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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, November 13, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 12, 2004 Medford to seek state grant for park By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Medford city officials are trying a new route to gain funding for the Liberty Park project proposed for a blighted northwest neighborhood. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will seek a $500,000 state Land and Water Conservation grant, Deputy City Manager Jef Faw said this week. If that’s approved, it would be matched by a $500,000 pledge from Medford Urban Renewal Agency, providing the estimated $1 million needed to pay for property near Edwards and Beatty streets. Another $300,000 to $400,000 would be required to construct the park, officials said. Deadline for the Land and Water Conservation grant application is early December. City officials are seeking the funds on the advice of Marilyn Lippincott, a state parks administrator who visited Medford in September. She estimated that about $11.5 million in state and federal parks grants would be available during the next biennium. Advertisement That’s hopeful news to advocates for the park, who suffered a setback when a potential land swap with Cascade Christian High School failed to materialize this fall. Officials renewed their search for alternate funding for the project now several years in the making. "It’s not going to be dropped," said Louise Dix, Medford’s neighborhood outreach coordinator and a longtime backer of Liberty Park. "We’re going to make it happen." Neighbors continue to support the idea of a park to provide recreation and respite for adults and children in the area. Bob Shand, a 16-year resident of Liberty Park, has followed developments closely. He and others hadn’t heard much about Liberty Park since the Cascade Christian proposal fell through. "Back to basics: Where’s the park?" Shand wrote in an e-mail. About the only obstacle to the grant application could be a delay in acquiring assessments of property that could be used for the park. City officials are seeking to buy eight private properties totaling about 1.5 acres adjacent to the site of the former Medford Lanes bowling alley. But local assessors are all booked for months in advance, well beyond the December grant deadline. City officials are investigating whether a waiver can be granted to submit the assessments later. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities