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http://www.dailyemerald.com
Monday, March 29,2004
Since 1900 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon
Volume 105, Issue 121
Burst water main floods campus streets
EWEB workers shut off water
valves for residence halls
to prevent further damage
By Moriah Balingit
News Reporter
A city water main at the intersection
of East 15th Avenue and Agate Street
burst Sunday morning for an unknown
reason, causing a deluge of murky wa
ter down both streets and flooding the
walkways around Walton Complex and
Carson Hall.
Students residing in Walton and
Hamilton complexes, who were return
ing Sunday from spring break, were un
able to use water or restrooms in those
buildings.
At its highest point, the water was
nearly a foot and a half deep in front
of Douglass Hall, located in Walton
Complex.
University Housing Director Mike
Eyster said a garbage truck driver report
ed the problem at around 9:40 a.m.,
when the driver saw water leaking out
of cracks in the street. Eyster said he
thinks the water main likely broke
shortly before the call was made.
Eyster himself discovered the disaster
on his way to church.
"I was coming by ... just about 10
o'clock and there was a very heavy
flow of water," he said. "Everywhere
you see the street cracked you could
see water gushing up."
Sophomore pre-joumalism major
Trevor Atkins said he and his brother
were some of the first people on the
scene.
"We were crossing the street... and
all of the sudden we saw this river of
water in front," he said. "The road had
fractured at the intersection in probably
three different places."
The two alerted housing staff of the
flood and assisted staff members in
moving their cars.
^ Turn to FLOOD, page 6
Erik R. Bishoff Photographer
A broken water main at the intersection of East 15th Avenue and Agate Street flooded the nearby area Sunday morning resulting in a
loss of water service to a number of residence halls. Water valves were also turned off for many science halls, includin^Willamette.
Kucinich
speaks
at LCC
The Democratic presidential
hopeful urged participation
in the May 18 primary
By Chelsea Duncan
Senior News Reporter
Rainbow flags calling for peace and
global justice dotted a large crowd at
Lane Community College on Sunday,
where hundreds gathered to hear De
mocratic presidential candidate Den
nis Kucinich speak on issues of social
justice and political change.
The often overlooked candidate
and Ohio congressman stopped by
the college on his tour through the
state to encourage Oregonians to vote
in the primary election on May 18.
Kucinich acknowledged that
though the Democratic nomination
may be a "forgone conclusion" deter
mined by other states' primaries, Ore
gon voters have the chance to influ
ence the Democratic Party's direction
throughout the election process.
"The issues which are going to
frame the debate in 2004 are going to
be decided here because you happen
to be at the end of the primary cycle,"
he told the crowd. "(The Democratic
Party) needs to represent the broad
based concerns of the American peo
ple if it has any chance or hope to win
the White House."
Kucinich, who may be lacking in
stature but not in charisma, often
drew bouts of applause, laughter and
many standing ovations as he revved
up the crowd with his ideas of univer
sal health care, progressive taxing and
world peace.
He emphasized the importance of
Turn to KUCINICH, page 8
Same-sex marriage test case
gains steam, heads for court
Benton County halts all marriages
and Multnomah County continues
to offer licenses to gay couples
By Parker Howell
News Reporter
Confusion about the constitutionality of
Oregon marriage statutes has prompted vari
ous counties to adopt different practices in
issuing marriage licenses.
Multnomah County continues to grant mar
riage licenses to same-sex couples, while on
March 22 the Benton County Board of
Commissioners postponed its decision to
grant same-sex marriage licenses, opting
instead to cease issuing licenses to all couples
until the Supreme Court rules.
They may not have long to wait.
Opponents and supporters of same-sex mar
riage in Oregon are one step closer to getting a
definitive judgment on the legality of same-sex
marriage in Oregon.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge
Frank Bearden on Friday cleared the way to
speedily bring the issue before the Oregon
Supreme Court when he ruled that 14
Republican state legislators could not directly
participate in a lawsuit questioning the legality
of same-sex marriages.
Bearden denied the legislators' motion, saying
Turn to MARRIAGES, page 4
The daughter of
Becky Kennedy
(left) and Mary Li
looks on while
wedding guests
cheer as her
mothers seal their
nuptials with a
kiss. On March 3,
Multnomah
County began
distributing
marriage licenses
to same-sex
couples for the
first time in
Oregon's history.
Erik R. Bishoff
Photographer
WtA ! HfZR
45
70
Campus buzz.6 Crossword.15
Classifieds.14 Nation & World.5
Commentary.2 Sports.9
NElM'T iSMtJf
A closer look
at the University
Men’s Center