daily'Emerald
Vol.81.No. 100
.
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Thursday, February 21, 1980
iSiv:; ■ -
Forum voices pros and cons
Mandatory weatherization pondered
By DAVID STEIN MAN
Of the Emerald
Eugene’s not too distant future may include
mandatory weatherization, according to particiants
• in an energy conservation forum Wednesday.
More than 100 persons discussed manditory
weatherization and listened to a panel of local energy
experts discuss ways weatherization could be insti
tuted in Eugene and whether it should be mandatory.
The forum was sponsored by the Whiteaker
Community Council, the Active Bethel Citizens and
West University Neighbors.
Cheryl Hawkins, a WCC representive and panel
moderator, read a proposal that would make manda
tory weatherization of all homes — including rentals,
single-family units and duplexes — and commercial
and industrial facilities.
“The city needs an ordinance passed that would
require weatherization,” said John Bartels, Eugene
Water and Electric Board commissioner and a panel
member. “Of 3,000 home-energy audits EWEB has
conducted only 15 percent have followed up with
weatherization.”
Bartels proposed that EWEB establish a grant
program that would allow renters or homeowners to
weatherize their dwellings. The cost of weatherization
would be added to the consumer’s bill after an EWEB
inspection, but the bill wouldn’t be higher than normal,
said Bartels, explaining that weatherization would cut
energy consumption.
But Bartels said he doubted such a grant program
or other weatherization subsidies the public utility
might provide would be constitutional — but EWEB
wants to test the case before the state Supreme Court.
Oregon’s constitution may require an amendment
similar to a Washington state amendment that
provides public utilities the opportunity to subsidize
weatherization projects, he said.
Richard Case, Northwest Natural Gas district
manager for the Eugene area and panel member, said
he would "prefer to see incentives and education do
the job,” but conceded that "incentives and educa
The audience participated equally with panelists at the
Eugene Energy Forum Wednesday, with the people
divided almost equally for and against mandatory
tion are falling short in what needs to be done.”
The panel also discussed how to induce rental
unit weatherization.
“It's unrealistic to expect renters to weainerize
since they won’t be there very long and they’re not
going to recieve the benefits,” said Emily Schue, a
panelist and city councilor. “The only fair way to
weatherize is to have everyone do it together.”
Some audience members argued that mandatory
weatherization is a violation of individual rights and
liberties. Others countered that weatherization is no
more a violation of rights than the installation of utility
meters on property.
"I don’t see how putting a layer of foam in my attic
is a violation of my rights,” said Tom Lynch, a repre
Photo by Joe Schnabel
weatherization. The city Energy Conservation Policy
Board will consider mandatory weatherization at its
March 5 meeting in council chambers.
senative for Business and Professional People for
Sane Energy, a Eugene group of more than 100 small
businesses.
But Robert McNeely, a representative of the
University group More Power To Ya, quoted from a
1979 Business Week article that alleged formaldyhyde
used in foam manufacturing could cause cancer in
humans and had caused nasal tumors in rats.
Another speaker said those who had weatherized
before incentives shouldn’t be penalized by being
forced to share in a public-weatherization bill.
The City of Eugene’s Energy Conservation Policy
Board will consider mandatory weatherization at its
March 5 meeting in the council chambers at 7:30.
Law school agrees to minority task force
By JEFF ENGLAND
Of the Emerald
University Law School faculty and the
Minority Law Students Association met
Wednesday and agreed to form a special
task force to curb high minority law
student academic probation rates.
Currently 69 percent of first year min
ority law students are on academic
probation.
The task force, to be composed of
minority law students, faculty members
and non-minority law students, should
begin work early next week, said Chapin
Clark, dean of the law school.
Six suggestions to reduce the high
probation rates were outlined last week
in an MLSA platform. They are:
• Students with predicted grade point
averages below 2.0 or other minimal
qualifications should be admitted on a
“conditional" basis and "required to
participate in an intensive writing clinic
prior to law school," as well as a one year
tutorial program primarily aimed at im
proving writing and analysis skills.
Also, students "identified as having
severe writing problems should be
required to take a reduced load for the
first year,” while participating in the
tutorial program.
• It is recommended that the D grade
should be abolished from the law school
grading system because it has had a
"disproportionate and adverse impact"
on minority students.
• A summer writing clinic, a minority
tutorial program and a four-year reduced
load program should be implemented as
supportive programs.
"The Legal Research and Writing
policy of ‘no help from upper class per
sons on first year students’ papers' tends
to inhibit rather than foster student
learning of legal writing skills,” the
proposal says.
"With tutorial assistance, a student
with writing problems has a better
chance to learn the skills they need."
• Students who fail a course should
have the option of retaking the exam
during the next semester in which the
class is offered. Upon retake, the second
grade should be adopted up to a max
imum of a C-plus, and the first grade
would be deleted from the record.
• An affirmative action officer should be
employed on a part-time basis to work
with students on minority and affirmative
action issues.
• Increased administration and faculty
sensitivity to minority persons and
awareness of minority issues should be
pursued.
After the meeting, some MLSA
members indicated progress is being
made in that particular area.
“Generally speaking, we really
cleaned the air. As Professor (Charles)
Wilkinson pointed out, many of the is
sues are subtle and won't be solved
easily, ' MLSA member Chip Lazenby
said.
"The exchange of ideas was done in a
very positive way, and we can only go up
from here. I feel a lot more optimistic
about the situation than I have in recent
weeks.’’
Accusations that law school faculty
are indifferent to minority concerns are
‘‘absolutely not true," said law Prof.
Dave Frohnmayer. "I resent the as
sumption that we are not concerned.
You should assume that we are con
cerned.”
MLSA member Vicki Toyohara said the
meeting helped to alleviate "a lot of
misconceptions that existed on each
side.”
Clark and some faculty members had
favored reviewing the platform through
existing standing committees in the law
school, but the MLSA and other faculty
argued successfully for a special task
force.
irge Weyerhaeuser is op
about the wood-industry fu
ture in the Northwest, but the im
mediate future is troubled by the
threat of strict herbicide regulations.
For an industry view see Page 3A.
J-ditors of local literary
magazines outline “just what they’re
looking for" in poetry, fiction and
graphics and photos in this week’s
Hear and Now section. For a Eugene
writer's market guide see Page 4B.
Qespite the scandal which
recently swept through the athletic
department, the Ducks had a suc
cessful recruiting season. Nineteen
recruits signed letters of intent. To
discover who see Page 5A.