Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1982)
Hansen: send business ‘welcome’ signal By Marian Graen Of the Emerald City council candidate Dick Hansen says his business background gives him the ideal experience to enhance Eugene's economic development. He is running against Susan Sowards for the Ward 4 council position, which includes the University area Incumbent Gretchen Miller is not seeking re-elec tion Hansen is endorsed by several busi ness people, including Tom Williams, of Williams' Bread, and Maurie Jacobs, of M Jacobs Furniture As general manager of Valley River Center, the 47-year-old Hansen says he's "worked with and taken chances with” many of the 100 or so businesses at VRC. In that job he promotes small businesses "all the time," he says. At the same time, Hansen says he perceives no conflict of interest with developing the downtown area. "Down town’s strength is my strength,” he says. One of downtown's strengths is the new Eugene Performing Arts Center, he says. “We're going to be awfully proud of that facility," Hansen says. The complex is a "positive" tool to draw people to Eugene, he adds But, he notes, the city must be prepared to support it during its first years. "That’s just something we're going to have to do," Hansen says "It’s not gen erating enough dollars from the room tax and the ticket sales." Hansen currently serves on the Econ omic Diversification task team and the Lane Transit District budget committee and has served on numerous city com mittees, including a stint as chairperson of the Eugene Budget Committee in 1978. "Believability" is a major problem in the community, he says. "The economic development prob lems are substantial," he says. "We need to send a very clear signal to outsiders that we are, in fact, receptive to busin esses coming in and locating here.” Noting that the Fantus Co. report "clearly states that outsiders still believe that an anti-business attitude exists," Hansen says he hopes to begin changing that image at home by going "one-on one with existing businesses. " Hansen also says he’d work to “cut down" on red tape for people requesting information or staff help "so that we can make a decision rather than dragging it out.” Relations between the business com munity and the University need to be improved, Hansen says, because the two “have a tendency to look with distrust on each other.” Sowards: keep University as a top priority By Marian Green OtthuEmurmU City council candidate Susan Sowards emphatically supports keeping the University Eugene's number one priority. Sowards, 31, is running against Dick Hansen for Gret chen Miller’s Ward 4 council position, which includes the University area Miller, who is not seeking re-election, en dorses Sowards for the position The University is Eugene's largest employer, Sowards says The city council made it its number one priority, and I would intend to keep it that way," she adds The city council also should keep the University its number one lobbying effort at the Legis lature to ensure that it remains "well and strong," she says If new industry does locate in the area, a trained workforce will be needed Sowards says Instead of giving the University "short shrift" in economic diversification planning, pro grams should be coordinated between the University and Lane Community College to provide that training, she says Sowards says the city needs to work toward continued economic planning "The minute we rise out (of an economic depression) the talk fades," she says Bringing in high technology industry is "an excellent idea," but many companies don’t have the money to relocate right now, says Sowards, a partner in Bus iness Development Associates and formerly an administrative aide to state Rep Margie Hen dricksen She also serves as a citizen member on the Eugene Budget Committee, as well as other boards She suggests looking at ways tor small businesses to raise venture capital and to replace normally imported products with Oregon products Sowards supports the Eugene Performing Arts Com plex "strongly " But, "it may need to be made more afforda ble," she says "I'd like to see it set up so local groups can afford to use it." Groups such as the Oregon Repertory Theatre have com plained that the center's cost is prohibitive, she says "It's a hard time in the econ omy to introduce something like that and expect it to succeed, but it has a good chance,” Sowards says "We’ve got it, and we'd better market it." Sowards says communication is vital to strong city govern ment A member of the Fairmount Neighborhood Association, Sowards says she has been at tending other Ward 4 neighborhood meetings since February and was surprised to Cultural Forum, ASUO Repertory Doncers 6 the UO Deportment of Donee present \ INTERMEDIATE MODERN DANCE TECHNIQUE CLA 10:30-12:30 Sundoy, May 23 Gerlinger Annex 353 UO Students Free General Public S3 00 ot the door A donee duo more visible in Seottle modem donee 6 performance ort concerts this post year than ony other doncers in Seattle SOLOS/ The Donee Accordmq to CHRISTIAN SWENSON HELEN WALKLEY DUETS Sunday, May 23, 7:30 p.m. Dougherty Donee Theatre 354 Gerlinger Annex Tickets: S2.00 Students$3.00 General Public at EMU Moin Desk, Dockstoge Donceweor, or ot the door. (LCC - PE 101 "Lecture - Demonstration" - Frl. Moy 21, noon. $1 ot door) find the groups "not as repre sentative as they might be because they don’t have e nough power. "I think it might be a good idea to give them a little more power.” Putting governmental infor mation in the public library and perhaps using public access television to film important city council and committee meet ings are ways of improving ci tizen awareness, she says. “When people know more about their government, government becomes theirs again.” Annual Sidewalk Sale Up to Vi off I T-shirts Sweatshirts Running shorts Backpacks Sandals Better start walking to the UO Bookstore. This sidewalk sale is just the beginning of our Spring clearance bargains. Spring attire up to 50% off. Better come in today. Limited to stock on hand. BOOKSTORE Textbooks 666-3520 General Books 666-3510 Supplies 666-4331 13th & Kincaid Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30 Sat 10:00-3 00 ©VOLK
