On a Facebook page named Hardin Valley Rocks, Diana Brach noted a hand-drawn sign on a building near King University: “Eat Mor Chikin.” She asked, “Could it be?”
Kim Frazier, Knox County commissioner at-large, was quick to respond:
“It is!” And Frazier added new info: “And Hardin Valley Road will gain a fifth lane from Pelli west to the light at the intersection in front of [the new] Chick-fil-A.
“The TDOT improvements to the Pelli / HV Road intersection were helpful, but more mitigation is needed and engineers are monitoring traffic patterns.
“TTCDA and county engineering also worked with Chick-fil-A to keep all ‘stacking of vehicles’ inside of their parking area,” Frazier posted.
Reaction was generally positive because the growing area needs more eating options and Chick-fil-A is a favorite of kids.
But some respondents were catty: “It’s the Lord’s chicken, so let the Lord take care of the traffic.”
It’s a good problem to have, I guess, but traffic congestion follows the Chick almost everywhere it roosts. On Emory Road near I-75, Knox County finally installed yellow barriers to keep westbound traffic from turning south across traffic. CFA partisans accused Knox County of discrimination, but fender benders were reduced. In Fountain City, there are not so many wrecks but the traffic patterns of the Chick-fil-A have disrupted traffic on Broadway, Rennoc and Knox roads.
Speaking of chaos
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry was in Tennessee June 15, 2024, speaking to the state GOP fundraiser. Everybody wants facetime at this event, and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs delivered the invocation. Landry went home and, on Wednesday, signed legislation requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom in Louisiana.
Jeff Landry
“I can’t wait to be sued,” Landry told the Republicans, according to The Tennessean. He says the Ten Commandments contain valuable lessons for students. “If you want to respect the rule of law, you’ve got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.”
OK. The Ten Commandments can’t hurt anybody, I thought, and went online to find the exact wording. But there is no exact wording. The Torah has a text, the King James version has another and more recent translations have different language. Not sure if Gov. Landry is going to chisel the language into stone and provide it to every public-school classroom. Maybe he will just expect each class’s room mothers to sell donuts to buy the required posting.
The Ten Commandments are like the signs kids are used to seeing at places likes parks and swimming pools:
- No running, no skateboards, no picking the flowers;
- No laughing, no splashing, no weird superpowers;
- No horseplay, no shoving, no climbing on towers;
- And remember, have fun now!
We humbly offer this version for Louisiana:
- No lying, no cheating, don’t covet his wife;
- No cursing, no killing, on Sundays (Saturdays if you’re Jewish) no strife;
- No stealing, no odd gods, and honor your parents.
- And remember, have fun now!
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today Inc.