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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1978)
Authority finds high numbers of seals, sea lions By DEBBIE MILLER Of the Emerald A recent count of seals and sea lions on the West Coast produced figures higher than in earlier esti mates. Harbor seals, California sea lions and Steller sea lions were found in places along the coastline that previous studies had overlooked, according to an authority. Bruce Mate Oregon State Uni versity oceanographer and inter national authority on marine mammals, produced these find ings after a year-long study which began in 1974. Funded by the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC), Mate’s com prehensive count of the animals is to provide information to the MMC to enable it to practice good con servation measures. “We didn’t know what the popu lations were,” he says. He explains that his count will aid the MMC in issuing permits to zoos and other groups seeking the animals by directing them to places with larger populations rather than areas where the ani mals are scarce. Monthly throughout the year of study, Mate flew from the northern tip of Vancouver, British Colum bia, down the coast to the south ern tip of Baja, Mexico, shooting photos and slides of various sites where seal and sea lion popula tions settled. With the help of Robin Brown, an OSU student in oceanography, individual counts were made from each of the 12,000 slides. Mate stresses his surveying techniques produced more accu rate information than previous studies, which caused his esti mates to be improved over the past estimates. For example, the Harbor seal population was counted at 12,000, three times the total from earlier estimates, yet the numbers are down from historic times, ac cording to Mate. Mate notes that all three of the mammals he counted are found along the Oregon Coast. The Stel ler sea lion breeds along the Oregon Coast and can be seen at the Sea Lion Caves and from state parks, especially near Coos Bay in the late spring through summer. He says the Harbor seal also breeds off Oregon, but is usually found in estuaries and on many offshore rocks. The Harbor seal population in the Columbia River is also on the rise and may be doubled in 10 years, he adds. The California sea lions come to Oregon in the fall and winter from their breeding spots in Southern California and Baja. Mate also made some observa tions for a personal study of whales, porpoises and dolphins, but says he hasn’t had time to put that information together yet. He has a study underway on the Oregon Coast, which he hopes to complete in two years, concerning the migration patterns of Harbor seals. He hopes to pinpoint these patterns with the use of radio transmitters placed on some of the animals. He is also conducting a study on the Rogue River concerning the effect seals and sea lions have on fisheries in that area. Nestle boycotters plan protest parade National Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT) day will be celebrated in Eugene April 15, to urge the boycott of Nestle pro ducts for the protection of Third World babies. Clergy and Laity Concerned (CALC) is sponsoring a noon parade in downtown Eugene and an evening concert in support of INFACT Day. “The point of the event is to tell people about Nestle formula and Third World coun tries,” said CALC spokesperson Cynthia Kokis. She said the main issue is the question of marketing — “whether or not it is right to market a product when the environment doesn’t jus tify it.” CALC began its campaign to boycott Nestle products in the U.S. last fall. Though Nestle doesn't manufacture or sell infant formula in this country, the group says the parent company, Swiss Nestle, is the largest marketer of formula in Third World countries. Because Nestle promotes the use of formula, CALC says, Third World infants are suffering from severe bacterial infections, mal nutrition and death, due to lack of sanitary preparation, illiteracy and poverty. “In addition, the babies lose out on the antibodies provided by breast-feeding, and the mothers lose the natural birth control pro vided by nursing,” Kokis said. The parade will start at the Saturday Market at 8th and Oak Streets and will march to the downtown mall fountain, where medical and nutritional experts will explain the boycott, Kokis said. Houses of History Proposed high density guidelines prompt debate in East Butte area Stories by ANN TRENEMAN Of the Emerald Historical houses are not a hot political issue with most people. However, there are a few Eugene residents who are not wild about the pos sibility of apartment complexes infiltrating their residential neighborhoods. And if you combine the fact that if a district could be designated historical, it merits a committee to review what kind of housing is to be built there — and then you start to have an issue. That is the precise position of Eugene s East Butte area, a small subdivision of the Whiteaker neighborhood. The area contains more examples of turn-of-the-century architecture concentrated in an area than any place in Eugene. The controversy started when neighborhood residents and city planners collaborated in draw ing up the Whiteaker Refinement Plan, an in-depth study defining area goals, zoning, and planning designed to back up the more general 1990 plan. The city wanted high density zoning, more than 20 units per acre. The neighborhood wanted medium density, 11 -20 units per acre, for the East Butte neighborhood. “Everything worked out but the density for East Butte," Martha Filer, East Butte resident, says. The refinement plan was adopted by city plan ners more than a month ago, with 5-2 in favor of including the phrase “high density” in the refine ment plan. Historical status available through several channels Historical designations come in varied and sizes. The three available registrar state, local and federal, and each carries with it individual benefits and rest shapes ns are nation factions. on the Board's Being declared a historical landmark local level involves the Historic Review approval. Factors influencing the board siiecision are it’s association with a historical or famous event, antiquity, architectural design, relationship to the broad cultural history of the nation, community, and it’s identification as a unique ob ject representing an aesthetic or educational fea ture of the community. After the Historic Review Board cfcems house, district, site or object historical it is for warded to the city council for approval. On the local level, historical landmarks are sub ject to restrictions placed upon any restoration, demolishing, alternations or moving done that af fects the exterior of the landmark. In addition to these restrictions, owners can reap benefits of up to $500,000 in loans for restoration purposes. On the state level, there are no stringent regula tions or benefits in being deemed historical. If placed on the