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Soccer wrap / Page 5
Wednesday, November 13,2002
Since 1900
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 54
Domestic partner registry proposal passes
The Eugene City Council removed
the amendment that would allow
transgenders to choose any restroom
Ken Paulman
City/State Politics Reporter
Facing a possible mayoral veto, the Eugene
City Council voted 6-2 Tuesday to remove por
tions dealing with gender identity from pro
posed changes to the city’s human rights code.
The amended proposal passed unanimous
ly. The approved revisions include the estab
lishment of a domestic partner registry for
same-sex couples, the addition of the terms
“ethnicity” and “domestic partner status” to
anti-discrimination ordinances, and allowing
people to file private discrimination lawsuits.
Mayor Jim Torrey, who has stated support
for equal rights protection for transgender
people in general, opposed the public accom
modation portion of the proposal because of
privacy and cost concerns. Torrey had
threatened to veto the entire proposal unless
the City Council removed the portion allow
ing transgender people access to the rest
room of their choice.
Torrey said that he would sign the amended
measure into law.
The portion of the proposal that would allow
transgender persons to use public restrooms
consistent with their gender identity, not their
biological anatomy, has been the subject of
much controversy.
In an open forum at Tuesday’s meeting, a
number of citizens expressed opposition to the
ordinance. Arguments ranged from concerns
about the vagueness of the proposals to outright
religious condemnations of homosexuality.
Eugene attorney John Hudson said that the
ordinance posed legal problems because gen
der identity is perceived and not objective.
“Who makes this determination?” he asked.
Steve Light, a Eugene resident, expressed
concern that the City Council might be over
stepping its bounds in determining morality.
“What are we teaching our children when we
redefine what is right and wrong?” he asked.
Councilor Pat Farr said he was concerned
that the sexual predators might be able to
abuse the ordinance.
“I would be concerned that people would be
able to enter the bathroom under the guise of
being transgender,” he said.
Austin Shaw-Phillips of the University’s
Turn to City, page 3
Memorial
The city of Eugene has accepted
a land donation to build a park
in memory of former University
star runner Steve Prefontaine
Danielle Gillespie
Safety/Crime/Transportation Reporter
A memorial park for former Universi
ty runner Steve Prefontaine soon will be
constructed near the intersection of
Skyline Boulevard and Birch Lane —
the site of his fatal car accident in 1975.
Nike GEO Phil Knight recently donat
ed the land to the city of Eugene, and
the city has plans to construct the park
in the next couple years. The park,
which has no set completion date, will
be built around an existing monument.
Assistant Athletic Director for Media
Services Dave Williford said the Univer
sity is supportive of the new park and
the efforts being made to honor Pre
fontaine’s memory.
“Prefontaine was probably one of the
few bright spots in our athletic history,”
he said. “Many people still identify the
University with him and the park is ob
viously something we would welcome.”
Eugene citizen Arne Alvarado’s house
sits just a few feet away from the Pre
fontaine monument, and he said he is
excited to see a park constructed in
honor of his old acquaintance.
“When I was growing up, Pre
fontaine would come jogging by here,”
he said. “He was a cool guy. If there
were kids with a lemonade stand, he
would make sure to have money in his
pocket to buy some.”
Danielle Hickey Emerald
A memorial park will be added to the current memorial honoring Steve Prefontaine.
Alvarado said he and his father, Bill,
were the first two people on the scene
the night Prefontaine lost his life.
Alvarado said the park will add to the
already popular site. People often stop
by and view the memorial, he said. The
memorial is also a preferred site for run
ners to stop and stretch, he added.
City of Eugene Director of Parks and
Open Space Division Johnny Medlin
said the city has not set a timeline for
developing the park, partially because
funding is not currently available.
“It is not uncommon for the city to
have a piece of land donated to them
and, as public and private funds become
available, make improvements to that
site,” he said.
Medlin said although the develop
ment of the park won’t start for another
couple years, the city already has plans
to widen the road and create parking
spots in the immediate future.
Contact the reporter
atdaniellegillespie@dailyemerald.com.
City s final OK
moves child
center ahead
The Eugene Planning Commission upheld
the East Campus Children’s Center use permit
after hearing appeals from neighbors
Jillian Daley
Family/Health/Education Reporter
The Eugene Planning Commission decided on Tuesday to
approve the University’s conditional use permit to build its
proposed East Campus Children’s Center.
The Planning Commission held a public meeting in the
Sloat Room of the Atrium Building at 99 W. 10th Ave. to
make some changes to the hearings official’s original ap
proval documentation.
Toby Grant and Jeff Osanka, residents of the Fairmount
neighborhood in the east campus area where the University
plans to build, filed an appeal on Sept. 30 against the hear
ings official’s original decision to grant the permit.
“We want to work collaboratively with the University,”
Fairmount Neighborhood Association member and former
president Osanka said in a Nov. 11 press release. “We again
ask the University to return to the process by which they in
volve the Fairmount Neighborhood as an equal partner in
design and planning,” he said.
Area residents have 21 days to appeal the decision on a
state level to the Land Use Board of Appeals after it has been
mailed by the commission.
“Together, we can create a child care center that works,”
Osanka added.
Some believe the current design is fine and are satisfied
with the Planning Commission’s final decision.
“We’re very pleased that the Planning Commission has
upheld the hearings official’s decision,” EMU Director of Stu
dent Activities Gregg Lobisser said.
Lobisser said he feels confident about beginning con
struction because the University’s permit application has
been approved by both the hearings official and the Plan
ning Commission.
However, since the site was proposed, area residents
have contested the permit that will allow the University
Turn to Child, page 3
Weather
./ S'
Today: High 55, Low 45,
mostly cloudy, chance of rain
Thursday: High 55, Low 40,
cloudy, scattered showers
Looking ahead
Thursday
Campus Recycling proves
reuse is just as important
Friday
It's new, it's muscular, it's the
University's latest mascot
Other schools don’t enforce logo use
Universities have similar graphic
identity programs, but most don’t
force student publications to comply
jan Montry
Campus/Federal Politics Reporter
The University’s new logo policy may be a
surprise to student groups, but the trend of cre
ating consistent image policies is not a new idea.
Many universities nationwide, including Wash
ington State University and USG, have already
developed similar “graphic identity programs”
that specify which university logo can be used
and who should use it.
University officials recently announced their
new graphic identity policy that requires
ASUO-funded groups to use the ‘O’ logo on all
new on-campus and off-campus publications.
Since the announcement, which took place at
an October ASUO Programs Council meeting,
some student groups have spoken out against
the policy. The University is the only Oregon
University System school with such specific
requirements, which apply to all new materi
als such as flyers, posters and letterhead pub
lished by ASUO-funded groups.
Oregon State University implemented its
graphic identity program in a similar fashion as
the University of Oregon, announcing its incep
tion in 1999 and giving affected groups three
months to use existing supplies. While the pro
gram suggests several logos that can be used, it
doesn’t force student publications to comply.
Ann McLaughlin, executive assistant to the
vice president for university advancement at
OSU, said most requests to use the logo come
from external groups.
“Typically we don’t get many student groups
wanting to do companion logos,” she said.
Similarly, Portland State University only
allows departments and offices to use the logo for
“purposes which promote the goals of the uni
versity.” According to its Web site, Portland
State also reserves its seal for official documents
and its athletic symbol for the Department of
Intercollegiate Athletics.
Western Oregon University’s publication pol
icy states student groups must get a “stamp of
approval” from the Office of Public Relations
and Communications before putting posters on
Turn to Logo, page 4