I was pleased to read the Sound-off of Feb. 4 and Feb. 18 regarding the Fairview Heights interchange question. It's good to know some people "get it."

One caller referred to a small group of people that includes an alderwoman whose home would be directly affected. Unfortunately, her group has recruited a former alderwoman to run in Ward 3 who is like-minded and not progressive. In fact, in 1997, when St. Clair County and then U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello proposed an interchange in our city, this former alderwoman stalled on paying for the study to locate it.

Ultimately, they took it down the road to Greenmount in Shiloh. Fairview Heights lost all of the revenue from the businesses that subsequently located at the Shiloh interchange. It has been a "what if" for Fairview Heights ever since.

This same former alderwoman was vocally against the razing of one of the most problem areas in the city, a rundown subdivision that was mostly rental and was so bad the Police Department had to practically camp out at the end of the streets. Kohl's and Lowe's are located there now.

This kind of backward thinking can harm Fairview Heights permanently. I know there are many people out there who understand this dilemma.

I've been attending city meetings for 17 years and I've learned not everything is black or white. It's about moving the city forward.

Bev Mattison

Fairview Heights