The historic McEuen Field, as we have known it, is now a thing of the past. I’m told City crews were busy yesterday and today, taking down the baseball fields and preparing for the “big scrape” coming soon, where heavy equipment will come in and scrape the asphalt off the parking lot and the grass off the park. (photo of Rita Sims-Snyder, Friends of McEuen, 2011) How do you feel about this?
August 16, 2012
Open Session: Goodbye McEuen
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Sick.
Comment by concerned citizen — August 16, 2012 @ 7:32 pm
Disgusted and disappointed.
Comment by Fiftysmtg — August 16, 2012 @ 10:42 pm
***censored***
Comment by up river — August 17, 2012 @ 10:35 am
Let’s think back a bit: The Recall, which ended in mid-June, gathered 5,400 signatures each for the mayor and council members Kennedy, Goodlander & McEvers. More of those Recall signatures were declared valid by the County Clerk for each of the officials than the number of people who elected them last time.
Idaho law required even more valid signatures to get their names on the ballot.
But did these officials “get the message” from the 4,200 valid people who signed? Apparently not. Hurry up, push forward as fast as you can. Ignore the people.
Comment by mary — August 17, 2012 @ 12:27 pm
You’re wrong Mary. They got the message, loud and clear. It was: “Hurry up you fools before you lose your positions of power.” And away we go. They may look like idiots but they ain’t. And if you ever expected them to care about anyone but themselves, then…….. oh well never-mind.
Comment by Wallypog — August 17, 2012 @ 12:52 pm
I was sad when the first high-rise was built because I knew views would be forever changed. Now I see tall ugly buildings instead of the view of the surrounding area of water, trees and mountains.
I am sad when someone asks to be annexed into the city and then asks the city to assume responsibility of poor water or sewer systems and/or non-conforming homes built without permits.
I am sad that so many drunks are on the streets and the police can’t keep up with the drug traffic.
I am sad when I see swimmers in the Spokane River when it is filled with toxins. o
I am sad when government makes promises to win elections only.
Now to change my focus:
I am happy for Jesus, my wonderful family and good health!
Comment by LTR — August 17, 2012 @ 2:24 pm
Until the city is rid of Bloem, Goodlander, Kennedy and the aged hippy, nothing will change. Revolting, self serving pretty well covers it. There is nothing more tenacious than the person holding on to their power as long as possible. The odious four have over a year to install their “vision”. By then, as they well know, the damage will be done. The city will be deep in debt over the disaster previously know as McEuen park. And believe it, before they go, they will see that the remainder of this obscenity is under contract. When Bloems Bog is finally finished, the real cost will commence. More police needed to patrol because of crime, drug dealing in the parking garage, vandalism, and drunken behavior. As it is now, residents are vastly underserved by law enforcement as there are too few for the current population. I believe we all learned from the recall effort that fear of losing power brings on circumventing state law and statutes. How do you fight that? Thanks to politics as usual, this is a terrible place…..and becoming worse everyday. I doubt that even heaven can help us!
Comment by rochereau — August 17, 2012 @ 2:53 pm
I’d say I’m mostly sad. I am, however, not going to forget the Recall and what happened. I will be voting for anyone but the 4 as dangerous as that may be.
Comment by Randy_Myers — August 17, 2012 @ 6:43 pm
The proponents of the McEuen project repeatedly proclaimed that park as it existed was “underutilized.”
To be able to make that statement authoritatively, there must be some accepted standard for determining the utilization of City parks and some measurement to quantify that standard. What is the accepted standard for being properly “utilized”? Who defined that standard? How did the City Parks Director measure against those standards? Are the same standards and measurements applied against all the city parks, and if so, how do they measure up?
Comment by Bill — August 18, 2012 @ 4:36 pm
There is another measure used by civilized peoples and that is the measure of memorialization. Some places and buildings become so endeared in how they served and when they served that they become revered, inherently worthy of respect. Instead of being removed they get renovated or preserved so that future generations can have the opportunity to learn from the past in purpose as well as design. We have many examples of this in Spokane where older downtown structures are kept, updated and repurposed. Their historic grandeur easily outstrips more contemporary structures.
