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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1987)
New freshmen begin orientation this weekend See Page 5 Oregon Daily Emerald Tuesday. July 14. 1987 Eugene. Oregon Volume 89. Number 7 Bils pleads innocent to criminal charges By Stephen Maher (>f tilr limrralti Six weeks after charges against him were dropped. University law student Willy Bernard Bils was rearraigned Monday in Lane County Circuit Court. Bils pleaded not guilty to two counts of criminal simulation, and one count each of first degree forgery, second degree criminal trespassing and tampering with a witness before lodge F. Gordon Cottrell. Bils previously had been charged with two counts of criminal simulation and one count of second degree forgery. Oregon Revised Statutes defines criminal simulation as an attempt to defraud — to make or alter an object to have antiquity, rarity, source or authorship that it doesn't have. According to a February police report, Bils allegedly Willy Bils paid a Eugene free-lance resear cher $500 in Novemlxir HlHti to write a class paper for him. Bits was arrested March <> and pleaded not guilty three days later In late May, the charges against Mils were dropped. At the time neither the district at torney's office nor Bils' at torney, Daniel Goff, would divulge why the dismissal occurred. After his first arrest Bils was granted a leave of absence from the law school for medical reasons. According to a law school official who was con tacted Monday. Bils remains on a leave of absence and is technically still a law student. Eugene police Sgt. Chuck Tilby, who has handled the in vestigation of the case, failed to return phone calls Monday. Police reports regarding the ad ditional charges also were unavailable. Bils was the founder of a cam pus group called DO Students for Equity in Insurance. In l‘»8t> he threatened to sue the ASDO over alleged mismanagement of the student health insurance program. Then in late lanuary 1987, Bils asked for the resignation of then-ASUO President Steve Nelson and ASUO Legal Ser vices Attorney K a r s 1e n Rasmussen. Bils charged Nelson with mismanagement of the insurance program and Rasmussen with conflict of interest. Bils, who has reportedly mov ed out-of-state, refused to com ment on the case after his arraignment. Willamette Street change proposal creates tension By John Henrikson (M hr fcatorald The Eugene City Council held a heated public hearing on Monday concerning tin; propos ed re-opening of the Willamette Street mail from Eighth to 10th streets to auto traffic. More than 300 people attend ed the forum, which was held at the Community Conference Center, to advise the council of public opinion before a final decision on the matter is made this fall. Two members of the City Council. Mayor Brian Obie and Councilor Kob Bennett, declin ed to sit on the Council for this issue because of a perceived conflict of interest concerning their downtown business holdings. ‘‘I think it is in the com munity’s best interest that I step aside." Obie said. After a short presentation by the Eugene Downtown Commis sion and Seattle architect Don Miles, who originally propos the plan, audience members presented comments. Citizen both for and against the re-opening spoke — sometimes very emotionally — but the crowd largely seemed opposed to the plan. Ruth Miller, a member of Friends of Downtown, told the council Willamette Street "should be preserved as a special place without traffic.” The traffic, she said, is "not needed and not wanted." Others were even more direct in their opposition. "Do not destroy what is most livable in this city and what will one day be your historic heritage." Dr. Betty Sible advised the council. A poll taken by Arline Hastie of CIreen Pepper Fabrics and presented to the council show ed 313 downtown merchants and employees opposed the re Turn to Street, Page 3 Making music Two boi igo players entertain at the 17th annual Orttgon Country hair The two players, like other spet:tat<irs were invited to test the instruments for sale. After awhile, a concert was generated bv the visitors who played The fair featured music, crafts, and art as well as information booths. A word-breaking crowd of more than 20.000 attended the event held Inly lit-12 on the 242-acre promise I’hoto by Diana Moy Dutch elm disease strikes Eugene By Ted Fuller Of I ho ►moral.! More tre«*s infe«:ted with ily Dutch elm disease after a I‘(Ht> outbreak has Eugene City Ar txirist Jeff Male scrambling to minimize and con tain losses Tests confirm a tree in the Bethel-1 fanebo area of North Eugene, one of 290 American elms, was infected with the deadly disease, which then had to Ini cut down Monday Male said he has since sent four more samples up to Oregon State University for testing; two from the University area and two from northwest of Coburg road. laising five more American elms to Dutch elm disease doesn't worry Hale as much as the spread of the disease does. "The number is not had." Hale said, "hut the spread is." Dutch elm disease, namod after Dutch hotanists who were the first to identify the fungus deadly to American elms, has killed an estimated 50 million to 1(H) million elms in the United States, and at least another 50 million in Europe. Eugene lost 1H trees to the disease when it was discovered here last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that $100 million is spent annually to remove and replace diseased elms. The city of Eugene spent $13,558 removing infected trees last year. Thuugh billions have been spent worldwide to fight the disease, there ant some costs that can't lie measured in terms of money. There is no way to put a value on a towering shade tree in an ur ban landscape. Besides the beauty people set! in a 70- to 90-foot tree, there are practical benefits us well. According to scientists, neighborhoods that lost trees to Dutch elm disease experience in creases in local temperatures, wind speeds and local soil erosion. Air pollution levels also rise. Scientists also say the elm is its own worst enemy in dealing with the disease because the tree's immune system responds by producing a gummy substance to isolate the fungus This substance clogs the sap system, cutting off the tree's circulation, The tree quickly dehydrates and dies. American elms are most susceptible to Dutch elm disease Other types of elms, most notably the Chinese and Siberian varieties, are resistant This leads scientists to (relieve the disease Turn to Elm, Page .) Photo t» Shu Shin* t hon An American elm tree outside Allen Hall is one of 290 elms in Eugene susceptible to the often fatal Dutch elm disease
