W ednesday, Jail nary 20. I1)1)1)
Weather forecast
Today Thursday
Rain Showers
High 49, Low 42 High 50, Low 40
Dirty water
The Committee to Re-establish
OSPIRG launches a campaign to
clean up Oregon waterways/?AGE 6
Strange ways
Nicole Strange reveals
her feisty attitude and
loiefor ketchup/PAGE 7
An independent newspaper
Volume 100, Issue 80
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Police substation helps to decrease crime
The station,
at 13th and
Alder, has a
deterrent
effect and
provides
close-by police
support
r
By Rob Moseley
Oregon Daily Emerald
Eugene Police community service spe
cialist Bev Mason likes to tell the story of a
University student who refused to walk
down 13th Avenue for an entire year.
Because of the presence of transients, pan
handlers and other shady characters who
made the street a “war zone,” the senior
avoided 13th Avenue at all costs. _
That changed last year when, according to
Mason, “she came in specifically to say
thank you.”
The reason for her thanks was the con
struction of a police substation that, along
with increased presence by West University
guides and police officers, has brought a new
calm to 13th Avenue.
Since the West University branch of the
Eugene Police Department moved into its
permanent home on the comer of 13th Av
enue and Alder Street in October, officers
and business people have noticed a distinct
improvement in area safety.
“It was a war zone out there,” said Dan
Scarpelli, manager of the 7-Eleven that until
October hosted a temporary version of the
police station in its parking lot. “Now, there
are less problems on the streets. Less tran
sients. Less drugs. Less trouble altogether.”
Mason said it’s hard to find concrete evi
dence of the station’s effectiveness. Reports
of crime have increased since the station was
constructed, but she said that’s mainly be
cause of the convenience of the location,
making victims more likely to contact police.
"However, we can prove that drug issues
from Ferry to Hilyard streets have gone
away,” Mason said.
The station handled 243 drug cases from
Jan. 1 to Dec. 29,1997, but just 149 drug cas
es over the same time period in 1998.
“It seems like there’s less of an undesir
able element: people drinking and panhan
dling,” said Campus Shoe Store owner Jerry
Martin. “It does seem to have helped. ”
Besides helping reduce the criminal ele
Tum to SUBSTATION, Page 3
i( It teas a
war zone out
there. Now,
there are less
problems on
the streets. ”
Dan Scarpelli
Manager, 7-Eleven
PLC renovates to meet requirements
The improvements include fire
sprinklers, dropped ceilings
and safety doors on elevators
By Tricia Schwennesen
Oregon Daily Emerald
Change is inevitable.
The signs are everywhere in Prince
Lucien Campbell Hall.
The hallowed halls are lighter and
brighter, discreet silver sprinkler heads
poke down from the ceilings and the
men’s and women’s restrooms have
traded places in the renovation of PLC.
“We’re upgrading the building in a
fire and light safety perspective,” said
project manager Mark Maguire, a safety
officer with environmental health and
safety.
Originally built in two phases, the
1960s structure needed major renova
tions to meet current electrical, safety
and Americans with Disabilities Act re
quirements.
“It’s a very nice upgrade and one that
was very necessary,” he said. "We're
just trying to make it a better place all
around.”
Construction crews began working in
July and have implemented a fire alarm
system, a sprinkler system and a back
up generator. Other improvements
made are larger handicap-accessible re
strooms and fire safety doors on each of
the two elevators.
The more than $1 million project
should be completed by the end of Feb
ruary.
“It’s, in my opinion, money well
spent,” Maguire said. “I think this has
been a project that was very warranted.”
One of the challenges for construc
tion crews was to work around students
and staff using the building. Some work
was shifted around to the off hours, be
tween 9 p.m. and 3 a.m.
“It’s about 96 percent to 97 percent
completed,” Maguire said. “This is a
pretty heavily used building with lots of
occupants. It’s difficult in an occupied
building to put in a new system and
take out the old system.”
Maguire said workers tried to impact
the occupants as little as possible.
Turn to PLC, Page 4
Amanda Cowan/Emerald
Mark Maguire, manager of the PLC Hall construction project, tours the renovations inside the building.
New book
gives advice
to roommates
A former UO student gives
insight into how to successfully
live and communicate with
people one shares housing with
By Amy Jennaro
Oregon Daily Emerald
Most students in college tackle the same
issues: getting adjusted to classes, dealing
with homework and learning to live with a
roommate they may or may not like in a
claustrophobic
space.
How do you get
along with your
roommate? How do
you make it work?
These are precisely
the issues author
and University
alumna Lori
Stephens tackles in
her new book
“House Mates: A
Guide to Coopera
tive Shared Hous
ing.
Stephens attended the University from
1981 to 1984 and lived in everything from
a residence hall to a co-op in her years at
tending the University. She was inspired to
write her book because of a lack of avail
ability of books to help people deal with
shared-living circumstances.
“I was struck with inspiration because
nobody had ever thought to write a book
about roommates before,” she said.
Stephens decided to publish the book in
dependently through her company, Verba
tim Publishing.
The crux of the book deals with helping
people learn different ways to adapt to a
roommate situation.
“I wanted to point out some common
sense points on how to compromise,”
Stephens said.
One thing Stephens recommends is for
roommates to meet every week to talk
"openly and nonjudgmentally” about is
sues that come up when living together.
Stephens finds honesty and communica
Tum to BOOK, Page 4