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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 24, 1997)
University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon An independent newspaper Volume 99, Issue 10 THURSDAY, JULY 24,1997 INDEX News Briefs Sports 5 Classifieds . 6 Crossword 7 Horoscope 7 ro TODAY Mad Duck Repertory The atre opens “Baby with the Bathwater” tonight at 8 at the Arena Theater. Call 346-4192 for information. INSIDE EMU Waterworks Canoe Company offers a leisurely ride and a fun summer activity K1DSP0RTS gives all kids a chance to play base ball, including Matt Perpinan, who has spina bi/i WEATHER Mostly Sunny. High 80. Low 55 A SECRET GARDEN Urban Farm provides opportunity for growth ■ GARDEN: The Urban Farm is one of many places on Saturday’s “Earth-Friendly Gardens Tour” By Carl Yeh Associate Editor On the bike path that leads to Autzen Stadium from the University campus, many students may have walked by a garden — in the middle of the city. This garden is known as the Urban Farm. Founded in 1975 by Richard Britz, a professor of landscape architec ture, the garden used to be an unused plot of land. Now that land produces a v ariety of fruits and vegetables. ££1 think it’s good if you can teach people and have them experience a whole cycle - plant a seed, tend it and take care of it, eat it, and then compost it to build soil so that you can plant a seed again. Ann Bettman Urban Farm Director “Britz thought it was a really good idea for the architecture de partment to have a place where they can actually grow things,” said Ann Bettman, also a professor of landscape archi tecture and the current director of the Urban Farm, which is managed in part by students en rolled in a spe cial course. “He saw this as a model for how to transform - cities into having productive places that build communi ty and to help neighborhoods or city blocks or individual people be more self sufficient,” she said. Bettman, who has been director of the farm since 1983, teaches the course every term. Some of her goals for her stu dents include “teaching people to grow food, work together, and to value physi cal labor." Students spend about nine hours a week tending the garden. “One of the nice things about growing food is that they’re generally short cy Turn to GARDEN, Page 3 CHAD PATTESON/Emerald The many varieties of plants in the Urban Farm at the Millrace get some afternoon water ing from Environmental Science Junior Scott Galen. OPEU negotiates for higher ed salary increases ■ SALARIES: If OPEU and OSSHE do not reach an agreement soon, OPEU will call for a strike vote Sept. 9 By Carl Yeh Associate Editor The Oregon Public Employees Union is currently negotiating for a salary increase with the Oregon State System of Higher Ed ucation. “We want parity with the rest of the state," said Sue Battin, president of the lo cal chapter of the OPEU, which includes all of the classified workers at the University. “(The rest of the state workers) get a 6 per cent increase in their salary for the next two years.” The difference in wages between higher education workers and other state workers occurred partly due to Senate Measure 271 in 1995 which allowed OSSHE to enter into separate negotiations with the OPEU. Negotiations have been taking place since Dec. 13, 1996, said Bob Bruce, spokesper son for OSSHE. “In mid-May, after 150 days of bargain ing, which is required by law, OPEU de clared 'impasse’ and called for mediation. Since June 9, the mediation has been pro vided by the Oregon Employment Relations Board,” Bruce said. “There have been three meetings with the mediator, and another session is scheduled for Aug. 4,” Bruce said. Each group meets separately with the mediator, and the groups are continuing to exchange propos als. In the recent Oregon legislative session, higher education faculty received a 2 per cent raise in their salaries. "OSSHE is not doing a very good job,” Battin said. “Faculty and state workers are Turn to SALARIES, Page 3 Oregon Hall gets a facelift ■ CONSTRUCTION: The building had not undergone any major changes since it was first occupied in 1973 By Michael Hines Oregon Daily Emerald The second floor of Oregon Hall is receiv ing a facelift this summer. Admissions and the Office of the Regis trar are the two departments that will be af fected. The changes are coming at a good time, officials said. several employ ees in the offices re tired, freeing up money and space, said Jim Buch, asso ciate vice president for student academ ic affairs. The decision to follow through on the $25,000 con struction project was made by Buch, along with registrar Herb Chereck and director of admis sions Martha Pitts. The money funding THE PROJECT ■ CONSTRUC TION COSTS: $25,000 ■ NEW FURNI TURE COSTS: 25 year-old furniture is being replaced at a cost somewhere between $31,000 and $37,000 ■ AIM: To elimi- \ nate confusion and j lines on the second \ floor tne project will come trom the departments salary savings after several retirements. After the retirements, the departments found themselves in a transition situation and asked a simple question. “What can we do more efficiently given the resources we have?” Buch said. Admissions and the registrar had several overlapping duties, he said. The construc tion will eliminate the confusion and make the offices more efficient. Oregon Hall was first occupied in 1973, and the second floor has not had any major Turn to CONSTRUCTION, Page 4 Police arrested at least nine protesters in Alton Baker Park Monday morning. They were protesting the cutting of trees to make space for a bike and pedestrian bridge nextto the Ferry Street Bridge. Two protesters were peacefully removed from trees by police in a hydraulic lift. Two additional protesters were still in trees on the south bank of the Willamette River later in the day, but eventually came down from the trees. Police were posi tioned on the north side of the river to guard the fenced area from trespassers. The police presence is indefinite. “We certainly don’t intend to have police stationed out there for the next three years,” Phil Weiler of the City Manager’s of fice said.