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