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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 1987)
Editorial Action on cruising could be harmful The City Council will examine a proposed anti-cruising ordinance Oct. 21 that is intended to stop people from cruis ing in Eugene. But the council must consider the social and economical aspects of this ordinance before approving it. The cruisers in Eugene have demonstrated considerable organizational power. If the "Gut" is outlawed on West 11th Avenue, where it has moved after decades on Willamette Street, thoy will either move to another street or possibly move to more deviant forms of entertainment. Recently, cruiser Donnie Hedlind organized the par ticipants of weekend cruising on Willamette Street and mov ed the "Gut” to West 11th. The move was prompted by alleged police harassment and demonstrates the determina tion and initiative of the cruisers to maintain a gut somewhere in Eugene. Unfortunately, Hedlind has not been able to keep others from littering and creating excessive noise. Businesses on West 11th havo started to complain that the traffic and noise is scaring away customers. This has forced some store owners to enforce a no trespassing ordinance for their property. The ordinance allows police to arrest people found in the owner’s parking lot if they fail to disperse. The anti-cruising ordinance before the City Council is another effort to prevent cruising, but it can only limit driv ing on designated streets. The proposal would "prohibit repeated driving of a motor vehicle along and across one portion of congested public thoroughfare" between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Violation of the ordinance carries a maximum $150 fine. The Eugene proposal is similar to ordinances in other cities, including Portland. But after the City of Portland spent $500 to post signs on Southeast 82nd Avenue inform ing drivers of the ordinance, the cruisers moved the gut to 102nd Avenue. However, there were not as many cruisers at the new location. This is an important factor to consider with Eugene cruising. The cruisers already have demonstrated their organizational abilities. Enforcement of the oridinance also should be studied. In Newark. Del., for example, Sgt. Thomas Penoza com plained the cruising ordinance "needlessly tied up police who are needed to handle more serious problems." Ann Sopko. the mother of a boy cited for cruising, said the law was "idiotic and it's discriminatory. We pay policemen to sit three hours on a corner and look for young people driving old cars.” The monitoring of cars should not take precedence over more important matters. But to effectively enforce the law. police will have to watch the cars and keep track of who's traveling on the street. The council should develop a more reasonable form of monitoring cruisers. The "Gut" obviously is a vital institution to the cruisers in Eugene. While they should be commended for their effi cient move to West 11th. they also should be reprimanded for their behavior on the new "Gut." The move would have had more impact if they had respected the rights of the store owners. The proposed anti-cruising ordinance is a natural reac tion to the problems on West 11th. But it should not be enacted hastily and without thought. The cruisers deserve some credit and. at least, another form of recreation if their "Gut" is taken away. Oregon Daily Emerald The Oregon Daily Emerald la published Monday through Friday except during esam week and vacations by the Oregon Dally Emerald Publishing Co , at the University of Oregon. Eugene. Oregon, 97403 The Emerald operates independently ol the University with offices on the third floor ol the Erb Memorial Union and is a member ol the Associated Press The Emerald is private property The unlawful removal or usa ol papers is prosecutable by law Qenera! tuff Advertising Director Susan Thelen Production Manager Michele Ross Classified Manager Kelli Mason Assistant to the Publisher Jean Ownbey Advertising Sales: Ten Bonng. Gary DeLossa, Tom Leech. Catherine Lilia. Rick Marti. Laura McKinney. Heather Mull. Joann Nelson. Julie Paul. Barbara Rogers. Scott Thotktideon, Joan Wtidermuth News and Editorial MS-SS11 Display Advertising and Business US-S712 Plaailflarl Adverttaina sea 4343 wieeet v • we* towewv vs^^v^ v^ Letter Perfect Graphics SM-SS11 Production SM-43SI Circulation SBS-SStl Editor Managing Editor Naan Editor Editorial Page Editors Sports Editor Photo Editor Graphic Design Editor Special Issues Editor Entertainment'Sports Segment Editor Night Editor Stanley Nelson Scott Maben Eden God bey Angela Muniz/Steven Hoenisch Aaron Knot Shu Shtng Chen Lorraine Rath Kelly Kortekaas HC Hutto Stephen Maher Associate Editors Community Stephen Maher Higher Education/Administration Michael Drummond Student Government / Activities Carolyn lamberson General Assignment /Entertainment Will Holbert Reporters: Betsy Clayton, Paula Green. Frale de Guzman. Craig Harris. Gary Henley. Andrew LaMar. Jett Morgan. In grid