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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 1994)
EDITORIAL City may intervene in Amazon dispute Tho Eugene City Council will analyze a proposal today that asks the council to step into the emotionally and financially charged Amazon debate. Friends of Amazon and residents will ask tho city council to pass a de facto injunction to stop the University from demolishing Amazon This battle has already created a chasm at tho University, leaving many bloody soldiers in its wake. The University’s intention to raze Amazon end build new low-income housing has boon a fiasco, but regard less of the bad decisions, those decisions were the University's to make. The University owns the land By asking the city to intervene on behalf of Amazon residents, the residents are setting a very dangerous precedent. It would be like the city deciding what kind of curriculum students should be allowed to study. It’s not the city’s business. Council members said at last week’s meeting that they were ’'concerned about tho loss of low-income housing in the city." But Amazon housing is not city housing. It is student housing. If the city is concerned about low-income housing, it should be working with local builders and contractors to find a solution to its low-income housing dilemma. Counc.Uwoman Barbara Keller, who represents the southeast ward where Amazon is located, was quoted in Thursday's Register-Guard as saying, “ I'm verv upset with tho University’s decision, 1 think it was the wrong decision, and i wish there was something we could do to get them to change their mind." So. Keller found a solution: she would take jurisdiction into her own hands, because in her opinion a had decision was made. Is it up to her to decide if it was the wrong deci sion? The answer is unquestionably no. City Attorney Bill Gary said he was unsure if the council had the legal authority to stop the University from getting a demolition permit. The city is asking the wrong question. It should not be. do they have the legal authority, but should they try to override a deci sion that has been a year in coming? Dave Frohnmayer's decision to demolish Amazon has been made and getting the city to delay the demo lition by granting what is in essence an injunction is a direct attack on his authority as University president. It also attacks his character and integrity. Frohnmayer prides himself on being a good citizen and he knows what is good for Oregon. Amazon residents are attack ing the public persona he has cultivated throughout his political career and his years with the University. The bottom line is that no matter how ineptly the University handled the Amazon crisis in its early days, the decision to demolish it has been made. If the resi dents of Amazon don’t stop looking backwards they are going to get hit by the bulldozers that are coming. Survivors of this battle have given so much. Their efforts will havo been in vain if wo don't move to the next phase. Oregon Daily Emerald PO bO« )**>» fwGf’tf. 0»fG0»«V4 . > Th* 0*90,1 [yaOf I ~wau » put*shad d*iy Monday through f r»J»y dimng th* school y»a< and TU rrs.I.iy and Thursday (hiring tha lumnti by tha Oregon Daly Emerald f’./y,v’'. ’'g Co Inc . at ihe Umvn, v’y ol Oregon, f ugena. Oregon th« [ uporaias ndspandently ol lha llrwarsily w*h othce* m Soa* 300 o! it* E'b Memorial Umon and i* a mamba, ol tha Associated Press Tn* Emerald ta pmrata property The unieeV removeI o* uaa ol papaia ,s prosocutobie by law Managing Editor Edlto/ial Editor Qraphtcs Edlto, Fraelanca Edlto, In-Dapth Edlto, Edttorln-Chla, Kaly Soto David Thorn Naan Edlto, Joa Harwood Sport* Edlto, Jon I’aaiay Ptyoto Edlto, Kama Baum Supplements Edlto, Ed KIOplanaMan Night Edlto, ItaOacca Martin CNa Mad Mchoei ShvaSo, Tnstaffcwl Rebecca Mamtt Aaaoclata Editor* F rwianch von Carp. Student GovernmentActrviaea Marnaene t dwada Comrmm4y. Irttany Smrth. Hynar EdUsMortAdnunaeafton Naara Stall: Ion Bettineski. Wilaon Ch*n. Amy Colombo. T»aha E<hen*eher. Aba ( atmad*. Pnmo Fontana. Caryl* former Onatopha, Fo«. Man G»ton Gary Grass. Swan Fiervdaiaon. Kris Many Travo, Kaurney. Adam Kwher Man HArTyre. Ihx Muatkus Anna Fl v, Komleai, Sherry Rarnay. MobOa Ftaavaa. It* SaAsocia. Paul Van Saw*. Km hni Damn Am! Brian Womack Ganarai Managar: Judy Had Advertising Director Mary Walter Production Manage, 54 'w Hot* Advartiaing Marco Ch*ng Tony to* F r.n Harsher. Nicole Harinai Jaramy Mason FA, < .m» M rli, Sarah Mb hoi Tom Urti—ilaedl Kelsey Was all Classified Hanky Merchant. Manager S,m Tie Tack Distribution: John long. Faranc Rakocdi. Regina 2supnAi Busina** Kattvy Carbon*. Superwso, Judy Conrto*y Production: Dam,a lACobb I'nWjchon CooreSneta, Shawn* Abeie. Grag Desmond. Tara Gmdtnay. ft,ad Jo**. Janrvta, Roland Matt Thangvyit. Clayton Yea Baarsroom ...3*0-5511 Display Advartiaing_346-3712 Businas* Orttc# 346-3312 Clasalttad Advartiaing _.... 