Vol 83, No 58
Eugene. Oregon 97403
Tuesday, November 24,1981
Natural history museum put on ice
By ANN PORTAL
Of ttM EmariM
Nice and very good, but need more
things,” one visitor recently wrote in the
guest book at the University s Museum of
Natural History
Actually, the museum has access to
entire collections of more things tucked
away in storage areas, but a $4,988
budget cut announced last month elimi
nated funding of educational exhibits and
programs tor next year
The budget cut effectively freezes the
museum for at least a year, eliminating all
but $10,000 for storage and some
maintenance of the collections
Collections the museum could exhibit, if
it had the space and money, include the
Oregon State Museum of Anthro
pology. the Condon Museum of Geology
and the University herbarium
For museum director Alice Carnes, the
freeze brings an abrupt end to a period of
progress and renovation at the museum,
which is the official respository for state
owned artifacts
The main thing is that the momentum
that we ve gained could all be lost in a
year " she says
Carnes says she originally hoped that
momentum would propel the museum into
a new home in a museum complex that will
be built near the Lane Education Service
District Planetarium, located on Centennial
Boulevard
Meanwhile, the museum has concen
trated on renovating displays at its current
location near Science II on campus Work
study students have remodeled most dis
plays during the past two years, and new
display cases currently are being built by
volunteer Mike Smith
In addition two National Endowment for
the Humanities grants are paying for
traveling shows that go to various Oregon
cities "The Sandal and the Cave" went on
the road in September, 1980, and "Native
Basketry " begins a tour in February
The road shows will continue until their
funding runs out. but the main museum will
have to close its doors this June Carnes
says she is concerned the one-year closure
may lengthen as budget problems contin
ue
Provost Richard Hill agrees the budget
will be a key factor in whether the mu
seum's funding is restored Although state
residents and faculty show enough interest
in the museum to justify keeping it open
the University would have to have some
budget restoration" to give the museum
more money, Hill says
"It's not that it's an unimportant activi
ty, he adds
Despite the administrations' reassur
ances, Carnes says she is concerned that
the current budget-cutting attitude is that of
sacrificing University services in favor of
academic programs
'They're coming from the perspective
that the academic structure is the core,"
she says
However. University services are one of
the most important ways of staying in touch
with the taxpayers, allowing the University
to be "not only visible, but valuable
Carnes says
John Finch, a Nez Perce artist working
on drawings for Native Basketry, says
Eugene Indian community members also
are upset about the museum’s possible
closure
The museum offers the only local ex
hibits and programs on Indians done by
professionals, he says Those programs
show Indian children a culture different
from that they've grown up with in Eugene
"This is really kind of a drag for Indians in
the community If this place closes down,
Photo by Bob Baker
Budget cuts will force the closure of the University Museum of Natural History for at
least a year.
we re going to lose that outlet
Although the doors appear to be closing,
volunteer groups are attempting to at least
prop them open
Members of the Eugene Natural History
Society and the Oregon Mothers' Club
already have offered to help keep the
museum open at least part time
Another group of fund raisers coordi
nated by archaeologist Richard Pettigrew is
discussing money-raising plans, with a
goal of keeping the museum open at least
at the present level
But for now, the museum needs the
University to make some commitment to
preserving its collections, Carnes says.
Even with the $10,000 for maintenance
(mostly by students), a substantial amount
will have to be contributed by faculty in
their spare time, she says
“Oregon is so diverse and rich A natural
history museum is just a natural ”
Money problems plague Growers Market
Graphic by Max DeRungs
By DAWN GARCIA
Of the Emerald
They still claim to have the cheapest food in
Eugene
That bit of good news is from Growers Market --
one of the few true food market co-ops left in
Eugene
But the bad news is that financial hardships plus a
changing public mood are causing problems for
Growers Market
Some people are predicting Growers death,”
says Growers building manager Ken Meyer " 'Cause
if it gets any smaller, it'd better be in someone's
garage ”
That's where Growers began in someone s ga
rage in the late 1960s As the small circle of friends
widened into a large group of interested eaters, the
co-op was moved into a warehouse across the street
from its present location at 4th Avenue and Wil
lamette Street
The philosophy behind Growers is true coopera
tion, Meyer says Whereas some Eugene co-ops are
not truly cooperative organizations because
customers do not work with the group. Growers
relies completely on volunteers
The food comes in bulk from local farms and
merchants to Growers’ loading dock once a week
with everything from artichokes to zucchini as well
as other produce, breads, cheeses, lentils, flour and
juices, among other things
Here’s how Growers say they compare to other
food "stores” in Eugene
$1 00 worth of groceries at Growers will cost:
$1 19 at Waremart
$1 25 at New Frontier
$1 27 at Safeway
Marketeers put their orders in to Growers by 7
p m every Wednesday with the understanding they
will come in the next day and work one hour filling
other people s orders before they can claim their
own filled order The reward for working is being a
part of the co-op and saving on their grocery bill
Thursdays are a flurry of activity as marketeers fill
orders to be placed in cardboard boxes on shelves
on one side of the huge room that makes up the
Growers Market In the center of the room is table
after table of produce and other foodstuffs
But not all marketeers are required to be a part of
this activity Recently Growers' managers decided to
allow marketeers to pay a 10-percent fee in lieu of
working their hour Most of the marketeers continue
to work, however, Meyer says
"The whole philosophy is that we really want
people to work," he says “It feels good that they
have the option to work "
The reason behind this change is that people are
not finding the time to come in and work their hour as
they have in the past, Meyer says The cooperative
spirit of the 1960s and the 1970s has changed
somewhat, he says
"It peaked out in the late seventies," Meyers
explains about Growers rise and present struggling
He's been with Growers for eight years, he says,
remembering huge political meetings held in the
warehouse during more "radical" times The
number of people ordering per week jumped from a
mere handful to 500 - its largest yet -- about three
years ago
The number of people ordering now is about 50,
Meyer says