Photo by Greg Clark
Another theft?
Unlike the anonymous "collectors" who have ripped off $574 worth of
the University's new centennial banners, Carl Troy is only trying to
untangle one of the "electronic green" flags. The 50 flags cost the
University over $2,000. Story on page 3.
" ■*.
Levy approved for
Fern Ridge schools
(AP) — A levy was approved
Tuesday for the last school dis
trict in Oregon without an ap
proved operating budget for
the current school year, and
voters in the area around
Salem overwhelmingly re
jected a proposed mass transit
district.
Voters in the Fern Ridge
School District approved a
levy, 1,632 to 1,028 in unoffi
cial returns.
The district, which has 1,900
pupils, lacks a tax base and
has a budget of $1.7 million for
the current school year. The
approval applies to about
$861,000 of the budget. The
remainder comes from funds of
the intermediate education dis
trict.
V,
Voters rejected the levy
three times before, and the dis
trict planned to close schools
Feb. 13 if the levy failed again.
Voters in Marion and Polk
counties rejected a proposal to
form a mass transit district in
the two counties. In unofficial
returns, the vote against the
proposal was 11,056 to 4,653
in Marion County and 3,461 to
966 in Polk County.
The voter turnout, at about
20 per cent in both counties,
was about 5 per cent better
than usual for special elec
tions.
If the measure had passed,
another election would have
been held to determine the
boundaries of the district and
the means of financing it.
Vol. 77, No. 76
Eugene, Oregon 97403 Wednesday, January 14,1976
EWEB increases rates
Fifty per cent hike to affect
University dormitory costs
By BOB JANSEN
Of the Emerald
The Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB)
raised water rates and debated two issues of nuclear
energy at a Monday night meeting.
The increased water rates will be effective the first
billing period in February. According to Jack
Smutz of EWEB, “The end result for both
schedules—residential and commercial—will be an
increase of 50 per cent."
The rate increase will cause student housing costs
to go up, but it will not be so noticeable because it will
be added to dormitory fees. H.P. Barnhart, the direc
tor of housing at the University, said the cost of
sewage and water combined would increase from
$20,000 to $29,000 a year with the water rate in
crease. That would be an increase of $4 a year per
dormitory resident.
The water rate increase passed almost unnoticed
since there was no debate and the increase passed
unanimously. However, when nuclear energy was
discussed the pace of the meeting quickened.
At the center of both discussions on nuclear
energy was EWEB Commissioner John Reynolds,
associate professor of architecture at the University.
Reynolds was accused of misrepresenting the
board as a group when he spoke before the nuclear
regulatory commission in Portland early in De
cember.
Reynolds was quoted by the Oregonian as saying
it is "highly doubtful' that EWEB would become in
volved in any more nuclear projects. EWEB now
owns 30 per cent of the Trojan nuclear energy plant
near Rainier, Oregon. The Oregonian also attributed
Reynolds saying that EWEB says utilities, "are put
ting too many eggs in that particular basket."
Reynolds said he was not fully quoted and that he
had made it clear he was giving his personal opinion
in Portland and not EWEB's.
At the EWEB board meeting Dec. 8, Reynolds was
reportedly rebuked by fellow board member Calvin
Schmidt. Rebuked” was the term used in a story by
the Eugene Register-Guard and not by Schmidt.
Reynolds was not present at the Dec. 8 meeting
because of a conference in Washington, D.C.
At the meeting Monaay night Reynolds wanted to
know, “Was I or was I not rebuked?" Other board
members would not answer directly to the question.
Finally, Schmidt stated, “I wanted to make it clear to
the public that you were not speaking for me."
The only member to answer directly was Richard
Freeman, a geology research consultant at the Uni
versity. “I never intended it as a rebuke,” Freeman
said. I ask the board as a group to rescind the
rebuke.” The suggestion was dropped and Reynolds
said he felt bad that the board did not have faith in
him.
In other action, the board went on record opposing
the nuclear safeguard referendum on November's
ballot. 1 his was because of a letter from Marian
Frank, a member of the Energy Facility Sitting Coun
cil in the state's Department of Energy. In part she
said I ask this board (EWEB) to exercise its re
sponsibility to the people whom it represents, to
lend its voice in urging the Governor to sponsor and
authonze public meetings designed to increase
general understanding of nuclear power, its pros and
cons."
Reynolds was the only commissioner to support
the idea of drafting a letter to Gov. Straub urging
public meetings on nuclear energy so the voters of
Oregon could make an intelligent decision for
themselves on the nuclear safeguard referendum.
Schmidt moved that the commissioners go on record
opposing the referendum. The motion was carried
4-1 with Reynolds the lone objector.
Mac Court faces faculty vote
If defeated,
students may
seek legal aid
Editor s note: This is the second
story in a two part series on stu
dent control of McAurthur Court.
Yesterday's story dealt with the
history of Mac COURT.
By LOIS LINDSAY
Of the Emerald
A man who builds his own home
may be king of the castle, but stu
dent leaders may have to go to
court to prove that.
And they're prepared to do so if
necessary. If ASUO representa
tives are unable to slide their
proposal calling for student par
ticipation in the control of McAr
thur Court past the General Fa
culty today, they may resort to
legal action.
The proposal calls for estab
lishment of a student-faculty
board to determine policy for
scheduling and use of MacCourt,
a building they say they funded.
Management of the near
$800,000 facility would remain in
the hands of professional Univer
sity administrators.
The ASUO is basing its claim to
rightful control on research con
ducted by Dave Donley of the In
cidental Fee Committee Accord
ing to Donley's report, the ASUO
completely paid for original con
struction of the facility in the
1920s by floating $1,000 and
$5,000 bonds. No University
monies were utilized.
And because of this, Donley
says the students deserve at
“least some participation in de
termining how it’s used. ’
"Actually, I think we (the stu
dents) own the building,” he main
tains. "But we're not pursuing that
nght now. We re just asking for
what is a minimal consideration of
our rights — some say in what the
building is used for."
Although legal recourse is a
possibility, the student represen
tatives say that such action would
only be a last resort. According to
ASUO Pres. Jim Bernau, if the
measure fails in the General Fa
culty, he will take it before the
State Board of Higher Education
asking that they institute the con
cept on a local, if not statewide,
basis.
But if it failed there we would
definitely seek legal recourse."
Such legal recourse would in
volve calling for a declaratory
judgement placing rightful owner
ship of the building with the
ASUO, according to ASUO Con
sultant, Don Chalmers, who
worked on the research along with
Donley.
The court would then have to
decide whether the State Board -
had acted as trustee on behalf of
the students when they took over
control of the facility in 1936. If it
decided in favor of the ASUO, the
ownership would then be turned
back over to the students, says
Chalmers.
"But we re not pushing for that,”
he insists. "All we re saying is that
we should be allowed some par
ticipation in aoveming policy for
the facility. It's a moral issue and I
hope the administration recog
nizes that."
Donley and Chalmers will both
offer testimony on behalf of the
proposal at today's meeting.
The fate of the proposal rests
directly in the hands of the Gen
eral Faculty at this point. But the
ASUO representatives may have
to do some fast-talking to convice
the body to approve it.
Both University Pres. William
Boyd and Vice-President for Ad
ministration and finance Ray
Hawk have publicly opposed the
measure. And they are maintaing
their positions.
Boyd, chairer of the General
Faculty, told the Emerald he
would be speaking on the issue at
today’s meeting. Although he re
fused to disclose the exact nature
of what he will be saying, he did
say that he still stood by his state
ment of Jan. 7.
( Continued on Page 11)