An independent newspaper
http://www.dailyemerald.com
Friday, January 17,2003
Since 1900
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Volume 104, Issue 80
Bracing for losses
I
32-year-old Mike
and three month
old Mikey Bolin
watch Winnie the
Pooh at a shelter.
The First Place
Family Center is
counting on the
passage of
Measure 28 to
keep operations
at the current
level.
Adam Amato Emerald
Charitable operations
With voting on Measure 28 just a few
weeks away, some local charitable
organizations are preparing to lose
funding ordeal with shortages if it fails
Oregon votes 2003
Aimee Rudin
Family/Health/Education Reporter
A squat gray building sits in Eugene that is
fairly easy to miss.
Gars litter the driveway, and plastic play
ground equipment has taken over an area that
once had a dream of being a yard; it’s an easy
sight for the eye to skip over.
Yet, inside this unassuming building there is an
opportunity for homeless and low-income fami
lies with children to find a dry place to spend the
night, eat a warm meal and hope for tomorrow.
Failure of state Ballot Measure 28 could ham
per this help for many people in need. A mix of
private donations, volunteer fundraising and
state dollars pay for the First Place Family Cen
ter on Amazon Parkway. If Measure 28 fails on
Jan. 28, the state could reduce funding for the
center.
The facility serves
100 people a day and
provides services in
cluding child care,
laundry and cooking
facilities, showers,
message and mail
service, and on-site
employment counseling for adults. In the
evening, the center moves to one of 53 local con
gregations or synagogues for its night shelter pro
gram. The night program provides sleeping ar
eas, dinner and breakfast, and transportation to
and from the day-use facility for people regis
tered at the center.
Jake Dudell, Emergency Services Director,
is optimistic about the center’s ability to con
tinue operations should Measure 28 fail.
“We’ll always operate,” Dudell said. “It may
be at lower tiers, and we may not be able to
serve as many people, but we will keep going.”
Measure 28 comes to the consideration of
voters as an income tax increase, which, over
the next three years, would raise approximate
ly $724 million for Oregon. Of this estimate,
$313 million would be used to sustain state
programs and services that were slated for cuts
in September. The remainder of the money
would be put toward the 2003-05 budget.
Homeless shelters, soup kitchens and low
income housing could all see results of a trick
le-down effect if Measure 28 fails.
“Some specialty shelters are going to
close,” Eugene Mission Assistant Director
Lynn Antis said. “We could easily see an in
crease in our numbers as an indirect effect of
the budget cuts. We will have more clients
and fewer resources with which to help serve
them in the community.”
At FOOD for Lane County, a division of the
Oregon Food Bank Network, there is concern
of a food shortage if Measure 28 fails.
“We are anticipating a lot of individuals los
ing their resources as a result of the cuts and
coming to us for help,” Communications Di
rector for FOOD for Lane County Dana Turell
said. “There are going to be a lot of people
needing us for the first time.”
The group currently supplies groceries to
66,000 residents a year, almost half of whom
are children.
“This is a time to be creative, a time to think
out of the box and a time to get people the care
they need,” Turell said.
Contact the reporter
at aimeerudin@dailyemerald.com.
OUS grads give system high marks
A recent survey of Oregon
graduates suggests that even in a
sluggish economy, students are
happy with their experience
Roman Gokhman
Campus/City Culture Reporter
One year after receiving their diplo
mas, Oregon University System gradu
ates are well on their way to promising
careers and are happy with their uni
versity experiences, according to a
new study.
A report completed by the Oregon
Survey Resource Laboratory at the
University surveyed 1,004 of the 9,590
total students graduating OUS schools
with bachelor’s degrees in 2000-01,
and concluded that graduates are “sat
isfied customers” when it comes to
their education.
Eighty percent of those interviewed
rated their education a four or higher on
a five-point scale, with one being “poor”
and five being “excellent.” If graduates
could begin again, 77 percent said they
would attend the same OUS school.
The Emerald could not reach any
2001 graduates for comment, but 2002
graduate Michael Tu said he was pleased
with his education.
“The classes that I took gave me the
Turn to Grads, page 4A
UO graduate income
>$75,000 1%
$60,000 - $75
3%
SOURCE: Oregon
Survey Resource laboratory
Events
honor
MLKJr.
More than a week of local events
will celebrate the civil rights leader's
commitment to racial equality
Roman Gokhman
Campus/City Culture Reporter
Eugene and Springfield will celebrate
the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with
speeches, a march and awards during the
weekend and throughout next week. The
Hult Center, the Springfield DoubleTree
Hotel, the University and West Eugene
are hosting events that will pay homage
to the civil rights leader.
The Martin Luther King Day Celebra
tion, organized by the MLKJr. Celebration
Committee of Lane County, will take place
in the Soreng Theater of the Hult Center
on Monday. The event is free.
“This is an event to bring the commu
nity together,” committee Chairwoman
Tina Napier said.
Oregon Secretary of State Bill Brad
bury will present the keynote address,
and the Eugene Human Rights Commis
sion will present the Martin Luther King
Jr. Leadership Award to Lane County
Circuit Court Judge Cynthia D. Carlson.
The award recognizes a group or an in
dividual who demonstrates leadership in
making Eugene a more supportive city
for its communities of color. Carlson or
chestrated two programs in Oregon that
allow employees of the justice system
and others to have dialogues about race
related issues.
“This is something I feel very strongly
about,” Carlson said. “Dr. King was a
great leader in the equal treatment of
people. Everybody in the community has
some role to play in this.”
The MLK Contest and Celebration at the
Springfield DoubleTree Hotel is that city’s
main event on Monday and is organized by
several agencies, including the Springfield
Alliance For Equality and Respect.
“This (event) is recognizing a man
who was for peace and non-violence, and
a man who stood up for the rights of all
ethnicities,” SAFER Co-Chairwoman
Elaine Hayes said.
Bahati Ansari, who organized the first
MLK celebration in Lane County, before
it was a national holiday, will give be the
speaker. Ansari is also responsible for
Turn to MLK, page 3A
Weather
Today: High 50, Low 30,
cloudy morning, patchy fog
Saturday: High 50, Low 30,
mostly cloudy, morning fog
Looking ahead
Tuesday Eugene, Springfield
and the University celebrate
the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
Wednesday Some people fear
the passage of Measure 28 could
be detrimental during a recession