Dear Councilors:

Here are some of my thoughts about naming the 9th-10th connector and other streets.

It's time that more Charlottesville streets be named after African-Americans. Some may say that would just be politically correct. I would rather say that it would be a long overdue political correction.

History counts. There is good evidence that members of the Hemings family lived near the route of the connector. Rebecca McGinness lived on 6th Street W.

The wishes of current residents and neighbors should be taken into account, but they shouldn't be the only consideration.

Full names are more informative that surnames alone, but are cumbersome and unprecedented in Charlottesville as far as I know. ( Should my address be 6 Basil Gildersleeve Wood ? What a mouthful !!)

I doubt that people would get lost if a name were substituted for a number in designating a street. In fact, I think our pairs of numbered streets (East and West) often mislead people and that elimination of one of a pair could be helpful.

All in all, I weigh in for Hemings Street for the connector and McGinness Street for 6th Street W. as a start, providing that there isn't overwhelming opposition by the residents and their close neighbors.

Sincerely,

Gene Foster (electronic mail, May 26, 2000).