Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 24, 2004)
TO THE EDITOR TOO FAT FOR SEX Here are the top 10 reasons to skip the turkey this Thanksgiving: You won’t spend a sleepless night won- dering how the turkey lived and died. Fruits and vegetables don’t have to carry govern- ment warning labels. You won’t have to call the Poultry Hotline to keep your family alive. Your body will welcome a holiday from satu- rated fat and cholesterol. Commercial turkeys are too fat to have sex. Could happen to you. You are what you eat. Do you really want to be a “butterball”? Your kids can tell their friends about their cool “unturkey.” You won’t sweat the environmental devastation guilt trip. You won’t fall asleep during the football game. Your animal rights friends will cherish you. Millions of vegetarians across the U.S. find these reasons sufficiently compelling to celebrate the joyous Thanksgiving holiday without the carcass of a dead bird on their dinner table. The menu may include an “un- turkey,” lentil or nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder, or chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie, and carrot cake. This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a gentle, cruelty-free feast of the fruit of our earth’s bounty: vegetables, fruits, and grains. An Internet search for “vegetarian Thanksgiving” will provide more recipes and other useful information than we need to know. Lonnie Zea Eugene YES, YES, YES What a great, creative and exciting idea to put a hospital in the Glenwood area (cover story, 11/11). The area along the river in Glenwood is presently filled with ugly build- ings and dead areas that are an eyesore. Wouldn’t it be great to have a centralized hos- pital and a park-like area around it so close to both Eugene and Springfield? Small business would flourish near by the site. If PeaceHealth really wants to be part of this community, then they will take up this proposal and run with it. They would be in the thick and the heart of both cities, enhancing both cities at once. Another benefit would be that a beautiful area along the McKenzie River can stay as it is, natural for future generations to enjoy. Parks and open areas make our cities livable. So, YES, YES, YES on the Glenwood op- tion! P.S. If this doesn’t work, I think they should transform that entire Glenwood area into a park. Now that’s radical! Tita Evans-Santini Eugene NOT FIT TO PRINT Your viewpoint article “Another Stolen Election” by Mark Robinowitz (11/11) was not fit for print. Although Robinowitz claims that there is widespread evidence of vote tam- pering in the Nov. 2 election, he fails to pro- vide us with a single piece. Instead, he gives third-hand anecdotes and claims of discrep- ancies between exit polls and actual tallied votes. This, along with other unfounded con- spiracy theories, belongs on the television show “The X-files” instead of your newspa- per. I voted for Kerry in the election, Gore in the last, and Nader in the one before that. I too feel the frustration of the last four years of in- competence and blundering by our current administration. I too was in disbelief when late on election night it became apparent that we were not going to win this last election. This said, I do not feel that the election was stolen. Bush ran an extremely effective cam- paign based on fear and blind, unquestioning patriotism that appealed to conservative vot- ers in non-urban areas and in the heartland. This, as well as some well placed mud sling- ing designed to belittle Kerry’s war record and the wedge issue of gay marriage that brought fundamental Christians out in mobs that have not been seen since the Crusades, were what won him the election. Instead of crying fraud and throwing tantrums reminiscent of children that have had our toys taken away, we should take a good long look at how and why we lost. Why did John Kerry not appeal to the major- ity of American voters when from the Democrat viewpoint the election should have been a slam dunk? It’s a good question. You should publish articles that address questions like this instead of worthless yam- mering about conspiracy and unfounded claims of fraud. Nathaniel Embry Eugene BY LORRI GOODMAN Gathering Space Saving Madison Meadow will help build community. T hink globally, act locally. Now more than ever this phrase is apt. Why? Because as many of us struggle with the implications of the last election, we know we must pick ourselves up and move on with the just causes that will benefit our community and humanity. Save Madison Meadow is such a project. As I pass through and within the meadow, lo- cated at 22nd and Madison in Eugene, in all seasons and weather I know deep in my heart we are better off with this field, this remnant orchard, as a community place rather than private houses. As we approach our first goal that will allow us to take ownership of the land or we find ourselves dreaming into her many possibilities. We can see an intri- cate two-acre haunted pathway for next year at Halloween, and for next summer, a movie and pajama party with star gazing and camraderie. We see a natural meeting and gather- ing place without cement or structure that will bring us closer to nature and each other. Many of us can simply walk or bike there. Think about the proposed exploitation of the pristine Alaskan wilderness and act to save Madison Meadow. Think about how large corporations get tax shelters and first pri- ority for their needs and the city’s coffers are empty for preserving quality open space, and support Madison Meadow. Think about how in our “civilized” nation there are still millions without basic health care and send a donation to Madison Meadow to take an im- portant step in safeguarding our collective health and bringing us together as a commu- nity. The meadow was definitely something we all took for granted, and like many such things, its loss would now be acute. We can use it to actively bring our neighborhood and 4 NOVEMBER 24, 2004 entire community together for autumn harvest gatherings, spring celebrations, educational opportunities, self-renewal and moments of solitude. We know that too many of us are isolated in our individ- ual homes and in front of our television sets — unhappily this has be- come our way of life. The meadow will encourage village/neighborhood life like the plaza in all Mexican towns. A place for folks to meet and stroll after dinner. A place to walk when that translucent sun returns following a heavy rain. A place to greet others and feel connected. Not a café or workshop where we meet others, but a free, open space, that has its own rhythm — a taste of village life. The march to fill in the urban growth boundary will happen regardless of the preser- vation of this land. Developing this meadow will not influence the in-fill process, but it will be a tremendous loss for the Friendly Street Neighborhood and the city as a whole. A key to wise development is knowing when not to build. This is the new “smart-growth.” E ugene is a unique and special place but we aren’t really so unique unless we walk our talk and take chances to create something better. Restoring this natural habitat and creating a place for all who wish to come is our vision. You are in- vited. Dec. 31 is our first deadline to make this dream come true. We still need more funds in order to set this example that will reverberate across the nation. Think about long grass and small creatures — dancing under the moonlight and seeing the stars more clearly. We can protect our quality of life by guarding what we value. So think globally and start right here in our special corner of Earth-Eugene. More than 200 families and individuals have already given. RSVP with a donation and then celebrate with us. Tax-deductible donations can be sent to Madison Meadow, PO box 50743, Eugene 97405. For questions call 683-3430 or visit www.madisonmeadow.org Lorri Goodman is a photographer and entrepreneur living in Eugene. She is on the Board of the Save Madison Meadow Campaign.
