Comments on Citizens to Preserve Overton Park: Rejection letter

I'm still trying to come to grips of how they woul...

2008-07-11T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to come to grips of how they would do the planning for their EXCITING NEW low-impact forest ATTRACTION:
A boardwalk, high enough so snakes can't strike or bite? How wide would such a boardwalk have to be? I suspect wide and sturdy enough for at least two double-wide arses pushing strollers to pass each other (without getting wheels entangled, causing a fight and the whole

Marlena,
It is apparent that you love wildlife,...

2008-07-09T23:31:00.000-05:00

Marlena,
It is apparent that you love wildlife, but PLEASE don't cheat yourself and daughter of the experience of seeing wildlife unfettered. I suggest you visit a national park or wildlife refuge--perhaps the real Grand Tetons. Trust me, it would be worth the expense and your children will thank you for it. And believe it or not, the admission to the real Grand Tetons is actually much

What a cool thread to highlight different viewpoin...

2008-07-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

What a cool thread to highlight different viewpoints: passionate zoo supporters, sabre-rattling anonynimi, Rhodesian outside perspectives, conflicted zoo members, disgruntled zookeepers, and informative blog hosts.

Marlena, thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm ...

2008-07-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

Marlena, thanks for sharing your perspective. I'm curious about why you have such antipathy toward the forest.

Do you feel that Overton Park as a whole is a dangerous place, or is it just the forested area that you find frightening?

If it's the latter, I encourage you to come along one of our free nature hikes to see why we think this forest deserves to be preserved instead of

I love how when some people feel free to use my na...

2008-07-09T12:03:00.000-05:00

I love how when some people feel free to use my name that for some reason they couldn't type their own names...

First, I am not a fool, Dakoda from California. That Supreme Court ruling was designed to prevent highways from passing through park areas, not to prevent positive development within a park area. With your reasoning that the zoo has no respect for that ruling, well then, the

hey guys,
as an zoo insider monitoring this, I...

2008-07-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

hey guys,
as an zoo insider monitoring this, I suggest you check the city records. It was about 1999 or 2000 when a rare Russian cobra escaped from the reptile house and was discovered in the landscaping BY A KID. As tiny as they are they are tottally lethal. Nobody really made a big deal of it but the city oked that the reptile house was redone, with all the venomous creatures being on one

Sorry Marlena, ignorance doesn't cut it (well, in ...

2008-07-08T21:04:00.000-05:00

Sorry Marlena, ignorance doesn't cut it (well, in the case of the zoo and the old forest, it did, unfortunately.) Planting a few trees in a yard is your advice? Gee, how naive you are. Do you not realize that the forested area that was cut was hundreds of years old and habitat to hundreds of birds and animals? If you want to see animals in their natural habitat, then go west and take your

hey Marlena,
true Memphis is one of the unsafes...

2008-07-08T20:57:00.000-05:00

hey Marlena,
true Memphis is one of the unsafest, most decrepid cities in the country.(let me back that up: scores in the top in property crime, murder, infant mortality, poverty, lack of education etc) I don't feel safe going most places either. I'm a college student and jog in the park and I feel that anytime I could get attacked. And you are right, the Memphis Zoo is one of the best in the

I personally like the plans by the zoo. I do not ...

2008-07-08T18:50:00.000-05:00

I personally like the plans by the zoo. I do not feel safe going through the current jogging trail into the woods at Overton Park alone and especially not with my daughter. You do not know where criminals are lurking around in Overton Park, but within the zoo confines, I feel safe. It will be great to have a safe place for us to look at the trees together while we stroll along. I am glad that

BINGO! The Achilles heel - public support! At pres...

2008-07-08T17:31:00.000-05:00

BINGO! The Achilles heel - public support! At present we are seen as nothing more then annoying gnats. If we all buzz loud enough and sting where it hurts, the horse may throw Napoleon from his saddle!

How about sending a CPOP information packet to all...

2008-07-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

How about sending a CPOP information packet to all those who have made significant donations to the Memphis Zoo already? It is public record, and the Zoo has entire walls, benches, plaques, statuary, etc. that have the names of these philanthropists posted for all perpetuity...I'm sure some of these kind folks would think twice about any further generosity to Brady Inc. if they knew how

The Commercial Appeal printed a story in April that included info about the 2007 budget.

"The Memphis Zoo spent $12.3 million on operations during fiscal year 2007 and revenue was $13 million. Nearly half the budget spent on Personnel. Gate revenue accounted for about 30 percent of

those of you who have memberships coming up for re...

2008-07-07T20:27:00.000-05:00

those of you who have memberships coming up for renewal may want to not just allow to let them LAPSE, but call the zoo membership department up and tell them nicely that you can no longer with good conscience support an institution that so flagrantly violates the public trust and destroys old forest...
Think about it - the zoo lives from memberships and ticket receipts(about 25 to 30%) and

you guys have been way to polite dealing with the ...

2008-07-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

you guys have been way to polite dealing with the issue! My hat off to you for your patience! Now it is time to hit them where it hurts! Knock the head off the monster! Find the Achilles heel! Resistance, boycott, write letters!
Hey how about this - make some noise!

I think the wrong "animals" are behind the bars at...

2008-07-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

I think the wrong "animals" are behind the bars at the Memphis Zoo.

I say let the real fight begin.

geez. you know, I somehow let my zoo membership l...

2008-07-06T21:05:00.000-05:00

geez. you know, I somehow let my zoo membership lapse. Now I'm even LESS inclined to renew. I'm still undecided, but I really can't support an organization that shows such flagrant disrespect to its members' desires and aspirations. It's really a shame.

What did you expect - that things would change? Th...

2008-07-06T20:51:00.000-05:00

What did you expect - that things would change? This is Memphis where corruption, crime, sloth,greed and indifference pay off. Well at least for the most part. Let's show the environmental criminals at the zoo that they have a battle on their hands! Prepare yourself for a long one!

Sorry, Chuck, you can say "no" all you want, but t...

2008-07-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

Sorry, Chuck, you can say "no" all you want, but the fence is coming down!