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45 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, March 22, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 18, 2005 New member of MURA puts focus on inner city By MEG LANDERS Mail Tribune A west Medford resident was appointed to the Medford Urban Renewal Agency board of directors Thursday, and she plans to emphasize work in neighborhoods. Joy Pelikan, who lives in the Liberty Park District and has helped lead efforts to build a park in the west Medford neighborhood, was selected by the Medford City Council during their noon meeting. Pelikan lives in the district formerly known as the Beatty-Manzanita neighborhood (after the names of two streets that run through the area). The run-down area was targeted as one of 19 regions for urban renewal when MURA was formed in 1988. Although the agency’s efforts have focused on downtown projects, MURA in July pledged $500,000 to pay for Liberty Park’s construction, plus another $445,000 for other neighborhood improvements. The Liberty Park fund will be released when the City Council gets and approves a suitable formal proposal, according to MURA. Advertisement After her appointment was announced at Thursday’s council meeting, Pelikan said "paying attention to the urban neighborhoods" would top her list of priorities for MURA. She said as an avid bicyclist, she also wants to ensure bike lanes are created in the urban renewal district. "I bicycle at least 30 miles a week," she said. In other business, the council modified an agreement with the Medford Youth Baseball Society, by relieving the society of the responsibility to oversee the design and construction of a new ballfield at the sports park. The move was the final step in getting the work legal and on track again. Site preparation and design work for a new baseball field at the Medford Sports Park on Highway 99 was halted earlier this year after an ironworkers union representative complained to the city that the work was contracted without a competitive bidding process. The city has since taken over responsibility for the project and soon will issue a request for construction bids. The baseball society will remain involved in management and maintenance of the ballfield. Gary Miller, society president, said today’s was an important step. "We’re pleased we were able to work it all out. It was a good solution," he said. Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Advertisement s