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The Register - Guard, Eugene, Oregon, USA <br />ELECTION 2006 <br />Measure 20 -110: Yes <br />A Register -Guard Editorial <br />Published: Saturday, October 7, 2006 <br />Pag <br />� M1 <br />It should come as no surprise that this newspaper is a strong supporter of public parks. <br />Eugene's largest developed park is named after Alton F. Baker Sr., founder of The Register - <br />Guard and patriarch of the family that is now in its third generation of owning and operating <br />the newspaper. <br />But Alton F. Baker Sr. believed that careful planning was the key to creating the best parks <br />system in Eugene, and he would have asked tough questions about how any proposal to <br />expand the city's parks inventory fit into a big - picture blueprint. <br />We think he would have been more than satisfied with the city's answers about why Eugene <br />voters should approve Ballot Measure 20 -110, a $27.5 million parks bond issue that would <br />buy land for future parks, open space and trail corridors and finance construction and <br />improvement of park facilities. <br />Measure 20 -110 is much more than a shopping list for available parkland. It's the next step in <br />a visionary Eugene Parks, Recreation & Open Space planning process that began in the <br />summer of 2002. The PROS plan identifies future needs for parks, open space and recreation <br />programs and services. At its foundation is feedback from thousands of Eugene residents <br />gathered at meetings with neighborhood organizations, representatives of various interest <br />groups, youth, seniors, adults, people with disabilities and cultural minorities. <br />This is the first time the city has asked for money to acquire park land since a 1998 bond <br />passed with the support of more than two- thirds of Eugene voters. In addition to generating <br />$10.5 million to buy 13 park sites throughout the city, one 40 -acre community park in Santa <br />Clara and two small parcels to enhance Skinner Butte Park and Amazon Park, Measure 20- <br />110 would provide: <br />- $7.75 million to acquire open space by purchasing 60 to 100 acres to expand the Ridgeline <br />Trail, 30 to 45 acres along the Willamette River north of Belt Line Road and 1.7 acres to <br />improve access to Gillespie Butte. <br />- $5 million to join with the Eugene and Bethel school districts to install all- season artificial <br />turf fields at Madison, Cal Young, Roosevelt, Spencer Butte, Jefferson and Meadow View <br />middle schools, plus Willamette High School. This money also would be used to replace four <br />artificial turf fields at Eugene School District high schools paid for by the 1998 bond issue. <br />- $2 million to acquire up to 100 acres and begin developing Golden Gardens Park. This <br />Bethel -area site west of Highway 99 and south of Clear Lake Road includes three water -filled <br />former gravel pits where four young people have drowned <br />http: / /www.registerguard.com/ news / 2006 /10 /07 /ed.edit.parkslevy.1007.p l .php ?section =o... 10/19/2006 <br />