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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1997)
Torrey offers to lobby on behalf of University ■ INTERVIEW: Mayor Jim Torrey discusses the future of the University and Eugene By Eric Collins Community Reporter In the next 1,000 days, Mayor Jim Torrey will focus on public safety, affordable housing and the library system, as well as dealing with park and open space acqui sition. The surprising omission: education. Despite the exclusion of higher education from the re ported goals of Torrey’s state-of the-city speech last week, Torrey said he will lobby for student in terests and encourage student in volvement in city government. QWhy weren't educational goals focused on in your state-of-the city address? A; Because the city of Eugene as an entity is not by law involved with education. Higher education has a division of higher education, a community college has its own board, the 4J school district has its own board. And remember that this was the state-of-the-city. A number of times in that speech I referred to education. I talked about why we could not let anything we as a city are doing interfere with the need to educate our children. And children, as far as I’m concerned, go all the way up through the University of Oregon. Specifically, what we would be doing in terms of raising money for education is not our charge. Our charge is to run this community. In terms of what the city can do for education at the university level, I was talking to University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer yesterday, and I offered my assistance as mayor of this city to testify at any committee and to lobby on behalf of the University for their concerns. One of their concerns is maintaining a lid on tuition increases. And I will be there testifying. I’m a member of the League of Oregon Cities board of directors, and I intend to use that position to allow me to communicate with other members of that board. I think I can be an able advocate for the University and for students. I can't guarantee that I will always agree with everything students and the University want me to agree with, but maintaining tuition levels I can agree with. Providing funding for staff salaries, I can agree with. Making sure people of this state have the opportunity to get a quality education, I can agree with. Qi How will you involve the j University community in your goals for the city? MAYOR'S INFO Mayor Jim ftrrey ■ TERM LENGTH: Jan. 1997-Jan. 2001 ■ SELECTED BACKGROUND: Member of the Eugene City Council, company owner, member of Rotary A We will deal with community outreach in trying to find what the core services the City of Eugene will provide concerning Measure 47. My suggestion is to take the four high schools in Eugene, the high school in the Bethel District and the University of Oregon, that's six areas, and have an outreach meeting in each one of those areas. This way we can ask the public to communicate to us what they consider core services. Entwined in all this is the question of whether there are some suggestions to how one would do this differently, wherever we get them. If a University class were to discuss core services of the City of Eugene, I’d be very interested in hearing those types of discussions and having those opinions presented to us. I think it’s the first time that I'm aware of when we’ve actually gone and asked the University to help. I have identified places for meetings that I intend to have. In addition to that, the City Council will be meeting at least once a quarter at some place other than the City Hall. One of those places will be the University of Oregon, I would say in the fall. I am hoping for a session in the evening, which will be the type of meeting with an open microphone. It’s conceivable that 50 people from the University want to talk to us for three minutes apiece, and I’m prepared to listen to that, on any subject of importance to them. Councilor Bobby Lee demanded it, but I would have done it even if he hadn't demanded it. QWith Measure 47 looming in the distance, how do you plan on implementing some of your goals, such as acquiring parks and open spaces? A| If you listen to my speech, what iI said specifically about parks, open space and natural habitat was that we need to acquire the property. I specifically didn’t say to convert it into a park and operate it. What I'm looking at in the next 1,000 days is if we do not acquire that property, it is going to be developed, and it won’t be available for acquisition. The question of where we are going to get the operational money is a question I’m not prepared to deal with. I’m supportive of getting that money, but if we take too big a bite, we are going to lose the support of the community. I believe that this is a step we could take. Would citizens prioritize operating a park over running an ambulance? I think the answer to that is no. There is a distinction here. Property is a capital asset. It can be purchased outside the impact of Measure 47. The operation of the park is an operational expense that is within the impact of Measure 47. There is a distinction. You can go out to the voters and have them approve asset capital. In the case of the open spaces, I want to preserve these areas as an option for parks. If we don’t preserve it, we’ll never have that option. re duce cycle As children we learned the three "Rs." Now there are six. As children we were taught reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic. Now, the time has come to learn the three "Rs" of recycling. This means: learning to reduce waste by purchasing recyclable products like reusable, plastic coffee mugs instead of paper cups; remembering to reuse products such as paper bags by taking them with you to the grocery store; and making it a habit to deposit all recycle materials. With little effort, the University of Oregon has learned to reduce, reuse and recycle. Last year U of O Recycling deposited 1,900,000 lbs. of paper, cardboard and metal products and 750 gallons of motor oil and paint thinner. With the amount of effort it took for you to learn reading, 'riting and 'rithmatic, you can learn to recycle as well. Take the time to reduce, reuse and recycle, and take the time to care about your environment. For more information call: Campus Recycling 346-1529. University of Oregon Environmental Issues Committee 5 0% off ah Merchandise Qracfitionaf men s dothing and sportswear Steven J 941 Oak St. Across from Overpak 485-6022 DON’T MISS OUT ON ALL THE CURRENT CAMPUS INFORMATION. CHECK THE WEB. / o.d.e. on the world wide web: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ode NO MATTER how far you travel, you’re always close to campus. T STAFF The Oregon Daily Emerald \$ published daily Mon day through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University of Ore gon, Eugene, Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald operates independently of the Uni versity with offices at Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. Edltor-m-Chlet: Steven Asbury Managing Editor. Thom Schoenbom Community: Jennifer Schmitt, editor. Eric Collins Entertainment: Nicoie Kreuger, editor. Jesse Stephenson Hlghef Education: Laura Cadte. editor Benjamin Kwasney Opinion: Ashley Bach, Brian Oiamond, editors. Chris Hutchrnson, illustrator. Student Activities: Angie Suchy, editor. Autumn DePoe, (Tana Williams Sports: Mark McTyre, editor. Andrea DeYoung, assistant edi tor. Chris Hansen, Ryan Frank, Ryan HaNorsen Copy Desk; Sarah Kickfor, copy chief. Mike Schmiertiach. Kendra Smith Presentation: Oennis Bolt, editor. Matt Garton Photography: Mathew Stittler, editor. Joe Bunlk, Amanda Er ickson, Shannon Kilduft, Chad Patteson Freelance: Cart Yeh, editor. On-Cine: Nicholas Stittler, webmaster General Manager Judy Riedf Advertising: Becky Merchant, director. Anne Amador, Lee Yen Beh, Yujin Chi, Matt Johnson, Andrew Lakefish, Anne Miner, Trlna Shanaman, Rose Soil, Matt Solomon, Greo Walsh ^ Classified: Tara Sloan, manager. Natasha Lumpldn, Debbie Levy, Heather Moye Production: Michele Ross, manager. Ingrid White, coordina tor. Shawna Abele, Laura Daniel, Trevor Kearney,Tara Knight, Melissa Ubabn, Molly McCanta. Ben MUne Business: Kathy Cartnne, supervisor. Judy Connolly Distribution: John Long, Dave Ovall, fsrenc RSraczi Newsroom .(541) 346-5511 Display Advertising .(541) 346-3712 Business Office . .(541) 34S-5512 Classified Advertising.(541) 346-4343 j
