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IN BRIEF
Lawmakers consider higher
speed limits on interstates
SALEM — Some lawmakers
are renewing a push to increase
speed limits to 70 mph on rural
interstate highways.
Proponents say the bill reflects
both the will of Oregonians and cur
rent driving practices.
But state transportation experts
and safety advocates testified before
the House Transportation Commit
tee Monday that raising the current
65 mph limit would increase traffic
fatalities and put all drivers in
greater danger.
The only testimony for the bill
was from Karl Thatcher, whose
wife, Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, is
on the committee.
Thatcher said Oregon drivers
want a faster speed limit and the
Legislature should respect that. He
also said the government should not
outlaw something because it is po
tentially dangerous.
But Mark Koberstein, a member
of the Transportation Safety Gover
nor’s Advisory Committee, said the
speed limit should stay where it is.
“We don’t raise...the blood alco
hol content, because people are
drinking more,” Koberstein said,
“but we seem to keep trying to raise
the speed limit,” because people are
driving faster.
The 2003 Legislature directed the
Oregon Department of Transporta
tion to study whether increasing
speed limits was a good idea and
gave the agency the option to in
crease rural highway speeds.
But, based on safety studies, the
department decided not to raise lim
its on rural freeways.
The new bill would require speed
limits to be increased to 70 mph on
rural interstate highways.
TYoy Costales, transportation safety
manager of the Department of Trans
portation, said increasing the speed
limit would increase traffic deaths.
He said not only does the bill go
against recommendations from the
study ordered by the Legislature, but
it would also set a 70 mph speed limit
on all stretches of rural interstate
highway, including places where it
would be dangerous to do so.
“Speed limit increases are the
wrong thing to do,” he said.
— The Associated Press
School of Music
officials consider
security measures
BY EMILY SMITH
NEWS REPORTER
Additional security cameras and
shorter building hours are among the
possible solutions to the School of
Music’s ongoing theft problem. The
issue is currently being considered by
the school’s administration and the
Department of Public Safety.
SOM Dean Brad Foley and assis
tant dean Janet Stewart met with DPS
last Friday to discuss SOM security
weaknesses in light of the burglary
earlier this month in which two sus
pects entered the school three sepa
rate times, allegedly stealing instru
ments valued at more $25,000 out of
student lockers on the second floor.
DPS Interim Director Tom Hicks
said he will be looking into the cost
of access control, providing in
creased DPS visibility in the area,
additional cameras and closing the
building earlier in the evening. He
said he would like to see changes
implemented during summer term
to test them out for fall.
After the March 30 burglary, stu
dents and six SOM graduate teaching
fellows sent a letter with some
security suggestions to DPS and SOM
administration. Stewart said their
ideas and concerns were “most cer
tainly taken into consideration.”
DPS and the SOM were already in
the process of scheduling a meeting
to discuss the building’s security
when GTF Cody Forcier said the
Graduate Teaching Fellows Federa
tion advised him to write a formal let
ter with the complaints.
Hicks said finding the money to pay
for the changes is going to be difficult,
but everything is still in the planning
process, so he wall look into funding af
ter the costs are figured out.
SOM graduate student Derek
Newell had said he was concerned
about the lockers as well as-the build
ing’s easy access and limited securi
ty when his $20,000 cello was stolen
using only a pair of bolt cutters.
Stewart said at this time, doing
anything about the lockers would be
very difficult without replacing them,
so for now they are encouraging all
SOM students storing instruments in
the school “to get decent locks. ”
emilysmith@dailyemerald.com
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Wednesday, April 27
10am - m
[MU Ballroom
Pre-Career Fair Seminar
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Tuesday, April 26 • 4:00 - 530 pm • EMU (oquille Room
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
Career Center
220 Hendricks Hal', • 346-3235 • http:/Aiocareer.uoregon.edu
Spring 2005