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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 23, 2005)
| Oregon update | Today Tuesday Wednesday High: 69 High: 70 High: 78 Low: 46 Low: 48 Low: 53 Precip: 0% Precip: 0% Precip: 20% IN BRIEF Mount Hood resort seeks snow-making system GOVERNMENT CAMP, Ore. — After a dry winter that made for a disappointing ski season, the own ers of the Mount Hood Meadows ski resort are asking the federal govern ment for permission to build a snow-making system. If approved, the resort would be come the second in Oregon to have such a system, after Central Oregon’s Mount Bachelor. The proposal will be reviewed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ore gon Water Resources Department. The resort’s operators want permission to take water from an existing well and pump as much as 449 gallons per minute from the East Fork of the Hood River and turn it into snow. The ski area has also asked to build a million-gallon steel storage tank above ground that would be 29 feet high and 78 feet in diameter. The resort intends to bury 2.65 miles of steel pipe that could feed as many as 45 hydrants where snow blowing guns could be attached, enough to blow snow across more than 30 acres at lower elevations. But conservationists are objecting to the proposal, saying the Forest Service is limiting the public’s abili ty to investigate because it’s trying to fast-track the project so it can be built this summer. The Friends of Mt. Hood group is asking for increased scrutiny under the National Environmental Policy Act, which would give the group 30 days to review a final order and appeal the decision if it saw fit. Any decisions could also be de layed while biologists look at poten tial effects on endangered spotted owl habitat, said Doug Jones, the Forest Service project manager. Debate over water rights could also bog down the proposal. Supporters urge passage of mental health bill SALEM — Dozens of supporters of a proposal to require medical insurers to cover the costs incurred by treat ment for mental illness pleaded with members of the Oregon House to sup port the plan during a recent hearing. The proposal is the latest in a string of similar bills that have been introduced over the years to require insurance coverage for treating mental disorders. But unlike those previous bills, this plan, Senate Bill 1, has passed one chamber, winning Senate backing in March on a 23-6 vote. Still, the Republican-controlled House has been reluctant to take up mental-health parity proposals on account of objections by businesses to the increased cost of fulfilling in surance coverage mandates. Portland resident Vincent Salvi urged House members to consider the bill at a hearing this week, say ing the trauma of discovering that his son was afflicted with a schizo affective disorder was heightened by the fact that treatment costs quickly exceeded what insurance would pay. Salvi said he and his wife ended up dipping into their retirement savings and taking out a second mortgage to pay for their son’s treatment. “Very few people can make those types of financial commitments,” he said. Even so, Rep. Billy Dalto, R Salem, said the bill needed more work on such issues as designing coverage standards and mitigating business concerns about rising in surance costs. Twenty-three states have already passed or are considering legislation requiring private insurers to provide as much coverage for mental-health treat ments as they do for physical medical care. Washington’s Legislature passed such a bill this year. Many businesses, which share the costs of insurance with their employ ees, have opposed such efforts. The National Federation of Independent Business, Associated Oregon Indus tries and insurance companies are among those lobbying against the Oregon bill. Student ID bill expected to win House approval SALEM — A bill allowing Oregon’s public universities to contract with a private company to issue student-body cards is on its way to the House floor. Under the legislation, sensitive per sonal information such as Social Secu rity numbers would be protected. The bill is expected to get full House approval and be signed into law by the governor. HigherOne, a private financial serv ices company based in Connecticut, has contracted with Southern Oregon University and Portland State Univer sity to issue the cards. Students who receive financial aid can activate a debit card to access funds from a private checking account. The card looks like a MasterCard and uses a 10-digit account number. Some students were upset the con tract with HigherOne called for de tailed information, including name, gender, date of birth, and most impor tantly, Social Security numbers. But John Wykoff, executive director of the Oregon Student Association, said the Social Security number is only required if the student chooses to use HigherOne’s checking service. Both Portland State University and Southern Oregon University amended their contracts, making it clear the company would not have access to Social Security numbers. Students have a different comfort level now about giving out sensitive personal information, Wykoff said. He called the bill “a first good step” in pro tecting students from identity theft The Senate passed the bill April 26. Two hikers injured in North Sister avalanche BEND — An avalanche in the Cen tral Oregon Cascades injured two hik ers Sunday afternoon, authorities said. The victims were plucked from the 10,085-foot North Sister by Black hawk helicopters sent by the Oregon National Guard. The hikers were tak en to St. Charles Medical Center Bend, where they were being treated for injuries considered critical, said Kay Fristad, a Guard spokeswoman. A hospital spokeswoman said she had no information about the hikers. One Blackhawk helicopter re trieved a 40-year-old woman from about the 8,000-foot mark, Fristad said, adding that a second helicopter got a man who is about the same age. A Deschutes County dispatcher said the avalanche struck at about 1 p.m. — The Associated Press Oregon Ballroom Dance Club presents: c)n (d%ah ^Uerona A Formal Masquerade Ball Date: Friday, May 27tli Time: Le**on at 7:30, Dancing 8:30-11:30 Location: EMU Ballroom Cost: $8 atudent*, $10 community Price include* foxtrot/waltz leason* by Tim Bennet from Portland For more information, call 346-6025 or go to ballroom.uoregon.edu Say thank you. Throughout your college career there have always been people who believed in you. On June 11, show them how thankful you are by presenting them with the Stole of Gratitude. The Stole of Gratitude is worn during the graduation ceremony and presented afterward to: ■ Your favorite professor or GTF • Your parent or guardian ■ Anyone who has given you support Available now at the UO Bookstore UNIVERSITY OF OREGON 895 E 13th Ave. ■ 346-4331 ■ UOBookstore.com BOOKSTORE 022407 Sj asuo womens center director Candidate ‘Presentation Today 12:00-1:00pm Women’s Center Lounge Suite 3, EMU Lunch Provided Please join the Women’s Center in welcoming our first Director candidate Jennifer Siecienski Jennifer will present to students on her vision for the Women’s Center. The presentation will be followed by a Q/A session. For more information, call 346-4095 Keep MUSIC in your life at the WEtmM university of Oregon. SCHOOL OF MUSIC University of Oregon Do you like music? Broaden your knowledge by taking a music class, or join one of more than 20 performing ensembles. School of Music classes and ensembles are for all students, not just music majors. Register NOW for fall term! Fall Music Classes Open to All Students Those with an asterisk (*) satisfy Arts & Letters or Multicultural requirements. • Understanding Music* • Rock History* • Survey of Music History* • Jazz History* • Music in World Cultures* • Class Piano • Class Voice • Tabla Class • Guitar Classes: Classical, Jazz, Blues, Funk Join a Performing Group More than 20 ensembles are open to all students. Auditions and placements are September 21-25 at the School of Music. QUESTIONS? Call 346-1164 or 346-3761. music.uoregon.edu
