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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2003)
and philosophy of Wiccan witchcraft. She has taught magic, work- shops, ritual and Wicca. Starhawk’s study and prac- tice of Earth- based spirituality led to her concern for Starhawk the environment and to activism. Her life changed when she went to the WTO protest in Seattle in 1999. She writes in Webs of Power, “I went to Seattle reluctantly. I went with somewhat the same attitude with which I used to go to syna- gogue as a child — thinking I would fulfill a somewhat unpleasant duty, feel absolved of my guilt for a little while, come home and resume my life. Instead I found myself galvanized into a new level of political activity.” Since Seattle, Starhawk has focused on global justice. She trains activists through role- play: acting out dangerous situations and trying different responses and tactics stressing flexi- bility and centeredness. Training also includes planning techniques for pre-action, survival techniques in jail and post-action support (de- briefing, trauma counseling, etc). In 2000 Starhawk trained activists in Washington, D.C., Prague, Brazil and Argentina. She partic- ipated in the April 2000 IMF/World Bank blockade, the 2000 World Social Forum in Porte Alegre, the Quebec April 2001 action, and was in Genoa in July 2001 as a witness to the brutality there. Starhawk organizes, facilitates, and builds alliances between groups such as labor, churches, and NGOs that are striving for jus- tice. She writes eyewitness accounts of these experiences and inspirational fables, clarifying and sharing issues that are otherwise clouded with propaganda and brutality. Starhawk will conduct workshops at Lost Valley, Dorris Ranch, Grower’s Market and the WOW Hall. She will speak at the EMU and hold a booksigning at Mother Kali’s. She will also lead a Ritual for the Earth at Dorris Ranch. For more information, visit www.lostvalley.org/starhawk.html or www.starhawk.org/ — Paula Hoemann WILD NATURE AT STAKE The brewing battle over Biscuit fire “sal- vage” logging is about more than trees. Four people made history when they sat down on the Bald Mountain road in southwestern Oregon 20 years ago. Arms linked, they blocked a bull- dozer and heavy equipment that were building an illegal Forest Service road into the rugged, roadless backcountry of the Siskiyou National Forest. A series of blockades ensued, bringing 44 arrests and national attention. A federal judge halted the road-building and the Bald Mountain Blockades quickly became for forest activism what the Rosa Parks incident was for the civil rights movement. Twenty years after Bald Mountain, events in the Siskiyou Wild Rivers area are again making history. Eugene area residents have a chance to learn more about the longest sus- tained forest protection campaign in Oregon at 7:30 pm Monday, May 19 in the UO EMU Fir Room. Lou Gold, nationally-known storyteller and “Sage of the Siskiyous” will share his first- hand accounts as well as a new retrospective video. — Rolf Skar BURN OUT The city of Eugene projects that at least 14 of its firefighters will retire this coming year due to the threat of cutbacks in the state PERS pension system. Although replacing senior workers at the top of the pay scale with new workers making starting wages often saves employers money, the city is projecting a big initial financial hit. The firefighter retirements will cost $300,000 next year, the city estimates. That includes $100,000 in required payoffs to retiring em- ployees; $55,000 in hiring and promotion costs for replacements; $150,000 in pay for a dozen new hires to attend a 12-week training course; $20,000 in new uniforms/equipment and $50,000 in firefighter overtime to cover shifts until new staff are hired and trained. — AP CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS Regarding our story last week on “Livestock with Fins,” the owner of Fisherman’s Market on 7th Avenue tells us he has never sold farmed Atlantic salmon, “and never will.” FREE TO THE PUBLIC • REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED Friends of Eugene Annual Meeting 1000 FRIENDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BOB STACEY speaks about Land Use: The Legislature and Beyond THURSDAY, MAY 22 AT F I R S T U N I T E D M E T H O D I S T C H U R C H • 1376 OLIVE Bob Stacey is Executive Director of 1000 Friends of Oregon, a 28-year-old public interest group that advocates smart growth and countryside conservation through the effective implementation of the State’s land use planning laws. From 1975 to 1986, Bob Stacey was a staff attorney for 1000 Friends of Oregon. FOR MORE INFORMATION C O N TA C T: friends of eugene 514-4766 • www.friendsofeugene.org When life becomes too much of a M OW L AWN. W ASH C AR. D O L AUNDRY. Can’t this weekend wait until next weekend? chore, consider the P ORTLAND B IG D EAL. Just one call ensures you an unforgettable weekend of theater, music, fabulous shopping, great food, and an amazing deal on a beautiful hotel room. In light of all that, everything else will just have to wait. www.travelportland.com/ct — or call — 1-87-PORTLAND (that’s 1-877-678-5263, toll-free) Great music, theater and dance, plus deals on dining and travel on the Amtrak Cascades, not to mention the absolute lowest rates at the finest hotels in town. With complimentary continental breakfasts, free parking and fabulous shopping! Rates valid from October 1, 2002 to May 31, 2003, subject to availability. Offer does not apply to prior reservations. Space is limited. Valid for individual/family leisure travel only. Does not apply for business or convention travel. Other restrictions may apply. MAY 15, 2003 9
