New Search
Cheryl Reinhart <br /> 1200 West 4th <br /> Eugene, Oregon 97402 <br /> U � � L �� September 22, 1996 <br /> 1020 I - 8/ vo1. <br /> 71.f0Z <br /> Q� <br /> Dear /es Ancitior <br /> At the last meeting regarding Scobert Park it became obvious that the city of <br /> Eugene is having some difficulty providing the Whiteaker Community with straight <br /> answers to valid questions. The first 45 minutes of the meeting were used by three city <br /> facilitators, one city councilor, one city Manager, one police chief, and two public works <br /> administrators who proceeded to tell a roomful of people about the entire history and <br /> future of community involvement in the park. No one could ask questions or comment <br /> as we sat patiently listening to "yes, mistakes have been made ", "we are all very <br /> concerned," and "this is a big mess but we at the city have figured out the process that <br /> this community needs to use ". Did they really think we'd buy it? <br /> After the city's presentation, which failed to address some questions that this <br /> community has faced for years, a frustrated exchange took place. Since many <br /> questions remain unanswered, I'd like to reask them. If Public Safety doesn't have <br /> enough staff or money to deal with the problems in this park, where does it get the <br /> resources to send in the riot squad to arrest six protestors or to enforce a park closure? <br /> I'm not into name- calling but a certain form of government regime comes to mind <br /> whereby forcible suppression of opposition is used to maintain control of a population. <br /> When is the rest of the city going to claim this neighborhood as a vital part of the whole <br /> instead of behaving as if Whiteaker's struggle is separate? And in claiming that <br /> responsibility, when will other citizens who don't live in Whiteaker start acknowledging <br /> their role in this process? Let's see some statistics on what percentage of drug users <br /> who buy and shoot dope in Whiteaker live in the South Hills. I bet their kids aren't <br /> stepping on used needles in the park down the street. <br /> Some questions have arisen about the current process surrounding the <br /> Scobert Park closure. Why did the city encourage, even assist, the community in <br /> coming to a consensus and then undercut this process by sticking a fence across the <br /> middle of the park without even consulting the community? Why did the five people <br /> from Whiteaker who made behind the scenes phone calls to get the park closed carry <br /> more weight than a community of people who want real solutions? What's the name <br /> of that process? Why should the Whiteaker community trust a process that the city is <br /> dictating to us when they have already ignored our voices? <br /> 1 <br />