In a surprise move,
Andy Stahl Wellborn
— national environ-
mental advocate,
local sheep farmer
and son of world-
renowned biologist
Frank Stahl — has ap-
plied for the East Lane
County Commission spot
opening Aug. 15. Commissioner Tom
Lininger is leaving the board to teach at the
UO Law School.
Stahl Wellborn, who has served as execu-
tive director of Forest Service Employees for
Environmental Ethics (FSEE) for almost a
decade now, says he decided to try for the ap-
pointment in part because of his upbringing
and history in Lane County, and in greater
part because of his experiences the last three
years fostering, and ultimately adopting, two
children through local social service agen-
cies. “That was our first introduction to the
social safety net and the important services
government provides for people who are in
just really deep trouble,” says Stahl.
In terms of what he would hope to accom-
plish given the chance, Stahl Wellborn
would like to see “substantially lower levels
of unemployment, lower levels of drug
abuse, and substantially increased support for
K-12 education.” But he also understands
that “these are generally not matters that
county government can affect unilaterally.”
As the top three concerns for East Lane
County, Stahl Wellborn identifies: reautho-
rizing the Secure Rural Schools and
Community Self-Determination Act; eradi-
cating methamphetamine use and its ensuing
criminal and health risks; and seeking from
the state Legislature a better balance in the al-
location of payments to counties for educa-
tion — amending the division of funds from
75-25 percent in favor of roads to a 50-50
split, or even better, 75-25 in favor of
schools.
Twenty-two other Lane County residents
have also applied for the position. They are
Scott Bell of Springfield; Michael Dean of
Coburg; Stephen J. Dingham of Creswell;
Randall P. Gast of Eugene; Donald E.
Hampton of Oakridge; Cedric L. Hayden of
Fall Creek; Mark F. Herbert of Springfield;
Gordon B. Howard of Dexter; Kathy Keable
of Blue River; Ed Kemp of Springfield; Al
King of Springfield; Donald Nordin of
Cottage Grove; Martha Roberts of Creswell;
BASIL CHILDERS
SEASONED ENVIRO JOINS
COMMISSION HOPEFULS
Joachim Schulz of Cottage Grove; Myron B.
Smith of Oakridge; Fay H. Stewart II of
Cottage Grove; Anne (Lauri) Thomas of
Creswell; James Thrailkill of Vida; Cindy
Weeldryer of Cottage Grove; Ralph A,
Wheeler of Springfield; Gary L. Williams of
Cottage Grove; and David A. Wood of
Leaburg.
The deadline for applications was July
14, and the BCC began evaluating materials
July 16. While Lininger will stay involved in
the process for as long as he is able, he will
not be able to vote on his replacement. It re-
mains to be seen whether this pool of appli-
cants includes one that the four remaining
commissioners can agree upon.
— Bobbie Willis
HEMPFEST FOLK
DANCE WITH COPS
Despite obstacles in the planning stages,
the Emerald Empire HempFest will be held
from 10 am to 10 pm Saturday, July 19 at
Alton Baker Park.
Dan Koozer, one of the organizers of the
free HempFest, says the biggest roadblock to
making the event happen has been financial.
The organization’s original plan laid out a
$10,000 budget, typical for an event expected
to draw 2,500 people. What organizers didn’t
expect, however, were the costly require-
ments the Eugene Police Department had for
them.
“The police stated that they would just as
soon it didn’t happen, but set up parameters
we had to work under,” says Dan Koozer, one
of the festival organizers.
The most challenging of those parameters
is the $4,100 festival organizers have to shell
out to hire four off-duty police officers for ad-
ditional security at the event. The police offi-
cers cost more than six times what the organi-
zation is paying for private security.
“It was devastating to us,” Koozer says
about the additional requirements. But he is
optimistic that they may be able to get around
the police requirements next year if this
year’s event is successful.
Other than the EPD, Koozer says the re-
sponses they’ve received have been very pos-
itive.
“The Parks Department has been ab-
solutely fantastic,” he says, and the festival
has also received support and donations from
local businesses and organizations. In addi-
tion, all of the music at the event has been do-
nated.
“The positive responses we have received
are very gratifying and really keep us
The True REVOLUTIONARY is guided by feelings of LOVE
❤
❤
❤
★ Join us at Alton Baker
Park for Eugene’s first
Emerald Empire Hempfest
★ Check out the
PIE clothes in
the hemp
FASHION
SHOWS!
❤
❤
❤
❤
❤ Che Guevera
★ Stop by the store
and register to win
Bob Dylan tickets.
No purchase necessary.
★ And, as always, we’re
GRATEFUL for your support! ❤
pumped,” Koozer says.
In addition to music, the event will feature
vendors and non-profit organizations that
promote hemp products and processes.
Parking is limited, but valet parking for bicy-
cles will be available.
For more information, see Saturday
Calendar or visit www.emeraldempire-
hempfest.com or e-mail Dan Koozer at
dankoozer@yahoo.com — Kelly O’Brien
DUELING DOLLARS LEAVE
FOREST FATE FLOATING
If Kyle Spring is unfamiliar to you, it is
probably because the spring, and the two
acres of virgin Douglas fir forest that sur-
rounds it just outside the city of Monroe, is
bordered on four sides by private property.
Nevertheless, its upcoming sale by the city,
which can no longer use Kyle Springs as a
water source for Monroe, is sparking debate
and passions in area landowners. In an odd
coincidence, the two highest bids for the
property are identical at $70,500 each, yet
have come from two very different parties:
Mahogany Aulenbach, a staunch conserva-
tionist, and Todd Nystrom, the president of
Hull-Oaks Lumber Company.
Citizens expressed their concern over the
future of Kyle Spring and Nystrom’s inten-
tions for the land at the Monroe City Council
meeting Monday night, July 14. Headed by
Aulenbach, area citizens raised the bid price
over the past three months in their effort to
preserve the trees, some of which are larger
than six feet in diameter. “It surprises me that
when you did not need it (Kyle Spring) any-
more, you would give it to someone with the
potential of logging it off. We don’t have too
many big trees anymore,” Aulenbach said to
the council.
While Aulenbach and others are not cer-
tain what they would do upon acquiring the
property, “our first priority is saving the
trees,” said Katie Stokes, an advocate for
Kyle Spring’s conservation. Stokes urged the
council that “this is a unique chance for a city
to get a full bid, as high of a bid as they would
have got, and still have it as a city park or per-
haps a private park if they did not want it. We
(citizens) could own it and it can be preserved
as a remnant of an historic spring and the an-
cient forest forever instead of it going into
private hands.”
Nystrom was not present at the meeting,
but was reached for comment the following
morning. “This has nothing to do with Hull-
Oaks. This is my personal stuff,” he said.
Though he was unable to promise that the
land would never be logged, he stressed that
he, and Hull-Oaks in general, “look at the
long-term, for the future ... we’re guilty by
association. We’re the lumber industry.” Kyle
Spring and the surrounding trees are bor-
dered by Nystrom’s property on three sides.
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