tim Johnston

Chair, Martin Greenway Citizens Advisory Committee

Martin 38237

From the Nashville Tennessean, Friday, May 16, 2003

Found at http://tennessean.com/opinion/letters/archives/03/05/32796037.shtml?Element_ID=32796037