EDITORIAL
Officer on foot patrol
good for community
Hie Westgate/University business district now has
its own Eugene police officer.
Under e program funded by the University, the
University Small Business Association and the Eugene
Police Dept., Officer Ken Saxon will petrol the area be
tween E. 11th and E. 15th. avenues, and Kinceid and
Patterson streets, on foot.
The idee is a great one.
Every community should be patrolled by visible
police officers. All too often they are considered the
enemy, an unseen force hidden behind shades and
steeling wheels.
The aim erf the program is to ''discourage antiso
cial and criminal behaviors” by having a visible officer
patrolling the neighborhood.
Business owners complain about street people
blacking the doors to their businesses. Students com
plain about the panhandlers. Everybody complains
about party revelers.
From a public relations standpoint, the police de
partment needs to interact with everyday citizens. Peo
ple can stop and ask police officers questions about
policies and procedures, and it's always helpful to
have a police officer around in a emergency situation.
The next time an out-of-control party happens in
the University area, one friendly and recognizable po
liceman can do more than a battalion of SWAT teams
to alleviate the situation.
It s easier lor riot-geared pouce wun niaoen laces
to overreact. A police officer will deal with a tense sit
uation differently if he or she has to come back to the
area and patrol the next day.
Ideally, police officers should live in the neighbor
hoods they patrol. It's more comfortable interacting
with people we know. The same applies to the police.
It’s good to know the names of officers patrolling the
streets.
Incidents of harassment should decrease fust by the
presence of an officer. Some people feel more comfort
able walking the University area knowing a patrol offi
cer is near.
The main job of the officer should be interacting
with people. As long as the officer has the right atti
tude. people will respond accordingly. An officer on a
power trip wouldn't last very long.
The patrols started on Sept. 20 and so far seem to
he beneficial. Officer Saxon is taking a commendable
low-key approach. Patrol officers have to have the right
attitude.
•rtrasrsas.
/
NOT ONLY
DID YOU LOSE THE
BELT. YOUR UPS
TOOK A REAL
POUNDING.
\
Economic influences spur recycling move
With National Recycling Awareness
week upon us, it's time to notice some
trends that have begun to develop in the
world of recycling.
Although there is still a lot that needs ta
be done concerning education of the public,
big business has begun to realize that the re
cycling industry — as it can now be called
— is a new way to make money.
Instilling the profit motive in corporate
America is one of the most important steps
that needs to be taken to guarantee that the
recycling trend does not turn out to be a fad
inspired by Earthweek.
Public demand for recycled paper has
left some companies such as Weyerhauser,
Boise Cascade and Daishowa American Inc.
scrambling to expand or build new plants
that that can satisfy the recycled paper de
mand
Recycling has now become economically
viable.
With the chances of more old-growth
logging being closed down, the cost of the
wood chips necessary for paper production
inevitably will be rising. Recycled paper is
no longer just environmentally correct, it is
economically necessary. Profit-motivated
companies would oe making this svvitcn re
gardless of whether there was public de
mand for it. But with the added pressure
and marketplace of a public that wants to
protect the planet, the economic and politi
cal forces have worked together to make re
cycling a real alternative.
The construction of recycled paper
plants should also slightly ease the number
of jobs lost in the old-growth logging shut
down. It is ironic that the answer to some of
these lost jobs — the only remaining obsta
cle that the timber industry has in its fight to
save its old-growth operations — is being
created by profit motive and not politicians
or environmentalists.
The move toward recycled paper will
neither put an end to, nor close, current pa
per-making facilities. There will always be a
need for new paper. Paper can only be recy
cled so many times before it begins to lose
its integrity.
Concerns raised by some that a switch to
recycled paper will put people out of work
are just not true.
Now that recycling is seen as a money
maker. it is here to stay.
LETTERS
Free ads
Over the past 20 years there
have linen many activist groups
on various snhjet ts 1 write to
suggest a new issue free
classified advertising to the
public.
Price it — Classified ads cost
money. $50 to a SUM) a week
for ads
I personally cannot afford to
advertise I suggest you have
free classifieds to private par
ties in Oregon Arkansas does
(Capitol Pa|>ers).
You can set up a fund like
the Social Security Administra
tion to pay for the ads or up the
cost of the papers several cents.
As it is now. lots of people
place short ads because they
can’t afford to place what they
want to pay.
Ron Babine
Kugene
Not trusted
l.ast Wednesday, the first
three pages of the Emerald
were filled with the news that
the ODE board fired lean
Ownbey
As a former Emerald staff
memtxir. I want In tell vou why
you should tare
The board ts the University
students' trustee for the tain
pus newspaper, and it has dem
oust rated that it cannot In
trusted last spring, the board
assured the Emerald's news
staff that Ms. Ownbey's job was
safe
Her 14 years of experience at
the Emerald appeared to In- re
spected Yet she was fired
abruptly on Oct. 1. and the
board's chairwoman wouldn't
even make a statement to the
newspaper explaining the ac
tion
This inconsistency brings up
other concerns. The board has
also stated that a student staff
will always retain control over
the paper's news content
Hut what if the board
changes its mind and decides
the newsroom should be super
vised and operated by non-stu
dents' Chances art' the student
body wouldn't read about it on
the front of the Emerald
After witnessing the board's
dishonesty. I am convinced
that it cannot In- a reliable trus
tee of the students' paper If
students care about keeping
control of the Emerald. we
must work to restructure the
board and change how deci
sions are made for the paper
Please fight for your paper by
contacting the Emerald, its
board of directors and the
ASUC)
The Emerald is supposed to
lie our paper; let's keep it that
way.
Denise Clifton
lournalism
Outraged
I am outraged that the Emer
ald lx card of directors has fired
lean Ow nbey.
For 1-1 years she was a loyal
employee who defended a
press controlled by students,
last spring the board insisted
th.it .i planned corporate re
structure would not affect
Ovvnbey's job Today, her of
fice is empty. By rescinding on
its word with no explanation,
the board demonstrated that it
cannot he trusted
As a former staff member. 1
feel the hoard has betrayed Em
erald journalists and. ultimate
ly, everyone who pays inciden
tal fees that fund the paper
Only five of the to hoard
members are students, and the
appetite for profit has taken on
dehumanizing proportions.
What was once produced by
students, for students, has
moved a sad step closer to be
ing produced by dollars, for
dollars. Reject this trend.
Write to the Enwrald. write
to the ASUO, write to the
board.
To ensure that the Enwrald
functions in the interest of stu
dents. we must have a stronger
student presence on the tmard
of directors.
Hon Walker
journalism
Slanted
With so many women ami
men working in our communi
ty to create a rape free environ
ment, including this week’s
’’Take Hack the Night"
walk run, 1 find the Emerald's
coverage of the trial of an ac
cused rapist particularly ap
palling.
The articles have been se
verely slanted toward the de
fendant. Not only have they
dealt primarily with the defen
dant's perspective but they
seem to suggest justification of
this horrendous crime.
Even if I were able to accept
the Emerald's coverage at face
value, the amount of alcohol a
woman consumes or her man
ner of dance have absolutely no
bearing on whether she wants
to have intercourse. Sexual as
sault against a woman is never
justified.
Erika Joatad
Eugene