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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 1999)
iitgoo Your choice of Off All Dishes Over $4.25* 1219 Alder St re&taccKwt Korean & Japanese Cuisine ora FREE DRINK with coupon 'excluding special menu Expires July 19, 1999■ 00683; A Sports Bar with Class LADIES’ NIGHT Tues 5-9pm • 2 Big Screens •4 Satellites • Full Service Menu 3355 E. AMAZON minors welcome to dine 7am-8pm Little Caesars TUESDAY SPECIAL !!! MEDIUM PEPPERONI OR CHEESE PIZZA Eugene: Campus: 1711 Willamette 343-3330 Marketplace West: 3163 W. 11th 435-5949 Springfield: Pioneer Plaza: Q. & Pioneer Parkway 741-3637 Mohawk Marketplace: 19th & Marcola 741-2833 Locations Delta Oaks: 0 1056 Green Acres Rd. | 344-0222 Little Caesars State’s rail plan funding at crossroads The Legislature considers a $14 million proposal to improve the rail system By Sara Jarrett Oregon Daily Emerald The last day of the 1997-1999 Oregon Legislature session was technically June 30 — but it’s in overtime. This interim period, which hasn’t happened in two bi enniums, is giving the Oregon De partment of Transportation some gray hairs. One of the lingering issues is whether the Legislature will ap prove a $14 million proposal for the improvement of a passenger rail system for the coming bienni um. Operated by Amtrak, the rail way connects Eugene and Port land. The request was made by Gov. Kitzhaber, ODOT’s Rail Di vision and The Convention and Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon. Efforts in Lane County are also being made to increase the relia bility and ease of the local public transportation system. In compli ance with a state transportation rule, Lane Transit District has out lined a 20-year program aimed at reducing reliance on automobiles. “The rule requires each city to reduce the vehicles traveling per capita over the next 20 years,” said Lee Shoemaker, senior planner for the Lane Council of Governments. The plan includes prepaid fares, exclusive bus lanes with lo cal and express lines and signal priority for buses, where light would detect an approaching bus and stay green a little longer to “get them in front of the line,” Shoemaker said. The Legislature’s approval of the passenger-train system would help Lane County’s campaign be cause Eugene citizens would be less likely to rely on cars if they could travel easily within the city’s limits and beyond. There is currently one daily round-trip train from Eugene to Portland, said Robert Krebs, pas senger and rail planner for the de velopment and operations divi sion of the Oregon Department of Transportation. It leaves in the morning and doesn’t return until late at night, "pie $14 million would make a second, mid-day, round-trip service possible. Since the 1950s America has had “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage” mentality, Krebs said. These programs seek to change that. They would help relieve congestion by taking a pro jected eight percent of 1-5 traffic off the freeway. “But more importantly,” Krebs said, “is easing the economic im pact of driving cars.” If the Legislature denies fund ing for the rail system, the lone service would be terminated. The Pacific Northwest High-Speed Rail Corridor, one of only 11 in the nation, could also be forced to forfeit its national status. Desig nated in 1992, the corridor runs from Vancouver, British Colum bia to Eugene. In addition, Oregon would suffer a kiss of $15 million in community development funds from the federal govern ment. “These funds won’t be put to ward another program,” Krebs said. “They would be put toward another state.” The threat to the tourism indus try caused by a shutdown of the passenger railway system would also be great. Oregon’s revenue from tourism already lags behind. Washington because the automo bile offers the main means for trav eling around the state, Krebs said. Washington has a better pas senger railway system because it has committed $120 million since 1992, compared to Oregon’s $25 million, according to an LCOG newsletter. “Oregon is playing catch up,” said Krebs. “It’s the only state dragging its feet on funding. If we shut the rail system down, it will cost as much as $40 million in the future to start up again because all the rails will be turned into freight ways. “It’s a good economic invest ment for the state to give funding.” If this happens, Eugene will be come a small transportation hub of connecting services. “We are optimistic about the Legislature because we think they have a good business sense,” Krebs said. Ecotoons Continued from page 1 Because cartoonists have tradi tionally targeted corrupt politi cians, war, racism, etc., Robinson noted the logic behind addressing environmental issues because they have become so prominent