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<br /> ROBERT KAISER/for The Oregonian
<br /> Cheryl Reinhart Is working to protect Eugene's tiny Scobert Park. Reinhart and other area residents are de-
<br /> bating the future of the park and the neighborhood, Whiteaker, as they try to resolve the problems associat-
<br /> ed with prostitution, drinking and drug dealing that take place In the park.
<br /> Drama in the park ,,e,,
<br /> A Eugene neighborhood in dispute learns from the process
<br /> By JANET FILIPS differently: as a green refuge and ments persuaded her that fencing
<br /> ' Correspondent, The Oregonian social crossroads, where the group off the park was not the answer.
<br /> Food Not Bombs delivers meals to As viewpoints clashed about
<br /> E UGENE — From the the hungry, where residents from whether to close the park, the city
<br /> window of her garage- the Eugene Mission sit in the sun provided two official facilitators to
<br /> turned- gourmet bakery, and teen -agers toss Frisbees. work with a loosely organized
<br /> Cheryl A. Reinhart looks But all were alarmed when group that arose: the Scobert Park
<br /> out at Scobert Park, a charming news flashed through the neigh- Task Force. The question of wheth-
<br /> acre of worn grass, wrought iron- borhood that a 2- year -old girl had er and where to place a fence con -
<br /> lined paths — and discarded hypo- stepped on a needle at the park. tinued in meetings at the park and
<br /> dermic needles. No one officially reported such Whiteaker Elementary School.
<br /> The tiny an incident to the Whiteaker Pub- The city stepped in again, orga-
<br /> D TEUN I park is at the lic Safety Station, but the story nizing the Scobert Park Advisory
<br /> _' center of a galvanized fed -up neighbors, in- Committee, with applicants select-
<br /> EUGENE long- eluding Reinhart. The baker ed to represent different view-
<br /> steaming joined the neighborhood associa- points. Reinhart made the cut.
<br /> j . ° 7 neighbor- tion in petitioning to close the Whether this formalized commit
<br /> .,- s'; hood debate park temporarily. tee reaches consensus about the
<br /> - about public The city manager's office con- park — and about the neighbor-
<br /> safety, prop -' sented. And the brouhaha began. hood's direction — remains to be
<br /> erty values, Protesters occupied the park. seen.
<br /> land use and The police arrived in riot gear. One point of unity, however, is a
<br /> n < i liberties. It The city postponed the closing for love for Whiteaker.
<br /> ' has become a a week, asking the community to It's more interesting to live in a
<br /> lightning rod figure out what it wanted. place where people speak different
<br /> . ` ' t for the clash- A handful of homeowners com- languages and have different ways
<br /> £- ing views plained to City Council members. of looking at life," Reinhart says
<br /> that live Hand - lettered signs appeared in before heading to the shop, where
<br /> cheek -by -jowl in Whiteaker. The trees: "No Compromise in defence she and her sister fashion cakes
<br /> historic area west of downtown (sic) of our rights! Freedom is not using organic flours, Guittard
<br /> draws ramblers from nearby negotiable!" chocolates and fresh fruits.
<br /> cheap motels, professionals at- Ultimately, the controversy She deplores a neighborhood fac-
<br /> tracted to its 1920s cottages and pushed the highly diverse commu- tion that promotes an anti-
<br /> urban ambience. and a counter- nity into an attempt to come to gentrification campaign, encourag-
<br /> culture grateful for low rents and terms with itself. People who live, ing littering and graffiti to dimin-
<br /> an arty edge. work or hang out i n W ish property values and discourage
<br /> When warm weather hits, the began talking to one another in investors. If she had children, she
<br /> bloom comes off the ways they never had before. would keep them from the park.
<br /> rhododendron-filed park. Dealers Scobert Park changed from But she is committed to looking
<br /> vend heroin and crystal meth. problem spot and ideological bat- for long -term solutions for the
<br /> Junkies throw away needles in tlefield to a hope for common problems that roost there.
<br /> the bushes that line the park's ground among Whiteaker's anar- "This community is full of peo-
<br /> backside. Alcoholics lounge on the chists, communists, socialists and ple who've been active, and they've
<br /> wooden benches, clutching 40- capitalists; lawyers, hemp cookie burnt out," Reinhart says with a
<br /> ounce beers. bakers, university researchers, sigh. "We're young; we've only
<br /> Last summer, it was a dumping artists, letter carriers and slack- been here four years. I still have
<br /> ground for neglected children, a ers; whites, Latinos and blacks. hope.
<br /> pick -up spot for prostitutes, an The debate began at the grass "I have hope," she repeats. "And
<br /> open toilet for transients, a free roots and wound up as part of the I am definitely going to stay with
<br /> zone for rough characters. city's system. Rei i
<br /> nhart, 30, led the process, even though I dont
<br /> Activists for the homeless and five disorganized venting ses- trust the city. I'm going to be loud,
<br /> the unconventional see Scobert sions. Listening to others' argu- and I'm going to be there."
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