Towing study elicits mixed reaction
Free cheese
giveaway
will continue
Following a controversy about
the validity of the cheese and
butter distribution at the
University, the free giveaway
returns this week.
A February debate about
whether students should be
eligible for the giveaway and
whether it should be located on
campus involved local, state and
federal agencies, and halted the
distribution for a time.
But the efforts of Bill Snyder,
ASUO coordinator of student
events, not only returned the
giveaway to EMU, they also
made it an official distribution
center.
"Bill's hard work in this
shouldn't be overlooked," says
Sherri Schultz, ASUO vice
president.
Being classified an official
center means the campus
giveaway will occur at the same
time, and be advertised the
same, as other distributions in
Eugene.
In the past, the campus
distribution was held after the
others and the "menu" was
determined by what was left
over.
Also, being official may cut
paperwork. Official distribution
sites in Eugene have required
people to sign statements that
they meet necessary re
quirements. The past campus
giveaways have also required
students to show they qualified
for financial aid.
The next giveaway will be
Wednesday or Thursday in
EMU, according to Snyder, and
he's looking for help in making
it a success.
The volunteers will be used
today through Wednesday.
Anyone interested in helping
can call Snyder at 686-3724 or
stop by Suite 4, EMU.
Symposium
set to study
'Herstory'
The 1984 Women's Sym
posium, which kicked off Sun
day with an opening ceremony
and a movie, gets into high gear
with a parade from the Universi
ty Bookstore to the EMU today
at 9:30 a.m.
The march, called Herstory on
Parade, earmarks today's theme
— Herstory.
Other daily themes include
politics, oppression, creativity
and lifestyles. The week-long
symposium culminates Satur
day with a concert by gospel
singer Rodena Preston.
Guest speakers, workshops,
panel discussions and movies
highlight the program.
Featured guests include Alta
jerry, founder and publisher of
the first women's publishing
company; Max Dashu, an in
dependent historian and artist
who developed "The Suppress
ed Histories Archives," a slide
series designed to communicate
information about women's
history; and Gabrieila Videla, a
Chilean exile who works with
women in the shantytowns of
Cuernavaca, Mexico, in produc
ing a monthly newsletter.
The majority of the week's
events are free and will be held
in the EMU. During evening ac
tivities, childcare will be
nrnvided.
By Michele Matassa
Of the Emerald
Almost five months after a city task
team began investigating a deluge of
complaints about impounding, parties in
volved in the controversy are clashing
head-on in their reactions to the team's
work.
The City Council adopted a towing or
dinance Monday night, signing into law
several "unlawful business practices"
developed by the Towing Task Team in
response to citizen complaints of abuse
by property owners and towers.
In addition to outlawing such acts as
towing an illegally parked vehicle when
the owner is present and willing to take
the car, the ordinance requires towers to
notify police before towing and to iden
tify the owner of the property from which
the vehicle was impounded, if the im
poundee asks.
"The only thing this ordinance did was
authorize raising the impound rates,"
says Leon Swager, owner of Emerald Tow
ing Co., which impounds for about 90
percent of the city's private parking lots.
Swager says the task team did nothing
to cool the heated controversy because
enforcing the new regulations will only
cost money for towers and, therefore, for
towees.
The ordinance also will stir up its own
trouble because it places all blame on
towers and property owners, Swager says.
"They could give a hoot less about the
property owner's problems," Swager
says. "The only thing the city is in
terested in is 'Mr. Property Owner, we've
got you. You're here, you're going to be
here, we get your taxes.' "
Vic Mann, a tugene Police Department
lieutenant who received a flood of com
plaints last fall from unhappy im
poundees, says impounding rates may in
crease because of the ordinance, but
claims the money would be well-spent if
shady business practices are eliminated.
"While it may result in higher costs to
the towee, we're hopeful that it will result
in fewer disputes," Mann says.
And that would be a welcome relief to
Mann, whose experience with angry
citizens prompted the formation of the
task force.
Drivers now have a grievance system
through the list of unlawful business
practices, and property owners can now
choose to abandon impounding in lieu of
$25 citations issued by the police depart
ment, Mann says.
That citation option is a good way out
for property owners who are tired of com
plaints about their towing policies, 7-11
manager Rita Scarpelli says.
Scarpelli, who runs the campus store at
the corner of 13th Avenue and Alder
Street, cut off her towing service because
misunderstandings resulted in bad
publicity, she says.
“People don't see the merchant's
side. ... All they see is the fact that this
mean person inside there is towing away
poor innocent people," Scarpelli says.
But unlike Swager, she's happy with the
new ordinance, she says.
Contrary to Scarpelli's belief, some im
poundees are mad only at the towers, not
at property owners, says Blanche Patter
son, a former "victim" who served on the
city task team.
"It has been a racket and I still feel that
it's a racket," Patterson says, but the or
dinance has given her a reason for hope.
Monday, April 30, 1984
7:30 pm & 9:45 pm
Ballroom
Sponsored by EMU Cultural Forum
Free Admission
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