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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 8, 1999)
Editor in chief: Tim Pyle Newsroom: (541)346-5511 Room 300, Ert) Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu On-line edition: www.dailyemeraldcom Damn This jrafficjam The Ferry Street Bridge’s endless reconstruction has become a Eugene staple Eugene is known for many things — the original Sat urday Market, trees, track and field, greenness, pollen, microbrews, activists, drugs, rain, hippies and, of course, the University and its aura and accomplishments. But what is the first thing that strikes any out-of-town visitor en y V i tering Eugene from the usual di rection? As one veers off the Beltline and toward the city center, it is impossible to miss. It is incessant — at least since I’ve been in town — and slower than a Sunday afternoon. What, you ask? You should know, but perhaps you’ve become so used to it that you forget. I’m talking about the tangled web of construction that en gulfs any automobile as it purrs into town. The Ferry Street Bridge seems to be a graveyard of construction parts with cones here, steel beams there and other parts everywhere that either never move or are quickly replaced. And each time I roll by, nothing much appears to be getting done. Sure, there are l ers outfitted in hard hats and neon orange vests, but only one of them seemingly works while the others stand around watching and shouting encouragement like they’re on the bench at a basket ball game.' When I return to Eugene years down the road to visit my old un dergraduate stomping grounds, I fully expect to drive into town and find the Ferry Street Bridge still “under construction.” Anything else would be shock ing. In fact, I would probably think I was entering the wrong town for a confusing moment or two. Then I would shrug it off as a sign that times have drastically changed in Eugene since I was a Duck. Maybe the problem is that the University has hired away all the productive construction workers in town to build the new law school and add on to Esslinger. Whatever the case, it seems slightly ludicrous to me that those two projects will be completed light years ahead of the Ferry Street Bridge. Yeah, the bridge’s recon struction has become as much of a Eugene institution as Frog, The Glenwood Restaurant and Spencer’s Butte. Oh well — it makes for a great tourist distraction, doesn’t it? Tim Pyle is the Emerald's edi tor in chief. He can be reached via e-mail at ode@oregon. uoregon. edu. Opinion Editorial Cartoons ******** COKTRKRY To MHllM* G^NICN, fe rnss^Gt \s Qurrt ciem 0regoit*W€meraUr The Oregon Daily Emerald is published daily Monday through Friday during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the summer by the Oregon Daity Emer ald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University ot 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 re moval or use of papers is prosecutable by law. NEWSROOM — (S4D346-SSH Editor in chief: Tim Pyle Associate Editors: Jack Clifford, Mirjam Swanson Reporters: Sara Jarrett, Sara Lieberth Webmaster Broc Nelson Paginator Broc Nelson Photo Editor: Catharine Kendall ADVERTISING — (S4l)ti6-SS11 Becky Merchant, director Melissa O’Connell, Van Nguyen, advertising assistants. Rachelle Bowden, Brian Diamond, Dan Hageman, Jesse Long, Adam Rice, advertising sales representatives CLASSIFIEDS — (541) S46-4V43 Trina Shanaman, manager BUSINESS — (S4l)tt6-SS12 Judy Riedl, general manager Kathy Carbone, business supervisor Melissa O’Connell, receptionist Roni Goldbeck, Michael Higgins, John Long, distribution PRODUCTION — (541) ^46-4^81 Michele Ross, manager. Tara Sloan, coordinator
