Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012, November 12, 1998, Page 4, Image 4

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    junction city Infrastructure
amends its
feline control
The Associated Press
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. — The
City Council has taken the claws
out of its campaign against stray
cats, replacing a year-old ban on
feeding feral felines with a more
humane program of spaying and
neutering.
The September 1997 ordi
nance outlawed the feeding of
“stray or uncontrolled cats” on
public property or private prop
erty owned by others. It also gave
police authority to "dispose of
trapped or captured cats.”
On Tuesday, council mem
bers lifted the ban and autho
rized a group of cat lovers to
trap the animals and have them
inoculated, spayed or neutered,
and then released. Under the
new program, the cats will be
fed regularly.
Continued from Page 1
lines need to be put underground,
because in the event of a fire they
block firefighters from evacuating
residents who live on the upper
floors of apartment complexes.
Although the report is two years
old and the crime rate in West
University fell by more than 16
percent last year, Lee said the in
formation in the report is relevant
because crime is still a problem
and infrastructure was the focus of
the report.
The report recommended sev
eral steps the city could take to im
prove West University. Some
steps have already been institut
ed, such as increasing police pa
trols, and banning dogs and skate
boards in areas of the
neighborhood.
Other steps have not been put
into practice, such as finding ways
to increase home ownership and
increase the number of different
types of residences available in
the area.
"Part of the plan is to create a
district to pay for the infrastruc
ture,” Lee said. “Essentially, it is
trying to get the property owners
to pay for the infrastructure
changes. Property owners should
step forward and accept some re
sponsibility.”
Lee also said he wants buildings
in the West University area to be
brought up to code. New building
codes will also be considered by
the City Council, Lee said.
Kent Jennings, President of Jen
nings and Company, a business
that owns several residences in
the West University Neighbor
hood, said businesses should not
have to pay for infrastructure
changes.
“People say we need new [prop
erty code] laws and this, that and
whatever because that’s what they
perceive is responsible for sub
standard housing,” Jennings said.
“A very small percentage of the
West University Neighborhood is
substandard. In order to bring that
small percentage up to code, I
question the need to bring the new
codes in order to have better en
forcement.”
Jennings said he’s worried
about Lee’s plans to urge property
owners to make changes to their
properties.
“The definition of campus has
changed,” Jennings said. “U of O
enrollment is declining.”
Jennings said the creation of
Duck Village and other apartment
complexes north of the
Willamette River weakened the
economy of the West University
Neighborhood.
“The money just isn’t there,”
Jennings said.
Jennings said Lee’s plans were
another example of the city’s fail
ing to meet its infrastructure re
sponsibilities because of budget
cuts.
“One example of it is police pro
tection,” Jennings said. “Down
town, the business owners are tax
ing themselves because the city isn’t
providing the services for police. ’’
Lee said the city would be justi
fied in asking property owners to
pay for some infrastructure pro
jects.
“We’re asking property owners
to take ownership of their neigh
borhood,” he said. “Property own
ers don’t take ownership of the
neighborhood.”
Lee needs to push through a
West University revitalization
plan in order to be true to his 1997
city council campaign platform.
But Lee and his plans for revital
izing West University were put on
hold by Sizemore’s Measure 47
that cut property taxes and city
revenues and passed in 1996. Af
ter that, the City Council went
though the months-long ordeal of
firing City Manager Vicki Elmer.
“Dealing with budgetary prob
lems was a priority,” Lee said.
“West University got put on a back
burner.”
After the city regained its finan
cial footing, a busy City Council
schedule and the elections of new
city councilors placed West Uni
versity on the back burner once
again.
David Ryan covers the Eugene City
Council, community groups and
politics for the Emerald.
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The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday
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 Oregon. Eugene,
Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the Emerald op
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bylaw.
Childweek
Continued from Page 1
Today is Student Volunteer
Day, where students will have
the opportunity to show their
support by reading books with
children at child care develop
ment centers. Later in the after
noon, some kids will be visiting
with the University’s women’s
volleyball and rugby teams.
Friday’s feature will be Kids
on Campus Day, giving student
parents the opportunity to raise
awareness by bringing their chil
dren to school.
“What we are doing is trying to
publicize the need for student par
ents to have access to quality, af
fordable child care,” said Khela
Singer-Adams, ASUO non-tradi
tional student advocate. “Too
many parents drop out of school
because they cannot afford it."
