Editorial
Save theater from
the wrecking ball
Sacred Heart General Hospital should not demolish the
66-year-old Mayflower Theater building before completion
of the Eugene Historic Review Board process.
The building's tenants have until today to vacate the
building, 788 E. 11th Ave. And if the building is still stan
ding. the Eugene Historic Review Board will hold a public
hearing Tuesday in a last-ditch effort to consider the struc
ture for official historic status.
Sacred Heart spokesman Alan Yordy said hospital of
ficials have not decided if they will wait for the board’s deci
sion before destroying the building. The hospital previously
announced plans to build a laboratory on the site. And
hospital officials have not decided if they will save the
building even if the board decides the theater merits historic
status. Yordy said.
Sacred Heart has the right to destroy the building. It
owns the property. And until the building is designated a
historic landmark, which requires a minimum of 30 days
following Historic Review Board approval, the hospital has
no legal obligation to save it.
But Sacred Heart should not exercise its right. As a pro
minent member of the community, the hospital has a duty to
represent not only its own interests, but the interests of the
neighborhood. This includes allowing community members
to register their opinions at the historic board hearing. This
includes abiding by the historic board’s decision. • .
Yordy is quick to point out the hospital is in compliance
with the West University Refinement Plan. He. is right. It is.
The refinement plan doesn’J list the Mayflower Theater
building among structures with historic potential.
But the Historic Review. Board believes failure to in
clude the theater was an oversight. The building-clearly
merits consideration as a historic landmark —■ if for its age
alone. Sacred Heart should not exploit a situation that clear
ly occurred in error.
Destroying the building would, be one more in.a series of
callous demolitions that reflect Eugene^s shameful attitude
toward preservation. The number of historic buildings in
Eugene has dwindled to 26 — all of them established since
1975. None has been designated since 1981.'
The theater is the second oldest intact cinema in
Eugene. Another site can be found for a laboratory. But once
torn down, the Mayflower Theater can never be replaced.
If Sacred Heart chooses to save the building, the.
hospital will own a theater and some apartments rather than
a laboratory building site. But it will not haire spent the ap
proximate $250,000 it paid for the property in vain. The
hospital will be able to collect revenue from the property.
More importantly, it will have a long-lasting testament to its
commitment to the community and to the city.
Sacred Heart has an opportunity to demonstrate a com
mitment to work with the neighborhood it inhabits; to
temper expansion with reverence for the past. And it has ah
opportunity to lead a revolt against a damaging trend.
Old buildings characterize a city like wrinkles
characterize a face. If Eugene ignores its historical assets, its
face will be smoothed into a bland wasteland.
We urge Sacred Heart to save the Mayflower Theater.
Oregon Daily
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Measure value
1 offer' a. rebuttal to . the?
Fine raid editorial {Feb. 7) beck"-. .
ing the proposal to. make
OSPIRG pay rent on. its office -
' space. .
I gather we. begin with the. .
same assumption: that student*
groups should have .'-power, as
■ much as possible, at least in. *
terms of community and na
• ticWal outreach' Apparently, the
Kmerald and others on campus
believe only -.some student
-groups should have it. and they
detect, a special ' threat in
•OSPIRC Is situation. .
Specifically, the editorial
tries to make OSPIRG fit the evil
connotations of thewprd ‘‘cor
poration.”, What the. Unnamed
Kmerald writer Overlooks is that
in the case of. QSPIRG. cor- *
porate is — perish the thought:
— good. ‘
Here we must look at reality
instead of form. In its 15 years at
the University. OSPIRC) has
been one thing: a student run
and student controlled research
group, one with a reputation for
quality. Through Suite 1,
students have access to a unique
and powerful national organiza
tion of PIRGs, responsible for
some of the most carefully con
structed consumer legislation in
Hie.coui^ry..’ .
. It. is widely!!known;-t.Hal, th«t.;
reasons for" C*jSf?IRC.'S' success
art! cooperation,' efficiency 'and
-hard"work.-aH -of. which are
Enhanced. By i.hunrporat'ioiV.
Students.-shouid consider what:
they will Ipse before falling prey
to the political definition-game
that. is. ai.pied ,at the vitality, of
this'storied campus' resource. '
•: Marc Albert
Honors College
Political move : •
A got it! friend pf mine. IJebhitr
Schwartz, was jOst.-terminated
from her position as mauagerof
Footnotes. Debbie ^worked long
apd hard for the students pf this .
univtfTsity and is deserving of
more appreciation |han this.-.
: I believe this is -pOroly.. a
political maneuver;- Debbie was
an effective' and efficient
manager.- When 'the . ASUO •
leadership tim;'ded 0 to start
charging rent for their office in
the- EMU." Debbie, challenged
them because it would mean
having to raise the price of the
notes. So now they are replac
ing her with .someone who will
play ball, and we can expect the
price of our education to raise
that much more, it’s nice to
know our leadership is looking
out for us.
Certainly this is not an impar
tial protest. Debbie is a fine per
son. and I'm proud to call her
my friend. But I didn't know
her before 1 worked for her. and
she EARNED my respect and
friendship^ It is the students
who will lose most; Debbie will
find a better position.
Ciood luck to you. Debbie, in
your future endeavors. I hope
you wU}tindV|ilace'vvii«!rti'ybur'-''i -
-i* b 11 j" t i«»s* a tjicl; t? f > rts -h r i ap
preciated. You' deserve Iliiit Spitl.
. more.
Allan Steinberry
Fine Arts
Un fair label
7■ -*! •; *.y '>'^1;’* /.
Almost , every day, Emerald ,
readers are subjected, to a very
dianMiiehi og~.cprrw|at Urn. I art)
responding : (o' advertisements,
arii'cles; etcv'that are' relating
’MEN to rape, '
: tjranted, •in every offic ial
'report'if rapo.’ tlje victim is
usually female. -Hut wing, kind
of inan is: going to1 be brave
enough, to admit I IK was-raped ?
WAI T.0 A. MINUTE!; You say a
irtin can’t He raped.; I’ve been
told: that rape c an be unwanted
touching oV verbal abuse.
Some of the” women I've seen
and beard on this campus could
IxVcoiivicted of rape, too! I have
good reason to believe there ant
women on every campus who
are-just as sexual, if not more
sexual than men. I’m tired of be
ing unfairly labeled as a poten
tial, rapist alone!
1 believe rape4s rape, whether
the victim. js. male or female.
The charge of date or acquain
tance rape is just another way to
, "officially” coyer up a guilt trip
in many cases! ;
Here's a-inossage to BOTH
sexes: Respect each, other and
remember that we are responsi
ble for our actions, both
physically and mentally'.;VJK dp
my part to eliminate unwanted
activities, and I hope you'll do
the same.
Erie B. Patterson
TCF
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