Comments for dkSez : : : : : : Don Kahle's blog http://www.dksez.com Quips, queries, and querulous quibbles from the quirky mind of Don Kahle Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:15:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 Comment on Rebuild Downtown’s Credibility First by Kate http://www.dksez.com/?p=780&cpage=1#comment-2437 Kate Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:15:10 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=780#comment-2437 It's nice to know there are people out there who are trying to make downtown eugene something. :) It’s nice to know there are people out there who are trying to make downtown eugene something. :)

]]> Comment on Fripperies R Us by B Beiser http://www.dksez.com/?p=785&cpage=1#comment-2419 B Beiser Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:36:26 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=785#comment-2419 I'd like to talk to you about an article idea. I'd like to start an after schoool music appreciation program and put together a music resources ctr. I've got a world class music collection with lots of records but also tape, video, dvd, books, mags, posters etc. I'm 60 yrs and sick of paying storage unit rents. What do you think? Bob 541 606 three one 65. givacall I’d like to talk to you about an article idea. I’d like to start an after schoool music appreciation program and put together a music resources ctr. I’ve got a world class music collection with lots of records but also tape, video, dvd, books, mags, posters etc. I’m 60 yrs and sick of paying storage unit rents. What do you think? Bob 541 606 three one 65. givacall

]]> Comment on Rebuild Downtown’s Credibility First by Jim Wilcox http://www.dksez.com/?p=780&cpage=1#comment-2291 Jim Wilcox Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:39:34 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=780#comment-2291 I've been interested in and worked toward the success of downtown Eugene since I arrived here to attend the U of O in 1973. I realized the mall was not working, but did not expect opening the downtown to streets was the answer as promised. In a letter to the R-G Editor published around '88 I noted the real problem: Other competing areas like VRC and Oakway can control the social experience. People who visit downtown have to face the color of our culture, and too many of our society can't handle that. The poor, the dirty, the vulgar. Hate to say it, but we need behavior expectations downtown and the ability to enforce them like any private mall. But defenders of civil rights will protest that. I say, there is no freedom when one does not feel free from danger downtown. So I have seen promises that street openings would solve things, (Which came out better than I expected), Broadway Place would solve things, promised new development (where are the people who were against the bond measure?), the failure of leadership in managing the mall, and numerous meetings with well paid staff and consultants that promise one more solution. A group of us offered our own ideas, as outlined in a letter sent to the City, only to have other competing "visions" adopted due to promised money that never materialized. While people want to back a winner, there is a cost when we keep promising a winning solution that is never fulfilled. That's what creates the "credibility gap" Kahle refers to. My recent experience is indicative of the problem: While attending a meeting (volunteer time) held by city staffers to offer options that would make downtown more vibrant and secure, I had the most meaningless item stolen from my bike. When I expressed frustration, I was told: "That's why I never ride my bike downtown unless I can keep it inside". Keeping it inside that night was not offered as an option, but it should have been. I've tried to offer solutions, with our proposal for a Housing-Transit Center, a successful Solar Fest I organized years ago, numerous meetings with the committed business owners and Russ Brink, who seemed to slowly withdraw from the failure for which he was well paid but not made accountable for. Who was his supervisor? I am glad to see the Chamber work to fix things to make downtown successful for business. But we need social change, not free parking. In the 80's the section of Willamette was called the gut, and it meant a parade of cars each Friday night, with neighborhoods like mine bearing the consequences of trash, fights, public urination, and the beauty of used condoms in the streets Saturday mornings. A law was passed making continued driving on the gut illegal, and it worked. We need something like that approach for downtown. If people want to protest the erosion of civil liberty, go to VRC, Gateway Mall, or Oakway and protest. See how far you get. As it stands now, downtown Eugene is held hostage to uncivil citizens and civil libertarians who are helpful to a fault. When I saw large groups of unruly youth last night from the library, past LTD and to 10th and Willamette, I wondered, where are their parents? When I was underage, we had a curfew and if you were caught after that time, your parents found out. Fine the parents for these disruptive behaviors, and you will see a change. This will help reduce incidents like the one I saw and intervened: Two girls beating on an older developmentally delayed male. It is time to do some more social engineering if we are to expect any of the brick and mortar solutions to work. I said it in the late '80s, and it is still true 22 years later. I’ve been interested in and worked toward the success of downtown Eugene since I arrived here to attend the U of O in 1973. I realized the mall was not working, but did not expect opening the downtown to streets was the answer as promised. In a letter to the R-G Editor published around ‘88 I noted the real problem: Other competing areas like VRC and Oakway can control the social experience. People who visit downtown have to face the color of our culture, and too many of our society can’t handle that. The poor, the dirty, the vulgar. Hate to say it, but we need behavior expectations downtown and the ability to enforce them like any private mall. But defenders of civil rights will protest that. I say, there is no freedom when one does not feel free from danger downtown.
So I have seen promises that street openings would solve things, (Which came out better than I expected), Broadway Place would solve things, promised new development (where are the people who were against the bond measure?), the failure of leadership in managing the mall, and numerous meetings with well paid staff and consultants that promise one more solution. A group of us offered our own ideas, as outlined in a letter sent to the City, only to have other competing “visions” adopted due to promised money that never materialized. While people want to back a winner, there is a cost when we keep promising a winning solution that is never fulfilled. That’s what creates the “credibility gap” Kahle refers to.
My recent experience is indicative of the problem: While attending a meeting (volunteer time) held by city staffers to offer options that would make downtown more vibrant and secure, I had the most meaningless item stolen from my bike. When I expressed frustration, I was told: “That’s why I never ride my bike downtown unless I can keep it inside”. Keeping it inside that night was not offered as an option, but it should have been.
I’ve tried to offer solutions, with our proposal for a Housing-Transit Center, a successful Solar Fest I organized years ago, numerous meetings with the committed business owners and Russ Brink, who seemed to slowly withdraw from the failure for which he was well paid but not made accountable for. Who was his supervisor?
I am glad to see the Chamber work to fix things to make downtown successful for business. But we need social change, not free parking.
In the 80’s the section of Willamette was called the gut, and it meant a parade of cars each Friday night, with neighborhoods like mine bearing the consequences of trash, fights, public urination, and the beauty of used condoms in the streets Saturday mornings. A law was passed making continued driving on the gut illegal, and it worked.
We need something like that approach for downtown. If people want to protest the erosion of civil liberty, go to VRC, Gateway Mall, or Oakway and protest. See how far you get. As it stands now, downtown Eugene is held hostage to uncivil citizens and civil libertarians who are helpful to a fault. When I saw large groups of unruly youth last night from the library, past LTD and to 10th and Willamette, I wondered, where are their parents? When I was underage, we had a curfew and if you were caught after that time, your parents found out. Fine the parents for these disruptive behaviors, and you will see a change. This will help reduce incidents like the one I saw and intervened: Two girls beating on an older developmentally delayed male.
It is time to do some more social engineering if we are to expect any of the brick and mortar solutions to work. I said it in the late ’80s, and it is still true 22 years later.

