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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 6, 2005)
news briefs WHEN BIGGER GETS TOO BIG The Christian Science Monitor reports in a recent issue that California communities are starting to rebel against the trend of tear- ing down solid little single-story bungalows to build large mulit-story homes that practi- cally fill the lots, leaving only narrow yards. The tend has a name now: mansioniza- tion. In early September the Los Angeles City Council approved the first “anti-mansioniza- tion” ordinance in one small section of the city, and more L.A. enclaves are expected to follow with similar restrictions. CSM reports that the measure will limit homes built on lots of 8,000 sq. ft. or less to 2,400 sq. ft., or 40 percent of the lot size, whichever is greater. See www.csmonitor.com/2005/0803/ p03s01-uspo.html for the full story. GRAND JURY ROAD SHOW Grand jury investiga- tions, which take place out of public view, have been used to harass and jail political activists na- tionwide, including Eugene activists in recent years (see EW archives for “Inquisition” cover story, Jan. 17, 2002). “As government re- pression increases, so does the use of racial pro- filing, FBI visits and fed- eral grand juries to intimi- date, imprison and de- stroy communities and social justice move- ments,” reads a statement from Break the Chains, a • We were a smidge apprehensive about this year’s Eugene Celebration, particularly after last year’s low attendance and with cold squalls bearing down on us from the Pacific; but as the Bard says, all’s well that ends well. Eugene’s big bash is not supposed to be a partisan affair, but hey, we politicize everything in Eugene. We hear there was much talk behind closed doors about how to make the celebration more mainstream this year in order to gain more corpo- rate sponsors. And it happened a bit. But every sponsor, no matter how liberal or conservative, should be proud to be part of an event that brings together such a diversity and number of people. Besides, the celebration parade always takes on a life of its own and refuses to be put in a box. This is Eugene and you never know what you’re going to see marching, wheeling or dragging down the parade route. Loved the Rickies, the Billionaires for Bush, the Humoroids, Harlequins and other great entries. Booths and vendors were busy, the music scene was rockin’ in the rain. And for people who couldn’t afford the cost of a wristband, all of downtown was hopping all weekend. We bow to everyone who made it possible, and let’s do it all again next year. • Maybe it was the name — Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — that inspired Eugene’s own Jack Roberts to announce his interest in running for the Oregon Supreme Court when Chief Justice Wally Carson retires. His announcement was quite a shocker, especially when Roberts tells David Reinhard, the conservative Eugene group sponsoring a visit from the traveling Grand Jury Road Show from the San Francisco Bay Area. The group will make a public presentation at 7 pm Friday, Oct. 7 at the Morning Glory Cafe 400 Willamette. On the agenda will be information about how grand juries operate, how they are used as political tools of repression, ways people can respond to grand jury subpoenas, and how to support others in the community when they are targeted. For more information, e-mail break- thechains02@yahoo.com Oregonian columnist, that he sees a Supreme Court run as “closing the door on my partisan political career.” His campaign for the court is likely to be fiercely political with Gene Hallman, a highly respected Pendleton lawyer, already signing up sup- port for his bid. • Made us proud to see Marin Alsop listed as one of the winners of the $500,000 “genius awards” given by the MacArthur Foundation. Former conductor of the Eugene Symphony, she’s the new music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, making her the first female music director of a major U.S. orchestra. Beginning Oct. 14, she’s guest-conducting the New York Philharmonic in a series of concerts. Quite a rise from her little lectures on the music from the Silva stage! • To help New Orleans rebuild, reformists nationwide The Wickies as Wayne HOEDOWN FOR THE FORESTS America’s old-growth forests are on the chopping block as the Bush administration schemes to undercut logging restrictions and sidestep enforcement of environmental laws. Forest defenders are under more pressure than ever, but once a year they kick off their boots and do-si-do at the Hoedown for Cascadia’s Ancient Forests. The big blow-out this year will be held at 6 pm Oct. 8 at the Avalon Stables in Cottage Grove. Dancing begins at 7 with the live old- are calling for a recall on the suey that went into the $286 billion highway pork bill Congress just passed in July. In the spirit of patriotic compassion, we should send home our local bacon. Canceling the West Eugene Parkway and the I-5/Beltline inter- change projects would free up about $300 million for New Orleans. They need the money much more than we do. Indeed, we’ll be better off without the unpopular WEP, which threaten rare wetlands and parkland, and both the WEP and I-5 projects serve mostly to spur and subsidize ugly urban sprawl that detracts from the livability of our area. Call local Congressman Peter DeFazio, (800) 944-9603, and tell him where he should be takin’ the bacon. • Here’s a strange one. We ran a letter titled “This Paper Sucks” last week from a David Shellabarger, and the writer provided an address and phone num- ber for our files, which match a phone book listing. But we heard from another David Shellabarger this week that the “boorish” letter was not from him, and does not at all reflect his views about EW. It seems someone stole his identity to write the letter, sent by e-mail from an anonymous Yahoo account. We’re looking into it. • Two letter-writers in the R-G recently wrote about the woman who shouted from her seat in the center of the Silva concert hall after the symphony played the season opener Star-Spangled Banner. We want to clarify her exact words, as remembered by a gentleman near her, “I love America, but I can’t stand George Bush.” We’re not sure about her choice of venue, but we do admire her guts and share the sentiment. OCTOBER 6, 2005 9
