COMMUNITY
Snake’s weeklong adventure ends, to relief of all
J Cassandra is back
home with owner af
ter escape put neigh
borhood on alert
By Tim Nett
Emerald Associate Editor
Joggers nnd small pots
breathed a collective sigh of re
lief Sunday night after Univer
sity student Scott C.ilison found
his escaped boa constrictor
near the Amazon Park running
trail.
Gibson found the eight-foot
long, ton-pound serpent named
Cassandra about 50 yards off
the running trail, which is near
his house at the corner of 24th
Avenue and Willamette Street.
The boa constrictor escaped
from its cage sometime during
the night of July 4, while Gib
son was out celebrating.
The reunion was made possi
ble by an anonymous tip left on
Gibson's answering machine.
Gibson hud spent the day at
the Oregon Country Fair, where
un acquaintance told him that
local television stations were
reporting thnt the snnke had
been sighted in Amazon Park
Gibson raced home and
checked his machine for mes
sages. As luck would have It.
someone had left a message
that his child had spotted the
snake.
Lacking enough details to be
gin a search, Gibson called a
television station to inquire
about the reported sighting
Gibson headed toward Amazon
Park after finding out that Cas
sandra had been spotted near
the park's skateboard pool.
That was all he needed.
Within a few minutes, Gibson
had found the reptile.
"I hud a direction to go on.
and I got lucky," Gibson said.
Judging from the snake's
healthy appearance. Gibson
suspects the reptile had found u
food source while on the loose
“She had eaten something,"
Gibson said "She was very
healthy and very active."
While neighbors check up on
their cals, Gibson is taking
steps to assure Cassandra's fu
ture captivity. Ho has installed
an extra latch on the cage and
has blocked the exit.
“She's contained and she's
not going anywhere.”
Photo Jmli
Scott Gibson was raumtad with his pat tnaka Cassandra Sunday, sight days attar It aacapad from Gib
son'a homa.
That's not to say that tho
snake has accepted It
"She's liking tho taste’ of fns;
dom." Glhson said. "She keeps
trying to push it open again."
After finding (aissandrn, Gib
son took the snake around the
neighborhood while he re
moved the signs he had posted
in hopes of recovering his pet
Keuetion from local residents
was a mixture of joy and relief
"One guy told mo that his
wlfti hadn't jovial since she
heard Cassandra was missing, "
C.ihson said
TEAM
Continued from Page 1
Civic Stadium boasts natural grass, a hand-op
oratod scoreboard in right field, now box seat
ing and clean restrooms. Debun has also rid the
stadium of beer nights, replacing them with
weekend promotions aimed at drawing the en
tire family to the ballpark.
Bcban is quick to admit that only about HO
percent of his customers are actually Emoralds
fans.
"Most of them are looking for wholesome
entertainment or a chance to get out of the
houso." Bcban said.
Fans or not. the Eugene murket has been es
pecially receptive to the idea of minor league
baseball. The Emeralds drew close to 7.000
people to a July 4 game with Boise, despite
cloudy skies and pre-game rain showers
Eugene is an ideal market for minor league
ball. Bohan said, because of its size and a
strong, cooperative media.
Behan said The Register-Guard employs a
full-time boat writer for the Emeralds' home
game coverage and all four local television sta
tions follow and are involved with the club In
fact. Eugene's enthusiasm for the Emeralds
persuaded local television to broadcast the
team live for the first time earlier this year.
Deban's Involvement in baseball began a lit
tle more than 20 years ago when he worked as
a minor league umpire.
He credits his travels through minor league
ballparks as an umpire for many of the ideas
he has implemented with the Emeralds
'I've never had an original idea," he said "I
try to emulate successful programs I take both
the good and the laid ideas from other people.”
Deism said that one of the most valuable les
sons he ever learned is not to over-manege
"I was allowed to make decisions, and I was
allowed to fail." he said "In life, people must
be given the opportunity to fail if they are to
learn."
Behan received his first experience in front
office management when he was offered a job
with Salt Lake City of the Pacini Coast League
Soon after, he and several others got together
to purchase the Emeralds, an opportunity her
refers to as both "lucky and fortunate "
It’s a definition he still finds appropriate for
himself
"A lucky man cun go to work and It's fun,"
he said “I have a very enjoyable job I never
miss a day."
TRIAL
Continued from Page 1
Building was sparked by the
April 29 acquittal of four white
Los Angolos police officers of
all but one assault charge in
connection with tho videotaped
booting of black motorist Rod
ney King.
About 400 University stu
dents and Eugene residents
gathered in the EMU Courtyard
the day after the verdict to a
stage a rally.
The rally was followed by a
march to the Federal Building,
where protestors broke 15 win
dows and two doors.
No official damage estimates
have been released, although
some unofficial figures have
ran as high as $27,000.
Hoop was arrostiid May 13 by
Eugene police. Arias and
Menretab later turned them
selves in to federal authorities.
Each defendant entered a not
guilty plea at separate arraign
ments.
Arias and Mohretab will be
represented by private attor
neys. A federal defender will
argue Hoop's case.
Footage of the protest ap
peared on local television sta
tions. and Ray said the vidoo
tape will probably be used In
the trials against Arias, Hoop
and Mehrotab.
ET ALS
MEETINGS
Hum* in TraiwMion Cull** hour (of
International and non uaditlonal etudanu.
will hm Wodnoaday from « SO to 1OS0 a m
in the Women'! Con urn lobby. EMU .Hull* 3
Deadline tor tubmltung hi Alt to th•
h me raid front chrtk, hhdU Suit# 300. it noon
th0 Jay tmlorp publication Kt Alt run th#
<i#y of tho ovonl uhlott tho ovonl taka*
plot v bofnro noon
Notit'** of event* with a donation ot
adrniatlon tharg» will not bo acroptmd
Campu* ovonta and thovo uhoduled noamt
the publication data will bo givon priority
The Kmeraid r atone*M tho right 10 tail
notu:o* for grammar and ttylo to Ala aro
publnhad on a tpwo available boat a
Kay said the I'll! Is still inves
tigating the April 30 incident,
and charges may Iks brought
against others.
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TNS PAR SIDE
By GARY LARSON
11 HU H vm
Drawn by tha pulsating sound ot a rock thumping on a
dead armadillo, two Aust'aiopithacines stood
at the forest edge. Instantly, Thags agent
knew they had a crossover hit.