]]> Comment on Thou Needest Not Nostalgia by Marat I. Kayumov http://www.dksez.com/?p=760&cpage=1#comment-2287 Marat I. Kayumov Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:02:57 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=760#comment-2287 I am a linguist and I have always been disappointed about the fact that the English language of today lacks this beautiful word "thou", whose precise delicacy we are now 'not allowed' to exercise. Teachers prohibit this word and say "it is the wrong usage (or merely archaic, which is BAD for them)". Very often I try to insert 'this word of lustful poetry' into my academic discourse to enliven the students' minds and souls, to make them more 'adjustable' to the language. But I am nearly always immediately disillusioned: I realize the students of now are only hunting for the slang and the 'sex-and-joint' vocabulary. Actually, I have thought that there are practically no people among the natives who do feel nostalgic for the good times of the language. Now I happily recognize you to be one. Thank you so much for your article. Marat I. Kayumov, Russia. I am a linguist and I have always been disappointed about the fact that the English language of today lacks this beautiful word “thou”, whose precise delicacy we are now ‘not allowed’ to exercise. Teachers prohibit this word and say “it is the wrong usage (or merely archaic, which is BAD for them)”. Very often I try to insert ‘this word of lustful poetry’ into my academic discourse to enliven the students’ minds and souls, to make them more ‘adjustable’ to the language. But I am nearly always immediately disillusioned: I realize the students of now are only hunting for the slang and the ’sex-and-joint’ vocabulary.

