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Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend August 9, 2003 Donation of land for parksa ‘true gift from the heart’ By JILL BRISKEY Mail Tribune Another lifelong resident of the Rogue Valley has donated a chunk of property to benefit Medford’s parks. "This is my home and I’m really interested in what happens to Medford," said 82-year-old Betty Root, who lives at Rogue Valley Manor. "We’ve always thought this piece of property just belonged to the parks system." The 1-acre parcel — off of Siskiyou Boulevard between Bear Creek Park and the city’s Little League fields — was officially deeded over to the parks department in June. Medford Parks Director Scott Archer said there was only one string attached to the deal — the city must ensure that the land will one day become a park. Advertisement "It was just a purely generous offer," said Archer. "It’s wonderful, a true gift from the heart." Root, whose husband Bob was one of the four original founders of Sabroso, has served on the Medford Parks Commission for four years and is an avid supporter of the Bear Creek Greenway. Root said she and her late husband often discussed donating the property to the city. The land has an estimated value of $240,000. "It really is just an addition to what’s already there," she added. Plans for the property remain unclear, said Archer. "It’s just an open space. At this point in time, there’s no plan for development," said Archer, who added that the city will hold a series of discussions to develop a plan for the property at a later date. Root’s gift to the city comes on the heels of a large donation of land to create a privately funded park. Wes Howard, who died in March at 87, left his entire 68-acre estate at Ross Lane and Rossanley Drive to become a privately maintained, nonprofit sports park. Plans for that property will begin taking shape in the fall. The city has 2,037 acres of park property. The bulk of that land — roughly 1,740 acres — is part of the largely undeveloped Prescott Park area at Roxy Ann Peak. The Medford Sports Park is 132 acres. Development of that property, near Bear Creek Corp. east of Highway 99 is still in the early planning phases. Medford City Manager Mike Dyal said the parks department is currently working on 21 projects that range from improvements to the Santo Center to expansion of the Greenway. "We’ve been in a planning and acquisition phase in the last one to two years," said Dyal. "There’s just a whole lot going on. It’s very exciting." Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Related Stories: 07-24-2003 - Hermit�s treasure 07-27-2003 - Bidding on her past 07-30-2003 - Not one: two sports parks 08-09-2003 - Donation of land for parksa �true gift from the heart� 02-10-2005 - Howard�s final wish yet to be realized 07-20-2006 - YMCA could expand to Howard estate 07-20-2006 - Design details emerge for Howard's land Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Windermere Van Vleet Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Texas Electric Choice Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Advertisement s