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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 14, 2003)
news Briers writer's blockby what I found there ... " • For ~e local performances, Eugene ac- tress Katherine Lewis and Ashland actress Carolyn Hitt will share the role of Fox McFearlips. The original staging of the play was directed by Alan Donovan. Rude Awakening has been performed in Ashland, Grants Pass, Portland and Canyonville, and has been well received by audience members across the political spec- trum. "It's amazing wl:i.at happens when you drop judgment," McGowan says with a smile. "Rude has a very diverse fan club." Performances are followed by an optional sing-a-long of the show's theme song, "If We're the Problem, We're the Solution," which McGowan will victeotape and send to President Bush, Sens. Walden and Wyden, U.S. Rep. Defazio a~d Gov. Kulongoski. "Each tape comes with a letter thanking our leaders for dedicating their lives to public service and letting them know we are here to help them deal· with today's difficult cha!- , lenges. I just received a personal note from Sen. Smith thanking me for the thoughtful note I sent with th\: first round of tapes," McGowan said. Schedule information and will-call reser- vations are available at 688-8270. HYND! BRINGING IN OUTSIDE WORKERS? Unemployment among unionized Lane County sheetmetal workers is running high this summer-;- about 35 o'ut of 175 are with- out work ~ and adding to their frustrations are rumors that. Hynix Semiconductor in Eugene is bringing in non-union workers from Korea to do duct work for its latest re- tooling. Retired sheetmetal worker Henry Alvis says he "can't prove it," but he heard from an engineer at H)'!1iX that "they're using a lot of in-house people, and they're also using these Korean nationals" for sheetmetal work. ''They did it without hiding it in the first re- model, and this is the second remodel, and I guess they got so much flack they're trying to keep it hidden this time." Alvis says it's "not even kosher" that they use their in-house people because "when you use pipes that move air, it's our work, accord- ing to the rules in construction and the union construction rules." The computer chip manufacturing pliµit in west Eugene was recruited to the valley and given $50 million in tax breaks based on its promises to create local jobs for local peo- ple. Hynix officials dicf~ not respond to a re 0 quest for information regarding the rumor, but Jack Roberts, 9irector of the Lane Metro Partnership, says the last time he heard the rumor it was regarding pipe-fitters. "I have· talked to· Hynix about this generi- cally," says Roberts, "and my understanding is that the workers they brought over from Korea have been people charged with in- stalling w4at they call 'tools,' but which.the rest of us would think of as extremely expen- sive equipment - as in $100 million or so. My understanding is that the workers in ques- tion are responsible for installing and main- taining these 'tools,' here and at other Hynix plants around the world, and are Hynix em- ployees, not contract labor being imported from Korea." Roberts says the installation of this equip- ment "enables Hynix to continue to provide www.eugenewee11v.com over 1,000 jobs at this site, over 95 percent of which are filled by locals. I think it makes sense for them to use people who are trained, experienced and already in their employ to do this work." Doug McClaughry, business representa- tive for Sheetmetal Workers Local 16, says Roberts might be right about the Hynix crew, and a few ofhis members have gotten work at ·Hynix recently; but he remains concerned about 'sheetm~tal· workers, plumbers and electricians losing jobs in enterprise zones all over Oregon. About 400 out of 1,200 mem- bers statewide are unemployed. "You give these enterprise zones great big tax breaks and then they do all the construc- tion work with out-of-area p~op1e. Guys come in, whether it be from a different coun- try or a different state . . they don't spend much here, they just send it back home. Taxpayers are sharing the burden and not get- ting any reward for it." -TJT ashion hat pays jo be me. Don't like the drillt Dorin Word Don't like the neecllet DDS, PCJ.A.G.D. LIBRARY ADDS HOURS The new Eugene Public Library will be open more hours starting Jan. 1. The down- town building will be open from IO am to 8 pm Monday through Thursday and 10 am to 6 pm Friday through Sunday. The Sheldon and Bethel branch libraries will have similar hours except they'll be closed Sundays. In aU, the city is adding eight more hours to the downtown library schedule and 16 more open hours at each of the branch li- braries. · The added hours will be funded through 2007 by the $20 million Measure 20-58 vot- ers passed last.year. - Alan Pittman LOCAL CHILDREN'S 'ZINE GOES NATIONAL • All Round, a local publication "for chil- dren ages one to 100 and up that champions people who love the earth," has acquired a contract with Ingram Periodicals, a major leader in the specialty magazine distribution industry. The magazine has been nationally distrib- uted since it started in 1998, but ona smaller scale by regional companies scattered across the continent. All Round will continue distri- bution through regional carriers. With the ad- ditional Ingram-contract comes the possibil- ity of having the magazine carried in more than 9,000 stores, including national chains like Borders, Barnes & Noble and Waldenbooks. Marketing Director Nathen Lester says circulation for the biannual public~tion has more than doubled, jumping from 1,500 to 3,000 since signing with Ingram. The magazine, printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper with vegetable inks, is "a vibrant, interactive investigation of a theme, handmade by Tilke [Elkins, editor and illustr.ator] in collaboration with other local artists and featuring artwork by read- ers." The latest issue "All About Being Born," which Elkins calls "our best yet," is available locally at Bambini, Book Mark, Mother Kali's Books and Sundance Natural Foods. - Bobbie Willis !tin of tht Atm/tm/ · ,, ftnt16/ IJtntiitl1 : 300 Country Club Rd Eugene, Oregon Did you know that with the Waterlase dental laser, Dr. Ward can complete dozens of different procedures with NO shot , NO drill, and most importantly NO pain. ( 5 41) 686-2441 5reathe! Tune in to Fresh Air for intimate conversations with prominent cultural figures and current affairs experts. Fresh Air with Terry Gross • Weekdays 3-4 pm www.klcc.org A service of Lane Community College - COR~ECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS • Last week's cover story on OFAM, "Show Tunes," was missing a by-line. The story was written by Brett Campbell. :flJe;ntL.:ay new Del McCoury Band It's Just The Night THE PLACE TO IT. FIND * * ONSALE 99 541 683•6902 • WWW ,CDWEBWORLD ,COM Offer good 1hrough September 14, 2003 at CD Wor1d eugene weeKlV AUGUST 14, 2003 9
