viewpoint/opinion
BY THOMAS LINCOLN
The Best We Can Do?
City missing an opportunity downtown
I
n a recent rant, published in this paper as a
letter (8/7), I took the Eugene City Council to
task for their refusal to make open space
a requirement in the RFPs for the half-block
development across from the library, for their
arrogance (after soliciting public suggestions)
in refusing even to discuss my urban park
proposal and for not giving the public a vote
on the matter. It’s absurd that a decision of
this magnitude affecting the entire community
should be dictated by the uninformed opinions
of a few people.
The council’s primary objection to a library
park seems to be that it would attract undesirables.
Excuse me, but the undesirables are already there,
and not because of a park. As Cliff Lind, a senior associate at
DHM Design in Denver states, “The concept that parks attract
undesirable people lost traction across most of the country 10 or 15 years ago.
This is when people realized that well maintained urban parks designed with
open sight lines, plenty of light and engaging spaces for workers to eat lunch
or take a break in don’t allow ‘undesirable people’ to move in.”
Eugene can be great, but not if the council proceeds with plans to
jam the half block across from the Library solid with buildings (which,
incidentally, would impede the view of the library’s nice architecture). The
councilors should explain why they have not bothered to talk to cities such
as Colorado Springs, Olympia, Salem and Corvallis about the great social and
long term economic successes of their urban parks. In short, Eugene needs
something downtown that people can get excited about: a commons area that
will stimulate community participation, not a comparatively dry, bean-counter’s
monolith. WG Development has admitted that it really doesn’t want the public
to access the rather ho-hum “quasi plaza” it envisions behind closed gates. Is
this really the best we can do? Let WG develop the Sears pit, by all means. But,
let’s rethink the rest of the half block.
In my rant I did the unthinkable: I ridiculed Eugene’s slogan. Here’s my point,
better illustrated:
R
ather than boasting that Eugene is “The World’s Greatest City for
The Arts and Outdoors,” the city needs to take a more humble
stance and look at Eugene objectively. Elected offi cials need to listen
and somehow learn to discriminate between what is authentic and what is not.
Sophomoric, over-the-top pronouncements are not the way. Eugene has some
nice things going for it, most notably the fact that it is situated in an idyllic
Northwest valley. But the city can’t take responsibility for that. Striving for
greatness takes courage and vision. Settling for fear-driven options and short-
term fi xes does not. Yes, Eugene does have a lot going for it, but it can be even
better, and that’s the passion behind my remarks. Eugene could be a greater
city if only the bureaucrats would be willing to go for it. No individual and no
city ever attained greatness by playing it safe, being unwilling to dare to be
great. Too many Eugene offi cials posture as important movers and shakers
while, in fact, surrendering to fear and defeatism.
One has to be naïve and full of hubris to assert that Eugene is “The World’s
Greatest City for the Arts and the Outdoors.” What do you think Rome, Milan,
Paris, New York City, San Francisco and Honolulu would say to that? Is The
Hult Center greater than Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Milan Opera House?
Is local jazz greater than that played at The Blue Note or Sweet Basil or The
Blackhawk? Is the architecture in Eugene greater than the Chrysler Building,
the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower? Is the smattering of sculpture in Eugene
greater than David, the Laocoön or Venus de Milo? Are the murals on Eugene
walls greater than the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? Is the art that hangs in the
Mayor’s Art Show greater than the work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
the Prado, the Louvre? And to what outdoors does the motto refer? Certainly
not the sorry core of the city. Eugene has the Willamette, which is a fi ne river,
but you don’t have to go any further than the McKenzie or the North Umpqua
or Rogue to fi nd a greater one. These rivers are world famous.
Eugene doesn’t have to compete with the great capitals of the world. After
all, much of its charm has to do with its smaller scale. It just needs to be all that
it can be. And in order to be self-respecting, let alone great, any city the size of
Eugene needs to have a welcoming urban park that the community can point
to with pride.
Thomas Lincoln of Springfield is a semi-retired graphic artist and designer. Most of his award-winning design
career was spent in New York City working for major corporations and publishing houses.
6 AUGUST 21, 2008 EUGENE WEEKLY
letters
TO THE EDITOR
incinerating the neighborhood is found.
For this reason, it is highly unlikely that
hydrogen will ever provide more than a tiny
fraction of our energy needs. Far better
to harness the wind on our coast and the
Columbia Gorge, among many other places
nationwide.
