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Oregon Daily
Emerald
Tuesday. May H, 198H
Eugene. Oregon
Volume 87, Number 146
Project Safe Ride
off to a slow start
By Joseph Mtnul
OhhitwnU
Project Safe Ride ha« gotten off to e slow but steady start
since it* debut April 21. But with more awareness of the pro
gram. ridership should increase, said Mercea Mabrey. the
project's coordinator.
The ASUO-sponsored shuttle service was created to offer
women a safe and punctual means of transportation around
campus at night.
in its two weeks of operation, the shuttle has averaged
seven passengers a night, she said. Signs designating shuttle
stops will be installed shortly, which will further increase
awareness. Mabrey said.
Most women surveyed said they would use the service
depending on the circumstances.
I'd use the shuttle depending on how far from the
dorms I am.” said Joyce Crondin. a junior journalism major.
"If I'm at the EMU and M’s still light outside. I’d probably just
walk” '
The hackiash of criticism for excluding men from riding
on or operating the shuttle is Mabrey'» biggest concern. Men
are not allowed to ride on the Safe Ride shuttle because "we
never know who has the potential for doing something",
Mabrey said
In addition, the project's main objective is to eliminate
any potential threat lo women using the shuttle For that
reason, a change to allow men riders does not appear likely,
she said
However, men may work on the organisation of the pro
ject. Men and women applicants will be considered equally
for the program coordinator position. Mabrey said.
Campus Security will continue to provide escorts for
ivumen and men who fear for their personal safety, said
Oakley Glenn. Campus Security's director
"We are in full cooperation with 5‘roject Safe Ride to en
sure the safety of the University community." Glenn said.
The shuttle service runs on the hour starting at H p.m.
The route originates from (he University Street side of ihe
EMU. It then slops at the Main Library, the law School, the
School of Music. Amazon Community Housing and sororities
and dormitories. The shuttle also stops at Oregon West
Fitness Center on Franklin Boulevard.
A second shuttle van should be available for use in June.
Mabrey said. It will be equipped for handicapped passengers
and eventually will allow the shuttle to make more frequent
stops.
Project Safe Ride is intended to be entirely self-sufficient
bui needs contributions from the community and local
businesses for fuel and maintenance expenses. Mabrey said.
For information on the routes and time schedules, call
the Project Safe Rido switchboard at t*86-4362.
' -
Gay men and lesbians ‘pioneers’
in legal arena today, speaker says
Hy Michael Rivers
Of thr fmtrald
(lay men and lesbians arc all “pioneers'* who
art) breaking new ground in the legal arena, said
the legal director of National (Jay Rights Ad
vocates in the keynote speech for gay pride weok
Monday night.
Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people at the
University law school...l.eonard Graff said gay
people stand at a crossroads and have decisions to
make about the future status of gay people.in the
United States. Questions relating to gay people in
the armed forces and to prohibitions against
allowing gay visitors to enter the United States
are among those that need to lie answered, he
said.
NORA is a public interest law firm created to
expand and defend gay rights. Graff said. The
firm, which only takes cases that break new
ground, has won test cases all over the United
States, he said.
Graff. 36. said the NGRA could be considered
the "gay ACLU.**
•The United States has an adversarial legal
system — if a person doesn’t have someone to
fight for their rights, they don't get them. Graff
said. .
He discussed various cases the NRG A has
been involved in, including employment and im
migration rights. AII1S civil rights and couples'
rights.
In one employment rights case, NGRA forced
Kastern Airlines to take a question off its job ap
plication which asked if the applicant had
homosexual affiliations. Graff said.
The organization is currently in settlement
negotiations with Pacific Northwest Bell, after an
11-year litigation over a PNB hiring policy that
discriminated against gay people, he said. It may
Ik* the largest settlement in a gay rights case ever.
Graff said.
NGRA also has succeeded in winning
teachers the right to speak out in public for gay
rights and has forced some insurance companies
to change their policies as they relate to gay and
lesbian couples. Graff said.
The guidelines of one life insurance com
pany in California automatically declared ineligi
ble people who listed anyone except a spouse or
dependent children as beneficiaries, he said.
Securing rights for gay couples will be the
biggest issue in the future. Graff said.
A primary target of NGRA is sodomy laws, he
said.
"Here in Oregon, and in a number of other
states, we take sodomy for granted," Graff said,
drawing chuckles from the audience. ‘‘At least
it’s not illegal.” ■
f——
Leonard Graff
There are currently challenges to sodomy
laws in Texas. Minnesota and a number of other
southern and midwestem states, he said. The
most important is a case from Georgia which is
currently pending before the U.S. Supreme
Gourt. Graff said.
Georgia has one of the nation's strictest anti
sodomy laws. Graff said. All sex is a felony, “ex
cept between married couples in a well-defined
position.” he said.
Knglish common law defined sodomy as anal
intercourse, but it has taken on an expanded
Continued on Page 5
Prospective Research Park developer visits Eugene
By Paul Sturt/
Of I hr Kmertild
The prospective developer for the
Kiverfront Research Park arrived in town
Maureen McAvey
Monday and was whisked through a
whirlwind day of appointments with ci
ty officials and interviews with a group
of University faculty members, the
media and the commission chosen to
oversee the development.
President Paul Olum said that
although the Carley Capital Croup was
the only developer to apply. Monday's
interview with Maureen McAvey.
Carley's representative, was far from a
formality.
"If for any reason we're dissatisfied
with Carley.. .then we would have two
choices," Olum said. "We could
develop it ourselves or reopen the search
and look for another developer."
McAvey answered rounds of questions
ranging from inquiries into the com
pany's past history, its attitude toward
open research and the most curious of all
to some people — why her company is
interested in coming to Eugene.
McAvey mentioned "the unique
nature of the community and this
University." the University’s strong
research sciences and Eugene's high
quality of life, including its low housing
costs, as being important in attracting
companies to the park. She added that
Carley was very impressed with the
city’s leaders and the "level of participa
tion. the level of interest by community
residents and community leaders."
McAvey said the company also was
impressed with the faculty's commit
ment to the University, mentioning some
cases where faculty members opted to
stay at the University instead of accep
ting more lucrative positions at other
institutions.
"We felt also that given the tremen
dous push Ix)th out of California and by
some of the Pacific Rim countries, that
Eugene had a potential to be a very thriv
ing community (for these companies) at
tremendous cost advantages." she said.
As McAvey spoke at the Commission
meeting, some people lining the room
quietly held aloft banners and placards
protesting classified research, toxic
wastes, animal testing and even one
which protested the appearance of the
developer: "We love the Willamette.
The river's our own; Carley go home.”
McAvey gave examples of the com
pany's past experience in joint projects
with cities and universities to illustrate
its "long history of working in the open
with different interests.” She repeatedly
mentioned one research park in
Charlotte. N.C.. as being a particularly
successful example of cooperatively
stimulating an economy.
The Charlotte development was
started about five years ago and has
grown to nearly four million square feet,
a development more than four times
what is planned for the Willamette River
site.
McAvey said the company had not
made any plans how the development
should be sited or how big it will be.
"It's certainly an extraordinarily attrac
tive site and should in our view retain
some of that pastoral setting," she said.
"We have not come in arrogantly to
say 'Here's how it should be,' but rather
to be a partner to the University and the
city.”
The Riverfront Research Park Commis
sion will meet on May 21 to decide
whether Carley will be chosen.