Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 2003)
• Going caroling Christmas Eve downtown? Take a change of underwear and a toothbrush in case you get jailed for gathering without a permit under the new city ordinance that takes effect Dec. 24. A lot of folks are planning to gather at Cozmic Pizza at 4:30 pm Christmas Eve to go caroling in protest. If anyone wants non-traditional protest carols, check out tweaked lyrics from The Vernal Education Project (www.vernalproject.org/other/rewrittencarols2002.pdf). To the tune of “Let It Snow,” sing “The Bill of Rights is dying/ And our freedoms, all goodbye-ing/ But so citizens won’t react/ We’ll bomb Iraq, bomb Iraq, bomb Iraq.” • Coming up in late January is a big event with long-term implications for Eugene. The city is planning a public design charrette, an “exploration of ideas for a civic center encompassing a new City Hall, police services building and other local government facilities.” Dates are Friday afternoon and evening, Jan. 23 at the Public Library and all day Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Atrium Building. Architects, planning commissioners, Downtown Neighbors and others will be expounding lofty ideas. We’re likely to see some inspired and visionary thinking at the charrette, but we also need to watch out for hidden agendas. Voters sent a strong message to the city in recent years by trouncing ballot measures to build an excessive and elaborate police headquarters. Will the new police digs be inspired by the new Ducks locker rooms at Autzen? We should also question whether we really need a new City Hall and police station. Would downtown revi- talization be better served by spending half those urban renewal millions on something people would flock to and actually use, such as a big indoor communi- ty swimming pool? HOLIDAY MARKET REPORTS GOOD SALES that’s welcoming.” Little says the Fairgrounds location near downtown has served the Holiday Market well over the years, and she appreciates Lane County commissioners who have rejected the idea of selling the Fairgrounds for a hospital site and relocating to the outskirts. “Goshen Holiday Market would not be quite the same thing,” she says with a laugh. — Ted Taylor • Congratulations to two local writers, Alison Cadbury and Mary O’Brien, for win- ning awards for literary non-fiction in the 2003 Oregon Literary Fellowships to Writers and to Publishers (www.literary-arts.org). Mountains and Rivers Press of Eugene was also a winner. Competition was stiff for the fellowships. Eighteen writers and five publishers were winners out of 258 applications. In her entry, O’Brien submitted columns she wrote for EW along with a Hells Canyon book project proposal. She recently had a column on risk assessment published world- wide by Rachel’s Environment & Health News (www.rachels.org). O’Brien is cur- rently working on alternatives for three Utah national forest plans. • Former County Commission candidate Bill Fleenor of western Lane County has put together a web page that documents the voting record of Commissioner Anna Morrison. Check out www.williamfleenor.com/ANNAWATCH.htm and find out what Anna’s been up to in recent years. SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com A S H L A N D ' S I N N & S PA AT L ITHIA S PRINGS TED TAYLOR Saturday Market’s Annual Holiday Market is cooking along in its final days and will be open from 10 am to 4 pm Christmas Eve for last-minute shopping, food and live music. The free event is held at the Lane County Fairgrounds on 13th Avenue. “Things are going great,” says Holiday Market Manager Beth Little. “We did get off CITY PONDERS STREET to a slow start, which is not unusual for us DIRECTIONS, GARAGE since we operate on more of a public market- place model, but then it really has been mov- A new Central Area Transportation Study ing pretty well.” (CATS) for downtown Eugene Little says the mar- proposes making Willamette and ket is not able to track five other street segments two-way dollar sales or atten- and building a parking garage dance accurately from costing up to $16 million. year to year, but she Eugene made many of its streets figures vendors are one way a half century ago in an ef- doing better than 2001 fort to make traffic flow more effi- and 2002, but perhaps ciently. But now city planners have not as good as 2000. found that one-way streets may Hundreds of ven- force people to drive farther, in- dors are represented at crease congestion in some areas the Holiday Market and make it hard to gain access to and the Farmers downtown businesses. To address Market next door at the problem, the city has proposed the Fairgrounds. re-opening six street segments Booths include every- Tamara Scott of Mood Lighting downtown to two-way traffic. Candles booth #200. thing from original art The proposal includes to clothing, toys and games, herbs and mas- Willamette Street from 13th to 20th avenues. sage. Making the street two-way would also make it “We have a community that really appre- easier on fire trucks deployed at the new fire ciates both spending their money locally and station at Willamette and 13th. The street supporting local, one-of-a-kind crafted could be reconfigured next year at a cost of items,” she says. “We thank our core support- about $169,000 in changing stripes, lights and ers — the folks who come every week, the signs. The plan also proposes to add a bike folks who enjoy having a meal in the food lane on Willamette from 11th to 19th avenues. court, who enjoy the free music and a place Other sections to be converted to two-way • Ralph Nader’s exploration of a presidential run 2004 is generating a lot of chat- ter, particularly on-line. One of the new websites that Dan Carol (Kumbaya Dammit) recommends is www.repentantnadervoter.com and it includes an open letter to Nader. Here’s an excerpt: “(Bush’s) presidency has been so destructive that the premise of your campaign — that the two parties are controlled by the same special interests and are therefore identical — has been proven wrong. If Al Gore were our president, we can be sure that significant disasters would have been avoided, including the tax cuts for the rich, the near destruction of the U.N., the Iraq War, and more. And even worse are the initiatives that the Bush adminis- tration will likely roll out in the future.” 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 Ashland's Inn & Spa at Lithia Springs Romance Package Romantic Getaway Packages $299 Getaway to the only lodging in Southern Oregon just per couple with a natural mineral spring & full/service spa on-site. 5 LAST CHANCE FOR SLOGANS EW’s contest to name a slogan for the city of Eugene is drawing to an end (see News Briefs, Dec. 11) and Dec. 24 is the last chance to submit entries. The contest is in response to the state’s new tourism slogan, “Oregon. We Love Dreamers.” Send your Eugene slogans to editor@eugeneweekly.com and please put “slogans” in the subject line, or drop off at EW offices, 1251 Lincoln St. Prizes will be awarded for the best slogans. All this from $319 ◆ 3 Days and 2 nights Lodging in a Garden Room ◆ Gourmet Hot Breakfasts each morning. Wine & Reserve at least nights and get: Hors de oeuvres each 2 afternoon. ◆ A 1 hour mineral tub soak & or massage for 2 ◆ Dinner for 2 at Verdant another package one of Ashland's ◆ Finest Dinner Restaurants. for 2 at Verdant - the new restaurant at Lithia another one of package Ashland's ◆ A Springs 1 hour or soak & massage for top 2, or restaurants. an ◆ allowance Wine, cheese, & hors oeuvres each afternoon toward spa d’ treatments of your choice. ◆ Gourmet breakfast each morning Upgrade to a available) suite or cottage and JUST 3 HOURS (room service SOUTH OF soak in a 2 person, mineral-spring EUGENE tub in the privacy of your room. Many available with fireplaces. 1-800-482-7128 www.ashlandinn.com Expires 1-15-04 Call 1-800-482-7128 • www.ashlandinn.com Room & Spa Treatment Upgrades Available Special good thru 1/1/04. Subject to availabilty. DECEMBER 24, 2003 7