in recent years. Robinson is a car toonist and comics historian who was also one of the first “Batman” artists. Interspersed among the draw ings are three-dimensional dis plays sponsored by local recy cling and environmental organizations and regional com panies. The exhibit’s stay in Eu gene is dedicated to the late Alice Soderwall, a founder of BRING Recycling and owner of The Glass Station, a pioneer in the local re cycling business. The Alice and Arnold Soderwall Endowment has allowed the museum to host a number of environmental ex hibits since her death in 1994. Included in the displays are: — BRING Recycling informa tion on composting, recycling and buying recycled items is featured in an award-winning video titled, “How to Waste Less and Save More.” — “Waste Zone,” a video with Bill Nye, The Science Guy from the Seattle Pacific Science Cen ter’s “Waste Busters” program. — Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe Pro gram, which shows how play ground surfaces can be remade from old running shoes. — Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority’s sponsorship of a kids’ corner display with coloring books on pollution issues in the community. — Aurora Glass Foundry’s recv cled glass art and products from St. Vincent de Paul, which are also for sale in The Museum Store. The gallery is open to the pub lic noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free for University students, facul ty and staff, $2 for adults and $1 for children younger than 12. A special event for children and “the family who recycles togeth er,” will take place Saturday, July 17, as part of the Ecotoon exhibit. “Saturday Safari: Toons at Noon,” running from noon until 3 p.m., will allow children to design their own cartoons, make art from trash, learn about composting and recy cling and write letters to Congress expressing environmental con cerns. Admission for Toons at Noon is $2 per person, $5 per fami ly or $10 for a group of 10 or more. Festivals Continued from page 1 your only articles of clothing. On the flip side, a long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans makes sense if the festi val begins in the morning, but by about 3 p.m., you’ll be drenched, all right, only with sweat. Next, make sure that you really like whatever musical genre is at the festival’s core. For instance, four days of the blues, no matter the level of talent, will wear out even the most diehard fans. Just imagine attending the upcoming Lilith Fair or Ozzfest 99, then two songs into the show realizing that, hey, this music all sounds the same. Heinous to the max. If you want a variety of fun, take in an occasion such as this week end’s Oregon Country Fair. Jam packed with music, parades, vaudeville-type performers and a plethora of visual pleasures, every one can find their own niche. Which brings me to the next tip. If you attend one of these fes tivals with a large group of peo ple, leave your type-A personali ty at home. Don’t expect to all move and groove, en masse, to the same beat. You may want to zig while everyone else is zagging. If that’s the case, just pick certain times and landmarks to meet up later. Remember, mellow is good. • An alternative plan to the en tropic approach is the base-camp system. Set up a blanket or two at a central location, then come and go freely. The biggest problem with this option is that at least one person must stick around to watch over the group’s belongings. With that in mind, always check on what’s allowed at your chosen festival. A cooler full of ice and beverages may seem like a good idea, until you get to the front gate and security laughs at your ignorance. And finally, remember that this is summertime. As author Kurt Vonnegut never said, “Wear sun screen.” P.O. Box 3159, Eugene OR 97403 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 operates independently of the University with offices in Suite 300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property. The unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law. NEWSROOM — (541) 346-5511 Editor in chief: Tim Pyle Associate Editors: Jack Clifford, Mirjam Swan son Reporters: Sara Jarrett, Sara Lieberth Webmaster Broc Nelson Paginator. Broc Nelson Photo Editor Catharine Kendall ADVERTISING — (541)346-5511 Becky Merchant, director Melissa O’Connell, Van Nguyen, advertising as sistants. Rachelle Bowden, Brian Diamond, Dan Hageman, Jesse Long, Adam Rice, advertising sales repre sentatives CLASSIFIEDS — (541) S46-4V4S Trina Shanaman, manager BUSINESS — (541) 346-5512 Judy Riedl, general manager Kathy Carbone, business supervisor Melissa O’Connell, receptionist Roni Goldbeck, Michael Higgins, John Long, dis tribution PRODUCTION — (541) 346-4381 Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator
