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Neighborhood seeks new options West Medford Safeway was a boon for those without cars By JIM DAVIS Mary Jones has lived in the same home, just two blocks away from the west Medford Safeway, for more than 45 years. The 69-year-old woman said the store's closure last month was a blow to her neighborhood. "What they have done to us is taken away one of the most important parts of living in our community," she said. Jones was one of about 30 people who attended a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the closure of the store at 1101 W. Main St. and its impact on west Medford. The gathering was organized by nonprofit groups Oregon Action and the West Medford Community Coalition, who are worried about the neighborhood's seniors, disabled and people who can't afford to drive. Safeway representatives were invited but didn't attend. Rich Rohde of Oregon Action said that he spoke with one of Safeway's property agents, who assured him that the store wanted to work with the community. But Rohde said neighbors needed to come up with a plan for the vacant store to get results. "What do we want to see happen and how do we want to make that happen?" Rohde said. The closure June 20 left Sherm's Thunderbird Market as the only large grocery store in the area. Albertson's is opening a store across from Sherm's later this year, but both stores are about a mile west of Safeway and sidewalks do not extend that far out. Among those attending were Medford Mayor Lindsay Berryman, Councilman John Michaels and planning commissioner Melody Kolb. Also attending was Elaine Deckelman, one of the managers of the Ashland Community Food Store. She said that she was there as a private citizen, but added that the food store was looking to expand into Medford and she would bring information back to her store. Rohde said Safeway has a lease on the vacant building until 2003; it could, however, terminate the lease with 180 days' notice. The owners of the building, he said, all apparently live in the East. He said the Safeway property agent would write the owners a letter asking whether they would be willing to sell the property. The meeting was later opened to questions, and several people asked why Safeway would continue to lease the store. Rohde said the only advantage that he could see was it would allow Safeway to keep their options open. Ross Knotts, the former pastor of the First United Methodist Church at 607 W. Main St., asked if a community corporation could be developed to buy the property. "Local control, that's the kind of thing that would appeal to me," Knotts said. A couple of people asked if trucks could bring groceries to the neighborhood or a bus could take people to other grocery stores as a short-term solution. Gigi Michaels of the West Medford Community Coalition ended the meeting by asking people to join a committee that would work with Safeway on the building's future and help residents. More than 17 people signed up. Meanwhile, Jones now shops at Sherm's Thunderbird Market. She said that she owns a car and can drive to the new store. "I do, but not everybody does in my neighborhood," she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA