State grants money to aid observatory
Improved year-round scientific
research and observation will
soon be possible at the
University's Pine Mountain Ob
servatory because of new state
support authorized Friday by the
Oregon Legislative Emergency
Board.
The board, acting on a request
made by Sen. Fred Heard
(D-Klamath Falls), authorized
$150,500 for upgrading the
University’s Pine Mountain facil
ity.
The funding will allow the Uni
versity to acquire, house and in
strument a new 16-inch precision
telescope, provide more depend
able winter access to the site by
providing a four-wheel drive truck
and truck-mounted snow blower
unit, add needed electronic in
strumentation to the observatory 's
24-inch telescope and replace its
retiring astronomer earlier than
expected.
"I think the board's action is a
demonstration of the legislature's
concern for research and the
research-type experience we pro
vide our students," said John
Baldwin, dean of the College of
Liberal Arts, who helped Sen.
Heard, Chancellor Roy Lieuallen
Are the
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and University Pres. William Boyd
present the proposal to an
Emergency Board sub-committee
Thursday.
"Through it the citizens of
Oregon have shown their interest
in astronomy and their interest in
the University's full mission, which
includes research, both for the
science it accomplishes and for
the training that is possible for our
students only in a research con
text," said Baldwin.
"The new telescope will greatly
increase the capacity of the ob
servatory in getting observational
data. It will be the first telescope in
the state provided by state
money," he continued.
The Pine Mountain Observat
ory was erected in 1967 by Univer
sity physics professors E. G. Eb
bighausen and Russell Donnelly
to obtain data for research and to
provide research experience in
astronomy for University stu
dents.
Since its founding, the obser
vatory has received more than
$500,000 in federal support from
the National Science Foundation
(NSF), National Aeronautics and
Space Administration and Na
tional Oceanographic and Atmos
pheric Administration. The fund
ing has helped support research
leading to several major dis
covenes, including scientists dis
covery of black holes in space.
In recent years, however, the
observatory has been unable to
successfully compete for federal
funds.
While NSF gives funds for re
search on the basis of national
competition for good proposals,"
officials explained in presenting
Wo—4*—»■ i
4
the request to the Emergency
Board, “the judging of proposals
inevitably includes an assess
ment of the local contribution to
the program and the seriousness
of the committment of the Univer
sity to good research. State sup
port is absolutely essential to back
up scientific proposals. Since this
support has not been truly evident
to reviewers, the NSF support for
Pine Mountain has dwindled to
near zero, creating a crisis situa
tion of a magnitude which was not
appreciated even two years ago.
News media in Central Oregon
reported on the crisis and last
summer began identifying needed
improvements.
University professors Eb
bighausen and Donnelly, James
Kemp, Marvin Girardeau, Ira Nolt,
and James Radostitz gathered
and analyzed information. Work
ing with Baldwin, they specified
the need for year-round access,
equipment improvements and re
placement personnel.
Professor Ebbighausen, who
serves as the facility's as
tronomer, is expected to retire in
1977. The University has already
commissioned a search for his
successor.
The availability of state support
permits the University to employ
its new astronomer before 1977.
The earlier employment will allow
the new scientist to begin re
search and grant application work
during the 1976 cummer observing
season.
They’ve (almost) got away
WASHINGTON (AP)—The
Supreme Court was asked Mon
day to save one of the rarest fish in
the world—the Devil s Hole
pupfish—from extinction.
A Justice Department attorney,
A. Raymond Randolph, told the
court that the pupfish is
threatened by the pumping of
water from the Nevada pool in
which it lives.
At last count, he said, there
were only 294 pupfish left. "That is
the smallest population of any
known species of fish," said Ran
dolph.
The fish, less than one inch
long, lives only in Devil's Hole in
Death Valley.
Until the pumping started in
1968, the usual summer popula
tion was about 700, Randolph
said.
The court heard arguments on
the appeal of Francis Cappaert, a
land-owner from Vicksburg, Miss.,
from a lower court order restricting
his right to pump water from wells
near the pool
The argument revolves around
a 1952 order by Pres Harry S
Truman establishing the pool as a
national monument under a 1906
act for the preservation of Ameri
can antiquities
i.
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Student Program management
Seminar —Cl 407. 2-7 hours pass/no pass
i \ (2 hrs. for seminar. 1-5 hrs. for field practicum)
, Thurs. 4:00-6:00 p.m. TLn—6750
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Students can register at
ESCAPE table in EMU
lobby or ESCAPE office,
327-EMU
Instructors: J. Coffey, J. Davis, and L. King.
The primary purpose of this class is to educate and train students
in general management of campus programs and organizations.
The class takes a unique "grassroots” approach to such areas as
budgeting, personnel, office management, volunteer recruitment,
training, leadership, fund-raising, publicity and available re
sources. The class allows members to share resources and experi
ences from the perspective of people involved in student programs.
Requirements include seminar participation, selected class read
ings, and a term project. Students can contract to earn 1-5 prac
ticum credits for program involvement while attending the semi
nar. Instructor’s permission needed.
All students in campus prog
rams are strongly encouraged
to sign up.
torn while working in ijour
campus program or adivilq
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