The Flashback Cruz has always been one of The Eye's favorite Bend summer events. We're not really a car aficionado, but it's still fun to go down to Drake Park and look over all the polished-to-perfection, tricked-out classic and exotic vehicles.
Cruz fans might miss out next year, though, because (according to a story in today's Bulletin) the Bend Metro Park & Rec District thinks the event might be too big and noisy for Drake Park and is holding off on issuing a permit for it.
According to The Bulletin's front-page story (sorry, available on-line only to subscribers) "Joan Spongberg, who organizes the Flashback Cruz, said she's never had any trouble getting her event approved in the past. But this year, she said officials told her they're concerned about the impact all of the people and cars have on the grass at Drake Park and the traffic and noise levels in the neighborhood around it."
The story also says that Ed Moore, the district's park services director, said the decision to delay the permit "was also prompted in part by complaints from neighbors of Drake Park and other facilities about noise, parking and other issues."
Aha. No doubt these are the same Drake Park neighbors who complain tirelessly about every big event in the park, from the (late lamented) Cascade Festival of Music to Munchin Music to the Fourth of July community picnic.
Here's some advice, Drake Park neighbors: When you bought your million-dollar homes near the park, you must have known - or sure as hell should have known - that they were near a PUBLIC park and that PUBLIC events were held there on a regular basis in the summer. Sorry to belabor the point, but once again, this is a PUBLIC park, not your private preserve.
If you, like The EYE, want to see Drake Park remain a public park that hosts events like the Flashback Cruz, you can let Park & Rec Executive Director Don Horton know about it: [email protected].
