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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2007)
TO THE EDITOR would prove there’s still hope for sanity and justice in these troubling times. Mike Kessler Eugene MINDLESS QUEST Councilor Zelenka (cover story, 2/15) thinks the EPD owes the community an expla- nation for the Lara/Magaña fiasco. Everyone knows the “explanation,” but nobody has the backbone to speak up. Both of- ficers were hired primarily for their ethnicity to bring more “diversity” to the department. This despite a questionable background in at least one of the cases. The city’s mindless quest for diversity trumped qualifications. Diversity turned into perversity, which was apparently regularly overlooked. The city paid a heavy price, finan- cially and otherwise. I have no doubt that EPD’s diversity goals can be achieved with qualified candidates who are willing to be held to the same high stan- dards as anyone else. In most businesses, heads would have rolled in the HR depart- ment. Jerry Ritter Rural Springfield FROM A LUMBER BARONESS Ralph Wombat (Letters, 2/8), do I have to teach you everything? At least get your facts right if you are going to crab. Umpqua Bank is owned 4 percent by insid- ers, 5 percent owners, 52 percent by institu- tions and in mutual funds, and 44 percent di- rectly by individuals like you and me. How did I get this information? This is public infor- mation; I accessed the data through Yahoo’s fi- nance portal. So what urban legend website are you getting your facts from? When you write that the bank is owned by the clearcutting lumber baron, who are you re- ferring to or what are you alluding to? A 4 per- cent ownership split among a group of indi- viduals does not mean a controlling interest. Or does holding some Umpqua Bank stock make me a lumber baroness? Well, I own a couple of acres that I’ve been re-foresting. If that, plus owning Umpqua Bank stock, makes me a lumber baroness, I accept the title. Joy Olgyay Rural Crow SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY On Feb. 22, EW published a letter from Hal Hermanson opposing a rezoning proposal that my wife and I have submitted for 240 acres of land in Peaceful Valley. This former Rosboro land was the subject of a huge protest by neighbors in 2004. Rosboro tried to spray chemicals in order to control weeds around the seedlings. My wife and I have committed to sustainable forestry using mulch mats instead of chemicals. We have installed more mulch mats than any pri- vate forestland owner in Lane County. We have also put 160 acres of the land into conservation. We have signed and recorded declarations that preclude commercial forestry in these areas. Sustainable forestry is hard work. We need to tend to the mulch mats and cut back inva- sive vegetation like Scotch broom and Himalayan blackberries. We would be in a better position to undertake this work if we lived on the property. We have applied to build a single residence on the 240-acre property. Mr. Hermanson wants us to live on a portion of the property we have devoted to a state-certified Wildlife Habitat Conservation and Management Zone. That part of the property has taller trees and a seasoned creek. We think it would make more sense to build our house in another area — a flat part of our property that Rosboro clearcut in 2004. Most of the neighbors who own adjacent land agree with us. In fact, 40 people in the neigh- borhood have indicated that they support our proposal. Our residence on the property will facili- tate our sustainable forestry. Living off-site is easy for foresters who use chemicals, but we have committed to the more labor-intensive sustainable approach, and we need to live on the property to do the work. Tom Lininger Eugene PREOCCUPIED WITH SEX If you are a family person and have chil- dren and you want to read EW, then I suggest that you get your copy from the stand, when the kids aren’t watching. Then you hide it. When the kids are in bed, you take it out and read it. If you are a parent or guardian, and you have reading-age children in the home, then you don’t want EW lying around. It’s just fur- ther reinforcement of sexuality as a material indulgence and pastime. You ever wonder why the TV, movies, magazines, etc. are so filled with sexuality? Why, it’s a culture! It makes money, and it’s a great distraction! What might people be interested in if they weren’t so preoccupied with sex? I, for one, want my child to learn about the sacredness of sexuality. That the highest ex- pression of sexuality combined with love ex- presses tenderness, compassion and can be very pleasurable, as well as make beautiful ba- bies. Teachers in the community take heed: Assigning children to read articles from EW is inappropriate and not conducive to their healthy well being! I’m sad that EW can’t make a stand against porn or be righteous leaders of influence in our community. The “Savage Love” column, the escort services (prostitution is illegal! hello!), the provocative ads and some of the personals are degrading to human beings as spiritual be- MARCH 1, 2007 5
