Vol. 78, No. 151
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Monday, May 23, 1977
Ptxxo by Doug Lamb
Shortage is the word that will probably best describe the power situa
tion in the Valley this summer. With reservoirs low and snow packs
almost non-existent because of this winter's drought, Eugene apart
ment dwellers should begin preparing now for the power cutbacks that
are sure to come.
F
Area apartment residents
warned of energy shortage
By KEVIN HARDEN
Of the Emerald
Eugene apartment dwellers may be in for some
good news and some bad news during the impend
ing summer drought.
First, the good news: there may not be a short
age of domestic drinking water this summer.
Now the bad news: there is definitely going to be
an electrical energy shortage and some area apart
ment residents may have to find their way through
parking lots and down stairways in the dark.
According to Jack Smutz of the Eugene Water
and Electric Board (EWEB) drinking, or domestic,
water will be in plentiful supply this summer in the
Willamette Valley.
“The same water you drink isn’t the same water
used for power,” Smutz explained. Domestic water
for the Eugene area is taken from the McKenzie
River, which isn’t expected to be as badly depleted
as other rivers around the state at the height of the
drought.
It will be all right for Willamette Valley residents
to wash their cars or water their lawns, Smutz said,
but only if they do it wisely. “We ll have enough water,
but it would be best if we develop prudent uses of it,”
he said.
Some methods erf conservation of both water
and electricity are already being considered for dorm
itories and family housing units by the University
housing department, according to Donald Lee, assis
tant housing director.
“We've been monitoring the water situation,”
Lee explained, “but we have been assured by
EWEB and other sources that the water shortage
would not affect the Willamette Valley at all.”
Although the housing department doesn’t an
ticipate taking conservation measures yet, Lee ex
plained that a program of energy saving methods has
been in the works for several months. A government
publication concerning energy conservation in food
services is currently under study and an evaluation of
the services' energy usage is being made.
Water conservation methods now in use by the
housing department include water restricters for
dormitory showers and adjustments for dormitory
washing machines. As yet, no measures for water
conservation have been made for University family
housing units.
Eugene apartment residents may fare better
than expected in water supply, but not in electrical
supply.
Associated Management Inc., a firm which owns
some 1,100 apartments in Eugene and Springfield,
held a meeting three weeks ago with unit managers
to discuss methods of conservation and decided to
turn off all outdoor lighting and leave swimming pools
and decorative water fountains empty. Although no
water restricters will be used in apartment showers,
Associated Management tenants have been en
couraged to put bricks in their toilet tanks to save
water.
Gordon Olsen of Gordon Olsen Investments,
which owns almost 600 apartment units in Eugene,
has taken several steps to conserve electricity, but
few to save water.
According to Olsen, many tenants have had the
temperature on their water heaters turned down
while others have turned off thermostats in rooms not
frequently used. Outside lighting has been reduced
and notices have been placed in apartment laundry
facilities to remind tenants to use fully loaded
machines.
Energy conservation, Olsen said, has become
almost natural for many people over the past four
years. “I’m not any more shocked by the energy
forecast than anyone else,” he said. “Because of the
energy crunch three or four years ago, many people
have just naturally been conserving.”
Pointing out that the drought outlook for Eugene
isn’t as bleak as the rest of the state, Olsen thinks
conservation of both water and energy may be
necessary if it could help elsewhere. “I think we may
have an obligation to help our neighboring com
munities by conserving water, which I plan to do if
necessary," he said.
Busin ’
Would-be racers take to the streets
to test their bus-riding speed, agility
Ever have one of those days
when the clock radio wakes you
up in the morning with some ob
noxious fool yodeling about a boat
called "Calypso,” and you know
Geary to receive second hearing
Craig Geary’s appeal of an ASUO constitu
tional interpretation which ruled his write-in
candidacy illegal in the ASUO runoff elections
will get a second hearing before the ASUO
Constitutional Committee today at 3:30 p.m. in
the EMU, room to be posted.
Geary finished third in the president’s race in
the ASUO spring elections April 27 and 28.
Geary then announced he would run a write-in
campaign in the runoff election May 3 and 4
against the top two finishers in the April elec
tion, Gary Feldman and Dave Tyler. Initially
Geary’s campaign was approved by ASUO
Vice-Pres. Jamie Burns. Two days later Burns,
citing an error in judgment, reversed his deci
sion and ruled Geary’s attempt invalid.
Geary continued his campaign despite the
ruling and won 262 ‘‘noncounting” votes in the
election. Feldman won the election with 900
votes to 635 for Tyler.
On May 11 Geary appealed the rule interpre
tation before the Constitution Committee. The
committee declined to rule on the matter fol
lowing a heated debate between committee
chairer Gordon Hanna and John Parrott, an
attorney for Geary, over the hearing proce
dures to be used. The committee said Geary’s
brief failed to present an issue within the
committee’s jurisdiction.
If the committee rules in Geary’s favor,
Feldman’s win would be invalidated and a new
election held.
its a sign to stay in bed?
Well, I had one of those Satur
day mornings as I prepared my
self for a bus rally a la George
Plimpton.
Patterned after car rallies, the
rally was sponsored by Lane
Transit District (LTD) and radio
station KBDF-AM to promote Na
By CHRIS NORMAN
Of the Emerald
tional Transportation Week and to
call attention to the role public
transit can play in reducing energy
consumption.
Unlike a car rally, the bus rally
was held “without using one addi
tional drop of fuel," emphasizing
the value of public transit, said
Rosemary Boss, LTD marketing
director.
The only rule was that to reach
each of five required checkpoints
an entrant had to travel by bus —
and only bus. Transfers from route
to route had to be made within a
block of each other.
First prize was a 10-speed bicy
cle and either a bus pass for a
month or a two-hour chartered
bus to anyplace in the LTD service
area.
Boss estimated the entire rally
would take from two to three
hours, and entrants could leave
anytime between 9 a.m. and 4
p.m. Saturday.
Not too hard, you say. That’s
what I thought. How much effort
would an intelligent, bright, re
sourceful, college junior have to
put into a bus rally? With a little
preparation and a quick review of
(Continued on Page 11)