University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
An independent newspaper
Volume 98, issue 139
TUESDAY, APRIL 29,1997
INDEX
Opinion 2
News 3
Sports 5
Classifieds 6
Horoscope 6
Crossword 7
TODAY
Today is the
ASUO
General
election, so go
out and vote!!!
INSIDE
i
i
Club Sports Ultimate Frisbee men’s and women’s
teams earn No. 1 seeds for Sectionals in Santa Cruz
Two bills dealing with higher educations budget
have passed the preliminary stages in Salem
1
WEATHER
Mostly cloudy.
High 65. Low 45.
I
H
“I think if we did
a survey of West
University, most
crimes are not
committed by
University
students,”
Sgt. Dave Poppe
Eugene public safety.
-35
Police coordi- 1
nate sweeps 1
during last «
September’s g
E. 13th Avenue 1
clean-up. 1
CRIME
EMERALD
Crime rate rises in Eugene, drops in nation
■ REPORT: Eugene’s crime increase
can be blamed in part on a 4,500
person increase in population
By Ryan Maughn
Community Reporter
National crime statistics have shown
an overall decrease in 1996, but Eugene
experienced an 8.3 percent total increase
and a substantial jump in behavioral
crime such as drug abuse and DUII, said
an annual analysis report released by the
Public Safety Department.
Behavioral crimes, which have risen
22.2 percent since 1995, typically have
the most influence on the public’s per
ception of how afe their town is, ac
cording to the Public Safety report.
"The horror of a violent crime is al
ways real, but behavioral crimes affect
us more directly,” said Jan Power, the
public information assistant for the de
partment of public safety.
The national crime rate has been in
decline since 1994. with a 12.4 percent
decrease in violent crime, according to a
survey released by the Justice Depart
ment’s Bureau of Justice Statistics.
CRIME IN EUGENE RISING
Number of crimes reported in the last 10 years according to a report from the city of Eugene.
KEY
■
Parti
crime rate*
■
Part 2
crime rate*
12000
10000
8000
6000
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
'Part 1 crimes include: Homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Part 2 crimes include: simple assaults, forgery, embezzlement, stolen property, criminal mischief, weapons,
prostitution, other sex offenses, drug abuse, gambling, family offense, liquor violation, disorderly conduct,
kidnapping, runaway, DUII and all other offenses.
.-...£
Eugene experienced a population
growth of 4,500 new residents, which
helps to explain why the city is incon
sistent with the national trends, Power
said.
“The growth not only increases the
number of victims available but also in
MMl I uHn I UIWtrncraiQ
creases the number of suspects present,”
she said.
Typically larger numbers of young
residents in a community increases the
amount of crime in that region. Howev
Turn to REPORT, Page 4
J
City Council plans ahead for worst-case scenario
■ BUDGET: Recreation budget-cuts
again surfaced at weekly meeting
By Eric Collins
Community Reporter
The City Council approved a worst-case
$12-million budget-cutting strategy Mon
day evening, preserving public safety ser
vices while deeply cutting or eliminating
culture and recreation programs.
Although members of the council partic
ipated in the city-service reduction discus
sions of the Council Committee on Ballot
Measure 47, the Council had yet to adopt
the recommendation.
Yet, before any quick determinations,
once again, the question of financing recre
ation was brought to the forefront oi the
discussion.
Councilwoman Betty Taylor recom
mended broadening the funding of recre
ation programs in order to maintain them
at current levels until July 1, 1998. This,
Taylor said, would give the council time to
find reliable, permanent funding for the
aquatics programs, community centers and
other services provided under city recre
ation.
“Even if the worst thing happens, if our
measure fails and [Measure] 47 continues
in effect... I’m still not willing to say that
we destroy the recreation department or
that we privatize it,” Taylor said.
Elections
for ASUO
to resume
■ GENERALS: The Constitution Court
lifted the injunction and wants to see
all complaints of election violations
By Thom Schoenborn
Managing Editor
The Constitution Court lifted its own in
junctiop against the General Election Mon
day and ordered the Elections Board to for
ward all election complaints to the court.
v_.aaaanui.ci
schleger, Elections
Board member, said
the board plans to hold
the General Election
today and Wednesday,
nearly a week later
than planned.
Bill Miner and Ben
Unger already won the
race for ASUO Execu
tive, so the General
v»m uoi^iuc mo aiA umiui liica^Uicb
and the three run-off races for Student Sen
ate.
Voting booths will be located nearE. 13th
Avenue and University Street, in front of
Condon Hall, outside the ASUO office in
the EMU Courtyard and inside Knight Li
brary and the law school.
Dave Whipple, Elections Board publicity
coordinator, said the Elections Board called
a few hundred students to remind them to
vote Monday night.
“Mostly, we’re just really happy that
we’re going to be able to finally put on an
election,” Whipple said.
Turn to GENERALS, Page 4
ititi Election
The deadline to register to vote in the
May 20 special election is today.
The May 20 election is vote-by-mail and
will include a measure to replace Measure
47, a serial levy for the city to replace funds
that may be lost by Measure 47 and a mea
sure regarding what type of labor prison in
mates should do.
Mailed registrations
must have today’s post
mark on them, a repre
sentative from the Lane
County elections office
said. Voter Registrations
also can be dropped off at
the elections office locat
ed at 135 E. 6th St. The
office is open Monday through Friday from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A drop box for registrations should be
available outside the ASUO office, said
Leslie Gray, state affairs coordinator. If the
box is not there, students should be able to
drop them off in the ASUO office, she said.
The ASUO office is located in Suite 4 at the
EMU.