Dear editor,

The Teppers Building was prominently featured on John King’s segment about Selma on CNN this month. For those who did not see the program the Tepper’s Building was presented as a shining illustration of the hard times that have befallen our city.

That it is an eyesore is not a change for this poor beleaguered building. It has been in deplorable condition for far too many years. It was completely ignored and neglected by Rose Sanders during her years of ownership and now its boarded up facade speaks volumes about the empty promises of its current owners. I recall Feb. 2008 when Mark Duke and Gwen Brown were on the radio saying the building was so near completion and ready for occupancy that they wanted to know what businesses should go into those areas that would be designated for retail purposes.

In September, 2008 George Jones wrote an article about the Tepper’s Building in which he stated “The exterior of the first two floors, including new windows, are scheduled for completion by February, according to Samuelson.” Samuelson is Operations Director and Chairman of the Board of the Freedom Foundation. Yet here we are in May and the shame that is the Tepper’s Building is featured on CNN.

The building and Selma deserve better.

Nancy Smith

Selma