Letters: Duck football facility, faith-based outreach, Springwater support

Print publication: Sunday, Aug. 4

Duck football facility

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Post at My Oregon, the Oregonian's online community opinion hub. As a former University of Oregon spokesperson, I still marvel at how posh the university's athletic facilities were, even in comparison to some of the ooshest Fortune 500 corporate offices I have worked in during my career.

David Sarasohn is correct when he implies that Phil Knight, or any other university donor, can direct their gifts in any way they want ("University of Oregon opens its pigskin palace: 200 wiseguy words," OregonLive.com, Aug. 2). If they want to help build pigskin palaces, fine. If they want to help build libraries and law schools (as Knight has done at UO), that is great too.

And if the people and businesses of Oregon really want all of the non-athletic university facilities and programs at the University of Oregon to compete in the same posh and reputation factor as those of athletics, there are several solutions. One is to start demanding that the state of Oregon fund the university at levels more fitting of world-class universities. Another is to make the private contributions to the university that would help, for instance, the geography department compete in the Rose Bowl of geography.

Because palaces -- pigskin, geographic or otherwise -- have to be paid for by somebody.

MARY STANIK
Minneapolis ?
Stanik was senior director of media and public relations at the University of Oregon from May 2005 to June 2006.

Faith-based outreach

Sara Hottman's article "Expanding outreach to those in need" (Portland Community News section, July 24) provides timely Catholic Church good news.

St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church's 30-year history of providing safety-net services to the poorest of the poor among us, along with a smiling, personable Pope Francis, shine a positive light on faith-based ministries.

On any given night of the year, many hungry and homeless Oregonians are fed and sheltered by faith-based organizations. According to the Oregon Food Bank, 72 percent of OFB partner organizations that provide emergency food services in Multnomah County are faith-based.

All Oregonians can be proud of this good news.

GORDON and MARY ANN DICKEY
Wilsonville?

Springwater support

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon. I had just begun my first Springwater Trail ride on my two-week-old bicycle when, a mile and a half from Gresham, I found myself face town on the asphalt.

As I was assessing the damage to my body and freaking out about my new bike, along came a young couple and their little girl. They offered baby wipes to clean my wounds, mechanical support to get my bike back on the road and chocolate to cheer my spirit.

At the time, I might have spent too much time whining about my bike and not enough expressing how appreciative I am. As I try to look at the positive side of this experience, this young couple is at the top of my list.

DONNA WEBER
Estacada?

Source: http://blog.oregonlive.com/myoregon/2013/08/letters_duck_football_facility.html

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