NEWS BRIEFS
ACTIVIST ALERT
• A community event will share preliminary findings
from a Health Impact Assessment of an upcoming Farm
to School and School Garden bill. The Legislature is
considering providing public schools with $23 million to
buy and serve Oregon sourced food in breakfasts and
lunches, and establish school gardens. The event will be
from 9 am to 12:15 pm Thursday, Feb. 10, at the 4J District
Administration auditorium, 200 N. Monroe St. The forum
is first, followed by a garden tour at Chavez School.
• An open conversation with Lane County
Commissioner Pete Sorenson will be from 5 to 6:30 pm
Thursday, Feb. 10, at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette St.,
345-8986 or on Facebook at http://wkly.ws/112
• New Lane County Commissioner Jay Bozievich will
be hosting three “community conversations” Thursday,
Feb. 10. The first is from 9 to 10:30 am at Robbie’s Window
Box Café, 88267 N. Territorial Road in Veneta. Next is
from 2 to 3:30 pm at the Noti Pub and Grill. The last is
from 4 to 5:40 pm at the Walton Store.
• Final recommendations on the West Eugene EmX
rapid transit route are on the agenda of LTD, the Eugene
City Council and the Metropolitan Policy Committee. The
MPC meeting is from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm Thursday, Feb.
10, at the Eugene Public Library. The City Council work
session on EmX is Feb. 23 and a vote is expected in early
March. LTD has scheduled a decision March 16. See www.
ltd.org for more information.
• Catch that feral cat! Then neuter it and let it go.
Greenhill Humane Society is offering a free trap-neuter-
return training class to assist those who want to help
reduce the feral cat population in Lane County from 11 am
to 1 pm Saturday, Feb. 12. Class is free, but space is limited.
Sign up at volunteer@green-hill.org
• Heart of Oregon Pageant and Drag Show sponsored
by the Pride Foundation will be at 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 12
at Cozmic Pizza, 8th and Olive in Eugene. Doors open at
6. Suggested donation is $10.
• Journalist and author Robert Whitaker is returning
to Eugene to speak at 4 pm Sunday, Feb. 13, at UO School
of Law, room 175. Cost is sliding scale $1 to $10. Whitaker
is the author of Anatomy of an Epidemic, an investigation
into America’s mental health system. Co-sponsored by UO
School of Law and Mindfreedom International. Contact
David Oaks at oaks@mindfreedom.org or call 345-9106.
• The League of Women Voters of Lane County is
planning a special free program on domestic violence
deaths at 12:15 pm Thursday, Feb. 17, at Mallard Hall, 725
West 1st Ave. in Eugene. The Stop Violence Against
Women Clinic Project will be discussed and speakers will
include Merle Weiner and Pat Vallerand. A buffet lunch will
be available for $12. For reservations, call the League
office at 343-7917, or e-mail league@lwvlc.org for
reservations.
• Project Homeless Connect is preparing for its fifth
annual event March 17 at the Fairgrounds. Organizers are
collecting coats, hats, gloves, scarves, socks, sleeping
bags and backpacks, along with personal hygiene
products. Donations may be dropped off at any St.
Vincent de Paul store. Checks can also be sent to United
Way of Lane County, 3171 Gateway Loop, Springfield
97477.
slant
• We, too, are overwhelmed with powerful forces in
thinking about the loss of two South Eugene High
School boys on the rocky headlands near Yachats last
weekend. First is the relentless force of nature, in this
instance the Pacific, never to be controlled and only
slightly comprehended or heeded by all of us. Second
is the profound power of compassion and love,
and neighborhood and community. A parent with two
family members on this tragic trip told us “the school
has been incredible in supporting the families and all of
the students.” Sadly, that’s ultimately all that our
school and broader community can do, support
the families and all of the students, but it is not to be
minimized. It is our great strength, our own powerful
force.
• A historic stadium, a new YMCA or a Fred Meyer — the
4J School District fortunately has a lot to choose from
in proposals for the old Civic Stadium site. A place to
buy underwear without driving to the edge of town
makes some planning and livability sense. The run-
down Y clearly needs room to grow and a new facility.
But Civic Stadium is a community treasure and historic
gem, the last of its kind anywhere. We hope that
professional soccer could take off there as it has in
Portland. It makes sense for the Y to build next to
South Eugene High School and share facilities and
parking. With a little creative density, there should be
enough room for a new Y, apartments and the old
stadium at the site. The stadium and Y groups should
get together and pool their fundraising. As for
underwear, the city should work hard to find Fred
Meyer another central Eugene site. With much of
downtown vacant or underused, it shouldn’t be hard.
• The 4J School Board expressed surprise last week
that so much attention was paid to school closures
rather than the deep budget cuts forcing crowded
classrooms and lost school days. But this was the
school district’s own mistake. The district should have
separated the school closure issue from the budget.
Closing schools is an operational decision that saves
little money. Whether large schools or small schools
actually best serve children and the community is
debatable' but much of that debate was lost by
jumbling closures with the budget. Also lost was board
and public focus on rallying around a real solution for
schools — a city income tax.
• Got an opinion about the West Eugene EmX and
have not yet expressed it? Last chance. The Eugene
City Council, the Metropolitan Policy Committee and
LTD are all gathering final public input and preparing
recommendations for decisions that are expected in
March (see Activist Alert).
Our “Green Dragon” cover story Nov. 24 outlines
what we see as the major issues. Most of the objections
laid out by the “No Build” folks deal with short-term
problems: worries about construction hurting
businesses along the route, concerns about building
new routes when regular bus routes are being cut, etc.
But we urge everyone to look ahead 10 to 50 years
when mass transit will become vital to the economic
and environmental health of our community. The cost
and inconveniences of creating dedicated bus or light
rail lanes will only increase over time. Right now we are
fortunate to have federal and state transportation
funds to make it possible; those funds will generate
local jobs.
We also appreciate the diligent work by LTD staff to
design a route and construction plan that would have
the least possible negative impact on commercial
properties and residences in west Eugene. A remarkable
amount of public input has gone into this process. It’s
not a perfect plan, but it is a solid step toward reducing
traffic congestion in west Eugene and connecting West
11th to the rest of the metro area. Let’s not throw away
this opportunity.
• Cutting constituent service assistants for Lane
County commissioners might make some small sense
financially, but from a practical standpoint, these are
the folks who help when you have questions about
county services. The commissioners are buried in the
growing complexity of county business and can’t
possibly respond to the dozens of calls and emails they
get each day. Need help accessing economic
development or mental health services? Need to know
how to contest your property tax assessment? Getting
a runaround from a county bureaucrat? You will now
need to hang out in line at a courthouse window.
• A new local blogger worth checking out is Dr. Sharol
Tilgner of Eugene, who describes herself as “an
herbalist, physician, farmer and lover of life” who is
happiest when she is in her garden. She writes about
everything from herbal medicine, gardening, farming
and self sufficiency to the problems with the Federal
Reserve. Find her at http://dreamingabeautifulworld.
blogspot.com
SLANT includes short opinion pieces, observations and rumor-chasing notes
compiled by the EW staff. Heard any good rumors lately? Contact Ted Taylor at 484-
0519, editor@eugeneweekly.com
Happy Birthday, Darwin! Family Day Celebration
MUSEUM
OF
NATURAL
AND
CULTURAL
H I S T O RY
Saturday, February 12, 2011, Noon–4:00 p.m.
Bring the family to celebrate Darwin’s birthday with a day
of science and nature activities!
r 541-346-3024
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EUGENE WEEKLY FEBRUARY 10, 2011 9