NEWS BRIEFS
pedestrian-dominated area shouldn’t lose
any car parking and that a shared lane with
cars would be safer than the existing bike
lane. “With low speeds, it is safe for
bicyclists and drivers to share the road,” he
emailed to the bike group list.
“I’ll be interested to see how it works,”
said Sweeney of the 13th plan at the UO’s
Bike Silver award ceremony last month.
“The jury’s out on that for me,” he said. “I
can’t visualize how it’s going to work.”
But Sweeney said he has “trust” that
Roth knew what he was doing with the
shared lane and back-in parking design and
appeared resigned to the city prioritizing car
parking over cyclist safety. “They had to
find a place for the parking,” he said.
“That’s something that we deal with.” In the
future, if the parking isn’t needed, Sweeney
said, “that will be a great day.”
— Alan Pittman
STATE BANK
ON AGENDA
AT CITY CLUB
City Club of Eugene will host Oregon’s
state Treasurer Ted Wheeler talking about
“Investing In Oregon, Not Wall Street” at
11:45 am Friday, June 10, at the Hilton
downtown.
Wheeler is advocating for a state bank
and the Oregon Legislature is considering
HB 3452 and SB 889, which would
consolidate and streamline many of the
state’s economic development funds.
These funds — our tax dollars — would
then be used to extend lending to
community banks, acting as a banker’s
bank.
LIGHTEN UP
BY R A FA E L A L DAV E
work for Oregon families, businesses
and communities.”
Wheeler cites the success of the state
bank in North Dakota but says Oregon
needs its own “Oregon solution.” “There
are elements of North Dakota’s approach
that are not workable here,” he says.
“Chiefly, we do not need a new bricks-
“One of the frequently cited reasons
for Oregon’s sluggish recovery has been
a shortage of bank financing,” wrote
Wheeler in a recent Oregonian op-ed.
“We also frequently hear that our tools
for economic development need
sharpening. If this effort succeeds, we
will put more Oregon public funds to
happening people
BY PAUL NEEVEL
ONG KAR WALEN
Back when he was known as
Ken, Ong Kar Walen grew up
with eight siblings on his family’s
commercial orchard outside of
Salem. He got his start in tree
work as a teen, went into
business for himself at 21, and
still climbs trees 40 years on. As
a Sikh in the 1970s, he took the
name Ong Kar (“in tune with
creation”), taught yoga,
practiced martial arts and
helped start ashrams in Salem
and Coos Bay. “In ’79 I took the
turban off,” says Walen, who left
the ashram life, got into reggae
music and big parties, and onto
the security crew at the Oregon
Country Fair. In 1986, he first
heard marimba music by
Zimbabwean Dumi Maraire. “I
had to learn to play,” he says.
“This music is the closest thing
there is to meditating.” Walen
took lessons from members of
the band Shumba, who had studied with Dumi. A year later, he launched his own
band, Kudana. “I taught lessons and built all the instruments,” he says. “And I
overcame extreme stage fright.” Over 24 years, 90-plus people have been
members of the band. Kudana has four appearances scheduled for this year’s
OCF. Check your Peach Pit guide to the fair. Walen retired last as coordinator of
security for the fair, but will return this season to help with the transition.
and-mortar institution in your hometown
— or anywhere else in Oregon — to
accomplish the goals that are driving this
conversation.” He also does not want the
state to compete with established
community banks and credit unions. He
does want to offer an alternative to Wall
Street banks.
“We can build upon our existing
financial institutions and strengthen our
economic development efforts,” he says.
“A virtual Oregon state bank will be a wise
investment in Oregon communities, and in
our future.”
— Ted Taylor
OREGON
WOLVES
KILLED
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
killed two members of Oregon’s fledgling
wolf population in May and has plans to
kill one more. Wolf advocates say such
heavy-handed lethal means of control are
endangering wolf recovery in Oregon.
Oregon has only 20 wolves, and the
predators are listed on the state endangered
species list. As of May 5 wolves in the
eastern third of Oregon are no longer on
the federal endangered species list. Local
conservation group Cascadia Wildlands is
legally challenging the federal delisting of
the wolves. In April, Democratic Sen. John
Tester of Montana inserted language into
the already controversial budget bill that
delisted wolves from federal Endangered
Species Act protections.
The rider overrode a federal judge’s
decision forbidding this same delisting, and
The Best Long-Shot Career Move Of The Year Award goes to Liane Richardson. While serving as the legal advisor to the Lane Board of County
Commissioners, the winner publicly expressed her concern that several of its members were violating the law. A resulting lawsuit cost two
board members $20,000 each and enough embarrassment to make them consider a move to McDermitt. After making other allegations of
improprieties against the two commissioners for good measure, the winner applied to the board to become its chief administrative official —
and got the job. Without a search. Way to go, Liane!
Is Your
Auto Shop
an EcoBiz?
EcoBiz-Certified Auto Shops in Lane County
Certified Ecological Businesses exceed local environmental requirements. Certification assures customers that
the business has taken the necessary steps to reduce water and air pollution, and hazardous and solid waste.
EUGENE
A & M Autobody
Collision Repair Center
430 W. 1st Ave
Having your car serviced at an EcoBiz-certified auto repair shop 541-686-2915
is right for the environment and for your car. EcoBiz-certified
shops practice pollution prevention and are committed to a
cleaner environment.
When it’s time for your car’s tune-up or repair, ask your shop if
they are EcoBiz-certified. It makes sense to be Eco-logical!
The EcoBiz program is sponsored by the Lane County Pollution
Prevention Coalition (P2C) and the Northwest Automotive
Trades Association. P2C members: City of Eugene, City of
Springfield, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Lane
Regional Air Protection Agency, Lane County Waste
Management, Eugene Water and Electric Board, Springfield
Utility Board, Metropolitan Wastewater Management
Commission, and DHS-Drinking Water Program.
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
Autohaus
1502 W. 7th Avenue
541-683-5050
Euro-Asian Automotive
1917 Franklin Blvd.
541-485-8226
Mac’s Radiator &
Repair Inc.
2270 W. 11th Avenue
541-344-0253
North Eugene
Automotive LTD
1048 River Rd.
541-688-1917
Old Dominion Collision
1060 W. 6th Ave
541-485-3368
Small World Auto Center, Inc.
2090 W. 11th Ave.
541-683-6475
Sun Automotive
1905 Agate St.
541-344-0869
Sun Automotive
391 Rustic Ave
541-344-2219
Swedish Engineering West
900 McKinley St.
541-685-0830
Wayne’s Garage
27 E. 27th Avenue
541-342-3941
JUNCTION CITY
Guaranty Chevrolet
20 Highway 99 South
1-800-766-9231
541-998-2333
We would also like
to thank the
following fleet
services for their
participation in the
EcoBiz program:
SPRINGFIELD
ACME Collision
Service
4350 Main Street
541-726-7242
City of Eugene,
City of Springfield,
First Student
(Dove Lane, Eug.)
and
Springfield Utility
Board.
A Street Automotive
& Collision
3445 Main Street
541-726-8453
For more information,
Wayne’s Garage
333 Q. Street
541-746-7142
call 541-682-8625,
541-726-3626 or
visit
www.lanep2c.org
EUGENE WEEKLY JUNE 9, 2011 9