Legislature
women will
focus panel
on issues
Gov. Barham Roberts and
four prominent Oregon legisla
tors will come together in
Eugene today as members of a
forum panel at the Eugene
Conference Center.
The forum, titled "Women
and the 109.1 Oregon Legisla
ture: What's Next?," is sched
uled to start at 7 pm..
"This event will give women
the opportunity to learn about
issues affecting our lives and
give them a chance to act and
be heard." said Rep Cynthia
Wooten, who is co-sponsoring
the event with the University
Center for the Study of
Women.
Margaret Hallock. the direc
tor of the University l-abor and
Research Center, will be the
moderator for the event.
Panel members will include
Sen. Tricia Smith. Sen Cather
ine Webber. Rep Avel Gordly.
Wooten and Roberts.
Each panel member will
speak for 10 minutes and then
the floor will be opened for
questions and discussion.
Some issues that will bo dis
cussed are: health care, abor
tion rights, family planning,
adult and family services,
higher education budget cuts
and proposed tax plans
Key player
rnCTU vy r ijm ■’wy
Johnny Hahn of Seattle sets up his 64 key Acoustic Melodipro in
front of the University Bookstore Monday
Bill may give developers tax break
By Katy Moeller
0**gt» Da*fy tm&akJ
Things are tough aii over
Just ask Floyd Garland, a land
developer in Bums. Oregon Garland
testified last week before the Senate
Revenue and School Finance Com
mittee that under the current system
of property tax assessment, it is not
economically possible to be a land
developer in his rural community.
"I debated whether or not the
county should own this land and
not me." said Garland
In l')7H. Garland filed a plan for
subdivision outside the city of
Burns It consisted of 103 acres and
a total of 52 lots Garland says he has
sold only 14 plots since t‘)7H, or
roughly one lot per year.
"Twenty years ago 1 thought this
was a good investment." he said.
But sluggish sales are only the
beginning of Garland's problems.
In 1992, the Oregon Supreme
Court ruled that the-"devoloper's
discount factor" was unconstitu
tional.
The developer's discount factor
provided subdividers with tax relief
by assessing their property at a low
er value.
Shortly after the Oregon Supreme
Court decided that the discount fac
tor vvus unconstitutional, the Harney
County Assessor sent Garland a nevs
assessment.
Garland said his taxes increased
front $32,000 to $285,500
"Needless to say. that got my
attention." (iarland said
Hu appealed to the Board of
Equalization In hts appeal he i itad
several specific factors market con
ditions. population decline, the
local economy, housing starts, envi
ronmental and utility problems.
The HOE reduced the assessment
of his property to $136,210.
In response to the equalization
board's decision, the Harney County
Assessor appealed to the Oregon
Department of Revenue.
Garland said he attended a hear
ing with the Department of Revenue
during November 1*192. and a duel
sion is still pending.
Garland was successful in lobby
ing Senate Republican header
Timms, yvho is now sponsoring SB
896
The proposed bill would autho
rize special assessment of certain
undeveloped residential sites.
?>en. l imms sum 111 iuusuuys
hearing lltul SB tl‘H> would promote
economic development in rural Ore
K‘>"
Hut many assessors are opposed to
the bill and art* righting tl every slap
of the way.
Jerry Hanson, who is a representa
tive of the Association of Assessors,
testified in a hearing before the Sen
ate Revenue and Si bool Finaiu a
Committee last Friday lb* slated in
no uncertain terms tb.it SB H9t* was
not needed
"What most assessors would feel
is unnecessary is legislation to
require a ■ ertain met hanii a I tei h
nupie to evaluate property. Hanson
said.
"I think it's a valid tool in some
cases, but it can easily be abused if
you had to use it in every subdivi
sion," be sail!
Joe Hayes, the mayor of Burns,
isn't particularly worried that if SB
not* isn't passed, a barrier to devel
opment will be created.
"There have been a number of
developments here over the years,
but nothing’s going to change until
we get something in here to create
jobs," he said.
