Councilors delay vote to change street name.

Byline: Jim Feehan The Register-Guard

After hearing 30 people make impassioned pleas for changing the name of Centennial Boulevard to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, the Eugene City Council was nearly moved enough to take a vote on the matter two weeks ahead of schedule.

However, after hearing more than two hours of public testimony Tuesday night almost entirely in favor of renaming Centennial, councilors Gary Pape and Betty Taylor voted against bringing the ordinance up for a vote, thus forwarding the issue to the June 9 council meeting.

Those who spoke mentioned King's courage, strength and enduring legacy.

Scott Bartlett of Eugene said businesses along Centennial would not be adversely affected by a name change and no homes would have to change their addresses. "Dig deep, stand tall and do the right thing," Bartlett said.

There also was discussion among speakers of alternatives - a statue or renaming Ferry Street Bridge.

NAACP President Marilyn Mays said she's disheartened by the subtle racism that exists in Eugene. The alternatives would not offer a fitting tribute to King, she said.

"Offering up Ferry Street Bridge is nothing more than 'let's find them something to keep them quiet,' ' Mays said.

Hope Marston of Eugene said honoring King is long overdue. "I still wonder if Eugene has the will to do this," she said.

City Councilor Bonny Bettman urged the council to take action Tuesday. "We cannot right all of the wrongs African-Americans have endured in this country," she said. "This is a viable proposal."

Marl Carter of Staff Jennings Boat Center was the only person who urged the council not to rename Centennial. Renaming the street would confuse out-of-town customers and be costly in changing the business' letterhead, Carter said.

Carter said the businesses were not consulted about a possible name change.

"If Eugene is thinking about being business-friendly, this is not the way to do it," he said.

Councilor George Poling, whose ward includes the stretch of Centennial in the city, said he has heard from only three people in his district who approved of renaming Centennial. However, the Harlow Neighborhood Association voted against renaming Centennial, he said.

"I will have to stand beside what the people of my ward have said," Poling said.

Last month, the Eugene Planning Commission members voted unanimously to pass the matter to the City Council with the recommendation to rename Centennial. County commissioners also backed the plan and voted to cover a majority of the city's costs in changing signs and other expenses.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Eugene City Council will take up the issue of renaming Centennial Boulevard at its June 9 meeting.