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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2005)
TO THE EDITOR Parents and others who care about this critical issue should work with their PTAs in demanding healthy school meals, snacks, and vending machine items. Additional informa- tion is available at choiceusa.net, healthy- schoollunches.org, asfsa.org/nslw, and schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov Edward Newland Eugene JOBS VS. POISON Does my neighbor have the right to foul the air that I breathe with volatile fumes that are nauseating and carcinogenic? If you have driven west of Highway 99 on Roosevelt Boulevard, you have probably no- ticed a pungent odor, sort of a sweet paint thinner smell. My 12 or so years on an indus- trial safety committee tell me that a mask for volatile organic vapors is probably needed when the odor is that strong. The facility that apparently emits these fumes is also considered to be responsible for a toxic ground water plume that extends under the adjacent residential area. The resi- dents have been cautioned not to use well water to irrigate lawns or gardens. The agency charged with the responsibility of car- ing for our environment has proven itself to be unable to deal with this matter in an effec- tive manner. The agency is monitoring air quality at the facility but it appears that the monitor station is located at the west end of the facility where the somewhat cleaner air enters the facility. I sus- pect political tampering. I have been told that the offending business, if pressed too hard, will pull up stakes and 55 jobs will be lost. Fifty-five jobs versus outbreaks of child- hood leukemia, exacerbated emphysema, and other maladies. This is all a matter of public record. The assigned officials say that there is no conclusive evidence. On a very personal level, I feel as though someone is intentionally poisoning me and I can see no difference between someone shooting at me or attempting to poison me. It is attempted homicide and should be treated as such. The perpetrators should be brought to trial, convicted and incarcerated indefi- nitely with the “regulators” soon to follow. Mike Martin Eugene WHO YOU GONNA BLAME? EDITORIAL Editor Ted Taylor Associate Editor Melissa Bearns Executive/Arts Editor Lois Wadsworth Contributing Editor Anita Johnson Staff Writers Alan Pittman, Kera Abraham Calendar Editor Molly Templeton Contributing Writers Brett Campbell, Rachael Carnes, Rachel Foster, Kate Rogers Gessert, James Johnston, Sharleen Nelson, Mary O’Brien, Sylvie Pederson, Vanessa Salvia, Steven Sawada, Sally Sheklow, Lance Sparks, Martha Ulman West Interns David Constantin, Danny Cross, Emily Freeman, Tim O’Rourke ART DEPARTMENT Art Director/Production Manager Kevin Dougherty Graphic Artist/Webmaster James Bateman Graphic Artists Todd Cooper Intern Barbara Cooper Contributing Photographers Kurt Jensen, Paul Neevel KEEP IT OPEN The Eugene Water and Electric Board is in the midst of considering plans to limit ac- cess to the top of the College Hill Reservoir, including the option of fencing off the entire reservoir top and preventing public access entirely. The reservoir has been on the top of College Hill, between Lincoln and Lawrence streets, for 66 years, ever since its construc- tion in 1939 by EWEB with the assistance of a Public Works Administration grant. Although constructed for civil engineering purposes, EWEB authorized the City of Eugene’s Playground Commission to use its cover as a playground in 1940. It has been used by the residents and visitors of this neighborhood and this city as a resource al- most daily ever since. The EWEB staff’s plan of fencing the reservoir off has been estimated to cost as much as $200,000. The reason given for the fence is to reduce reservoir vulnerability, in- cluding prevention of intentional and uninten- tional contamination. But this fence would not prevent unintentional contamination from birds and wild animals, and even EWEB staff has admitted that a fence won’t be sufficient to stop intended contamination. Other alternatives have been suggested, but EWEB staff is planning to allocate funds for the fence in the 2006 budget, which will be completed by December of this year, and after the fence goes up, the chance of any other alternatives being pursued is very lim- ited. Is a $200,000 fence acceptable to ratepayers? The EWEB board has not yet finalized the 2006 budget, so if you have strong feelings about this issue, I encourage you to contact your EWEB commissioners in writing at P.O. Box 10148, Eugene 97440, or email via www.eweb.org Megan Davis Executive Board member Friendly Area Neighborhood Assn. Get COMCAST DIGITAL CABLE WITH over 180 CHANNELS FOR only $1.67 PER DAY! New this Fall! 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