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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 21, 1988)
Accessibility improvements planned Amazon to be renovated for physically disabled By Christopher Blair Emerald Contributor The Eugene Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (PRCS) department is currently plann ing a new specialized recreation center for people with disbilities — complete with a playground for alter-abled children — to be built next year at Amazon Park, Two federal grants totaling $405,000 awarded in Aug 1987 have made possible the con struction and planning of the playground and a 5,800 square foot facility, which will cater to the recreational needs of the disabled living in the Eugene area. "It could be made accessable, but only at great cost," Cole said. The committee selected Amazon Park after careful con sultation with disabled groups and the general public, Winston said. Some of the reasons in clude the park's easy ac cessibility to bus stops, its prox imity to area merchants, the University, LCC, the Amazon development division. The playground will be dominated by a central play structure, which will be equip ped with wheelchair ramps, tire swings with leg straps and a platform swing for severely disabled children. "We intend to accommodate as many types of disabilities as we can,” Kroeck said. "We’re going to be careful to avoid ‘We’re excited in that a lot of disabled folks are going to be able to involve themsleves in a lot of different activities in a lot of different ways. ’ Tim Shearer Mon.-Thors. 11:30am 9:30pm Fryr 11:30- 10:00pm Sal. & Sun. 5:00-10:00pm Greek & Indian Food 992 Willamette • 343-9661 Savory, Authentic Greek & Indian cuisine at low prices Sunday Night Only Serving the Original Poppi's Menu Owned by Poppi of Poppi's Restaurant The current specialized recreation center, located at Washington Park is inac cussable to most people with disabilities, said developmental disablitics program coordinator Molly Cole. The Eugene parks department instead evaluated seven ex isting sites owned by the city for a new site, including Campbell Senior Center, Lincoln School and Westmoreland Park, using criteria such as access to public transportation and existing ac cessability, said PRCS Special Programs Director Mary Winston. pool, and the site’s expansive area, Winston said. One of the groups involved with the selection process, the Disablities Advisory Coalition, was in favor of the site for these reasons. “We're excited in that a lot of disabled folks are going to he able to involve themsleves in a lot of different activities in a lot of different ways.” coaltion spokesperson Tim Shearer said. "It’s going to be close to the swimming pool, close to the other park facilities, and it’s close to the running tracks for ‘We’re going to be careful to avoid creating gaps or lips in the structure that would trip anyone or impair a wheelchair’ — Louis Kroeck "It's the oldest building cur rently being used on h daily basis by the city," Cole said, ad ding that such drawbacks as street parking and a lack of total wheelchair accessnblility make the location unsuitable as a recreation center for the disabled. people who like to wheel." The other new facility for the disabled at Amazon will be the "all child playground,” a play structure designed for ‘‘integrated’’ use by both disabled and non-disabled children, said Louis Kroeck of the parks planning and THE FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON C I EM UnlxlMl PcM Syndic*!* "Yeah? Well, I'll tell you who your friend saw me with — a decoy! That’s who!” creating gaps or lips in the structure that would trip anyone or impair a wheelchair." Proposals from architects for the recreation center will be ac cepted in the fall, with a groundbreaking ceremony ex pected next spring. Construc tion on the playground is ex pected to begin within two months. LETTER PERFECT 300 Erb Memorial Union 10 00-1:00 M-F 686-5511 TYPESETTING»PASTE-UP*LAYOUT ‘DESIGN* PMT'S*TRANSPARENCIES EMU Computer Shoppe Packard Bell plays hard ball. PACKARD BELL VX88 Computer • 8 MHz NEC V40 switchable to 5.5 MHz • 640 KB of internal RAM • Two 5 Vi" floppy disk drives • 14” Hi-Res monochrome monitor • CGA & Hercules video graphics card • MS-DOS 3.2 & GWBASIC language • Parallel & serial ports • 4 available expansion slots • Real time clock with calendar • 82-key AT style keyboard • And more... ^ ONLY r L 249.75 3 PER MONTH < 4 EQUAL PAYMENTS^ - NO INTEREST All this for only s99900 YOUR CAMPUS COMPUTER STORE Hardware • Software • Accessories EMU COMPUTER SHOPPE Downstairs EMU M-TH 9:00-6:00 FRI 9:00-4:00 686 4331
