Open letter to those re-naming streets
February 12th, 2007 by Atomictumor
Hello.
My name is A. Tom Ictuma, and I am writing with regards to the news in the most recent Oak Ridger indicating that there is talk of naming a street after the venerable group, The Oak Ridge Boys.
I find this to be absolutely fantastic news, in that Oak Ridge is giving handouts to 70s- 80s entities that don’t necessarily do much for the town. I mean, sure, they’re driving people into town just on the huge name recognition and marketing juggernaut that the Oak Ridge Boys are. In fact, as Big Daddy Duane Allen said “If they don’t appreciate and value the free publicity we have given Oak Ridge, then that’s their problem,”, but they don’t LIVE here, and I don’t think they really vote here. I’ve not seen them opening schools, or parks, and I haven’t seen the massive helicopters and limos with long beards at the grocery store recently.
Yes, they are headlining a concert at the Secret City Festival, which I’m sure will bring in the 18-29’s in force, but I’d imagine they’re getting paid away from the casinos and county fair gigs that have been dominating the attention of the mighty band by big Oak Ridge dollars, so its not so much like they’re doing the town a favor, as like they’re, you know, selling a service, and the town is buying, right?
I have another idea.
Lets name the street after ME, because as another a lame 70’s-80’s entity, and one who gives some mean name recognition to this town, I do it for free.
So, Atomictumor Avenue. Lets consider it.
Thank you for your time and attention.
A. Tom Ictuma.
February 12th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Did you have a particular street in mind? I know a planning commissioner…
February 12th, 2007 at 8:57 am
Heh.
February 12th, 2007 at 9:05 am
I was kinda eyeing the turnpike.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:52 am
hmmm. You may have to lobby him yourself for that one.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:53 am
Personally, I’m looking forward to Jefferson Airplane a lot more than the Oak Ridge Boys.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:55 am
“Atomic Tumor Turnpike.” Pleasingly alliterative.
February 12th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Or…Tuma Highway
February 12th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Well, Netmom, I see how much use you are to me.
February 12th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Am I correctly inferrring that the Oak Ridge Boys won’t even play a free concert in their hometown? The Statler Brothers gave a free concert (in Stanton, VA) on the Fourth of July for years, decades, even. That’s giving back to the town you’re from.
February 12th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Man, do you have any idea how much upkeep on a beard like that costs? They totally need the money.
February 12th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Our city (Peoria, IL) named a street after Richard Pryor a few years ago. Talk about an uproar! People were pissed because they only thought of him as a drug addict and not a talented comedian. Personally, I really didn’t care. But Richard never came back to Peoria or gave back anything. I see your point AT.
February 12th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Did you see in The Oak Ridger where Duane Allen said, “We don’t need a street named after us… We already have the entire city named after us.” What an ass. And here I thought Oak Ridger was around first! Virginia Gal - They only played here when they started out, this isn’t their hometown.
February 12th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Allmusic.com has em listed as being from here. Wikipedia was moot on the issue.
Atomictumor sez they suck.
February 12th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
I got on their website and none of them are listed as even being from Knoxville! I sent their publicist that was listed in the paper a scathing e-mail. His e-mail address is on their website if anyone else wants to send a little note. I suggested they cancel their show for the festival this summer. And yes, they do suck.
February 13th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I just got this e-mail from Duane Allen of the ORB’s!! I hope the whole letter shows up.
TRACY, I AM VERY SORRY THAT MY STATEMENTS AFFECTED YOU IN A NEGATIVE WAY……I WAS MISQUOTED AND MY QUOTES WERE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT……I DO NOT LIKE TO BE IN ANY TYPE OF CONTROVERSY, AND I AM SENDING YOU A COPY OF MY E-MAIL THAT I JUST SENT TO MY PR PERSON…..I HOPE IT EXPLAINS YOUR QUESTIONS…….HERE IS A COPY OF MY E-MAIL……
“I AM TOTALLY HONORED TO BE ASKED TO PERFORM AT THE BIG CITY WIDE FESTIVAL IN OAK RIDGE, TENN……”
“ONCE I READ THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WANT TO NAME A CERTAIN STREET AFTER US, I WAS ASKED MY OPINION OF THAT, TO WHICH I REPLIED, “I DO NOT WANT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE OF ANY CONTROVERSY OR LOCAL POLITICS, AND IF NAMING A STREET AFTER US IS CAUSING A PROBLEM WITH ANYONE, THEN I REQUEST THAT OUR NAME BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONTROVERSY.” I WAS ASKED TO RESPOND TO THE CONTROVERSY, TO WHICH I SAID, “I COULD CARE LESS IF A STREET IS NAMED FOR US, ESPECIALLY IF IT IT IS GOING TO CAUSE A CONTROVERSY”…….I STILL FEEL THAT WAY…….
