COMMUNITY
Eugene, Lane County help fund another winter camp
By Meg Dedolph
OrtyifCm O&tiy fm&r&kJ
The t ily of Eugene, in conjunction with the state and
county, is funding another winter car tamp for the
homeless similar to the one operated last year near
Aut/en Stadium
The i amp will be located in the same city-owned park ■
ing lot as last year, near Willamette Si iences and Tech
nology Center, the Lane LSI) Planetarium and Aut/en
Stadium, said Kit hie Weinman, a memher of the home
less task force that helped plan the camp site
Unlike last year's camp, this year's camp is expected
looped after Nov and operate through May 31
Weinman said the city is hoping White Bird ( linn, will
provide 24-hour stalling for the tamp, as it did last year
Boh Dritz. White Bird's clinic coordinator, said the
clinic has not yet agreed to staff the camp, but "we've
told the city if they have no other options, we ll stall it
Dritz said White Bird has a list of improvements they
would like to see at the camp. These inc lude adding
more spm e to act ommodate more vehicles and a com
munal area where i ampers < ould gather to get warm or
socialize.
Dritz also said he would like to see hot water and
shovvnr facilities made available at the site ns well
•'It's hard when you’re try mg to get a job and you < an't
dean yourself.” he said
A low fence around the area would also lx* helpful, he
wild, because it would make it dear to the public where
the i ampground began. and it would keep the children
staying at the car»amp from running into the street
The car camp's total tost of operation is estimated at
$70.0tH). half of which will 1h* paid by the state through
a grant submitted hv l«ane County
"We more or less have to go through with putting in
the applit ntion.” Weinman said 'We've already got ver
bal consent from the state Part of w hat the state was
looking for was local participation and funding
The < its of lingerie and Lane County are each expect
ed to contribute $15,000 to the c ar c amp l ie* Springfield
City Council, which was asked to contribute $5,000. is
uneuthustastic about the proposal
"We don't think very much about it." said Springfield
Councilman Stu Burge "Most of us just don't f«*el that a
car camp in a parking lot is very forward thinking.
Burge said he and other council members were also
concerned that the c ar camp might be used by people
who were not from tin* area
Last year s statistics on ini' campers.
Whit** Bird C'Hnii showed lh.it 4>) port ent of them had
lived in the huge ne-Springfield area for more than a year.
"We can t afford to support those who are out of the
area,'' Burge said Hie more wo give to others, the less
we give to our own
f urthermore. Burge said he believes sleeping in a car
is not a good solution to a lack of housing.
"It gets as cold inside the car as it does outside the
car," he said. "Sleeping in vour car in the dead of vs inter
is not vers humane "
Dritz disagreed, saying that the i ar camp ssas intend
ed to provide a legal option for people who were forced
to camp out.
"This gives them a place to he which is legal and it
gives them some support," he said "Someone has to take
care of the problem I thought it was very fair this year
because it was shared between the counts, state and
city."
Burge said he and Springfield's < ouncil were looking
into other options, including the possibility of some
Springfield churches providing emergency shelter.
"We have a lot of t hurdles and a lot of good people in
these memberships,” he said
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UPDATE
• Oregon Foot! Bank has m li«*<I -
tiled a holiday food and fund-rais
ing drive Saturday at Safeway stores
in Oregon and southwest Washing
ton. People are asked to donate non
perishable food items and cash from
10 a m. until ti p m at the nearest
Safeway.
• State Sen Shirley (add will
speak about the proposed sales tax
Monday at Lane l)emo Forum.
Gold is chairman of the Oregon
State Senate Revenue Committee
and will explain why it is important
for voters to approve the measure.
The forum is free to the publit and
begins at noon at Defrisco's Restau
rant. 99 W 10th Ave.
• Lane County Waste Manage
ment is sponsoring a Household
Hazardous Waste Roundup Satur
day.
Residents who have a hazardous
substance around their homes can
get rid of the waste at no charge at
the Glenwood Dump, 3100 F 17th
Ave, Hazardous waste items include
pesticides, paint, degreasers, var
nish. pool chemicals, poisons, bat
teries. gasoline and aerosols. Items
that will not be accepted are con
tainers larger than five gallons,
radioactive materials and noil-haz
ardous items. For more information,
call 687-4120.
• Planning in Advance lor
Health Care I)e< isions" is the title of
a free seminar offered by Sacred
Heart General Hospital Wednesday
A physician and other experts
will explain choices related to treat
ment. The seminar is scheduled
from 1:30 to 4 p in. at Sacred Heart's
auditorium. 1255 liilyard St To
pre-register, call Sacred Heart's
Senior Class, 686-7250.
• The Eugene-Springfield branch
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People has
scheduled its 1993 Freedom Fund
Dinner for Nov. 13 at the Eugene
Hilton.
judge Carl B Stokes, the former
mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, will
speak at the group's annual fund
raising dinner Emmett Williams
and the Bethel Temple Church of
God in Christ gospel choir will pro
vide the evening's entertainment
Tickets are $3t) and can be pur
chased at Graphic Innovators. 26 E
11th Ave.. or through the mail by
sending a check made payable to
NAACP. P.O Box 11484, Eugene.
OR 97440
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