McEUEN: Time may change opinions

We are a community that dares to dream big dreams. We imagine what could be, that would improve our quality of life and create a more vibrant community. All big dreams involve major change and there often those opposed to the degree of change.

The Centennial Trail was opposed by those who thought that the trail would lead to an increase in criminal activity along its route. We were told by others that no one would use a library located downtown by City Hall. There were even opponents to the Kroc Center and the manner in which it was developed. Today we look back on the Centennial Trail, the library and the Kroc Center as some of our most precious community assets which are used by the citizens of this community at three to four times the rate we imagined.

All this is not to say that the current plan for McEuen is perfect or that there are not issues which still must be addressed. Additional boat ramp capacity and quality baseball fields need to be addressed, but these issues are not road blocks but instead are merely problems hat require creative solutions.

Also some of the concepts being proposed may need to be scaled back when we grapple with the compatibility of various features and costs of all ideas being proposed. The key, however, to unlocking the potential of McEuen Park is the parking garage that allows us to reclaim some of the most scenic land in the city for a much higher public use than a parking lot.

I would urge the residents of this community to focus on the mission statement ("...serve the greatest number of uses for the greatest number of people...") developed by the McEuen committee and the amazing future for McEuen if we have the community support and political will to transform McEuen Park into one of our most valued community assets. We will be amazed at the year-round activity in the park by so many diverse groups of people.

Like other projects that have improved our quality of life and added vitality to the community, years from now we will look back with pride and satisfaction in what we have created in the new McEuen Park.

JOE MORRIS

Coeur d'Alene