Eugene weekly., May 12, 2011, Page 5, Image 5

letters
TO THE EDITOR
profi t to the soccer club and then places
the entire site on the tax roles. In selling
the site, the city can reformat the deed to
guarantee that it will always be used as
a recreational venue for the public. And
for those who think it’s an eyesore, the
plywood facing is the perfect base for a
large-scale mural. Paint it to look like the
Roman Coliseum. Then, as you pass by
during a game, the roar of the crowd may
help you imagine a gladiator smack-down
or feeding time for the lions.
So, the site could provide a major
multi-entertainment venue for Eugene, tax
dollars for the city, a new facility for the Y
and, on top of all that, bring in millions of
tourist dollars. Is this a no-brainer or what?
Carlos Barerra
Eugene
CREDIT TO BUSH?
According to the tortured logic of
the right-wing carnival barking pundits,
President Bush should be given some
credit for the death of bin Laden.
This is the same Bush who said “I
don’t know where bin Laden is. I have
no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that
important. It’s not our priority.” Bush
said this after disbanding the bin Laden
task force and ordering them to focus
on Iraq. Bush said this after subjecting
Khalid Sheik Mohamed to the illegal
torture of waterboarding 183 times. The
only information KSM gave while being
tortured turned out to be false.
To turn President Obama’s brilliant
and courageous leadership into a defense
of Bush’s miserable failure takes a truly
desperate and tortured mind.
Michael T. Hinojosa
Drain
URBAN WASTELAND
Last week I awoke to the sound of
blazing chainsaws in the South University
neighborhood. I assumed a neighbor was
clearing a tree or two, but when I returned
home from work I was stunned to see piles
upon piles of trees, some more than 30 feet
in length. All in all I counted 40 trunks
littered across the open yard (in Emerald
Alley between 19th and 20th). The tallest
tree that caught the axe — one of the biggest
in all of the surrounding neighborhood —
was not felled but was stripped of all its
branches and now stands towering above
nearby homes like a bizarre lifeless cactus.
I grew up in the neighborhood just
south of the UO, a neighborhood that
has always taken pride in one thing: It’s
not the WEST University neighborhood.
The distinction? While West University
is overrun with underage binge drinkers,
blaring rap music and three-story eyesore
apartment complexes, the South University
neighborhood is quieter, with a sprinkling
of students and a more residential feel.
But apparently not for long. In the
past few years, many aging houses in
my neighborhood have been fl ipped into
newer, bigger, multi-unit complexes with
high price tags and wealthy college stu-
dents from out of state willing to foot the
bill. While it’s true that these new devel-
opments bring dollars into our commu-
nity, I have to wonder: At what cost? Are
we willing to take the steps to preserve
the neighborhood feel of where we live,
or is the south university neighborhood
going the way of a college student util-
ity zone?
Ian Baldwin
Eugene
CIVIC SOLUTION
Sometimes I wonder if I’m reading
the same news story as everyone else.
When I look at the three proposals facing
the Eugene School Board about what to
do with the Civic Stadium property, the
Y proposal seems so far and away to be
the best of all worlds for this community.
And yet, the school board gave a higher
score to Fred Meyer. Some of our elected
offi cials want the city to get involved and
save the stadium. Then there’s the Weekly
with some convoluted idea about the city
pressuring the Y into saving the stadium.
What I fear is going to happen, with
everyone telling everyone else what they
think they should be doing, is we’ll end up
with a Fred Meyer. OK, maybe a very nice
Fred Meyer with recycled material from
the stadium, but a Fred Meyer nonetheless.
Instead, we could have a fabulous sports
facility serving large portions of the
community and student housing on top of
it. The Y’s plan dovetails beautifully with
Envision Eugene’s idea of creating higher
density in this part of town. It will bring
infi ll and vibrancy to a key piece of close-
in property that is presently underutilized
and in a key part of town that is poised for
growth. It will serve unmet needs. We, as
citizens, should be thankful that a partner as
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EUGENE WEEKLY MAY 12, 2011 5