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Eugene Weekly : 12.24.03 Page 4 of 7 <br /> Preschoolers and the city's growing elderly population could better take advantage of <br />, neighborhood parks, says O'Brien. "Must they always get in a car and go hike on steep <br /> slopes?" <br /> As the city becomes more developed, such nearby natural areas will become even more <br /> scarce and valuable, O'Brien says. "It becomes a real asset for a community when they set <br /> aside and make room for natural areas in a city in a central location," she says. "How many <br /> people would be going to Central Park in New York City if it was just all ball fields?" <br /> But sports boosters appear to have the city's ear on parks. Organized sports are by <br /> definition organized and as such are better able to lobby the city than large numbers of <br /> individual walkers,bikers,hikers and bird watchers, say natural parks advocates. Sports <br /> groups have shown up in force to city meetings to advocate for more ball fields instead of <br /> natural areas. Kidsports has a close relationship with the city, even scheduling playtimes <br /> among sports groups competing for fields. <br /> Cauthorn says she's had little traction with city staff, even after pointing to their own <br /> surveys showing that people want more natural parks. "There's a very definite bias towards <br /> a certain kind of ability group people," she says. "The balance has been towards people <br /> that are in organized sports." <br /> Cauthorn says city staff have called sports advocates to make sure they show up at public <br /> meetings to press for their fields. She says no similar get out the testimony calls have been <br /> made to natural parks advocates. <br /> While natural parks advocates complain of staff bias for sports, Rogers of Kidsports is <br /> happy with city decisions. "I have to really applaud the people we have in the city," he <br /> says. <br /> The city should keep the interests of the general public ahead of organized special <br /> interests, Cauthorn says. "Not everybody recreates with balls," she says. "What's the <br /> greatest good for the community?" <br /> PARKS PROCESS <br /> The process for how .-s <br /> 1• f <br /> the city decides to -- '� SIL <br /> spend park money is -.1 t • ((. ../41• <br /> rw <br /> dominated by city staff �, -1 <br /> and isn't open or <br /> _ - <br /> democratic,natural l � r <br /> parks advocates1 ', ; + f • <br /> complain. 3- �_ • � r c ,,•; <br /> 4 ► <br /> "Whatever Staff thinks � '' � .' _�.-� '• ", i � Ir•—• <br /> is best,that's what we'll ' � ,- I " ' ��.. ..� <br /> get," Cauthorn says. <br /> Citizens for a Natural Amazon have put forward an alternative design for a more natural park. <br /> http://www.eugeneweekly.com/archive/12_24_03/coverstory.htrnl 1/6/04 <br />