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HAT'S MORE, Taylor said, "If the city
<br /> ivy would just turn the water back on, we'd
<br /> be happy to mow on Saturdays."
<br /> • Heck of an offer.
<br /> .e.,�.A.NOLInA Part labor, part user fee.
<br /> The annual watering bill was about $300.
<br /> Neighbors collected $90 at a park potluck last
<br /> D Q�J BISHOFF week, and more is coming into a donation jar at
<br /> the nearby Lincoln Street Market.
<br /> Dick Morgan, the city parks maintenance
<br /> rescue m anager, said he's willing to work with the
<br /> Park s re neighbors. But .. .
<br /> "I have been given a directive to turn off the
<br /> irrigation. Before I turn it back on, I need some
<br /> a spigot of away sort of direction from the council."
<br /> The council will be on vacation until next
<br /> month. Given its tight agenda control, it might
<br /> AST SUMMER, the small street trees not get around to talking about the dying park
<br /> L along Charnelton Street next to Charnel before Christmas.
<br /> Mulligan Park started dying. This spring, Councilman Kevin Hornbuckle, who lives
<br /> the city planted new ones. nearby, met with neighbors last week.
<br /> This summer, the park grass died. A half- "I think it was a mistake to stop watering the
<br /> dozen larger park trees are dead or dying. park," he said. "It clearly had consequences on
<br /> The city is doing nothing about it. the social use of the park as well as the
<br /> Charnel Mulligan is one of 16 neighborhood landscaping."
<br /> parks where the underground irrigation system But Hombuckle isn't ready to say yet what
<br /> was cut off under Eugene Decisions budget cuts. the city should do now.
<br /> This summer and last, the parks were allowed So, neighbors are watering park trees
<br /> to "go brown" to save $40,000 worth of water, themselves.
<br /> fertilizer and mowing. Taylor and Wells run hoses across
<br /> Such popular parks as Washburn, Tugman Charnelton from their houses. David Gusset,
<br /> and Westmoreland are on the dried -up list. who owns a house on Lincoln behind the park,
<br /> But the effect is really startling in Charnel waters two trees on the back side. (And the city
<br /> Mulligan, partly because its sandy soil doesn't is watering street trees and park shrubs.)
<br /> hold water well, partly because of its high Morgan won't even concede that lack of
<br /> visibility. It's one of few inner city parks on the water did in the trees. He contends that other
<br /> list and closest to downtown. problems killed the street trees and that the 10-
<br /> Named for the year -old park trees should have deep roots and
<br /> Y. r Eugene pioneer whose not be affected by lack of irrigation.
<br /> F '- name also is on the But he has no other explanation for their
<br /> `; adjacent street, it's a demise.
<br /> " beautiful one acre Landscape architect Ron Cameron, whose
<br /> 'r{ .: space. firm designed the park, supports neighbors'
<br /> a Created 10 years contentions that the trees became irrigation
<br /> __ . ago with $200,000 in dependent, never developing deep roots. And
<br /> ,r federal money, it has a neighbors say that trees didn't start dying until
<br /> gazebo, picnic tables watering stopped.
<br /> 8sivoto and playground at one The city was upfront in 1992 that Eugene
<br /> end, and a grassy plot Decisions cuts would hurt in places like this.
<br /> ��
<br /> s, ' . " , • alon g Charnelton Some council members worried then about the
<br /> between 16th and 17th public relations impact of brown parks.
<br /> r,, avenues. Those impacts have now arrived. And it's
<br /> But it's not as beautiful as it was before the hard to see where more park money will come
<br /> watering stopped. from to change them.
<br /> "To me, it's a neighborhood eyesore," said But nobody mentioned dying trees when the
<br /> Charles "Nipper" Rhoads, who still lives in the council talked about brown parks.
<br /> nearby house that he grew up in at 339 W. 17th. The city ought to be huzzahing and helping
<br /> "We used to have a lush, alive park," said when neighbors are willing to invest their
<br /> Scott Taylor, who lives directly across money and sweat — particularly in an inner
<br /> Charnelton. His house is easy to spot — it's the city neighborhood that everyone's eager to keep
<br /> one covered with big tree murals. from deterioriating.
<br /> "It was always active, with people throwing City Manager Mike Gleason should get a
<br /> Frisbees, children playing," Taylor said. phone OK from council members still in town,
<br /> "Now it's not desirable to come here. The accept the neighbors' cash and work offer —
<br /> park doesn't get used much, except for and turn on the water now. The grass may not
<br /> neighborhood dogs." get totally green again before summer ends, but
<br /> Taylor and others who've pelted the city some trees might still be saved.
<br /> with complaints understand the budget - cutting So might a neighborhood.
<br /> • decision, whether they agree with it or not. r AM they're frustrated because the city won't
<br /> accepted their solution.
<br /> "We're willing to pay for the water," said
<br /> Andrew Wells, who went to a City Council
<br /> meeting two weeks ago to plead for the park.
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