Please feel free to cut and paste the following to email to the Governor of Tennessee. Email to [email protected] ---- Dear Governor Bredesen, I am writing today to address the issue of closing of US 129, known as The Dragon. During the week of April 28 to May 1, 2010 I will be part of a 700 member strong group of MINI Cooper enthusiasts that visits the area for our annual MINIs on the Dragon event. 2010 is our eighth annual event. Not only do we like to enjoy a few drives along The Dragon but we give back to the area that has embraced our annual event. Among the events are a canned food drive to support the local food bank, we also collect cash donations to distribute to local charities. While we may have the headquarters at Fontana Village we have many events that take us to attractions and local businesses found in Tennessee. Like many of the other car clubs that visit the area we support the local businesses. The closure of US 129 from the Tennessee line has many of our members rethinking their 2010 vacation plans. We do understand the safety aspects another rock slide may bring and respectfully ask that current situation be remedied as expediently as possible allowing as many groups as possible access to the road and area. Thank you for your consideration, ---
Just wanted to point out that "eighth" is missing the "h" :wink5: good idea with the letter template. I'll be sending one in
Nice letter Nathan, much better than my first draft: Yo Phil, My associates from New York will be arriving shortly to partake in this road you call the Dragon. It has been brought to our attention that you personally are being a d*@#bag and holding up the process of cleaning up this mess. This is very disappointing news. My associates are very displeased. We hope you can correct this situation. I shall have "Four Fingers" and "Lefty" not pack the heat, baseball bats and cement bags till we hear back you. Respectfully Yours, Da MINI Community
I've also posted a link to this tread on m|u and the sewing site where hopefully the latter will not remove it since it links to "the competition".
Done. I felt Like I needed to play all the cards, so mentioned that my family hails from the great state of TN and I had a cousin who died with Davy Crocket at the Alamo. Jim
Email sent and we and other Texans still plan to be there! Nathan, I think we are up to 9 people and 5 MINIs from HHS going!
On March 15, 2010 a rock slide occured 2 miles south of Chilhowee Dam on US129 closing both lanes of traffic. On March 19, 2010, traffic was blocked at the North Carolina and Tennessee state line preventing access to 11 miles of US129, commonly known as the Dragon. This road block also prevents access from Parson's Branch Road and the Calderwood Dam area. On March 24, 2010, TNDOT released a reopening date of September 1, 2010. <<<<<<<<EEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!!! (my addition to post) This road is not only a tourist attraction in itself, but also provides a commuter route for Tennessee and North Carolina residents, visitors, and commercial traffic. The only alternative is US441 through the Smoky Mountain National Park or the Cherohala Skyway. Either of these options present a great inconvenience. Both the North Carolina and Tennessee areas near US129 rely on tourism as a major source of revenue. This road closure will have a definite impact on the local economy. We encourage all officials to take whatever steps are necessary to expedite the reopening of part or all of this US highway. Anyone who is interested in expressing their concerns over the temporary closure of US129 should contact these officials: NC Governor: Governor Bev Perdue Governor’s Office Office of the Governor 20301 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-0301 Phone: (919)733-4240 Fax: (919)733-2120 [email protected] NC US Congressman: Congressman Heath Shuler 422 Cannon House Office Bldg. Washington, DC, 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6401 Fax: (202) 226-6422 [email protected] NC State Representative: Senator John Snow NC Senate 16 W. Jones Street, Room 2111 Raleigh, NC 27601-2808 Phone: (919) 733-5875 Email: [email protected] TN Governor: Governor Phil Bredesen Governor's Office Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, TN 37243-0001 Phone: 615.741.2001 Fax: 615.532.9711 [email protected] TN US Congressman: Congressman John J Duncan JR 2207 Rayburn House Office Bldg. Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-5435 Fax: 202-225-6440 HouseNet Redirect TN State Representative: Senator Doug Overbey 4 Legislative Plaza Nashville, TN 37243-0208 Phone: 615-741-0981 or 800-449-TENN, ext. 10981 Fax: 615-253-0224 [email protected]