CdA Parks System “Necessary,” Too

Challengers Chris Fillios and Sharon Hebert, both endorsed by the Reagan Republicans, stubbed their toes when asked at the Coeur Group debate last week how McEuen Field would be viewed 20 years from now. They each shared their disgust for the major overhaul of the tired old playfield while pledging their allegiance to the “regular and necessary” role of city government. For example, Fillios (pictured in Duane Rasmussen photo) said McEuen Field would be viewed as a monument to “public official arrogance” in the year 2033. Hebert, meanwhile, begrudgingly said that future residents will view McEuen Field as a “beautiful park … for $20 million it shouldn’t be anything else.” I doubt that you’ll have to wait 20 years to get a verdict on McEuen Field. Five years from now, it’ll be considered a runaway success — and the individuals who fought it so hard now will be busy trying to hide that fact. Sorta like the Kroc Center. Many of the usual suspects fought desperately to stop the Kroc Center. But it’s nearly impossible to find someone who’ll admit it today. Fillios and Hebert offered nothing but the rear-view mirror opinion, parroted many times by the RecallCDA gang, that McEuen Field was a waste of money, with Herbert going so far as to say that removal of surface parking was the whole reason behind the upgrade. She’s oblivious to the fact that the park was expanded and diversified because city visionaries finally understood that paving 4-5 acres of such valuable waterfront property wasn’t a good idea. Individuals like Fillios (who seems to view parks as an unnecessary drain on city resources) and Hebert don’t appear to understand how parks are as important to Coeur d’Alene’s quality of life as “regular and necessary” expenses like police, fire, sewers and roads. Rightly did Fillios’ opponent Amy Evans say: “You can’t move ahead while looking back.” The expanded Coeur d’Alene parks system is every bit as “regular and necessary” for this jewel of a city that we live in/ DFO.