THE OAK RIDGE BOYS DID NOT ASK THAT A STREET BE NAMED FOR US…….OUR PR COMPANY AND MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR VERY SPECIAL THINGS THAT WE CAN DO FOR OAK RIDGE, AND IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT IT BE CONSIDERED THAT A STREET WOULD BE NAMED FOR US……THE OAK RIDGE BOYS DID NOT ASK FOR THIS……I DID NOT ASK FOR THIS…….IT WAS DONE ON OUR BEHALF, TO SURPRISE US, BY OUR PR COMPANY…….OUR PR COMPANY DID NOT ASK FOR A PARTICULAR ROAD AS HAS BEEN STATED IN THE PAPER, HE LIVES IN LAS ANGELES AND HE HAS NEVER BEEN TO OAK RIDGE…….THE ROAD THAT WAS CHOSEN AT FIRST WAS CHOSEN BY THE CITY, NOT US, NOT OUR PR FIRM, AND NOT OUR MANAGEMENT COMPANY…….ALL OF THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANY OF THE OAK RIDGE BOYS……
I AM SORRY THAT I HAVE BEEN MISQUOTED, AND MY WORDS TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT…….I WAS DOING EVERYTHING I WAS ASKED TO DO, AND I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A CONTROVERSY AT ALL……I STATED THAT I WANTED NO PART OF THE CONTROVERSY, I DID NOT CREATE IT, AND WHEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO RESPOND, MY STATEMENTS WERE TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT……
WHEN I MADE REFERENCE TO THE ENTIRE CITY BEING NAMED AFTER US, I WAS MAKING AN ATTEMPT TO LIGHTEN THE DISCOURSE……THAT WAS TOTALLY AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR, AND IT WAS TOTALLY MISUNDERSTOOD……I AM VERY SORRY FOR THAT……
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING IN OAK RIDGE…….I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS, AND THAT MY NAME HAS BEEN ATTACHED TO WORDS THAT ARE IN ANY WAY OFFENSIVE TO ANYONE…….I CERTAINLY DO NOT FEEL ANYTHING LIKE MY PRINTED WORDS SUGGEST, WHEN TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT…….
DURING WORLD WAR 11, WHEN THOUSANDS OF WORKERS, AND SCIENTISTS WERE DEVELOPING THE COMPONENTS OF THE ATOMIC BOMB, UNDER THE HEADING OF “THE MANHATTAN PROJECT”, IS WHERE WE, ALSO, TRACE OUR BEGINNINGS…….IN 1943 THE GEORGIA CLODHOPPERS WERE FORMED……DURING THE NEXT 2-3 YEARS, THEY WERE INVITED INTO THE PLANT TO ENTERTAIN THE EMPLOYEES WHO WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE……ON THE WEEKENDS, OUTSIDE ENTERTAINMENT WAS BROUGHT IN TO ENTERTAIN THE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN A HUGE FAMILY ROOM…….THE CLODHOPPERS WERE INVITED BACK TIME AND TIME AGAIN…….EVENTUALLY, BECAUSE THEY CAME SO MANY TIMES, THE EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILIES STARTED CALLING THE GEORGIA CLODHOPPERS, “THEIR OAK RIDGE QUARTET”……AFTER THE WAR, THE GROUP KEPT THAT NAME…….WE OWE MUCH GRATITUDE TO THE PEOPLE OF OAK RIDGE, AND IT IS WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION THAT I LOOK FORWARD TO SINGING IN OAK RIDGE TO THANK EVERYONE, PERSONALLY……
ONCE AGAIN, I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS ENTIRE “STREET NAMING THING” HAS BEEN BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTIONS……IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE THAT WAY, AND, I HOPE THAT EVERYONE IN OAK RIDGE KNOWS THAT I AM MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO STOP THE CONTROVERSY…….I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT NAMING THE STREET, OR THE CONTROVERSY UNTIL IT WAS ALREADY IN THE NEWSPAPER…….I AM SORRY I SAID A WORD…….I WAS TRYING TO LET THE PEOPLE OF OAK RIDGE KNOW THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING SPECIAL FOR US…….YOU HAVE INVITED US TO YOUR CELEBRATION, AND WE ARE HONORED……THAT IS WHAT WE DO, ENTERTAIN THE PEOPLE……I DO NOT DO “CONTROVERSY” THINGS WELL, AND IT IS NO TIME TO START……I SINCERELY HOPE THAT THIS DISCUSSION COMES TO AN END AND THAT EVERYONE IS HAPPY……I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SINGING IN OAK RIDGE…….
DUANE ALLEN
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