Museum’s focus
is Oregon rivers
By Rebecca Merritt
Onroan £WV f /
Ton years ago, Dave Rodriguez wanted to make sure
ttie )i■ «>tor\ and evolution of the Mi kenzie Kiver were
properly uim umented
Now. as president of the Oregon Kivers Museum.
Rodrigue/ is ahout four years away from achieving Ills
goal of providing Springfield with a (Ut.lKMi sipuire foot
interpretive t enter that will fm us on the history and
diversity of Oregon's natural waterways
History needs to fm preserved,'" Rodrigue/ said His
tory is being taken for granted and getting lost
For the past two years. Rodrigue/, has lieell working
with volunteers and a nine-menifwr Itoard of directors to
establish a master plan for the Oregon Rivers Museum
The Oregon Rivers Museum is a non-profit organization
th.it consists of ahout Ml mernliers. Rodrigue/ said
I he proposed museum, which is to fie construt ted
along the Mi hen/ie River, will isltu ate its visitors on the
biological and re< reationul values of water. Rodrigue/
said the center is environmentally i oni erned aliout Ore
gon's waterways, tint the purpose of the museum will lie
to editi ate and not to lobby for river legislation
We are not political. Rodrigue/ said " This is to let
people understand the im|M>rtau< e ol the waterways
The main attraction of the proposed museum.
Rodrigue/ said, will lie a Sir.nariutli exhibit The
Streamarium. a replu a ol an at tual stream environment,
will he housed in the museum's lb,()()() square foot Nat
uraI Si iwnt.es Wing A long, meandering freshwater
aquarium, the Streamarium vs 111 lie supplied with water
dirts 11 v from tfie Mi keuzio River and will feature van
oils fish spet ies and other aquatic life
Another key exhibit at the Oregon Rivers Museum will
lie the evolution of the Mi ken/.ie drift boat, to tie locat
ed in the Historical anti Guttural Wing Rodrigue/ said
the museum lias acquired and preserved the original
boats
Oregon Rivers Museum is attempting to establish an
educational programming advisory committee com
prised of area si hool offit ials and teat tiers Rodrigue/
s.ntl lie has already received the cooperation of Univer
sity President Myles {fraud
"I think perhaps one of the must important assets in
this projet t is to give < rudil to a very important and rich
part of our heritage that hasn't been taken seriously,"
St ott Myers, an Oregon Rivers Museum v olunteer and
University student, said
According to a preliminary market demand assess
ment and an economn impact summary prepared for the
Oregon Rivers Museum, the proposed center will at I rut. I
between 200.000 and ISO.1)00 visitors annually, bringing
between $2 H million and $5.2 million a year to the local
economy Fducation programs at the museum are
expei ted to attract 17,000 students part it ipating in field
trips.
Rodrigue/ said the main ohstai le standing in the way
ol the museum’s completion is funding I lie organiza
tion has raised $11.0.000 so lar through grants ret wived
from the City of Springfield. Oregon Ft unomii. Develop
ment and Utilise bill 5401 It hopes to rei eive an addi
tional $ lo.ooo grant from lame County.
Oregon Rivers Museum needs to raise $40,000 before
it i an present its master plan Rodriguez said lie hopes
the presentation of the plan will attrai I large i ontrihu
tors So far. he said, people have been unwilling to
donate money iiecauso they are unsure of what to oxpot t
I he master plan should he presented this year and
construction will probably fiegin in three years.
Rodriguez said. The definite site of the projet.I is still
unknown, hut the Weyerhaeuser Company has donated
the organization 75 acres of land along the Mi ken/.ie
Kiver. northeast of Mi Ken/.ie Highway and 42nd Street
in Springfield. The organization is ulso considering sites
ill Springfield's Gateway area.
"We've still got our work ahead of us." Rodrigue/ said.
"There's a definite snowball effect that we're trying to
position ourselves in.”
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