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Note: Guest Opinions are added to this page on an intermittent basis. Urbane renewal It could better involve businesspeople, but the city is doing good work downtown There's a lot to like about the changes Medford's Urban Renewal Agency is making downtown. Monuments to its good works are everywhere, from a spiffed-up Vogel Park and Craterian theater to new landscaping, sidewalks and business facades across the district. The agency's latest projects - development of a new road along the railroad tracks and a 20-block "village" bordered by Front, Fifth, Oakdale and Jackson streets - look so far like more of the same from an agency that is gradually making downtown Medford better for all. We have just one suggestion for the people behind the projects, and that is that they reach further to involve business owners before renewal plans become final and work gets under way. Last month, when crews tore up Central Avenue sidewalks, it became obvious good communication hasn't always been the rule. A number of merchants said they first learned of the project as they arrived at work one morning and found dirt where the sidewalks had been. One was surprised that a landscaping tree was being planted in the route to the door of her business. The city asks a lot of business owners in these situations. Mounds of dirt and clouds of dust still greet customers on Central Avenue weeks after the old sidewalks got the heave-ho. Even merchants certain they'll appreciate the result of the upheaval would gladly do without the upheaval itself. We hope urban renewal agency leaders will apply what they've learned about communication on Central Avenue and elsewhere to their latest proposals, the new Evergreen Way along the railroad tracks and the so-called In Town Village in an area nearby. Business owners and residents of that area face potentially major changes, from more traffic because of extended and rerouted streets to new rules for parking and how buildings are used. People who live or work in the area should make an effort to take part in public meetings the agency organizes, but the agency also should reach out to every merchant or resident through mailings or flyers dropped at homes, stores and offices. Making sure people know what's going on before decisions are made will keep exasperation with the projects to a minimum and result in a plan that most will be happy to live with for a long time. In praise of oxy fuel No, we're not going to wax nostalgic about "oxy fuel" now that the state is asking the federal government to let Jackson County residents give it up after this winter. What's to miss about the oxygen-spiked, ethanol-containing fuel additive? It's been the target of blame for nearly every malady an auto mechanic might imagine since it first flowed from area pumps in 1992. Sputtering engines? Clogged fuel lines? Poor gas mileage? Blame it all on the oxy gas. But let's not forget oxy gas has done at least one other thing, too: It has reduced the amount of carbon monoxide escaping from our cars' tailpipes. And that, the government says, is making it easier for elderly, young, pregnant or ill people to breathe when air is trapped near the ground on windless winter days. The government is considering dropping the oxy fuel requirement because Jackson County's air is now clean enough every winter to meet federal standards. That is one point, at least, in praise of oxy fuel. Highland interchange would damage park By BARBARA GRIFFIN I hear them first. Then they come into view. The young people of the neighborhood are heading to Bear Creek Park. As they race down the middle of the street, they are laughing, joking and horsing around as they ride upon their skateboards, bicycles and in-line skates. I love this sound of laughter. I am pleased that my town has a place for kids to go. I chuckle along with these happy-go-lucky kids. I think, "How lucky we are." That is, until I read what the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are planning to do to old east Medford and Bear Creek Park. They want the Interstate 5 freeway interchange to come into Barnett Road at Highland Drive. I ask you, parents and grandparents, are the children going to be safe when this happens? Will Bear Creek Park ever be the same? The Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the South Interchange Project notes the following consequence of the Highland alternative: "Possible pedestrian and bicycle difficulty in crossing Highland Drive between the signalized intersections of Barnett Road and Siskiyou Boulevard." Is this what we want? If this is not your vision, you only have a few weeks to voice your complaints. ODOT also has this to say about the Highland alternative: "Highland Drive at Barnett Road becomes a four-leg intersection by adding approach for interchange. This increases travel options for vehicles with destinations from the interstate to Siskiyou Boulevard via Highland Drive." At the ODOT meeting on Tuesday, I asked these question of Jim Hanks, of JRH Transportation Engineering in Eugene: 1. Is Siskiyou Boulevard wide enough for increased traffic? 2. What will happen to the Siskiyou Boulevard parking used for Bear Creek Park? 3. Where will the children cross the street to go to the park? Mr. Hanks answered, "It is just an option for vehicles." I asked Greg Holthoff, ODOT's environmental project manager (he lives in Salem), if he knew there was an elementary school on Siskiyou Boulevard. He did not know about Hoover Elementary School. I asked Mike Gallagher, senior planner of the South Medford Interstate Project working for the URS Corp. of Corvallis, if he knew there was an elementary school on Siskiyou Boulevard. He did not know about Hoover, either. What do they know about our town, our people and our Bear Creek Park? Under the category of land-use consequences of the Highland alternative, ODOT notes, "Infringes on parkland on the east and the south." The Ellendale alternative, ODOT says, "would affect width of Quail Point Golf Course's first fairway and safety netting area and displace driving range." What is for the greater good, I ask you? Speak up now or forever hold