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05/10/06 WED 10:02 FAX 541 687 0805 ROBT LOWRY ATTY 002 <br /> J t erI .Sotzry <br /> ATTORNEY AT LAW <br /> CITIZENS BUILDING <br /> 975 OAK STREET, SUITE 790 <br /> EUGENE, OR 97401 <br /> TELEPHONE: (541) 897-7592 <br /> MAILING ADDRESS: FACSIMILE: (541) 6870805 <br /> ROBERT D. LOWRY P.O. BOX ZO10 CELLULAR: (541) 9546451 <br /> EUGENE, OREGON 97440 E-MAIL: RDLOWRY®LOWRY-LAW.COM <br /> May 9, 2006 <br /> VIA FAX & REGULAR MAIL <br /> Mr , Rocky L Houston <br /> Recreatio Trails Coordinator <br /> Oregon ate Parks Department <br /> 725 S mer Street NE, Suite C <br /> Sale , OR 97301 <br /> Re; Doug Newman State Parke Trail Award - Strongest <br /> Recommendation for Honoring Mel Jackson (Deceased) and <br /> Eugene Parks & Recreation Department <br /> Dear Mr. Houston: <br /> With this I would like to make the strongest recommendation <br /> that this year' s Doug Newman State Parks Trail Award be given to <br /> the honor of long-time Eugene Parks & Recreation Department <br /> employee Mel Jackson, now deceased, and to the Eugene Parks & <br /> Recreation Department for their historical and ongoing efforts to <br /> make parks and their recreational potential apparent to all users, <br /> and maximized for the benefit of all park users . The classic <br /> example is their well-established, long term and continuing success <br /> with Spencer Butte (City) Park in Eugene . <br /> By way of background, probably my first "outdoor" adventure <br /> after moving to Eugene in 1967 to attend the University of Oregon <br /> was with the person that this Award honors, Doug Newman and, as it <br /> turned out, we shared birthdays . That trip was not one of Doug' s <br /> legendary treks to a remote forest service lookout on some high- <br /> back country mountain ridge but, instead, to Spencer Butte (Eugene <br /> City) Park at the south edge of town. <br /> That really marked the beginning of an almost endless number <br /> of "wilderness" trips for me, urban and otherwise, which most often <br /> for many years included Doug Newman and Mel Jackson. <br /> It also marked the beginning of my life-long (almost 40 years) <br /> personal adventure involving Spencer Butte which, off and on, I <br /> have continually climbed shortly after 5 : 00 a .m. , twice a week, <br /> daylight or dark (primarily) except for circumstances of lightning, <br /> ice or personal injuries . <br /> By the late 1960s and early 19708, Spencer Butte was literally <br /> being "trashed" by people, including the Oregon Track Club' s then <br /> annual "Storm the Butte, " and by others generally creating their <br /> own trails . There were mainly two trails up, the longer, more <br />