Actually, I have thought that there are practically no people among the natives who do feel nostalgic for the good times of the language. Now I happily recognize you to be one.

Thank you so much for your article.

Marat I. Kayumov, Russia.

]]> Comment on Confessions of a Paperboy by Charlie Sim http://www.dksez.com/?p=739&cpage=1#comment-2283 Charlie Sim Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:30:54 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=739#comment-2283 That's interesting. I never knew about that - a day when newspaper carriers get recognized. I also was a newspaper carrier for a short time, and there are a lot of adventures to be told for sure. I'm sure you've got some great stories. I can understand and relate to everything you're saying - about the cold, the physical demands, the mental demands and choices that carriers make on a day to day basis, and about challenging yourself to reach 'perfection' as a carrier. Everyone's experience is different and depending on the route, it can be a great deal different. Mine was in a suburban town in Central N.J. and I wrote about it in a collection of posts called The Route: Confessions of a Newspaper Delivery Carrier... you can check it out on any number of places (http://bit.ly/7NKRKK) or www.charliesim.com (http://bit.ly/7NLbHX) or http://bit.ly/4u1WMb. Thanks for the post! That’s interesting. I never knew about that – a day when newspaper carriers get recognized. I also was a newspaper carrier for a short time, and there are a lot of adventures to be told for sure. I’m sure you’ve got some great stories. I can understand and relate to everything you’re saying – about the cold, the physical demands, the mental demands and choices that carriers make on a day to day basis, and about challenging yourself to reach ‘perfection’ as a carrier. Everyone’s experience is different and depending on the route, it can be a great deal different. Mine was in a suburban town in Central N.J. and I wrote about it in a collection of posts called The Route: Confessions of a Newspaper Delivery Carrier… you can check it out on any number of places (http://bit.ly/7NKRKK) or http://www.charliesim.com (http://bit.ly/7NLbHX) or http://bit.ly/4u1WMb. Thanks for the post!

]]> Comment on Buying Local Celebrates Local by Brian Ford http://www.dksez.com/?p=764&cpage=1#comment-2280 Brian Ford Sat, 19 Dec 2009 13:38:06 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=764#comment-2280 Don- You truly are the Dave Barry of Eugene. I hope your column gets picked up by the NY Times and you make a mint. Merry Christmas! Don- You truly are the Dave Barry of Eugene. I hope your column gets picked up by the NY Times and you make a mint. Merry Christmas!

]]> Comment on Iraq, Iran and Dotted Lines by Uphoptype http://www.dksez.com/?p=713&cpage=1#comment-2276 Uphoptype Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:07:48 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=713#comment-2276 Through you looking for details. It helped me in my mission Through you looking for details. It helped me in my mission

]]> Comment on It’s the Stupidity, Stupid! by Evalyn http://www.dksez.com/?p=751&cpage=1#comment-2265 Evalyn Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:04:33 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=751#comment-2265 What happens is that people turn to one source and decide it's THE TRUTH. Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, CNN, FOX, ABC, whatever. It's a form of traumatic stress syndrome and we choose one so we don't have to deal with the rest. It lessens the stress of too much. What happens is that people turn to one source and decide it’s THE TRUTH. Rush Limbaugh, Jerry Falwell, CNN, FOX, ABC, whatever. It’s a form of traumatic stress syndrome and we choose one so we don’t have to deal with the rest. It lessens the stress of too much.

]]> Comment on … I’m afraid all my children… by v http://www.dksez.com/?p=749&cpage=1#comment-2260 v Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:04:08 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=749#comment-2260 And 1 year is considered long-term!!!!!!!! And 1 year is considered long-term!!!!!!!!

]]> Comment on Built, But Not Ugly by Randy Nishimura http://www.dksez.com/?p=743&cpage=1#comment-2257 Randy Nishimura Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:17:16 +0000 http://www.dksez.com/?p=743#comment-2257 Don: The UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts was founded by Ellis Lawrence in 1914, which is a bit further back than two generations. Randy Don:

The UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts was founded by Ellis Lawrence in 1914, which is a bit further back than two generations.

Randy

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