McEUEN: Just a touch-up will do

McEuen Park is a beautiful multi-purpose park with Tubbs Hill as a background that serves our community well. It is a great injustice and a waste of money to propose ripping everything down and starting over. I enjoy McEuen often and I go downtown at least once a week, winter and summer, to enjoy all of downtown’s parks, boardwalk, baseball games and boating activity even though I don’t own a boat.

I was there recently and people were enjoying McEuen and the nice weather. I have noticed most of those who want to change the park rarely patronize it including Mayor Bloem and council. I think for them it’s been an ego trip to spend up to $40 million, so I have a few suggestions.

How about putting the merry-go-round in the park? Tourists love the one in Spokane. Forget the garage — I love two-hour free parking. Move the Veterans Memorial away from the driveway into the park and surround it with a rose garden and flowers. Add a lot of benches for sitting and maybe some Pioneer Square type park lighting and paths. Project complete and cost maybe $250,000.

With 44,000 residents, let’s start a brand new park in Coeur d’Alene with the 39 million saved. It is so bizarre to trash what we already have in McEuen. Finally let’s keep up maintenance on what we already have. Some parks like the one on Sherman look rather shabby and need some TLC.

HOWARD WALKER

Coeur d’Alene