WILL CITY DEMOLISH HISTORY?
The city of Eugene and developer
KWG want to tear down the historic
Farmer’s Market and bank buildings on
Broadway to make room for upscale
development and parking garages, but a
group of citizens want the buildings
restored.
“Leveling whole city blocks of build-
ings during the 1960s and ’70s period of
urban ‘renewal’ was a recipe for disaster
for downtown,” said local historic preser-
vation advocate David Gusset. “We are
still reeling from its impact. You would
think that we could have learned some-
thing by now from our previous mistake.”
Bank building
Beneath the 1960s stucco facade of
the building on Broadway that now hous-
es a medical supply shop and dance cen-
ter lies the ornate facade of Eugene’s his-
toric Farmer’s Market. The 1929 market
was built in a Spanish-Morocco style with
multiple entries, plate glass windows, spi-
raled columns, decorative tile and an airy
inside with vaulted ceilings. The market
was a major anchor for downtown until
1959 when car culture, sprawl and super-
markets killed it.
Farmer’s Market
Much of the building’s ornate facade
still exists under the boxy 1960s shell, which
could be easily removed, according to Gusset, local historic preservation consult-
ant Jonathan Pincus and Citizens for Public Accountability member Lynn
Reichman.
The city should also save the historic bank and store building at the north cor-
ner of Broadway and Willamette, the three argue. The building now houses a Taco
Time, but beneath the 1960s shell is a structure that was originally built around
1860 and is probably the oldest commercial building in Eugene. The brick and stone
building originally served as a store for the pioneer Bristow family and then as a
bank. Even if only half the original structure remains beneath the box shell, the
building could still be restored using old photos and designs, the historic preserva-
tion group argues.
Gusset, Pincus and Reichman argue that restoring the market and bank build-
ings would fit with a growing environmental movement to buy local, organic pro-
duce and sustainably restore buildings rather than throwing them away and
increasing global warming.
But the preservationists complain that the city, developer and their consultant
have dismissed the buildings as not worth saving. The Seattle city establishment
took the same view of the Pike Place Market three decades ago, but citizens fought
to save the historic market and created a celebrated city treasure that now attracts
10 million visitors a year. — Alan Pittman
FOOTBALL GOES TO THE DOGS
Bad news for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick is good news for for-
mer Duck football star Joey Harrington.
Vick, owner of Bad Newz Kennels in Smithfield, Va., has pled guilty to charges
of dog fighting. His indictment accuses him of not only fighting the dogs, but killing
dogs that lost fights or lacked the will to fight by drowning, electrocution, hanging,
shooting and slamming one dog into the ground.
An anonymous source told The Associated Press that prosecutors will recom-
mend Vick be sentenced to between a year and 18 months in prison for his crimes.
Fifty-three of the dogs, mainly pit bull terriers, have been seized and if they go
unclaimed by Thursday, Aug. 23, a federal judge will decide if they can be sold, or
disposed of “by other humane means.”
Most dogs that have been used in fighting are euthanized,
according to the Humane Society of the United States.
This is not the first case of animal cruelty by sports
stars. Qyntel Woods of Portland’s Trail Blazers basketball
team was accused of involvement in dog fighting several
years ago.
Animal advocacy groups like the Humane Society and
PETA are calling for the NFL and other professional sports
associations to take action against violence towards animals.
With Vick out of the picture, Eugene favorite Joey
Harrington is now the Falcons’ starting quarterback.
This is Harrington’s third NFL team after playing
for the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.
— Camilla Mortensen
8 AUGUST 23, 2007
news
briefs
ECO-
SABATOGE
CASES
CONTINUE
The Northwest’s Operation Backfire
cases continue to work their way slowly
through the federal legal system. The only
accused eco-avenger going to trial in the
cases has had her court date pushed back
again.
Briana Waters’ case, which will be
heard in the Western District of Washington,
has been moved to Feb. 4, 2008. Ten of the
Backfire cases were sentenced here, and
those defendants entered into plea
agreements with the federal government
rather than going to trial.
Two other defendants, Lacey
Phillabaum and Jennifer Kolar, who have
also entered pleas, will be sentenced in
Washington, most likely after Waters’ trial.
The
10
previously
sentenced
defendants have been designated to prisons
around the country with at least one
defendant, Kevin Tubbs, currently in a high
security facility.
Tubbs is at United States Penitentiary
(USP) Lompoc, the California facility that
was built to replace notorious Alcatraz
Island.
Nathan “Exile” Block is also at Lompoc
but in the low security portion of the
facility. Joyanna “Sadie” Zacher has been
designated to Federal Correctional
Institution (FCI) Dublin, also low security,
as has Suzanne Savoie. Canadian citizen
Darren Thurston is at FCI Sheridan, a
medium security facility.
Jonathan Paul and Kendall Tankersley
have not yet reported to prison.
Daniel
McGowan,
Stanislas
Meyerhoff and Chelsea Gerlach all await
their final designations at various detention
centers around the country. Because
Meyerhoff and Gerlach were given longer
sentences, as well as the terrorism
enhancement, supporters fear they too may
be designated to high security facilities.
— Camilla Mortensen
GOLDEN
OUT OF RACE
The Democratic competition to chal-
lenge Republican U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith
got smaller last week with the announce-
ment by Jeff Golden of Ashland that he will
not be filing for the 2008 primary. The
announcement follows news that Gov. Ted
Kulongoski and former Gov. Barbara
Roberts have endorsed Jeff Merkley in the
race. Another Senate hopeful from southern
Oregon, state Sen. Alan Bates, has also
decided not to run.
EARLY DEADLINES
Eugene Weekly’s deadline for submitting personal ads, previously on Mondays, will
now be 5 pm Fridays. The deadline for classified line ads will remain at 5 pm Mondays.
Coming up, EW offices will be closed Labor Day, Sept. 3. Early deadline for reserving
display ad space will be 5 pm Thursday, Aug. 30. Early deadline for classified ads in that
issue will be 5 pm Friday, Aug. 31. Got questions? Call 484-0519.