Did McEuen meet any such standard here in CdA? Was there a more respectful way to invigorate the site that was more in keeping with how this community knew that property? Gone is ‘gone’, can’t get it back. And so, like many other historic items, places and buildings we will only memories and pictures. Sadly, in this instance, we will soon have something quite garish and out of synchrony with this town and region.
Comment by Wallypog — August 19, 2012 @ 7:44 am
Wallypog,
Excellent point!
Two words you will likely never hear uttered by Eastwood, Bloem, Kennedy, Goodlander and McEvers: Historical Preservation. Historial preservation is about honoring and remembering Coeur d’Alene’s past, not trying to live in it.
Evidence of that is in the City’s and the LCDC’s eagerness to boot the Museum of North Idaho off its present site and have it placed where? Well, we don’t know where, because the City and the LCDC don’t really care — as long as its not taking up what could be retail space downtown. A refurbished Museum of North Idaho remaining somewhere on the west side of Northwest Boulevard between I-90 and Sherman Avenue would be a convenient educational destination for many visitors. Instead, the aforementioned officials would rather try to make the City sewage treatment plant a tourist destination. Imagine the District of Columbia deciding to not pay much attention to the Smithsonian Institution or the US Archives as attractions, but instead encouraging tourists to flock to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Comment by Bill — August 19, 2012 @ 9:10 am
Why does Cda’s council seem to be in a race to remove all the history from Cda and remake it in the image of what is ‘new’. Why is Cda’s council striving so hard to make Cda into something ‘new’ instead of embracing what it is? Cda is rapidly developing into something that was not the reason that people came here in the first place over the years to visit. Cda is becoming a sterile ‘new’ modern environment that people can see numerous other places. It is the Boston Red Sox’s 100th anniversary in Fenway Park. The ‘Green Monster’ still stands, and everyone applauds. It, and so many other destination places, are proud of, and embrace, their heritage. Cda, apparently not so.
Comment by up river — August 19, 2012 @ 9:58 am
up river,
It is almost as if Eastwood, Bloem, Kennedy, Goodlander, and McEvers are ashamed of Coeur d’Alene’s history. They almost seem to be trying to erase every vestige of not only the agriculture, timber, and mining industries but even more important, they seem to not want people to remember the names of the people who came here and who made those industries productive.
Comment by Bill — August 19, 2012 @ 12:31 pm
Rumor has it that the city will demolish the former Burlington Northern Power Substation next to city park. Pull the rails, demolish the substation, forget the importance of rails to the city.
Comment by Susie Snedaker — August 19, 2012 @ 1:25 pm
Susie
You are correct. Those rails were the lifeline to CdA and they COULD have remained the lifeline bringing tourists from both east and west to the city even in the harsh winter. Could you imagine a parking structure on the prairie with train service right into town? THEY CAN’T. Could you imagine a train service right to and through the commercial, uh, I mean Education Corridor? THEY CAN’T. Could you imagine 4th of July with train service right into the heart of CdA? THEY CAN’T. Well you can forget that now. These people can see nor further than their own pocket book. Disgusting.
Comment by concerned citizen — August 19, 2012 @ 5:31 pm
I will miss the open grass area, the mature fragrant trees, and the community park nature of McEuen as it is today. I want a community park and not another tourist attraction.
They fail to recognize that “less is more”.
It makes me crazy to think our city thinks spending 14+million on a park make over is the right thing to do, especially after all the contention.
If the fab 4 think the citizens will forgive and forget by the time of the next election, they are sadly mistaken. I wish we could cast a vote to remove the parks director (Eastwood) as well!
So, who’s running for Mayor and City council next election?? 🙂
Comment by chouli — August 27, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
Well chouli, IMO, the same old frightful four. Kennedy has no choice, he dances however his puppeteers pull his strings. Deanna and Bloem are so arrogant, they consider the failed ( I should say the manipulated failure) recall a mandate. The aged hippy is so brain challenged that he will do as he is told. I originally believed that Goodlander and Bloem would retire at the end of this term. Neither wanted the ignominy of a sound defeat at the polls. But given the apathetic voters of CDA and the arrogant hubris of these two, they well might run again….and win! Depressing isn’t it!
Comment by rochereau — August 28, 2012 @ 8:54 am