your peace! More from ODOT: "Reduces neighborhood cohesion due to increased traffic volume on Highland Drive side of Bear Creek Park. Decreases access to the park by neighborhood users." Is this your vision for the vicinity of Bear Creek Park? If we, the citizens of Medford, do not act now, the vision of Medford as a community with Bear Creek Park as a safe place for our kids will be only a long-ago memory. For 30 years I have lived in the same house in old east Medford. My children grew up in this house. They would have loved the park. I would have loved for them to have access to Bear Creek Park. I could have happily sent my kids over to the skateboard park rather than worrying about them skateboarding down Jackson Street by Hedrick Middle School. If the Highland alternative is chosen, who is going to send their kids to the park then? The Highland alternative impacts the entire city. The people who use Bear Creek Park come from all over our area. ODOT states that "The Ellendale Alternative will have no direct impacts on Bear Creek Park." What do you choose? Write the mayor of Medford, the Medford City Council, your ward council member, and Frank Stevens, ODOT solutions team leader, at 200 Antelope Road, White City, OR 97503, or Greg Holthoff at ODOT. The time is short. You need to act now. Voice your concerns. After 5 p.m. Dec. 3, ODOT will disregard anything you have to say. Save the integrity of Bear Creek Park. Say no to the Highland alternative. Barbara Griffin is a children's literature/storytelling specialist. She lives in east Medford. Teens were leaving park when police arrived EDITOR'S NOTE: The story in the Oct. 3 Mail Tribune about a group of teenagers who were ticketed for being in Bear Creek Park after it closed generated several letters to the editor. Many were critical of the teenagers and their parents for objecting to the way Medford police handled the situation. Here is a response from the mother of one of the teenagers: By CAROLEE LOKENO I agree it is not "front page" stuff. The night it happened, the girls came home and asked me if I knew that the park closed at 10:30; I did not. Then they showed me their citations and told me what happened. We chalked it up to experience, but it seems now the rest of the story should be told. The kids were actually getting in their cars to come home at 11 when they were confronted by the officers. They sat down in the grass while citations were written and were asked if there were other kids in the park. When they responded they didn't know (which they didn't), the officer asked them if he needed to bring in the dogs. My African-American daughter, who has endured her share of ignorance in this valley - and done so with grace, humor and the support of our small town, where she is known by more than the color of her skin - felt that the reason for the "big guns" (backup and dogs) was because of her presence in the group. Lt. George says they don't make judgments about how teens look; we feel a judgment had already been made. When the officer saw the kids at 10:30, why didn't he communicate with them? Why didn't he say, "Hey, kids, the park is closing, go home"? Simple straightforward communication? "Flashing lights" - is that a secret code? The kids said they didn't even see them, and certainly good kids would not be alarmed by the presence of a patrol car; they had no idea the park closed at 10:30. At 11, when they needed to head home, they were stopped from leaving the park. We weren't asking for "kid gloves," but we didn't want brass knuckles either. I was amused by some of the critical letters calling the kids crybabies and making assumptions about our homes and parenting. Shame on one letter writer for judging us. I would invite her to talk with me about what kind of "hands-on parents" we are. She made some huge assumptions about us - wrong assumptions. Do I see a trend? We are not anti-police; my father was a Medford police officer and some of our dearest friends are in law enforcement. We have spent years teaching our kids respect for authority, so maybe that's why this incident was bothersome. Another letter writer mentioned 15 teens. There were eight, almost one officer for each child. This was not about blame or apologies, this was about communication and awareness. This point seemed to be missed by many. An opportunity was lost because judgments were made and communication was absent. We just wish the officer would have built a bridge that evening instead of a wall. The good news is that those kids are bridge builders with a great work ethic. You will find them every Tuesday through Friday at 7 a.m. in the student government class at Crater High School trying to make their world a better place. They will continue to be student leaders, and to teach the drug awareness classes to elementary schools for District 6, and be active in their community. These are awesome kids who give me hope and confidence in tomorrow. Maybe Officer Furst, or any of the critics, could drop by sometime and get to know these teens. It's never too late to build bridges. These kids are truly players on your team, and our hope for a bright future. Carolee Lokeno is the mother of one of the teenagers cited by Medford police on Aug. 14. She lives in Central Point. |
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The Mail Tribune welcomes letters on any topic of general public relevance and interest. Please include a daytime phone number and address for verification. We cannot print letters, even e--mail letters, without verification. We're interested in the comments of all our on--line readers, but we can only publish letters from residents within our Southern Oregon and Northern California circulation area. Sorry, we cannot publish poetry. Writers are limited to one letter every 30 days. Address your letters of 250 word or less (150 words for thank you or election letters) to: Letters to the editor Or send your e--mail letter to: The Mail Tribune offers its opinion pages to stimulate discussion and understanding of issues important to our community. Editorials in this column reflect the opinions of the Mail Tribune.
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