I-295 needs to be expanded
I am a business major at Florida State College of Jacksonville. I moved to Jacksonville in August 2020, and one of the first things I noticed is that there is only a two-lane highway that runs around the whole entire city. With Jacksonville being ranked the 12th biggest city in the United States, I think that it’s time that we start to advocate for an expansion of this highway into three or maybe even four lanes over the coming years.
Ever since moving to Jacksonville I travel I-295 daily between the FSCJ north and south campuses. The amount of accidents and close calls my friends and I have seen have given 295 the name “death highway” among ourselves.
Recently on 295 there was a fatal crash that killed one man, left two injured and shut down the highway for 17 hours. The highway is a necessity for Jacksonville traveling and the expansion to 3 or 4 lanes will allow for a much safer and quicker traveling experience.
Ignacio Rivera, Jacksonville
People should be allowed to choose
The very idea that the state knows more about the choice a young adult, their parents, and their doctor make in choosing gender reversal is totally out of bounds, it’s 2021. The idea that humans choose to be gay or lesbian or transgender and this condition can be reversed by prayer is the same fiction that the gullible believe. Every human on this Earth deserves the right to choose the gender that gives them the most confidence as they journey through everyday life that is becoming more perilous by the day.
I would point out that the number one threat to our safety and security other than climate change are the almost daily mass shootings taking place in our country. Not once has it been determined that the shooter was haunted by the fact that they were gay or lesbian or a transvestite.
It seems to me that all Americans should embrace the slogan “live and let live.”
Rick Mansfield, Ponte Vedra
Prom night can be made special
I read your report of students’ lack of interest in prom night. It’s so sad to read your report since I’m a product of Jacksonville public schools and attended three years of proms with the guy who’s my hubby of almost 50 years now. I have sweet memories.
Two years ago, hubby and I invited our granddaughter, who was graduating from Yulee High School, to our home with several of her friends for Prom Night Dinner of steak, potatoes and salad. Hubby and I dressed up for this special occasion and served them the best. Their special event came with lots of pictures of eating, laughing and sharing their friendship together that was being forged for a lifetime of sweet memories.
If more adults would jump in and do the same, young people will forever remember them and be thankful that their last days in high school included their long expected prom night. There’s endless options available for them, and it’s never too late to make it happen!
Sheila Simpson, Jacksonville
