TIME TO FLUSH OUT
THE ADMINISTRATION
Three weeks ago David Oaks, executive
director of the international human rights sup-
port coalition MindFreedom (www.mindfree-
dom.org), found the electronic mailing lists
the organization uses to communicate with
members were not functioning. “We have a lot
of lists,” says Oaks, “including the Human
Rights Alert, which connects more than
13,000 people around the world by e-mail.”
The problem was with a hard drive crash at
Eugene Free Network, MindFreedom’s ISP.
This crash affected not only MindFreedom,
but other nonprofit organizations in Eugene.
Oaks was concerned about the crash, but even
more troubled that EFN had “no backup, no
redundancy, whatsoever.”
“Those lists,” says Oaks, “represent hun-
dreds of hours of work.” Oaks was told by
EFN Technical Manager Mike Jackson that
nothing could be done to retrieve the informa-
tion short of compiling what Oaks calls
“Frankenstein-ed lists” from recent mailings.
Jackson says the crash occurred because of
a “hardware failure.” On top of this, he ex-
plains, EFN is still working to change over to a
new Internet access company from their for-
mer provider, Rio, whose failed services for
EFN resulted in problems with e-mail and
Internet access. EFN is mired in a game of
catch-up, where, says Jackson, “We’re strug-
gling now just to meet the needs of our paid
services — dial-up, DSL and e-mail.”
Paul Harrison of EFN’s board of directors
says EFN is “in a tight financial situation,”
and that the organization is “looking at all pos-
sibilities.” He had no comment on whether
those possibilities included selling the organi-
zation, saying only, “We’re going to be sure to
protect the interest of our customers to the best
extent we can.”
For Oaks, further discussion with EFN
staff revealed that the mailing lists could be
accessed from the crashed hard drive through
a data retrieval process. Problem, says
Jackson, is the costs start at about $600 climb-
ing to as much as $2,000.
Says Oaks, “I’m sure that if we got a cou-
ple of nonprofits together, people would be
willing to pitch in to help with the cost.” Oaks
feels like this may be part of the problem: EFN
is not tapping into community feedback and
support in this time of struggle. “How about
some face to face meetings, getting commu-
nity people together to talk?” asks Oaks. “I am
concerned about what’s going on at
EFN/OPN. I respect this difficult time. …
Maybe it’s time to turn to the community.”
Oaks was able to speak one-on-one with
Harrison, and was assured that EFN was “not
kaput.” They also discussed pulling to-
gether community nonprofits inter-
ested and able to help defray costs
of the data retrieval process.
In an OPN meeting Friday,
April 9, EFN will continue
to discuss how to remain
viable as Eugene’s only
local
ISP.
Says
Harrison, “Members
of the community
who would like to
help may do so
through purchase of
services through
EFN or [monetary]
contributions to
Oregon
Free
Network.”
— Bobbie Willis
Patrice Dotson, 72, is a great-grand-
mother living on a fixed income, and she’s
scared. “Many of us are wondering what is
going to happen to us in this economy,” she
says. “We watch our rents go up and our
Medicare benefits go down. We watch our
medical expenses rise and our medical insur-
ance benefits lower.”
Dotson, a former corporate salesperson,
massage therapist, marketing director and
medical technologist, wonders if anyone in
the current presidential administration even
cares about senior citizens.
“Who in the decision-making depart-
ments are on our side? Who cares?” she asks.
To make a statement, Dotson has turned
an inspirational flash into a work of art she’s
selling. She’s created T-shirts and buttons
with the phrase: “Pull Cheney, Flush Bush.
It’s a healthy movement for America.”
The words and a commode comprise the
logo.
“It’s what I feel I can do,” says Dotson,
adding, “It’s miniscule but it’s something.”
INDEPENDENT ART
Dotson sells the T-shirts for $10 and the
CELEBRATED AT DIVA
buttons for $2. She sells out of her house and
An entire weekend celebrating inde-
at Saturday Market, as a strolling
pendent art and film begins this
vendor.
Friday at DIVA, 110 West
“People also get a
Broadway. The weekend kicks
chance to laugh a little
off Friday with a screening of
because of my message
Michael Dean’s film, DIY or
… and Lord knows, we
DIE: How to Survive as an
all can use a good laugh
Independent Artist, from 8 to
these days,” she says.
10 pm.
While sales con-
The film celebrates indepen-
tribute to her income,
dent artists of many kinds — mu-
Dotson is also planning on
sicians, performance artists and
donating a portion of the pro-
MICHAEL
computer savvy folk, and the do-it-your-
ceeds to the Democratic presiden-
DEAN
self ethic. Los Angeles-based Dean will be
tial front-runner.
on hand to answer questions and sing a few
“Perhaps if enough people pull and
songs.
enough people flush, we can get things mov-
Dean will stick around Saturday and
ing in a more healthy direction in the upcom-
Sunday for workshops tailored to indepen-
ing election,” she says.
dent artists, musicians and filmmakers from
To purchase the T-shirts and buttons, call
the community. They will be held from noon
344-4871 or find her at Saturday Market.
to 4 pm each day.
— AS
On Saturday, Dean will explore “How to
Produce Your Own Independent Film,” and
teach basic and intermediate video filmmak-
O BY
OT
PH
HELLE ABILD
EFN SCRAMBLING
TO MEET CHALLENGES
ing techniques.
On Sunday, Dean will share his strategies,
tips and tricks on getting worldwide exposure
without a budget for music, art and film pro-
jects in the workshop, “How to Promote
Independent Film, Music and Art.”
“Dean is irreverent and entertaining, and
his approach promises to be fun and informa-
tive for those involved,” says DIVA program
coordinator Carolezoom Patterson.
The cost for the weekend is $40 with pre-
registration or $20-25 per session. Call 954-
8373, or email carolezoom@mac.com.
Friday night’s film is $3-5, ss.
ACTIVIST ALERT
• David Cobb, front-running candidate
for the Green Party’s 2004 presidential nomi-
nation is expected to attend the Pacific Green
Party of Oregon’s upcoming Eugene event
from 5 to 7 pm Thursday, April 15 at the
Strand, 8th and Charnelton. The event is
billed as “an evening jam-packed with local
and national activists and candidates in a
friendly and informal setting.” Participants
will have the opportunity to meet candidates
and also meet organizers working on cam-
BY PAUL NEEVEL
PATRICE
DOTSON
LISA RIGNELL AND
SHEA HARDY
When Shea Hardy first met
Lisa Rignell at a meeting of
the Birth Companions
Network last September,
she learned that Rignell
was coaching pregnant
teens as a volunteer in
Willamette High’s teen par-
ent program. An Elmira
native and a 20-year
employee at PSC, Rignell
had experience helping with a dozen births in her own family. “I also wanted to do
service work with kids,” says Hardy. A South Eugene grad, she had recently
returned after seven years of travel as a nanny. “We met and it just clicked,” says
Rignell. “I was the only one doing this work. Shea got the bright idea to expand it
to other places.” At the next BCN meeting, the pair recruited six more doulas
(birth helpers) as volunteers. Their new project, Doulas Supporting Teens, has
become an element of teen parent programs at Springfield High, Looking Glass,
and the Opportunity Center, as well as Willamette. “We educate them on the birth
process, nutrition, and breast feeding,” says Rignell. “A big thing is birth control
afterwards. None of our girls has gotten pregnant again.” DST volunteers are cur-
rently coaching 14 pregnant teens. Five others gave birth last month.
APRIL 8, 2004 7