national register, $5,000 to $50,000 in loans are available for restoration purposes and the owners can apply to have the property tax frozen for 15 years. Deady and Villard Halls are on the national register. “I’ll never agree it’s the Whiteaker plan,” Filer says. Now the whole plan is to go before the city council for adoption. The council has not yet set the date for reviewing the plan. Now comes the historical housing angle. Re cently, the historical housing commission ruled it possible for not only houses, but also sites, ob jects and areas to be deemed historical. The historical review board is now in the pro cess of determining just how to set up a historical district. Included in the district guidelines will be “reviewing of new construction to make sure it’s compatible with the neighborhood,” says Judy Rees, an historical review board member. Currently, a group of nine people are studying the East Butte area and nine Darticular houses in the area to determine if it all does qualify for histor ical designation. Recent guest speakers before the review board emphasized that the East Butte area was the original city of Eugene and has an unique position of containing every architectural style of that period, Filer says. “This area is prime for historical designation,” Filer adds. "Any kind of higher density would ruin the nice, old residential neighborhood.” If the area is declared historical, new housing will have to be reviewed. “For the neighborhood to continue to survive, there will have to be an increase of units within existing structures,” Rees says, adding she is sure it can be done without erecting apartment complexes. Rees cites as examples: building on additions that are architecturally compatible with the house; and infilling vacant lots by moving houses that fit into the neighborhood. City seeks lot for historical house Surrounded by a parking lot and flanked on one side by a meat market, the house at 5 !5 Pearl St. looks more than a little out of place To put it bluntly, it doesn’t belong. But, Lou Elliott, Fifth Street market it anager, who manages the property and woult like to utilize it as a badly needed parking lot, doesn’t want to demolish the house. Since last Sep tember Elliot has been extending dead! ne after deadline for demolition in hopes the hou: ie could be moved. The latest deadline is May 1 The city is interested in the 1904 house also. So interested, officials want to move it: theyipst don’t know where to put it yet. “We re still looking for a site,” says Linda Daw son, a CETA funded city employee stucfying the feasibility of moving houses from the downtown fringe area and putting them in established neigh borhoods. “They’ve been real lenient about changing the deadlines but they do need their parking lot, Dawson says. Dawson says finding the appropriate site has been difficult because there aren't many vacant lots around the city, adding that several sites in the East Skinner’s Butte neighborhood were considered “but those were all sort of expensive.’’ Currently the most promising site is a lot on 4th Avenue between Lincoln and Lawrence Streets. Lot owner Robert Painter, a carpenter, wants to move his house to the back of the lot and put the Pearl Street house on the front. Although negotiations are still in the process, Painter says something definite will be deter mined by next week. Dawson says one way the city may encourage house moving is by buying the land, moving the house, rehabilitating it and then selling it to a private person. She estimates the total cost of buying the land, rehabilitating and moving the Pearl Street house to be around $70,000. “A lot of times a private person won’t get into moving houses of it’s economically unfeasible to do it,” Dawson says. “But the city will if they break even...because they stabilize the neighbor hood.” Modem wires and street signals have been the bain of modern housemoving and the expense of replacing wires that must be cut in order to move the house throuogh intersections has been a primary deterrent to private owners considering moving their houses. “The phone company is the first one that gives the okay,” Dawson says. “If they’re willing to cut through whatever wires have to be cut then the others sort of follow.” She cited Pacific Northwest Bell, Teleprompter and Eugene Water and Elec tric Board as the main companies to be contended with in Eugene. Before the age of wires, house moving was common. Houses were moved by being put on log rollers after breaking the foundation with horses supplying the power to pull to house to its new site. Modern house moving consists of jacking the house up onto big steel beams, placing dollies underneath these beams and then pulling it by a truck to its new location which has a new founda tion already buiolt on the lot. If the Pearl Street house is moved, it will not be its first time. The house was originally built on 7th Avenue and Oak Street, where the armory pres ently stands, in 1904. Dawson says the house is structurally still in “real good condition” and that the two-story, 2129 square-foot house would be moved in one piece. Sometimes houses have to be cut in half to be moved. An University architecture design studio, taught by Rosana Hodgdon, studied the Pearl Street house last term and the various sites to move it. All of these turn of the century East Butte area houses are currently being researched for the possibility of historical designation. The area was the original city of Eugene. Nine people are researching the houses and plan to propose that the entire area be designated a historical district. The house in the lower right corner is at 535 Pearl St. and is designated to be moved or demolished soon. The city is finalizing details on the moving now. Peace Corps - V/57A Nowf recruiting candidates J-or volunteeryoCitions i|: srarciYuj this simmer i|| b&7~bf9J Condon 9/a//, J^oom SIS' ijj Wan: Fn' University otOreqon ;j| $tpe ’J) $3oucf) 1016 Willamette • In the Downtown Mall We are now open and have a complete selection of bulk tobacco, pipes, leather pouches, cigars, cigarette cases, and holders. Our Imported Cigarette selection includes such names as: Dmfcllts Sobraniet Export Herbal Of t Sherman's Mdis Mows DoUgatoi Krafcatoas Ratal's We also have our own bulk cigarette tobaccos which fou are invited to sample! / PSYCHIC Advises on bus ness, love & personal direction Jamil P.O Box 10154 Eugene. Oregon 97401 Phone anytime: 3422210 4842441 Thomson Motor’s Specializing in Triumph, Norton, BSA & Honda. 1858 E. 13th 344-1224 VW’S MERCEDES BMW’S DATSUN TOYOTA GUENTER SCHOENER Bus Ph. 342-2912 2025 Franklin Blvd Eugene, Ore 97403 Home Ph 746-1207 .O STORIES TO BE TOLD ^ ^ or his TORIA PARA SER CANT ADAS By Osvaldo Dragun “The Man with the Abscessed “TheStoryof the Man Who Turned Tooth” into a Dog” “The Story of Panchito Gonzalez” April 14, 15, 19. 20, 21, 22 8:00 P.M. Box Office Noon - Five Daily 686-4191 Adm. $1.25 Arena Theatre