Petersen, Caml Swan eon. Kelvin Wee Photographers: Shertyn Biorkgten. Mans Corvallis, Andy Cripe. Dusty Etzel. Darrel Hewitt. John Giusttna, Bobble Lo. Rosa Martin. Andre Ran Ian, Dan Wheeler. Michael Wilhelm Production: Sandra Daller / Ad Coordinator Kelly Alexandre, Ronwin Nicole Ashton. Virginia Banisga. Laura Carhart. Ellen Cross, Eva Cohen. Stephanie Drynan. Dolores Ferreo, Shannon Gaither. Lisa Haggerty, Stephanie Holland. Oeirdre Kelly. Eliot Knight, Chris Knox. Jung Lee. Bobble Lo. Rosa Martin. Jamas Mason. Angle Muniz. Ted Shepler. Linda Sperling. Lisa Svanevlk. Ingrid White. Mike Wilhelm. Kelly Wllllwne, Serena Williams. X Kang Xle fmv+*a*u CwikiJMe “TEN OVERDUE LIBRARY BOOKS?! I hop* you’re not ever planning to run for president, young man!” Letters Last resort Well now. where * the Greek system going with its latest in justice. It's the Phi l)elts that have crossed the infamous bridge of social inhumanity, suppression, graft, sexism, racism, elitism and violence. They didn't have the decency to help an injured person. Does this amaze anyone No Bar barians you've crossed the most filthy and disgusting barriers. Nevertheless. I don't ad vocate having the Greek system abolished. I do have a few sug gestions or methods for people for dealing with these or any other transgression of human decency It’s probably possible to ac quire by some means a list of all members of the Greek system. This way you only punish the people that have caused this problem. Place the animals in a cage after having them covered in hot oil and feathers Then parade them around campus, throwing things at them of various shapes, sizes and jagged edges. Have them all joined at the hip so that they have to live with each other for their entire lives. Round up all the members and tear their limbs from their bodies and while they writhe in agony eat some of their flesh and spit it back out at them. Make them grow all the ingre dients for all forms of alcohol forever Employ them as only sanita tion workers so that they will have to deal with others' gar bage like we must deal with theirs. For the most part. I'm against violence, but this was appall ing. and I’m just venting some anger in writing. Only as a last resort, however. Blake Louis Sliter Political science/English Unclear sign While walking through the basement of the EMU, a sign on the College Republican’s office door caught my eye. The message was not a pro duct of vandalism, nor did it ac cuse the organization of racism or fascism. (Unfortunately, such accustions sometimes appear on the CR door.) The sign I saw was posted by the organization It was taped to the inside of the door's window, making it clear ly visible to passers-by. It was very simple, direct and to the point. The sign was a large circle with a slash through it Inside the circle-slash there was a red star. Under this, in bold print, appeared the message "SOVIET FREE ZONE ." It scares me that the person(s) who holds such intolerant views may possibly take part in foreign policy formation in the future It scares the hell out of me. I urge all students and faculty members who share my concern to visit Room 164 in the EMU basement and ask CR personnel to explain the meaning of their "SOVIET FREE ZONE" sign. Scott Lewis Psychology The true story This is in response to the three letters written (to the Oregon Daily Emerald) about the bicycle accident in front of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity Oct. 3. I am the girl this whole inci dent is about, and I want to set the record straight. I am not writing to degrade the Greek system or to take sides on this senseless Greek/non-Greek rivalry. My only concern is to clarify events of that afternoon first hand — unlike Mr. San dor’s version (ODE, Oct. 12, " Not Guilty”). I think it was unfair and tactless for Mr. Sandor to say. “They both started laughing hysterically as if intoxicated and walked away.” Perhaps I laughed sightly to try to make light of the situation, but Mr Sandor, how could you be so in sensitive to say I was ' laughing hysterically” after I fell off iny bike and landed headfirst on the pavement? My head was indeed bleeding and required five stit ches to close. In my opinion, Mr. Sandor's statement implies that we wrecked because we were intox icated. Not true; we were not in toxicated. We wrecked because my friend, riding on my left, turned right at the comer and I didn't. I would have hoped in any case that someone would have done something to help Granted, it was a minor acci dent, but it would have been all right for someone to at least ask if we were OK. Not a single per son expressed any concern whatsoever. It's a shame this turned into a Greek/non-Greek conflict, but lets consider the situation clarified and case CLOSED. Margaret Thompson Sophomore Veracity Hey Sandor; Oh right! We finished our drinks, joked and fooled around on the sidewalk, then put five stitches in her head while smoking our cigarettes. Oh, and nobody said a word Yep. that's just what happened! Tim Chauran Journalism