LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Byline: The Register-Guard

City needs Broadway project 

Kudos to Don Woolley and Tom Connor! Downtown Eugene is in dire need of a metro-booster shot.

Undertaking this revitalization and refusing to proceed with a condemnation proceeding against reluctant property owners is laudable. In truth, such a turnaround project is an uphill battle, politically and economically, as demonstrated in the media recently. Connor and Woolley could easily seek more accommodating venues for their time and money, but have chosen Eugene downtown.

Clearly, this project is being considered to give back to this city. How lucky we are to have such an opportunity to make the core area a phoenix that rises from the ashes of aban- donment.

As a former board member of a downtown theater company, I can attest to the difficulties businesses face to provide a safe, inviting atmosphere for patrons. This area is home to galleries and studios that have suffered under the pall of decay and neglect. The fact that arts, entertainment and education continue to exist in Eugene downtown is a miracle if you examine current conditions.

We have been offered a wonderful gift to improve the quality of the heart of the city of Eugene. It is my hope that this time, the minority of nay-sayers and profiteers will be overruled by the proactive, forward-thinking and civic-minded majority; those citizens who would enjoy the benefits of a safe, busy, profitable, inviting, populated and diverse metropolitan area.

MEGAN O'CONNOR

Eugene

Time to elect more Democrats

The Bush administration and the Republican Congress have governed with an incredible mixture of ignorance, incompetence, arrogance, dishonesty and disregard for low- and medium-income Americans. This mixture has lead to many unfortunate distortions of democratic ideals and moral values - too many to list here.

It is clear that we can recover from such distortions only by taking control of state and national government from the radical Republicans. Our first step in this direction is to ensure that moderate Democrats gain as many seats as possible in the elections this fall.

Please do all you can to see that this comes about. Campaign for good local and national Democratic candidates, work to get out the vote of moderates, persuade family and friends to follow your lead.

GEORGE MYERS 

Florence

Light box has made difference

In November, I bought a light box. I would like to attest to the clear therapeutic response I have received from spending 45 or more minutes each morning with my new "best friend." I only regret not trying this years ago; it truly may have changed the course of several events in my life.

If you have ever experienced seasonal depression or a worsening of depressive symptoms seasonally, you know what a negative impact insufficient light can have on your life - including affecting your job productivity, your relationships with family and friends, and your view of the world and your place in it. This season can begin as early as October and carry into March and April, a significant part of one's year.

A light box will not take care of all depressive symptoms, especially when the illness is not limited to the season. Exercise is important, too. But a light box is certainly a benign addition to a health plan aimed at raising feel-good serotonin levels in the brain without the unwanted side effects and expense that many drugs offer.

I urge local health care providers to strongly recommend a trial of light to their patients. I hope insurance companies will come to see the cost-benefit of covering this piece of equipment.

I further urge The Register-Guard to run a more in-depth article on this important mental health topic next fall, when its pertinence will be even greater.

MARTI BERGER

Eugene

Four schools may disappear

The Eugene School Board has great difficulties admitting that the alternative school system is inequitable. But its actions have, essentially, ensured the demise of four alternative schools.

Magnet Arts and Family have nice programs that could function without unfair benefits. Hopefully, these school programs can be merged with Jefferson, creating a new K-8 school with a strong focus on arts and environmental sciences.

Hillside is clearly dying, and the potential for revival is nil. The school cannot currently support its own costs of operation and will lose teaching staff next year. Although the board has given Hillside the opportunity to revive, Superintendent George Russell expressed doubts about success.

Eastside is now in a position of "check" on the chess board. The board has directed that Eastside be moved from Parker Elementary, where the relationships are bad.

There is no place to relocate Eastside without doing damage. It can't be co-located with another neighborhood school. The only other alternative school in the region is Charlemagne, and there is no building large enough to house both programs. The district will hopefully not be so foolish to think that we will vote for funds to build a new building for the two most elitist, segregated schools in the district.

Due to practical necessity, the district closed Willard, Whitaker, Santa Clara and Bailey Hill. Practical necessity will force the closure of Eastside. If not, legal action against this highly segregated school will.

NANCY WILLARD 

Eugene

Renaming food is humorous

When I read that Iran has renamed Danish pastries to Rose of Muhammad due to the snafu over editorial cartoons, I thought to myself - how ridiculous, simplistic and thin- skinned.

I was laughing so hard I almost choked on my Freedom Fries!

MARK BRENNEMAN

Eugene

City doesn't need Whole Foods

Giving the city away to a faceless corporation, Whole Foods, that had more than $4 billion in sales in 2005 is outrageous! Giving millions in subsidies that take away from our schoolchildren, downtown library and new City Hall to build a parking garage is even more outrageous.

We don't need the faceless corporate Whole Foods market in Eugene, because we have hundreds of farmers and many locally owned natural food stores that provide both organic and conventional foods.

Can someone please explain to me how any parking garage is sustainable? Economics must be built on efficiency, where pollution prevention and renewable energy exists. Downtown can be revitalized without a Whole Foods market or other faceless corporations.

We must remove the hundreds of billions of dollars of public subsidies for corporations, cars, highways, fossil fuels and nuclear power that corrupt the democratic process and public policy. Without a virtuous public that cares deeply about the protection and enhancement of life, there will be no constituency for hard choices ahead, and for the policy changes necessary for sustainability.

PLANET GLASSBERG

Eugene

All AP classes aren't equal

If reporter Anne Williams had ventured into the history hallways at North Eugene High School in researching for her Feb. 13 article, she might have left out the quote praising NEHS educators as pioneers to make room for an expose of the hard truth.

Regarding the Advanced Placement English class at the high school, Williams reported: "168 out of 224 juniors earned a D or better in the class - including 34 who pulled an A." Later, the article trips over the hard truth in the statement: "Every junior at North is enrolled in the AP class, which Downey describes as `college-prep' rather than college-level."

Such a small distinction masked in the words "college-prep" hides a big truth that becomes starkly visible in the AP U.S. history classroom at North Eugene, where a true Advanced Placement course is being taught. Comparing AP English to AP U.S. history is an apples-to-apples comparison. Both courses should develop critical thinking skills in their students so they can respond to college-level instruction by achieving passing grades in classroom tests and on the national AP test. All but a couple of the 25 students in the AP U.S. History class at NEHS are juniors.

It is reasonable to expect that most of the 34 students getting an A grade in AP English also would be enrolled in AP U.S. history and be getting an A grade there, too. Well, surprise. When college-prep becomes college-level, a funny thing happens to the grading outcome: 34 A students get reduced to five.

STEVEN SYLWESTER

Eugene

Downtown projects exciting

I have lived in Eugene for 36 years, and for the first time in a long time I am excited about the potential developments downtown. The Whole Foods store will give that area a much-needed boost, and the projected development by Connor and Woolley will revitalize downtown.

I love strolling through the Pearl District in Portland and hope our downtown will have a similar feel on a smaller scale. How nice it would be to walk downtown without fear. How nice it would be to see people busy shopping and walking to restaurants and the theater. I see any development as an improvement over the decay and ruin that is our city center.

I am dismayed by the merchants downtown who do not see this as an opportunity for our community and themselves. Are they going to drive out the first attempt to improve our city and advance business with their greed?

Frankly, I don't like big box stores and go to Valley River and Oakway centers only as a last resort. I, however, will not be doing any business downtown and I hope other people will follow suit. If they can hold the developers hostage then perhaps we can return the favor by not shopping or doing business with them.

KIM ADAMS 

Eugene