'CRIME
IP WATCH
Thursday, Nov. 15
10:47a.m.-A Gerlinger Hall exterior
emergency phone was activated but
there was no verbal response. Officers
checked the site and received a report
that a group of children passing by
had pushed the button.
Friday, Nov. 16
7:03 p.m. - An officer spotted two sus
picious subjects at Hayward Field. Eu
gene police officers cited them with
possession of less than an ounce of
marijuana.
11:28 p.m.-A student patrol reported
a large group of males boxing in the
basement of Hamilton Complex. The
resident assistant was notified.
Saturday, Nov. 18
7:54 p.m. - Someone reported hate
graffiti had been placed in a men’s
restroom at the EMU.
Sunday, Nov. 19
2:26 a.m. - Someone called to report
two intoxicated males who were being
disorderly outside of Dunn Hall. The
resident assistant asked them to leave,
which they did, but they were disrup
tive outside the complex. The EPD re
sponded and cited the subjects for be
ing minors in possession.
11:41 p.m.-Astudent patrol ob
served three people with a bag of
charcoal on fire on the ground near
the Bean Complex and asked them to
put it out.
Graffiti
continued from page 1
ishment, the EPD cannot stop graffiti
artists from practicing their craft. In
stead, last spring the city granted the
Lane Arts Council $25,000 to create
the Art Wall Project, which gives graf
fiti artists legal venues where they can
paint. The project ran from March
2000 to October 2000, when the funds
were exhausted. However, there are
still a few scattered "free walls" where
artists can continue to paint.
Free Walls
The Lane Arts Council began by of
fering an alternative to local businesses
that were being tagged: They could des
ignate a wall on their buildings on
which graffiti artists could legally paint.
Six art walls were created, some
designated free walls where anyone
can paint, and others reserved for
specific murals.
One such location is Factory Fab
rics, located at 1620 W. Seventh St.
The business is located inside a ware
house and was having problems with
taggers illegally marking the building.
So, Diane Twete, manager at Fac
tory Fabrics, decided to contact the
arts council and ask about having a
mural painted. The result was
something Twete calls “amazing.”
“It has been so fun to watch [the
painting process],” Twete said. “The
artists have been so wonderful to me.
As long as the kids keep it cleaned up
and don’t use cuss words, they can
continue to paint on the wall. ”
Another wall on the Factory Fab
ric’s building has been designated
as a free wall and graffiti artists can
still paint on it.
Twete said her neighbors, which
include an automotive machine
building and a white-water rafting
supply store, haven’t complained
about the painting.
Critics speak out
But other projects haven’t gone
over so smoothly, and the program
isn’t without its critics.
“Shoe-A-Holic didn’t get permis
sion from the businesses around it,”
Art Wall Project adviser Steven Lopez
said. “They wanted to be notified.”
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In addition to occasional business
complaints, the EPD and Eugene pub
lic works maintenance officials said
they have seen more graffiti and tag
ging as a result of the free walls.
“The point of the free walls was
to see freedom of expression,”
Holmquist said. “However, many of
the young taggers tag private prop
erty on their way to the free wall and
on their way home.”
Holmquist said tagging is its own
subculture, with only 10 to 15 percent
of offenders being gang members.
“Taggers are motivated by fame
and recognition,” Holmquist said.
“They practice until they have the
perfect tag and then unleash it on the
city. It almost becomes an addiction
—the adrenaline rush is so great.”
J.J. Hill, the supervisor for public
works maintenance who directl v over
sees graffiti removal around Eugene,
said an increase in tagging has been ap
parent since the free walls stalled.
“The Art Wall Project was not a
solution to the graffiti problem be
cause we received more com
plaints,” Hill said.
Public works maintenance paints
over all reported graffiti, or in cases in
volving pavement or brick, uses a pres
sure washer or edger with an attached
wire brush to scrape graffiti away.
Hill said he doesn’t think any
thing will eliminate graffiti.
“The graffiti problem will never
go away,” Hill said. “Nothing we do
is going to eliminate it. ”
Art Wall Project coordinator
Lizzy Hughes agrees that some kids
will do negative things even after
they are given a place to paint, but
the walls are not to blame for it.
“Not all of the kids who paint on the
walls are taggers,” Hughes said. “They
can’t be blamed for illegal activity. ”
Also, organizers of the free wall
program emphasize that artists who
paint on the designated walls know
they can lose the venues if anything
inappropriate is painted.
Twete said she hasn’t noticed a
significant difference in the level of
graffiti since her building has had a
designated free wall.
“We’ve had some instances, but
whether that’s a result of the free
wall or not I don’t know,” Twete
said. “Tagging just comes and goes.”
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