346-4343 WS CAN WORK 70GE777CR ON WORLD TROUBLE SPOTS, SOR£, BUT EVEN THOUGH I'r^CotMS/G PRoN\ A STRONG POilTtON AT //OMfi, 7H£R€'S ONLV SO N\UcM f OO m HELP UO*JR DOMES7/C WU'CE fNJOV/A/G THIS, AREN'T Vou If ^Ofty *W€ yes. nouj itr M£ Ttii soc/ i+JHAT ^I SC 60/^6 To Do • » AiStH/r wocto Jrtarf iftijk, ■ OPINION Irresponsible drinking costly My friend Brenda loved to dam e From the moment her mom bought her first pair of bal let slippers until her final dance m ross the high school auditori um stage. Brenda's troubles would disappear with each pirouette. She loved to dream She wont ed to be an astronaut. But first, she would spend a summer danc - ing in the parade at Disneyland. People used to say Brenda and I looked like sisters We some times bought matc hing clothes just to be- silly, and when she signed my high school yearbook, she wrote "your true sister" after her name. I'm telling you about Brenda because none of you will get to meet her. and 1 want her to touch your lives as she did mine Brenda, who would have cele brated her 20th hirtluiay next month, was killed in an automo bile accident a few weeks ago. She was with a group of friends who thought it would lie cool to get really wasted and drive to a ranch outside of town. After all, what else is there to do in a small town? 1 She wasn’t driving the car, hut she did her share of the drinking. After the car flipped over and the wreckage was cleared, the casu alties were this: one teenager dead, two critically injured in the hospital — froth of whom may be paralyzed for the rest of their lives, and one driver who has to live the rest of his life knowing Rebecc a Merritt ho was responsible for the loss of his friend. While many University stu dents went at back-to-school par ties testing their freedom from mom and dad, 1 went home to see Brenda one last time at the funer al parlor. My friends and 1 tried to con sole each other by saying things like "It was God's will," or "She's at pence now,” and “She's hap pier now because she's with her dad." Brenda's father died when she was young and Brenda nev er really quite got over losing her dad. However, (he preacher at her funeral told us we were talking nonsense It's never God's will to take a wav the life of someone so young and promising, he said The accident happened, he said, because four young indi viduals made a stupid choice They put their lives at risk for a crazy joyride. They knew how dangerous it was to drink and dri ve. The preacher said he wasn't trying to place blame on any one for what happened to Brenda. He was just trying to gut the hundred or so young high school and college stu dents gathered at tier funeral to understand that accidents like this can be avoided. Young people don't have to die. This week is National Colle giate Alcohol Awareness Week. Usu this time to remember peo ple like Brenda who paid a trag ic price just to teach the rest of us a lesson. Alcohol awareness doesn't mean learning which brand of beer can give you the cheapest buzz, or how to sneak a trough into Mug Night It's about respon sibility. I'll I*! the first to admit that it's nearly impossible to keep college students from drinking. Beer par ties and bar trips are part of the so-called “college experience" our parents and other previous generations fondly reminisce about Just use common sense. Know your limits. Walk to parties or, if the weather's crummy, designate a sober driver Remember, riding with someone who has been drinking is just as dangerous and stupid as getting behind the wheel yourself People die from drinking and driving accidents all the time. Until it happens to someone you care about, these accidents are just statistics. Losing a friend like Uremia is a terrible way to learn about drinking responsibly. Rebecca Merritt is news editor for the Kmerald ■ LETTERS Get involved Recent events in Israel and the Occupied Territories surround ing the incident of the kidnap ping and slaying of Corporal Nachson Waxman have raised concern regarding the future of the pence process We feel that Jews and non-|ews in the U S. should he made aware and able to respond to issues and crises threatening stability in the Mid dle Hast The incident that occurred last weak showed that the Oslo Peace accord of Sept 1993, signed by Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat, is not neces sarily going to secure peace. Progressive Zionist Caucus is a student organization involved in raising awareness and debat ing issues surrounding Israel. We firmly support the idea of peace, but encourage continued debate over present policies PZC is ded icated to a just and democratic Israel through peaceful Jewish Arab coexistence, religious plu ralism, social and racial equali ty. separation of religion and state, and the creation of an autonomous Palestinian state within the Occupied Territories. We will have our first general meeting on Oct. 25 at 5 p in. in the Jewish Student Union. Suite 5 in the basement of the KMU. Please come and get involved. Melanie Freeman PZC
