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McEUEN: Giving up what we love

| December 31, 2010 9:00 PM

If I could have gotten my Christmas wish, it would have been that the "McEuen Dream Team" would have postponed the announcement of their scam for McEuen Field until after the holidays. The front page "A Vision Unveiled" not only ruined my day, my week, my Christmas, and possibly future days enjoying quiet summers picnicking with my family and watching a relaxing game of baseball. The McEuen Team proposes a facility that would "offer the greatest number of uses for the greatest number of people." So we sacrifice quality for quantity?

Have any of these people been to this field in the summer when families, both young and old, are there getting a glimpse of what life was like in our town before all the hustle and bustle hit? Each year we lose a little more of what people came for and are coming here to enjoy. Soon it will all be gone and our town will look like the places we wanted to get away from.

Their goal is to transform "McEuen Field into a destination park." I don't believe this was the intent of the landowners and don't we already have this in the Farmers' Markets, parks, boat launches and Silverwood as well as other attractions? I feel that Coeur d'Alene already has ample destination attractions and the radical change of McEuen Field would not enhance, but would be detrimental to what we have.

Every summer this town transforms into a Disneyland atmosphere. I know that the LCDC, mayor, city council, Hagadone Corporation and downtown businesses are salivating at the prospects of getting their hands on control of this property.

My grandfather told me, "whenever you get something, you have to give something up." Just be careful that you're not giving up more than you're getting. Are we the people willing to give up this community treasure and step further into the fast lane and sacrifice our quality of life for a few more bucks? I hope not.

SHERMAN D. RANDOLPH

Coeur d'Alene