emerald
Vol. 82, No. 98
Eugene, Oregon 97403
Wednesday, February 11, 1981
Council approves weatherization plan
Mandatory ordinance
draws heated testimony
By CAROLYN RAMSAY
Of the Emerald
A controversial mandatory weather
ization ordinance was approved by the
Eugene City Council on Monday.
The ordinance, which passed 7-1, will
become effective Jan. 1, 1985 City of
ficials estimate the ordinance will save
city residents more than $2.5 million in
fuel costs each year.
The weatherization program is con
sidered a cornerstone in the council's
plans to increase energy conservation in
Eugene.
The original ordinance was written last
year, but voting was postponed to deal
with questions that arose at the council’s
first public hearing on the matter Dec. 22.
An amendment added to the ordin
ance requires a mandatory assessment
of the program by 1984.
Under the ordinance, exterior win
dows and doors must be caulked and
weatherstripped. Attics, floors and water
heaters must be insulated to city
specifications.
Exemptions included in the ordinance
allow for safety precautions.
Low-interest loans to help finance
weatherization will be made available
through the Eugene Water and Electric
Board.
About 35 people — an unusually large
number for a council meeting — testified
at Monday’s meeting and public hearing
on the ordinance, including county
commissioners Scott Lieuallen and Jerry
Rust.
Both commissioners spoke in favor of
the ordinance.
Others spoke against it, however,
complaining the measure does nothing
to prevent the distribution of unsafe
insulation.
Several speakers claimed the concept
of a mandatory insulation measure is an
invasion of privacy and that the measure
is financially prohibitive.
“I am a retired peasant among other
peasants who are really worried about
whether they’re going to be able to live in
their homes,” said Bob Wucherpfennig,
3040 Alder St.
“There is insulation distributed in this
community that I am sure is dangerous to
your health.”
Another speaker threatened possible
court action if the ordinance was ap
proved.
"I am against mandatory aspects of
this ordinance. You could face not only a
class action suit, but individual suits in
cases of illness,” warned Stanley
Greenfield, 2056 Orchard St
Real estate agent Alan Evans ex
pressed approval of the measure.“New
home buyers are taking a good hard look
at weatherization,” Evans said.
But rental-unit owner Laura Johnson,
1812 Fairmount Blvd., said the ordinance
would negatively affect property owners.
“We have been told that we can pass
the cost along to our tenants, but we care
about our low-income tenants."
-■'V*
-I
Emerald Photo
Five die as fire sweeps Las Vegas Hilton
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) — A fire erupted and
“jumped from floor to floor” at the 30-story Las Vegas
Hilton Tuesday night, killing five people, injuring at least
137 and shooting flames 100 feet up the side of one of
the world’s largest hotels.
Three bodies were found near an elevator on the
eighth floor and two were discovered on the 10th floor,
said Chief Clark County Medical Examiner Otto Raven
holt.
The blaze, which was reported at 8:07 p.m. and
brought under control an hour later, followed by less
than three months the disastrous fire at the nearby
MGM Grand Hotel in which 84 people died.
Some guests at the 2,783-room stone-fronted
Hilton broke windows and screamed frantically for help
after the fire started from unknown causes on the
southeast corner of the eighth floor, quickly spreading
as high as the 24th floor and sending smoke wafting
over the nearby Las Vegas Strip.
Helicopters evacuated people from the roof, and
ambulances rushed to the facility. Several sheets could
be seen hanging from eighth-floor windows.
“We looked out the window and it was awful scary
seeing the chopper and the lights,” said Deborah
Sawyer of Key West, Fla., who was in a 23rd-floor room
with her husband, Tom. "We saw windows breaking
and people screaming. We felt trapped.”
She said they called the switcmboard and were told
“to put towels under the doors and stay in the room. We
did that, and we filled the bathtub with water.”
Edward Hammerman and Joseph Adolf, conven
tioneers from Chicago, said they were in their 29th-floor
room when they heard sirens and saw smoke and
headed immediately for the roof.
“When we got to the roof, we saw flames coming up
the (elevator) shaft through the building,” Adolf said.
"So we ran over to the other side of the roof. When we
saw flames there, we started to get nervous.”
Adolf said that within minutes, two helicopters
landed and began taking about 25 people from the roof.
Tomseth protestors
charged with arson
Two Eugene demonstrators were arraigned
Tuesday morning on charges of first-degree arson
stemming from Monday s protest of ex-hostage Victor
Tomseth’s University visit.
John Kaiser, 24, and Nancy Whitley, 29, appeared
before Lane County District Court Judge Gregory
Foote. Both remained in custody Tuesday pending
bail.
Earlier, Kaiser’s bail was set at $15,000 and
Whitley’s bail set at $5,000
The two were arrested Monday after Kaiser, a
Revolutionary Communist Youth Brigade member, ran
to the stage in the EMU Ballroom with a burning piece
of yellow cloth as Tomseth made his appearance.
Whitley, also known as Nancy Parker, was arrest
ed for fourth-degree assault for allegedly attacking
Eugene police officer Mike Whitney as he took Kaiser
into custody.
Whitley was not arraigned on this charge, but the
Lane County District Attorney’s office said Tuesday
that the grand jury was expected to consider the
charge later.
Many evacuees walked from the hotel to the nearby
convention center, where Red Cross and Civil Defense
workers were sent.
Authorities at four hospitals said at least 137 people
were treated for injuries, mostly smoke inhalation
Rodney Davis, desk officer at the nearby Royal
Americana Hotel, said half the building was dark and
the flames for a time reached up to the side of the
building at least 100 feet.
Capt. Ralph Dinsman, a Fire Department spokes
man said the fire started from unknown causes on the
eighth floor and then "jumped from floor to floor,”
More than two hours later white smoke was still
pouring out of the building but the flames were subsid
ing
"Yes, there is a large fire at the Hilton. I’ve got to
go," said an unidentified official who answered the fire
department’s telephone number.
A desk clerk who answered the telephone at the
hotel said there was a fire but that he did not have time
to talk. He then hung up the phone.
Andy Williams and Juliet Prowse were among the
performers booked for Tuesday performances in the
showroom at the Hilton, which is near the Las Vegas
Strip, about two miles from the 26-story, 2,076-room
MGM Grand Hotel, where a fire last Nov. 21 killed 84
people and injured more than 700.
In an interview following the MGM Grand fire, Fritz
Huebler, manager of the Las Vegas Hilton, said that his
hotel "has the highest degree of safety Like everyone
else, we review it every month or so."
He said the hotel had smoke alarms and sprinklers
on every floor. The MGM Grand had sprinklers on only a
few floors and no smoke alarms.