The question is: How come Linn County wants to spend more than a million dollars to buy 175 acres of farmland near I-5 and Highway 34 for a park? And the answer is: You can never have too many parks, especially big ones, and especially in an area where the population is growing as fast as it is here.

The immediate impetus for this land deal, announced Monday, was that a company was looking for a site to put on a Renaissance faire a few times a year. If these plans go through, fine. But even if they don't, this looks like a pretty good spot for a big county park that could become the site for all kinds of events that need lots of open space.

In 50 or 100 years, when the Willamette Valley has 5 or 10 million people instead of the 2.3 million it holds now, this purchase for a big public park in a central location will be remembered - if it's remembered at all - as a good deal and a smart move. (hh)