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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 8, 2003)
EISENBERG IN EUGENE David Eisenberg believes that using tradi- tional techniques and modern innovations may repair some of the negative impacts of main- stream construction. Eisenberg will visit Eugene to share his ideas on construc- tion and ways that designers, builders and local officials can merge the goals of safe buildings with sustainable human activities. A nationally known expert on sustainable construction, Eisenberg will speak 7 pm Friday May 9 at the EWEB Training Room, 500 E. 4th Ave. The presenta- tion is free and open to the public. “We are very lucky to have a person of Mr. Eisenberg’s stature in Eugene,” says Bruce Sullivan, president of the Eugene Chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild. “His ideas will inform our discussion about construction and development in a way that can help us move forward.” This presentation is a great opportunity to hear from someone who makes technical infor- mation understandable and the concept of sus- tainability practical and tangible, according to Keli Osborn, with the City of Eugene’s Planning & Development Department. “Green building can be another tool for us — designers, contractors, homeowners, business people and others — to build healthy, vibrant communities together,” Osborn said. Eisenberg has been active at the national level to promote better acceptance of sustain- able building practices within model building codes, which serve as the basis for codes in Oregon. HOW DO WE HELP? Men batter more than 132,000 Oregon women a year. In 80 percent of cases, victims don’t initially seek services designed to help battered spouses. But they often do tell their friends and family members. If someone comes to you, how can you help? Sacred Heart is spon- soring a free educational session to provide the answer from 7-9 pm Tuesday, May 13 in the au- ditorium at 13th and Hilyard. Margo Schaefer of Womenspace will give the presentation. Call 485-8232 for information and 984-4245 to reg- ister. — Alan Pittman METRO FIRE Should Eugene merge its fire department with Springfield and area rural districts to save money and increase safety? Eugene appears to be moving away from the idea. The city recently whithdrew from an agreement to cooperate in ambulance billing and FireMed memberships. But Eugene Fire Chief Tom Tallon wrote to the city council last month that he remains open to merger ideas. “This does not mean that we are unwilling in general to work in partnership with Springfield or that there is some type of a ‘feud.’” Tallon said many of the rural districts in the metro area value their autonomy and would be unlikely to support a merger. “I know of no local jurisdiction other than Springfield that has reached the conclusion that formation of a fire district would be in the best interests of its con- stituency.” One big unresolved question would be money. Eugene has a far larger and richer tax base than Springfield and nearby rural areas. Will Eugene taxes go to subsidize fire services in Springfield and rural Lane County? “I do not believe it would be wise for Eugene or any other neighboring fire district to respond in haste to suggestions” about a merger, Tallon said. — AP CPA Members will review last year’s events and accomplishments and discuss this year’s priorities. A new steering committee and offi- cers will be elected. Alan Siporin and Kitty Piercy will be guest speakers beginning about 8 pm. Siporin is expected to talk about Eugene’s “unique culture”; Piercy will talk about reach- ing consensus on a “healthy direction for Eugene.” For more information, call Jan Spencer at 686 6761. The LandWatch meeting will include pre- sentations by Robert Emmons, Lauri Segel and Lane County Commissioner Tom Lininger. For more information, call 741-3625. CPA, LANDWATCH GATHER AMERICAN PARITY Local watchdog group Citizens for Public Accountability (CPA) will hold its 7th annual membership meeting from 7 to 9 pm Wednesday, May 14 at the Eugene library’s Bascom Room. LandWatch Lane County is planning its annual meeting the same time, same night at the EWEB Training Room, 500 E. 4th. Both meetings are free and open to the public. President George Bush wants to spend $1.7 billion to rebuild Iraq. But local Congressman Peter DeFazio asks, “Where’s the plan to rebuild America?” “Forty-five million Americans have no health insurance. Oregon has a $4 billion prob- lem with crumbling bridges. We can’t afford to fund an entire school year,” says DeFazio. To TO PAY OR NOT TO PAY The Hult Centers’ newest residency company, Willamette Repertory Theatre, is under fire from local actor Bary Shaw for not honoring a payment contract. Shaw, who had the leading role of ethical lawyer Atticus in the Rep’s critically and most finan- cially successful show, To Kill a Mockingbird, a play about social justice, can’t understand why WRT is refusing to honor a signed contract, which states that he would be paid by Feb. 21, 2003, the end of the show’s run. Kirk Boyd, WRT artistic director, says the