Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1981)
Lane County censors nude s wimming ByHEimSWILLIWGER Howard Leighty dislikes being told to keep his pants on — particularly by people who use the figure of speech literally Leighty, founder of Lane County Free Beaches, an organization of nude sunbathers, prefers to enjoy the sun unhindered by clothes But he's having a difficult time getting residents in the Buford Park area to see things his way One of Leighty's favorite sunbathing spots is a swimming hole surrounded by the 118-acre Buford Park arboretum The small body of water is rapidly becoming the target of controversy among arboretum users, nearby residents and nude sunbathers who view the swimming hole as a haven Recently, the Arboretum Society hired armed security guards to patrol the area and chase away sunbathers Arboretum Pres David Wagner claims nude sun bathers are driving away users of his arboretum, and that if nudity doesn 't cease in the area, the arboretum is in danger of losing a substantial amount of private contributions "We've already lost thousands of dollars in con tributions because of the nudity." he says And con tributions keep the arboretum open Wagner says sunbathers largely have cooperated with demands to keep their clothes on "There's only one or two people who take it as an infringement of their rights," he says But Leighty claims he gathered more than 300 signatures in si* hours at the swimming hole when he circulated a petition asking county commissioners to hold a public hearing on the issue Leighty was one of about 15 concerned citizens and "free beachers" who met Thursday and decided to ask the county to designate certain areas as "clothing optional " According to a 1976 Lane County law, exposure of genitals on public (and in some cases private) property can result in a $1,000 fine, 30 days in jail, or both But Leighty calls the ordinance vague and too broad If taken literally, it could actually mean that showering in a high-school locker room is illegal, he says Lane County Sheriff David Burks admits "You could interpret it that way — but we don’t interpret it that way." He also says the part of the ordinance regarding nudity on private property may be "unconstitutional," but it doesn't invalidate the entire ordinance. However, the sheriff's department doesn't attempt to enforce the law if it’s applied to private property, he says Burks says he’s received some complaints from residents in the Buford Park area Although about 12 citations for nudity recently have been issued there, "nude swimming is not a high priority on my list as far as enforcement goes," he says Leighty says the law that governs nudity violates the First Amendment "People who object to nudity do so primarily because of their religious training," he says. "By enforcing their views on the rest of society by using police power of the state, what they've done is establish their religion." Leighty says there’s nothing inherently lewd about nudity "In fact, it's traditional in America." he says And another thing that's traditional in America is freedom." But Leighty says that his real concern is that county officials who have the power to designate "clothing optional" areas have yet to do so "There needs to be places where people can go to be free, and there also needs to be places people can go if they object to nudity " Until such areas are designated, however, all Leighty can do is keep his pants on. Or else Graphic by Max OeRungs Non-union staffers protest mandatory dues By ANN PORTAL WlnfawM Is it fair to ask non-union members to share the cost of a union they don't belong to? The Committee to Rescind Fairshare doesn't think so — r ana it tninics a majority of the University’s classified staff may agree The committee, composed of staff who do not belong to the Oregon Public Employees Union, is petitioning the state to remove the "fair share" provi Only behind-the-stage Dead tickets remain Anyone wishing to see the back of Jerry Garcia's head should have no problem getting tickets for Sunday's Grateful Dead concert However, frontal views are sold out, according to the athletic department ticket office As of Tuesday afternoon, the only tickets remaining were balcony seats behind the stage Tickets cost S7 50 and $8 50, and can be purchased at the athletic department, Everybody's Records and Meier & Frank The concert will begin at 7:30 p m Sunday in McArthur Court sion from tne OPEU contract ratified in July Fair share requires union dues to be withheld from all classified employees' pay checks — whether or not the employee belongs to OPEU The dues — $9, $11 or $13, depending on the employee’s salary — will be deducted for the first time from September pay checks “A lot of people are really upset up it," says committee member Susan Himmel, a clerk in the physical education dean's office Non-union staff never received an opportunity to vote on fair share, Himmel says, so her committee is exercising an OPEU contract provision that allows classified staff at each state agency to call for a vote on fair share As it reads now, only clas sified staff whose religious beliefs prohibit contributing to unions can avoid the dues. Himmel says many non-union classified employees didn't know about fair share until they saw a letter notifying deans and department heads of the new deduction. “That’s basically what’s upset most of us — that none of us have known about it," she says. Contributing to a union they don't belong to concerns com mittee members more than the money being deducted, Himmel says. Classified staff are told when they are hired they don’t have to join the union, she says. "Most of us feel that the union is wonderful — for those who believe in it. "I feel that I am being forced to support the union or leave.” However, Jeff Schrader, bus iness agent at the Eugene OPEU office, says that although classified staff do not have to join the union, the union legally must handle all classified staff grievances — whether or not the individual belongs to the union. In addition, non-union members receive all benefits negotiated for union members, he says. Non-union members may earn their raises, but the union negotiates them, Schrader adds. "They don't pop out of heaven,” he says. To institute an election, the committee must collect peti tions signed by 30 percent of the University's 1,200 classified workers. The petitions will be available Aug. 31 through Sept. 4, and Sept 8 through Sept. 11 at var ious campus locations, includ ing outside the EMU and at the Gerontology Building, 1627 Agate St. BUY 1 GET 2 FREE (of rqual value) on shirts, skirts, blouses and pants. Lazar’s Bazar 164 IV. Broadway 687 013V, 687-9766 11111 I I ■ ■ I 111» PHOTO SPECIAL! Ilfllllll I'" I 1 1 w Color Reprints From Negatives
