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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2003)
COUNCIL SEEKS DILUTED NEW CODE OF ETHICS The Eugene City Council plans to adopt a new code of ethics for public officials Sept. 8 with some questionable ethics. • The proposed code restricts city execu- tives from engaging in graft and corruption but apparently does not apply to the powerful city attorney. Critics have questioned whether the city attorney firm has conflicts of interest in working for both the city and for businesses with interests adverse to the city. • The City Council may vote to remove an elected official from his or her position if they find they intentionally engaged in graft, but they have no power to remove corrupt city ex- ecutives. The proposed code gives the city manager sole authority over such matters. • The new code is much weaker than the old Eugene City Charter. The old charter for- bids councilors with money interests in city contracts from serving on the council and for- bids councilors from voting on matters where they had a money interest. The new city rules are modeled on weak state ethics rules. The new city code would apply only to “actual” conflicts of interest where councilors know- ingly and directly profit from their votes. A charter vote last year allowed the City Council to make up its own ethics rules. — AP MLK MARCH THURSDAY Forty years ago on Aug. 28, more than 250,000 people joined the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. In commemoration, a march is planned in Eugene Thursday, Aug. 28 The march’s theme is, “Fulfill the Dream! Work for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation.” Marchers will gather at 5 pm at the Autzen Stadium east parking lot. At 5:30 pm, com- munity elders and human rights activists will lead the march along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, celebrating the renaming of the street. The march will proceed to Cuthbert Amphitheater for a 6:30 pm program with speeches, singing and a reading of Dr. King’s words. For more information, call 682-5177. SEXUAL ASSAULT BILL PASSES IN SALEM Advocates who work to assure that vic- tims of sexual assault have access to emer- gency health care including emergency con- traception celebrated a major victory Aug. 25 as the Senate voted to pass SB 752. “This is a major victory for the women of Oregon,” says Kitty Piercy, public affairs di- rector of Planned Parenthood. “This bill will provide help for women who have experi- enced sexual assault and do not have insur- ance coverage.” Piercy says the bill was stuck in the Senate facing opposition from Sen. Minnis because of the emergency contraception cov- erage, which is a standard of care in Oregon for assault victims. EARLY DEADLINES EW’s offices will be closed Labor Day, Sept. 1, and will re-open Tuesday, Sept. 2. Please note an EARLY ADVERTISING DEADLINE of 5 pm Thursday, Aug. 28 for our Sept. 4 issue. For more information, call 484-0519. Save 20 to 50% on a wide selection of living room, dining room, bedroom, and office furniture. TROUBLE AT MOTHER’S Amidst its own inner conflicts, the future of Mother Kali’s Bookstore is in jeopardy. But this time, the issue is money. Board members called a public meeting Aug. 20 to alert the community to Mother Kali’s precipitous financial situation, and to get an idea of how important the store’s per- petuation is to Eugene. After detailing the store’s budget chal- lenges, Joyce Thomas, the board’s treasurer, told the two dozen women in attendance that the store’s future can play out in one of three ways: Mother Kali’s could be closed immedi- ately and plans could be made to break the store’s lease and liquidate its materials; or staff can try and make it through the heavy fall booksale period, which could cover the losses incurred over the summer and keep it in the black until November or December; or “Mother Kali’s just keeps on,” said Thomas, although the marketplace and the community make that seem unlikely. “It seems the only chance at paying off our debts is to have the fall book sale,” said Thomas. The onslaught of web-based book sales and chain stores has already claimed several independent bookstores in Eugene, and Mother Kali’s has also suffered. “It’s a social- ist institution, and it’s at odds with the culture it’s in ... I don’t know if it can go forward un- less someone’s got a lot of money and a lot of time,” said Teri Ciacchi, Mother Kali’s acting manager. “In the ’70s, Mother Kali’s was more than a bookstore. It was a gathering place ... we do have other needs besides the books,” said one woman in the audience. A decision about the store’s future has yet to be made, but Thomas urges that Mother Kali’s could use more board members, par- ticularly with financial and legal back- grounds. “Support your local bookstore by buying books, if you want it to be around,” she said after the meeting. — Celene Carillo Queen-size bed, metal frame, gray finish. Can be special ordered in other colors. was $399 Sale $299 Contemporary leather sofa in spice, cream, camel, or black. 89" x 39" x 35" h. was starting at $1199 Sale from $999 Comfortable leather sofa in tomato, spice, cream, or blue. 84" x 39" x 37" h. was starting at $1399 Entertainment unit with swivel top, in cherry or teak. was $469 Sale from $1199 Sale $369 EUGENE • 856 Willamette Street • 541-342-5000 We validate parking at Overpark, Parcade, and U.S. Bank Other Oregon locations: BEAVERTON, MEDFORD, PORTLAND Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6, Sun. 12-6 • www.scan-design.com AUGUST 28, 2003 9
