Oregon daily emerald., January 29, 1987, Image 1

‘Bedroom Window1
opens eyes
See Page 7
Oregon Daily
Emerald
Thursday, January 29. 1987
Eugene. Oregon
Volume 88. Number 90
Research park report
gives project go-ahead
By Deborah Janes
Of the Kmrrald
The presentation of a
feasibility report to the River
front Project Commission on
Wednesday night brought the
71-acre project one step closer
to becoming a reality.
Charley Minshall, the author
of the feasibility study and
representative of the Hattelle
consulting firm, outlined the
report and gave a green light to
the project to be built across
Franklin Boulevard north of the
University, near the duck pond.
The 190-page report assessed
Hu gene’s attractiveness to in
dustries, what type of industries
the project should house and
the time schedule for
construction.
The University split the
$25,000 fee for the report with
the City of Eugene.
‘‘The University is a
beautifully logical extension to
the Riverfront Project,” Min
shall said. He suggested the
University should be part of the
“anchor structure,” the core of
the research park. He suggested
developing the park in four
phases, with the initial phase
involving a 20-acre chunk hous
ing research and data process
ing industries.
The park should provide
“technically-orientated in
cubator space for graduate
students and professors that
need a place to develop their
ideas for commercialization.”
he said.
The park would he a boon to
the University by providing job
opportunities for students and
also attracting research
specialists who could double as
visiting professors.
The sight should also recruit
software and data processing
firms, real estate, insurance and
light manufacturing industries,
such as p h a r in a c e u t i c a I
companies.
Some commission members
were critical of the report’s am
biguous suggestions for poten
tial industries. "Why didn't
you ask specific industries
whether or not they would
locate here? What is the market
potential of the park?” commis
sion member Sally Weston
asked.
Minshall presented in clear
terms what industries the park
should avoid.
“We can’t put something dir
ty like Weyerhaeuser in there
Or do you want to put in a
trucking company to fill up 20
acres and then hate yourself in
the morning? In this day and
Turn to Project, Page 3
Safe sex, community awareness
needed to curb AIDS epidemic
By Karen Creighton
Of the Kmc raid
About 2f>() people attended a public presen
tation on Wednesday evening telling how
AIDS affects the local community.
The event, entitled "Bringing it Home,
was sponsored by three local volunteer groups
with the cooperation of Sacred Heart C.eneral
I lospital.
Bloodsisters of Kugene, Shanti in Oregon.
Inc., and tin; Willamette AIDS Council
developed the program, which included
speakers, a panel discussion, and an exorcise
to demonstrate how AIDS can he spread
among the general population.
Shanti in Oregon Kxecutive Director Ken
Storer told a story of a woman afflicted with
AIDS to show what AIDS means for people
who have to live with it everyday.
The woman had an operation three years ago
and received blood contaminated with the
AIDS virus She now has to deal not only with
her imminent death, but also with the issues of
being gay. Storer said. Kven though she is not
gay. she has to hide her disease as if she were,
he said.
"She has to deal with living in a community
where, were they aware of what she was living
with and what her issues are, they would ask
her to leave," he said. She and her children
have to hide her medical and emotional pro
blems for tear of community rejection.
A mother of two children told at the presen
tation her story of living with AIDS. Her talk
had been taped earlier so sin; wouldn't have to
appear on stage and risk harm to her family by
Photo by Mu had Wilhdio
Robert McAlister, State of Oregon Health
Division AIDS program coordinator,
speaks at Sacred Heart Hospital about the
need tof community awareness of AIDS.
lettin# people know that she is an AIDS
victim.
’*1 never dreamed I would have AIDS. I
Turn to AIDS, Page 4
Interest clash prods
councilor to abstain
from condo law vote
By Jolayne Houtz
Of the Kmtirald
A Eugene city councilor worried about conflict
of interest has decided not to vote in an upcoming
decision on a controversial ordinance change.
The amendment would allow developers to
convert rental units into condominiums without
having to find comparable housing for elderly,
handicapped or low-income residents.
Councilor Rob Bennett told other city coun
cilors at a work session Wednesday that he is
afraid Eugene residents might think he has a con
flict of interest.
Bennett is a real estate developer, and he and
his wife own the Eugene Manor, one of only three
high-rise, private apartment complexes in the city
that has not yet been converted into
condominiums.
While the city’s attorney decided that Bennett
did not have a conflict of interest because he has
not declared his intent to convert the property,
Bennett said he is sensitive about the issue and
will not vote, although he will participate in
discussion of the amendment.
Bennett also served on the Eugene Planning
Commission, which is recommending the or
dinance change, until his election as a city coun
cilor in November.
The Planning Commission originally set out to
streamline the seven-year-old ordinance in Oc
tober 1985. But after looking closely at tin;
measure, members decided to revise the protec
Turn to Condominiums, Page 4
Decision not to evacuate buildings
during bomb threat raises questions
By Scott Maben
Of the hmerald i
While police and FBI agents are still investigating a
bomb threat received at the University three weeks ago,
the way officials handled the matter has generated a
study of proper emergency procedures.
The Oregon Public Employee's Union has protested
the Eugene Police Department's decision not to
evacuate union personnel from three campus
buildings. That decision was made by EPI) Sgt. Chuck
Tilby, criminal investigator for the University, effective
January 9, the day after the "non-specifically address
ed” letter ended up on the desk of University Dean of
Students Shirley Wilson, Tilby said.
11 think that whenever there’s a
bomb threat, you should evacuate
first and not question if it’s authen
tic or a hoax.'
— Lisa Sieracki
The letter contained "no indication that anything
about the threat was serious,” Tilby said. As a result,
security officials were forced to speculate as to which
buildings might have been the intended tatgets because
of the vagueness of the letter, he said.
Police uncovered evidence indicating the letter was
authored by an individual, not by a mysterious
organization as the letter indicated, Tilby said.
The author of the letter threatened to plant bombs in
the "administration building" if certain demands per
taining to two California prison inmates were not met.
“Administration building" was interpreted as either
Oregon Hall, Johnson Hall, or McArthur Court. Tilby
alerted administrators in each area to conduct visual
checks for anything out of the ordinary.
OPKIJ has stepped in. questioning whether it was ap
propriate to allow employees to search for explosives
instead of conducting immediate evacuations.
“I don’t think the University showed very much
common sense in what transpired from the threat."
said Kurt Willcox. Eugene-area field representative for
OPKIJ.
Willcox claimed the decision to not evacuate and to
use employees as bloodhounds resulted from the lack of
University guidelines on what should be done in the
case of a bomb threat.
In the safety and health portion of the 1985-1987
OPKU contract with the State Board of Higher Kduca
tion. the University is required to produce "a written
procedure for the safe evacuation of buildings in the
event of. . .threats involving explosive devices."
"As far as we know, there's no consistent policy right
now. We want to know why that policy doesn't exist
and make sure that in the future, employees are not put
through what they were the other day.” Willcox said.
The University has taken steps to comply with
OPKU's contract, said Oakley Glenn. Office of Public
Safety director.
A policy does exist and has for some time, according
to Glenn. In case of emergencies his agency works
under a basic plan of action, devised about 15 years
ago, Glenn said.
Criteria for this plan have been reviewed and revised
each year since then, taking into account new
buildings, changes in personnel, and the like. Glenn
Turn to Bomb. Page 3