Wednesday’s performance of
“Where the Wild Things Are” and
the “Consideration Game” at the
EMU Amphitheater featured Uni
versity theater students perform
ing, with child participation.
Child Care Campaign advocates
were on hand to provide students
with information.
“Eventually we would like to
set up a trust fund in the ASUO for
child care,” Carlson said. “It’s an
idea that has been successful at
other universities.”
Under the model, student fund
ing already allocated to student
child care would be matched by
the administration’s fund-raising
campaigns. This would allow for a
permanent increase in funds and
would provide assistance for
many parents who are unable to
receive aid under the current sys
tem.
“Even with three kids I am able
to go to school pretty regularly
without missing too many class
es,” Spencer said. “One close call
was when my daughter, Shelby,
was sick and I had to bring her to
class. Luckily my teacher was all
right with it.”
Business
Continued from Page 1
of people ranging from Lara Buf
falo Boy, a Lakota elder, to state
Rep. Floyd Prozanski.
Bringing various types of envi
ronmental and business represen
tatives such as Earth First! and Nike
was an important element to a well
rounded symposium, said Smith.
"This is not a green-washing
event,” he said. “It is a very gen
uine, solution-oriented, long-term
planning event.”
Last year’s symposium prompt
ed the creation of the Willamette
Valley Business Alliance, a group
of businesses that work together
for a sustainable future, according
to Smith. He also noted that the
level of consciousness over issues
of sustainability was raised after
last year’s symposium. He said he
hoped for additional tangible re
sults from this year’s gathering.
Smith estimated that more than
1,000 people from all over the na
tion will attend. More than 150
volunteers from many depart
ments at the University worked
together to put on the $123,000
program. Funding came from vari
ous corporations, local business
es, the community and University
organizations.
Smith estimated that students
will account for only 25 percent of
total attendance this year. Udovic
would like to see a higher student
attendance this year, and said he
Sustainable Business
Symposium
WHEN:Friday, Nov. 13, through
Sunday, Nov. 15
WHEREiUniversity locations
COST.free
Call 346-3359 for schedule and
location information.
felt the information is pertinent to
students’ futures as leaders.
Parents nervous after baby sitter’s disappearance
The Associated Press
RIDDLE, Ore. — The unex
plained disappearance of a 14
year-old baby sitter has parents
in this small southern Oregon
town guarding their own chil
dren closely.
“I wouldn’t say we’re at the
stage of public hysteria,” said
Douglas County sheriffs Detec
tive Joe Perkins, the lead investi
gator on the case. “But it’s my
understanding that parents are
watching out more carefully.”
Stephanie Condon, a freshman
at Riddle High School, left home
the night of Oct. 30 to baby-sit
her cousin’s twin daughters.
The last thing either parent
imagined was being awakened at
1:45 a.m. by their niece, who said
Stephanie was nowhere to be
found in the house.
Stephanie’s father, Martin
Condon, 39, then drove to the
trailer house.
He said he immediately saw
there were no signs of distur
bance at the front door. The blan
ket and pillow Stephanie used
when she planned to spend the
night were casually tossed aside
on the couch, indicating that
she’d been resting there at one
point. Stephanie’s homework
was tucked into her backpack
with her clothes and shoes. The
twins were asleep in their beds.
Stephanie apparently was
wearing Winnie-the-Pooh paja
ma bottoms and a white T-shirt.
Those were the only items miss
ing, according to authorities.
“That’s when you about lose your
heart,” said Martin Condon. “You
watch those helicopters fly along
the river, and you think you don’t
really want them to find her there.”
The family, including their 10
year-old son, Martin, moved to
Riddle about 18 months ago after
living in several cities, most re
cently in San Diego, according to
Martin Condon. Retired from the
U.S. Navy where he was a Gulf
War veteran, Condon stays home
with the children while Christine
Condon works at a Roseburg of
fice supply store.
“We’ve been married for 17
years, and one of us has been
with these kids every day of their
lives,” said Condon, who grew
up in Tri City.
“We thought we’d done every
thing right,” he said. “This is a
girl who’s never stayed up past 9
p.m. on a school night. She was
where she was supposed to be
that night. Everything we did to
keep her safe, it wasn’t enough.”
Perkins said that the Douglas
County sheriffs office “has not
reached a dead end. We do have
information we’re investigating.”
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