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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 11, 2005)
Thursday Today Friday M w <41 i*. High: 68 High: 73 High: 72 Low: 49 Low: 52 Low: 55 Precip: 20% Precip: 10% Precip: 40% IN BRIEF House approves ban on gun damage lawsuits SALEM — Gun makers or sellers could not be sued for damages caused by illegal use of firearms un der a bill easily approved Tliesday by the House. The measure went to the Senate on a 39-17 vote despite opponents’ claims that it is constitutionally flawed. Backers of the bill said the gun in dustry is prone to harassment by op ponents who have brought lawsuits without merit around the country in hopes of making a legitimate busi ness liable for criminals’ acts. Lawmakers need to protect the in dustry “from frivolous lawsuits that intend to run it out of business,” said Rep. Chuck Burley, R-Bend. The bill, which also covers ammu nition, is sought by Nosier, Inc., a long time Bend-based ammunition maker. The measure still would permit damage lawsuits to be brought under allegations that weapons were defec tive or that laws governing firearms sales were violated. Gun sellers also could be sued for damages when there was evi dence they knew or should have known that a buyer “was likely to use the firearm in a manner that would cause unreasonable risk of physical injury.” Democratic Rep. Robert Acker man of Eugene argued that the bill probably would be struck down in court. He said the measure would take away the state constitutional right to a legal remedy for an injury — the right to sue for damages — without providing an alternative. But Rep. Wayne Krieger, D-Gold Beach, said the remedy is “you can sue the person using the gun.” Other supporters said baseball bats and cars can be used to injure people and that product makers shouldn’t be responsible for their criminal misuse. Opponents of the bill contended I that it goes too far in shielding a busi ness from liability for negligence. The bill “singles out one industry and says they have no duty of care,” said Rep. Greg Macpherson, D-Lake Oswego. He said the measure apparently would bar a lawsuit if a gun dealer left a store unlocked at night and weapons were stolen or if a loaded gun was left unattended. “At least the facts should go to a judge or jury,” he said. Three workers injured in chemical plant blast PORTLAND — Three people suf fered minor injuries Monday after a pressure cooker exploded at a chemical plant near the Columbia River, officials said. The injuries were not considered life-threatening and the workers un derwent decontamination before being taken to an area hospital, ac cording to Portland Fire and Rescue. Workers at Lacamas Laboratories Inc. were heating a pharmaceutical precursor used in drugs to fight HIV in Africa when the pressure cooker exploded, causing a two-alarm fire, officials said. State and city environmental agen cies were on the scene, monitoring whether chemicals from the plant leaked into the Columbia River. “It was a pretty substantial explo sion,” Lt. Allen Oswalt of the Port land Fire Bureau told KPTV at the scene. “There were some in there that were bad actors — chemicals that don’t play well together.” About 200 workers at a nearby Nordstrom warehouse were evacu ated following the explosion. Power to the area was knocked out, and a water main and natural gas lines were damaged, officials said. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. School superintendent resigns after citation PORTLAND — The superintend ent of the North Bend School District has resigned following a citation for public indecency. Michael Struiksma, 51, had been on paid suspension since May 2 pending an investigation into allega tions he violated his contract with the school district. The school board did not release details when it announced the sus pension or the resignation. But the Douglas County sheriff’s office told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Struiksma had been cited for public indecency after a county parks department employee overheard a sexual encounter between two men in a public rest room on the docks at Winchester Bay on April 21. The parks worker took down the license plate numbers of cars driven by the two men and gave it to sher iff’s deputies, who investigated and eventually cited Struiksma on May 1, said Deputy Dwes Hutson, sher iff’s department spokesman. Deputies also cited Joshua David Cox, 22, of Elkton, Hutson said. Struiksma was scheduled to ap pear May 31 in Douglas County Jus tice Court in Reedsport to enter a plea to the misdemeanor citation. Rick Evans, chairman of the. North Bend school board, an nounced after a board meeting Monday night that Struiksma had resigned. “As of today, he is no longer em ployed by the district,” Evans told The Register-Guard. “From our perspective, it’s over.” Struiksma was hired as superin tendent May 3, 2004, and began work last July at an annual salary of $90,000. He previously served as an assistant superintendent in Alba marle County, Va., and Silver City, N.M., according to the North Bend School District’s Web site. Evans told The Register-Guard that the school board has not dis cussed hiring a new superintendent, but he said the district likely would hire someone temporarily for next year and conduct a search for a permanent replacement. The board named veteran school district administrator Jim Moyer, 58, as interim superintendent. Bones of man found near Seattle-area park BLACK DIAMOND, Wash. — Hu man bones have been found near Kanaskat-Palmer State Park east of this King County town southeast of Seattle. Sheriff’s Sgt. John W. Urquhart said the remains of Thomas Bottorff, 45, apparently had been in place about 18 months before they were found Saturday in a wooded, overgrown area. Investigators in the King County medical examiner’s office said Mon day the cause of death remained undetermined. The Associated Press jEiV ^outcaWP Sc^oo\w ’“'^rSSSS Unwet®1* #*»■»■1 s“.X»sw »,e “' “i o««»"w iSSZs&S*^' «S5**—* ■ n pampas c'asses’9 , ncC ed«lss29 f Of 0P'can V n0to'N^ pC _ 022192 Sign up for summer campS^ Camps include work with day, ^ *“ glass and painting projects Space is limited, sign up ASAP / • Decorate Your World • How Does Your Garden Gn • By the Sea • We Love Our Pets • Fairy Princess Paint Party • Paint the Masters • Personalized Dinnerware • Family and Friends www.brush-fire.com 954 Pearl St. | 485-7161 | 10-9 M-Sat. | 10-8 Sun. FREE POOL TIE 10PM Til CLOSE SUN & MON $7 CAD BOMBS $2.25 PABST Wednesday $2.25 Sushi Dolls 99 WEST BDOADWAY • 683-3154 The First Annual Farmer’s Market at the University of Oregon Bookstore. Wednesday, May 11-8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Join the Students for Local Foods at the UO Bookstore in welcoming farmers and speakers as they share information about locally grown foods. Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., UO Bookstore Buy fresh produce and food. Meet with your local farmer about CSA opportunities or internships. Featured farmers: Byrd's Share Basket, Fox Hollow Creek Nursery, Little Wing Farm, Muslin Creek Farm, Menzter Farm, Nettle Edge Farm, River Bend Farm, Rogue Creamery, Sweet Briar Farms, Sweetwater Nursery, Tea Lady Specialty Teas, Wintergreen Farm, Waltland Butterfly Flower Garden. Speakers, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., EMU Amphitheater Enjoy FREE local snacks while experts discuss locally grown foods and community supported agriculture. Featured speakers: Jen Anonia, Ann Bettman, Kate Darby, Susan Bowi-McCoy, Rachael DeBuse, Jason Schreiner, Galen Martin, Jeremy Roth. For more information, contact Karen Pettinelli at (508) 259-4427 or email kpettine@gladstone.uoregon.edu UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE 895 E. 13th Street ■ 346-4331 ■ UOBookstore.com Non-profit. Owned by UO students faculty and staff since 1920.