theater company, like many arts organizations locally and nationally, is currently having some financial troubles because the depressed economy has resulted in fewer grants being offered this year. It hopes to do well enough with its upcoming production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) to satisfy back debts. During its short history, WRT has relied on box office receipts of one show to pay debts incurred from the last. But Shaw isn’t satisfied with that answer. He points to a letter to cast members from the WRT board dated Feb. 27 that lists five reasons WRT hadn’t yet paid the actors. Shaw points out that “all of those reasons were known at the time of the signing of the con- tract,” which makes him believe the contract was signed in bad faith. Boyd says that although there is a written, dated contract, WRT had a “verbal understanding” with all of the actors going into the show that they might have to wait for their money. He ad- 8 MAY 8, 2003 mits that including a date of payment on the contract was not a wise decision. “We shouldn’t have done that,” he says. Meanwhile, another letter to the cast from the board dated April 11 states that WRT has “made some changes” and that includes not delineating a particular date of payment in the future. Meanwhile, Mockingbird’s Equity (actors union) cast mem- bers have already been paid. Boyd says he must pay those actors “in order to continue our relationship with the union” and that also, Equity demands that actors receive the majority of pay up front, with the remaining compensation doled out during the length of the contract. The upcoming production of Complete Works employs three actors, two of whom are Equity. That means those two actors might receive the majority of their compensation for that show before most of the Mockingbird cast members have been paid. So far, the only non-Equity actors to have received any pay for Mockingbird are those who have “asked for a payment plan,” says Boyd, and Shaw was not one of those actors. Boyd says he called Shaw after Shaw wrote a letter of complaint to the board, but Shaw never returned his call. Shaw agrees Boyd called him to “have a chat” but he didn’t respond. “For a theater company that calls itself ‘professional,’ I don’t believe they’re behaving professionally,” says Shaw. “We’re not trying to hide anything or screw anybody,” says Boyd, adding that he and the WRT board “are working on this on a daily basis.” According to WRT Board President Jonathan Brandt, ticket help people here, DeFazio and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) last month introduced the “American Parity Act,” a bill to match Bush’s Iraq money with funding for health care, educa- tion and infrastructure here at home. — AP CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS • In our “Raid Brings Lawsuit” story last week, some information was incorrect. The official complaint to the Eugene Police Department was not just planned but actually filed April 30 by the Whiteaker Community Council. The impending lawsuit will be filed on behalf of only the four victims of the police raid last October. Also, a statement about the incident attributed to the WCC was actually from attorney Lauren Regan. For information on the case and related neighborhood organiz- ing visit WCC’s new website www.whiteaker.us • A quotation near the end of our cover story on Latinos last week was missing a word. It should have read, “It’s easier to criticize some- body you know a little about.” sales for Complete Works are going well and WRT is also await- ing word on whether or not it will receive a grant from the Silva Trust, which would pay the salaries of Equity actors for next sea- son’s Moon for the Misbegotten. The company has also begun a $500,000 capital campaign, for which $80,000 has already been pledged. “There are so many things that are positive for us,” says Brandt, “and we’re absolutely committed to paying actors and raising the funds to do so.” The Rep was formed in 1999 and touted as “Eugene’s only professional theater company.” Boyd meant to employ a large number of Equity actors to meet this claim and to raise the bar of performance. After the first season, however, he determined that not only were local, non-Equity actors cheaper, they were often just as talented. Boyd also learned that local actors had box office draw, bringing in family, friends and local fans. Meanwhile, other area theaters, who employ the same non- Equity actors hired by WRT, have also begun to pay, although on a smaller scale. And although many local actors are willing to ap- pear in plays around town without pay, some won’t perform un- less they’re paid. Shaw, who has years of experience acting in Eugene, says he wouldn’t have taken this role without compensa- tion, as he invested hundreds of hours preparing, rehearsing and performing, and used up 40 hours of his vacation time. Brandt says he “feels bad we haven’t been able to pay people,” and Boyd points out, that despite the delay, “The important thing to remember is that everybody has always been paid, eventually.” — Aria Seligmann
