Nick Medley/Emerald
A tree fell onto the back porch roof of the Kappa Sigma fraternity house Tuesday night.
Trees
Continued from Page 1
great view of the tree falling as
well.
“We were just sitting [in a
friend’s room] talking and watch
ing the tree just sway back and
forth,” said Matt Radochonski, a
junior sports marketing major.
"After about three minutes, the
base was spinning and I just heard
it crack and boom and it tipped
right over. It was scary because it
could have landed on us.”
In the meantime, a grand fir esti
mated at 130 feet fell across Uni
versity Street and landed partial
ly in the EMU Amphitheater after
clipping a smaller tree and a street
light.
No injuries and no damage oth
er than to the street light were ini
tially reported.
The fir fell amid high winds and
rain that saturated the soil and,
along with possible root decay,
caused the collapse, said John An
thony, an arborist for the Universi
ty Physical Plant. About three
tenths of an inch of rain hit Eugene
between late afternoon and the
early evening.
“The tree was leaning even
when the wind wasn't blowing that
hard,” said student David Weaver,
who was walking up 13th Avenue
at the time. “Then I heard a crack
crunch, like fabric ripping, and it
fell. I just said, ‘Oh my God,’ be
cause you don’t see that everyday.”
Anthony said the tree would be
removed through “bulldogging,"
or cut into smaller pieces with
chain saws.
He said officials would initially
clear the sidewalks and street of
potential hazards before begin
ning full-scale removal of the tree.
Office of Public Safety officers
responded initially to the collapse
and roped off the area. A represen
tative of EWEB arrived immedi
ately to shut off the power to the
street light.
The forecast for Wednesday
calls for showers and continued
wind gusts, but nothing approach
ing Tuesday’s winds.
Higher ed
Continued from Page 1
Portland) to work out many of the concerns
legislators and lobbyists have voiced.
“We don't know what we’re going to look
at when it comes back,” Castillo said.
Kerans compared the proposed loan pro
gram to social welfare because those stu
dents making more will be paying more to
make up for the lesser-earning graduates.
But more problematic, Kerans said, is
money spent on the loan program could
help more students in need-based programs
that would not increase student debt.
"What we’ve got is a sketch of a plan, and
people are trying to flesh it out to see how it
would work,” Kerans said.
Castillo, who in the past has voiced sup
port for the new OUS competitive funding
model and an Oregon tuition freeze, said
she is pleased with how the Legislature has
handled higher education issues this ses
sion.
“So far, I’m very optimistic that we’re go
ing to be able to help higher education,” she
said.
She added that her only concern is find
ing funding in the budget.
“In that mix,” Castillo said from her Salem
office, “I think we have very strong support
for higher education in this building. ”
Shoemaker had a more positive take on
the session.
“Everyone realizes this is the session
where we need to make a reinvestment in
higher education,” she said.
Mike Hines covers the Eugene police and the
Oregon Legislature for the Emerald. He can be
reached via e-mail at
mb ines@gladstone.uoregon edu.
News Briefs
Wilderness Week
takes aim at Big Oil
Wilderness Week, a campaign
by the Committee to Re-establish
OSPIRG to promote student ac
tion to protect forests and wilder
ness areas, continues this week
with two events.
The state branch of OSPIRG
will release a report today docu
menting the oil industry’s efforts
to open the coastal plain of the
Arctic: National Wildlife Refuge to
oil and gas drilling. Students can
join a peaceful protest of the oil
industry today at 10 a.m. at the
Chevron station on the corner of
7th Avenue and Lincoln Street.
On Thursday, the group will
commemorate the 10-year an
niversary of the Exxon Valdez oil
spill, one of the nation’s worst en
vironmental disasters. Students
are welcome at the gathering out
side the University Bookstore
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Black cake and black balloons,
as well as information on the
long-term effects of the Valdez
spill and other spills, will be
available.
For more information, call Mer
riah Fairchild at 346-4377.
Drawing winner to get
day with Frohnmayer
Students can enter their names
today and Thursday in a drawing
to spend a day with University
President Dave Frohnmayer next
term.
“A Day With the President,” or
ganized by the Student Alumni
Association, offers one student an
opportunity to attend a Rotary
Luncheon and a speech by Frohn
mayer on April 13. Frohnmayer,
in turn, will attend the student’s
classes for the day.
The event lets the president
and student learn about each oth
er’s lives, organizers said.
Students can enter their names
in the free drawing at the Student
Alumni Association table in the
EMU lobby. The winner’s name
will be printed Friday in a paid
advertisement in the Emerald.
Today’s Events
Wednesday, March 3
m Gary Paulson, author of
books such as "Hatchet,” will be
holding a book signing from
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Ger
linger Lounge. The event is co
ordinated by the University
Bookstore.
■ OSPIRG is releasing a report
documenting the money spent
trying to open drilling in the Arc
tic National Wildlife Refuge. “No
Refuge: The Oil Industry’s Mil
lion Dollar Campaign to Open
Up the Arctic,” will be presented
at 10 a.m. at the Chevron Sta
tion on the corner of 7th Ave.
and Lincoln. Contact Tami Cum
mings at 346-4377 for more in
formation.
■ A memorial service for Va
lerie Knutson will be held in the
Carson Gold Room from 7 to 9
p.m. Knutson died from a lung
infection caused by leukemia
on Feb. 7. She was 21.
Election
Continued from Page 1
The hearings committee would
include but would not be limited
to three elections board members.
The rule interpretations and
committee decisions then could be
appealed to the Constitution Court.
Wortman said this measure, if
passed, would help streamline the
grievance process. Any grievances
filed would be acted upon while
the elections are underway.
Grievances filed against parties
involved with the elections some
times have gone without review or
reprimand until the elections
were over.
After last spring’s general elec
tion, official confirmation of the
election’s outcome came weeks
later, after grievances were heard.
The other measure that was ap
proved by the Constitution Court
to appear on the ballot was re
moved by the committee Monday.
The ballot measure was intend
ed to gauge the student interest in
boycotting Gardenburger prod
ucts from University Housing din
ing hall menus. ASUO Elections
Special Election
■ Today and Thursday from 9 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
K In the EMU Breezeway outside of
the ASUO office, EMU Suite 4
■ University student identification
necessary to vote
Coordinator Taylor Sturges said
that the committee felt that be
cause of the small size of the elec
tion, the measure would not get
the attention it deserves.
The measure, submitted by Sena
tor Spencer Hamlin and sponosred
by MEChA, will be placed on the
spring general election ballot.
“Until then, we will continue
our educational campaign in or
der to bring a higher level of con
sciousness to campus about this
issue and hope that the result will
be a positive dialogue about hu
man rights and support of farm
workers,” Hamlin said.
The ASUO Special Elections
Voter’s Guide is available in the
ASUO office in Suite 4 of the EMU.
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