Might be a McDonald's not Condos if history repeats itself.

"And don't forget:

http://www.clovermoore.com/idx.htm?http://www.clovermoore.com/issues/environment/open%2Dspace/cpmpt/mcdonalds/background.htm

Posted by Jack Bog | October 11, 2006 10:29 AM"

Right next to a college campus and up the street from a school.

Back in the mid-90s there was talk of the city selling off part of Gabriel Park in SW to build additional houses in the middle of it. There's two or three over there now but they may have been in place before the park was created. Various neighborhood councils went crazy and the proposal didn't get far. Here's hoping the same thing will happen at Mt. Tabor.

Well, if they can take part of Gabriel Park to make a gawdawful hideous Taj Mahal rec center, then why not houses or condo?

I understand, Hinckley, that you hate Portland, hate Oregon, and can't wait to get out of here.

But why hate the kids who use the rec center? I wish my kids --now (almost) all grown and gone, had had one in our neighborhood to go to. We're still waiting...

I used to live one block from it. Have you seen that rec center?

It's full of yuppie adults who would otherwise be at the Mittleman or the Y.

Kids can't afford to use it.

...and for the record, I don't "hate" Portland and Oregon. I'm sad and angry for what once was and what has been lost - but "hate" is far too strong a word.

I've had an occasional glimmer of hope that Oregon will reclaim its Western libertarian legacy (such as when M37 passed), but Portland is pretty much a lost cause and Oregon's on the brink.

"It's full of yuppie adults who would otherwise be at the Mittleman or the Y.

Kids can't afford to use it."

Nonsense. I've coached two park and rec basketball teams in there. Plenty of kids in and out of the SW neighborhood make use of the facility. It's not the MAC club by any stretch.

Well, Sebastian, considering it was the city who forced that thing in there, your opinion can't really be counted as objective as you've coached for the city's parks and rec. Naturally you'd defend the city. I lived right across the street and watched the traffic in and out of there. Very few kids, and lots of expensive automobiles.

You shoulda got out of your hidey-hole and checked it out then, because you're wrong. Plenty of kids from all backgrounds use that facility for free.

I'm not defending the city (volunteering to coach makes you a city apologist??), or even debating whether or not it looks like an eyesore. It sure ain't a West Hills raquetball club though.

Stick to your hamhanded butchering of arguments in other threads, kthx.

Sebastian,

Thank you very much for your service as a volunteer coach. The City needs people like you to help guide youth. I have no scientific data, but I feel like the loss of athletics and sports teams in our schools particularly JV and intramural after school, at the critical Jr. High level, contributes the the high drop out rate we have now. I remember when I was in school, granted a long time past, the ability to participate in athletics kept a lot of young men in school, and the grade threshold the incentive to study. The team sports built character, and coaches like you sometimes gave these kids one of the best male role models that they could have. Thank you, I can only imagine how many kids you have touched.

That being said, all things are not equal or fair in how resources and monies are applied. For example it costs poor kids in St. Johns more $$/hr for open swim time at Peir Pool than SWCC, because SWCC is open many more hours and a pass there buys more access and resources. Kids do get scholarships at SWCC and other places, but if the resources are not accessable in their neighborhood

I was sad to see the community center go in during the late '90s. It replaced a hill I sled on after the rare Portland snow shower and rolled down during the summer months. Regardless, every time I pass the center I see either a group of kids playing on the basketball courts or a group of older folks. As much as I might hate to admit it, the center gets a lot more use than that old hill ever did. Housing developments are one thing but a facility that anyone can use is another.

Let me put my ham down so my hands can respond to Sebastian's comment.

I'm sure he must have been aware of the boycott by many neighborhood residents, who refused to set foot in that community center because it was ram-rodded into the neighborhood over its opposition.

That's why I never set foot in there.

Besides, I would never frequent a government-run community center as there are multiple private sector alternatives which are more than adequate for my needs.

Now, back to my lovely ham.