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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2001)
www.dailyemerald.com xl.... e b An independent newspaper Athlete of the Week(s) ™ Oregon javelin thrower John Stiegeler was honored as the Pac-10’s best... again. PAGE 7 Arguably the best Oregon debate takes top honors at the National Parliamentary Tournament of Excellence. PAGE 3 Since 1 900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon Wednesday May 2,2001 Volume 102, Issue 140 Weather TODAY PARTt*$U§iY high 60, low 39 R. Ashley Smith Emerald Cynthia Kokis was a participant at Tuesday’s May Day rally outside of The Register-Guard newspaper complex. Workers rally against Register-Guard ■Tuesday evening’s protest marked the second anniversary of labor disputes between the newspaperand employees By Sue Ryan Oregon Daily Emerald A crowd of close to 100 people rallied in front of The Register-Guard building on Chad Drive on Tuesday evening to protest against labor disputes at the newspaper. “We are striving for working men and women — that is what it’s about,” said John Mullin, a Printers Union representative. Members of the Printers Union, Eu gene Newspaper Guild members, dis tribution workers and pressmen organ ized the rally to draw attention to the second anniversary of guild workers working without a contract. The con tract with the newspaper expired on May 1,1999. The organization repre sents 155 reporters, ad salespeople and circulation workers. Part of the guild’s contract demands include pay raises, advertising commissions and health care coverage. “ The community is waking up to the fact that owners aren’t running the pa per the way they used to,” said Lance Robertson, chief bargainer for the Eu gene Newspaper Guild. No one could be reached at The Reg ister-Guard for comment. However, in the past, Cynthia Walden, director of human resources for the newspaper, has explained that management wish es to handle the contract issue in media tion and not in the media. County, state and federal government representatives spoke at the gathering. Their words echoed out over the crowd from speakers set on an 18-wheeler em blazoned with a Teamsters Union logo. Turn to Protest, page 6 Runge walks with $500K ■The lawyer for the former women’s basketball coach doesn’t deny that her settlement with the University was about a half-million dollars By Adam Jude Oregon Daily Emerald In exchange for her resignation and a promise to not file a lawsuit against the University, Jody Runge received a settle ment “in the ballpark” of $500,000, the former women’s basketball coach con firmed Tuesday. Breaking a six-week span of silence about the investigation into the women’s basketball program, Runge was contacted at her home Tuesday evening and said that the 30-page report from Bond, Schoe neck & King did not result in her depar ture. “The report had nothing to do with [the.resignation],” Runge said. “After 60 days, it became apparent to me that this was a mess that I couldn’t clean up.” Athletic Director Bill Moos and University Vice President Dan Williams announced Runge’s decision Monday at a press conference. Runge was not present. Sticking to claims that the settlement is not coming from public funds, Moos would not confirm the half-million dollar agreement. “We’re trying to keep that to ourselves for now,” Moos said Tuesday. At a press conference Monday, Williams said he does not feel that the University has to reveal the specifics of the set tlement. “Less than 10 percent of the Athletic Department revenue is public money,” Williams said, “so the payments will come out of the 90 percent that comes from gift and gate receipts and other sources of income besides the state.” Runge’s attorney, Rohn Roberts, would not confirm the amount of the settlement, but would not deny it, either. “I wouldn’t refute that number,” Roberts said Tuesday, in reference to the $500,000 figure. “But the reports of a $700,000 settlement, I would refute.” Asked if she was disappointed by how the Athletic Depart ment has handled the events of the last two months, Runge said, “Absolutely.” Eight players met with Moos on March 4 and criticized Turn to Runge, page 8 Legislature submits proposal for loosening gridlock on 1-5 ■A House bill would require widening the stretch of freeway between Eugene and Salem from two lanes to four By Sue Ryan Oregon Daily Emerald Drivers could cut down on their drive time be tween Eugene and Salem, if an Oregon legislator has his way. House Bill 3195 would require the Oregon De partment of Transportation to build additional lanes on Interstate 5. The bill would also include having drivers pay a toll to use the lanes as an op tion for financing the project. Rep. Jeff Kropf, R Halsey, brought the bill before the legislative transportation committee March 8. “We need to be innovative and creative to deal with current growth projections. If we keep going the way we are, soon our roads will look like L.A.,” Kropf said. Kropf introduced the bill after suffering through gridlock on the 1-5 corridor. “I drive every day from Halsey to Salem and ex perience what it’s like,” he said. “As we grow in this valley for the next 20 to 40 years, we need to think outside of the box to solve our problems.” Some workers at the University disagree. “The last thing we need is more pavement,” said Cristie Wilson, a worker at the Oregon Sur vey Research Laboratory on campus. Others think adding lanes to 1-5 would merely accommodate more traffic, not address the issue. “If it is not related to reducing traffic, I’m not for it,” said University classified staff member Mark Lind. “I recognize that growth is going to happen in the valley, but I don’t think we should build additional lanes.” Turn to Highway, page 6 We all scream for free ice cream! Forget the calories, forget the sugar, forget the fact that it’s not sunny and for one day, enjoy some ice cream — for free. Today is an annual customer appre ciation event, where people can get a free scoop of ice cream from either Ben & Jerry’s shop, 1239 Alder St., or at Baskin-Robbins, 495 Coburg Rd. “ We are hoping to give away at least 2,000 scoops of ice cream,” said Gary Bertlesen, owner of Eugene’s Ben & Jerry’s franchise. “It’s our way of thanking the community for its support.” Jason Caputo, an employee at Ben & Jerry’s, said that some radio stations had mistakenly broadcast Tuesday as free ice cream day and that people had been coming in all day asking for their free scoop. The free scoops will be given away today at the shop from noon to 10 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Baskin-Robbins. Customers who come in for the free scoop can learn about the Children's Miracle Network Telethon and “how the annual fundraising event helps provide medical care for children in our area,” Bertlesen said. However, there will be no free ice cream scoops at the Willamette Street Baskin-Robbins because of the costs associated with the free scoops.
