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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2004)
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV) took a clear stand favoring Kitty Piercy over Nancy Nathanson in the Eugene mayor’s race in its endorsements this week. OLCV’s “Seal of Approval” tells voters which candidates they can trust to protect clean water, clean air, wildlife and farmland. Receiving an OLCV endorsement are 69 candidates in 65 races across the state including 27 local candidates (see a complete endorsement list at www.olcv.org). “Almost every politician Kitty Piercy claims to be for a clean envi- ronment; but they don’t all vote that way,” says Jonathan Poisner, OLCV’s executive director. “Piercy has a proven track record of vot- ing to protect clean water, making polluters pay to clean-up their messes, and supported Eugene’s Toxics Right-to-Know program. Her lifetime environmental record is 87 per- cent,” says Jennifer DeMuth of the Lane County chapter of OLCV. “Nancy Nathanson’s record is in stark contrast, rat- ing just 10 percent on OLCV’s most recent Eugene City Council Scorecard. Nathanson voted against protecting Eugene’s water quality, to weaken Eugene’s Toxics Right- to-Know program, and to allow more sprawl onto farmland.” OLCV also endorsed council candidates Bonnie Bettman, Betty Taylor, Andrea Ortiz and Chris Pryor, along with County Commission candidate Pete Sorenson. In legislative House races, OLCV en- dorsed both Mitzi Colbath and Paul Holvey in District 8, Phil Barnhart in District 11, Bob Ackerman in District 12 and Bev Ficek in District 14. UO DESIGN CONFAB THIS WEEKEND The emergence of earth-friendly design and sustainability get top billing, followed by “trashy fashion” in the 10th annual H.O.P.E.S. Conference at UO April 16-18. Holistic Options for Planet Earth Sustainability is an ecological design gath- ering organized by students at the UO School of Architecture and Allied Arts. Students, professionals and community members are invited to the weekend of pan- els, workshops and speakers. See schedule http://hopes.uoregon.edu Keynoters this year are Eric Lloyd Wright, Edward Blake Jr., Ananya Roy and Brock Dolman. Wright, grandson of Frank Lloyd Wright, is an architect specializing in organic architecture and green building de- sign. Blake is a noted landscape architect from Mississippi. Roy is an author and pro- fessor of urban studies and planning at UC- Berkeley. Dolman is an ecologist, activist and educator at the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center north of San Francisco. The conference’s traditional 24-hour de- sign charrette this year will focus on the po- tential of a Center for Applied Sustainable Living, a project now under way at UO. Other topics to be discussed include urban biodiversity, integrating sustainabil- ity into professional practice, land use plan- ning in Oregon, roof ponds for heating and cooling, designing for birds and recycled 8 APRIL 15, 2004 art. Saturday is the popular Trashy Fashion workshop, taking recycling to new heights of creativity and aesthetic appeal. NEIGHBORHOODS VOICE CONCERNS FOR RAILYARD An April 5 letter to city officials from four neighborhood groups outlines their concerns for the future of the Union Pacific railyard, and asks for more citizen input regarding development plans. The letter cites heavy contamina- tion of soil and ground water in the area, toxic fumes from locomo- tives, noise, and the barrier imposed by the tracks themselves. “Speculation about the future of the railyard has increased since UP began decommissioning many of its oper- ations in recent years,” reads the letter. “As a large corridor of relatively undevel- oped land within our urban growth bound- ary, the railyard is attractive to land specula- tors and developers.” The letter, representing the Trainsong, Whiteaker, Bethel and River Road neigh- borhood associations, voices concerns that the area will be heavily industrialized with- out citizen input. “The same factors that make the railyard attractive to industrial de- velopers also make it attractive for parks and open space, as a possible alterna- tive transportation corridor, and for planned mixed use nodal development. A mix of appropri- ate land uses offers the potential to im- prove the environ- mental health, liv- ability, and connec- tivity of our exist- ing neighbor- hoods,” reads the letter. “On the other hand, heavy industrial uses often pose significant land use con- flicts with existing residential areas.” In a final statement, the groups say, “Please also consider this a formal request from each of us to be treated as ‘interested parties’ on all matters related to the Eugene Union Pacific railyard.” UO HONORS EARTH DAY WITH JULIA BUTTERFLY HILL To celebrate Earth Day 2004, the UO Cultural Forum, ASUO and Oregon Beaming Bioneers will sponsor the work- shop “Personal and Planetary Healing” by activist Julia Butterfly Hill on Wednesday April 21, 2-3:30 pm in the UO EMU Fir Room. For 738 days Hill lived in the canopy of an ancient redwood tree called Luna to help make the world aware of the plight of an- cient forests. After her two-year vigil, Hill successfully negotiated to permanently pro- tect the 1,000-year-old tree along with a nearly three-acre buffer zone surrounding it. On December 18, 1999, 26-year-old Hill came down to a world that recognized her as a heroine and powerful voice for the envi- ronment. Her courage, commitment and profound clarity in articulating a message of hope, empowerment, and love and respect for all life has inspired millions of people worldwide. Since 1999, Hill and other forest ac- tivists founded Circle of Life (of which Oregon Beaming Bioneers is a part) to in- spire and create environmental and social solutions rooted in love and respect for the interconnectedness of all life. There is $10 to $50 sliding scale do- nation for the work- shop with Hill. Reservations are recommended. The UO Earth Day cele- bration will con- clude with a social hour and book sign- ing by Hill (author of The Legacy of Luna and One Makes a Difference ). Proceeds from the workshop benefit an October gathering planned by Oregon Beaming Bioneers. For more info, contact Jeremy Olsen at jeolsen@uoregon.edu or by phone at 346- 4352. ACTIVIST ALERT • Cameron Powers and his wife travel the world bridging cultures through music and presentation, and they plan to be in Eugene at 5:30 pm Friday, April 16 at Cozmic Pizza, and again May 20 at a time and place to be announced. Powers was in the Middle East and most notably Baghdad before and after the war began. The event is sponsored by Habibi magazine and a $10 donation is requested. For more information visit www.musicalmissions.com • Eugeneans will be among the predicted million people who will be marching on the mall in Washington, D.C., April 25 in sup- port of reproductive freedom and justice for women. At least 200 Oregonians have signed up to march. For more information, visit www.march.now.org or www.march- forwomen.org CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS • A title ascribed to “The Executioner’s Song” in last week’s Visual Arts column on the sculpture of Jerry Harris should have been “Screaming Mother And Child.” Harris’s art can be seen at http://members.tri- pod.com/media56/index.htm • Regarding last week’s Slant column, a Corvallis readers tells us depleted uranium doesn’t quite have twice the density of lead. The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics lists uranium’s density as approx. 18.95, while that of lead is 11.35, which would make uranium approximately 1.67 times as dense as lead. • A wrong photo was used in our “What’s Happening” page last week for Les Ballets Africans. The small photo was of the Paul Taylor 2 company that performs April 23. Julia Butterfly Hill JUAN PABLO BARRAGA / AMAZON WATCH / CIRCLE OF LIGHT FOUNDATION OLCV RELEASES MAY PRIMARY ENDORSEMENTS