Jerry Ritter
Springfi eld
EMX REVISITED
To those who should be concerned: I ride
the EmX with my bicycle, and on two recent
occasions I was nearly put on the fl oor
because I was not given time to safely sit
before the bus moved into traffi c. One time
three bikes were boarding. I was second due
to the courtesy of a young man’s deference
to my age. The bus bolted while the young
man was still standing perpendicular to the
direction of travel. He was hit hard with his
own bike and nearly fell. If it had been me
waiting my turn for the rack, I would have
fallen with my bike on top. Given my age
and the health of my back, you would have
to had carry me off the bus on a stretcher.
This is, unfortunately, not an isolated
incident. I have witnessed numerous
incidence of passenger safety jeopardized by
drivers not making sure everyone is seated.
This is not a New York subway. Please re-
evaluate your drivers’ safety procedures.
I’m dismayed that after the incident last
year with the left behind children that there
has not been much improvement in driver
protocol. I’m sending a copy of this to The
Register-Guard and the Weekly in hopes that
people with similar experiences will contact
you and increase your liability in case of an
accident.
Vince Loving
Eugene
OCF FORWARD THINKING
My sincerest heartfelt thanks to the
producers and volunteers of the Oregon
Country Fair. To me the OCF is an example
of humanity at its fi nest, and I believe that
the impact that the Fair has on the forward
movement of our society is unknowable
but large. The Fair continues to grow
more energy and waste-conscious yearly
and leads our world in the right direction
through gentle positive changes. I’d love to
see more booths dedicated to crafts created
by young people in the future; let’s see what
the next generation is creating and support
their efforts!
Thanks again to all those who support
and make the Fair happen, from a lover of
the Oregon Country Fair.
Albert Kaufman
Portland
OPPORTUNIST REPORTER
It is interesting to read about the May 30
Van Ornum et al/Eugene police Tasering
incident in the Weekly and the R-G. I was
present just after the incident started, and
my recollections (and I saw it clearly from
a vantage point!) do not jibe with either the
Weekly’s printed version or the R-G’s story.
Is there any way EW can obtain the EPD’s
report of the incident and see how “off-
base” their version is?
Tim Lewis claims to be a “reporter.”
Why don’t we see his byline/articles in any
of our local papers? I think I would classify
Lewis as an “opportunist reporter” — that
is, he takes video in hopes of recording an
incident he can peddle to one of the media
giants, similar to the person that videoed
the Rodney King/LAPD beating incident.
It’s my understanding that this person sold
the video for a large enough sum of money
to retire and live comfortably for the rest of
his life.
Is Lewis trending along these lines?
Lon Miller
Drain
EDITOR’S NOTE: Tim Lewis has been documenting
environmental issues and political actions since the
1990s for broadcast and web media. Seems to us to be
an unlikely career path for personal wealth. Actually,
we’d love to see Tim sell some footage so he can buy a
better video camera.
BALANCING SPACE
It is a basic design precept to balance
a large public indoor space with a large
outdoor space. This gives the indoor space
a sense of freedom of movement and gives
the outdoor space a purpose and population.
With this understanding it becomes apparent
that a public park across from the library
would be more appropriate than another
big building full of people. The library is
a graceful, well-designed building. Let’s
complement it with a well-designed park.
Kari Johnson
Eugene
BLIND PARTISANSHIP
I am not usually one to respond to letters
to the editor, but in the July 24 EW read one so
idiotic that it merits at least one reply pointing
out its complete lack of logic and reason.
The author, a Jonathan Seraphim, compared
Republicanism to fascism in his “No Sir, Yes
Sir,” an allegation that is quite possibly the
largest exaggeration I have ever heard. If this
were true, Seraphim would not even have
the opportunity to publish his passionate,
albeit moronic, letter to the editor. He would
be put to work under horrible conditions in
a prison camp with other Americans who
disagreed with the government. But, seeing
as how Eugene still has a population, clearly
the Bush administration isn’t rounding up
liberals by the dozen and imprisoning them.
Thus, they are not the least bit fascistic in
nature.
Hey, I’m not even much of a fan of
the Bush boys, but this kind of blind
partisanship
(Democrats=courageous
heroes; Republicans=corporate Nazis)
causes my imbecile alarm to ring with
seemingly no sign of stopping. Perhaps this
letter will quell, at least for a while, this
most annoying feature of my personality.
Oh, and Seraphim, get your systems
of government right. You cannot compare
Republicans to Nazis and in the same
sentence liken them to Maoists and Soviets.
You see, any moderately educated person
would know that communism and fascism,
though both equally deplorable forms of
governing people, are completely opposing
forces. The Nazis imprisoned communists;
they weren’t in cahoots with them. Behind
your nice vocabulary and good sentence
structure, you have absolutely nothing of
merit to say. Save us your reactionary antics
and actually put some thought into your
next letter.
Ethan Findal
Springfi eld
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