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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 2003)
Network lets users swap items Eugene’s chapter of Freecycle.org started on Oct. 23, allowing members to recycle unwanted things By Caron Alarab News Reporter To someone else, it was just a bag of random plant bulbs. But to Eugene resident Lisanne Dickenson, it's a gift she was more than happy to receive. "1 don't even know what they are," the 38-year-old said. "We'll just have to see next spring." Dickenson received the bulbs through the Eugene chapter of Freecy cle.org, an international network that connects individuals who want to "re cycle" their stuff by giving it away rather than throwing it out. After hear ing about the network through an ar ticle in The Oregonian, Dickenson founded the local chapter on Oct. 23 because she wanted to help lighten the flow to local landfills. "It's a give and get for everyone," she said. "And the whole idea makes it all so much fun." Through a Yahoo listserv at http://www.Freecycle.org, each regis tered member posts a request or an offer for a specific item and then waits for telephone or e-mail responses from other members. Participants can post anything their hearts desire, from used furniture and appliances to sec ond-hand clothing and musical in struments. The only catch: Everything is free and no one can post a price. As a Freecycle group moderator, Dickenson said she has been consid ering several new ideas for the Eugene chapter, including free pets, carpool rides and weekend getaways. Dickenson said she was thrilled when Eugene chapter membership jumped from 38 to 210 local partici pants thanks to a small article in the Nov. 6 edition ofThe Register-Guard. And she's not the only one. "I'm absolutely tickled," Freecycle Network founder Deron Beal said. The Tuscon, Ariz., native created the Yahoo listserv in May to help give away extra junk for Rise, a non-profit transitional employment organiza tion in his area. Beal turned to the In ternet as an international venue for trade after realizing that calling around to offer junk to people took too much time. "It has enabled a lot more people Eugene resident Maryanne Obersinner got a used food dehyrdator through the Freecycle network, which she used to make dehyrated apple slices. Tim Bobos ky Photographer to give stuff away," he said. "And the more people who have fun with this, the better off we all are." In less than six months, the Tucson chapter has grown from one to 1,500 members due to media attention, while new chapters have sprouted in cities worldwide, from Maui, Hawaii, to New York to Tokyo. The recent es tablishment of the London chapter marked the 50th city to participate, and Beal said the number rises everyday. "It really is going well," he said. "Everyone is pulling together all over the place." With plans to separate from the Ya hoo listserv and eventually establish an independent Freecycle Web page, Beal has started to raise funds for the site, which will not have pop-up ad vertisements like Yahoo. "I'd like to take it up to the next lev el," he said. "And a free-standing Web page, to me, is synonymous with the crystallization of Freecycle as an inter national movement." After giving the bag of plant bulbs to Dickenson and receiving a much needed food dehydrator through Freecycle.org, Eugenean Maryanne Obersinner said she thinks the local chapter will be a great success. "I think Eugene is a town where something like this will really take off," the O'Hara Catholic School teacher said. "People are just freely giving to their neighbors and it feels good to do that, but it's still anony mous. " After joining the Portland and Eu gene chapters, Obersinner said she feels the organization is a true "com munity builder" because people are helping other people without any monetary profit. Beal said he is eager to hear about growing student membership in the University area considering the gener al rapid member growth spurred by newspaper articles. "There are all kinds of possibilities with students," he said. "They can even meet with fellow members to trade at a central location, like cam pus." As he watches his creation grow, the self-proclaimed "hopeless optimist" said the success of Freecycle.org rein forces his positive outlook for the fu ture of the organization. "One member phrased it best when he said, 'It's changing the world one gift at a time,'" Beal said. "Hey, maybe that will be our motto." Those interested in joining the Eu gene chapter can visit: http://gioups.yahoo.com/group/freec ycleeugene. Contact the business/science/ technology reporter at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com. f PHOTO I [SPECIALS] g NOVEMBER 10-16 ■ REPRINTS AND ENLARGEMENTS ® 3 x 5 - 6 for $.96 g 4x6-5 for $1.00 5x7 -2 for $1.50 10/12-$1.50 B 35mm color negatives. Matte or glossy. Allow up to g 3-5 working days for 3x5 and 4x6 prints, 5-10 working ■ days for 5x7, 8x10 and 8x12 prints 317057, mes mm Restaurant and Lounge Authentic Chinese Cuisine Fresh, Quality Ingredients 947 Franklin Blvd. (near UO) • 343-4480 Individual, Family Style, Banquets to 100, Take Out Tues.-Thurs. 11-10:30, Fri. 11-11 Sat. 12-11, Sun. 11:30-10 A NEW WAY TO PRAY Singing and Silence in the style of the Taize Community Monday, November 10, 9:00 p.m. Ben Linder Room EMU Taizi is a style of prayer that uses Christian chants, silence, and short Bible readings to create a space in which one may simply rest. There is no preaching-just you, the music, and the beauty of the present moment. ic whole atmosphere is relaxed, peaceful, inspiring healing and worshipful. Questions? Call Jeremy at 346-4694 Sponsored by Central Lutheran Church, Episcopal Canterbury Fellowship, Koinoma Center Presbyterian Campus Ministry, and Wesley Foundation United Methodist Campus Ministry PEACE continued from page 1 South during the height of the civil rights movement. He also partici pated in the Freedom Rides. Hubin said the Office of the President invited Lewis to the Uni versity because he has broad ap peal as a speaker. "His focus on nonviolent social change, justice and peace are themes we knew the University community and the community broadly would benefit from engag ing in," Hubin said. In the spring of 1965, Loewis helped organize a march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., with more than 600 people. According to Lewis' Web site, state troopers attacked the marchers, and the event became known as "Bloody Sunday." 'Fhat march and a subsequent march be tween Selma and Montgomery, Ala., led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1986 as a representative of the 5th Congressional District, which encom passes the entire city of Atlanta. For the past 17 years he's served in that position and is now in his ninth term. Lewis has been given numerous awards and honors for his civil rights work, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Non-Violent Peace Prize and the National Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People's Spin gam Medal. He was also a recipient of the John F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage Award" and the National Ed ucation Association's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award. Lewis co authored a novel in 1998 entitled 'Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement." The free event is open to the public. 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