happening people
BY PAUL NEEVEL
GWEN MEYER
After graduation from St. Andrews
Priory, an Episcopal girls’ school in
Honolulu, Gwen Meyer majored in Latin
American studies at the University of
Wisconsin. “I planned to join the Peace
Corps,” says Meyer, who instead stayed
in Madison, got married, had two kids,
and found a job caring for
developmentally disabled women and
girls. When the family moved to Eugene
in 1979, she studied special education,
earned a master’s, got divorced, and
worked as a special ed researcher until
she retired in 2006. In 1996, she met
Coast Range sheep farmer John
Neumeister at a Zydeco dance class.
They were married in 2003. A three-
week visit to Kenya in 2002 led the
couple to launch the nonprofit Friends
of Kenya Schools and Wildlife to
support community development in rural Kenya. Their first project, built in 2004,
was a nursery school in the village of Kirepari. Since then, five more schools have
been built, and 142 primary school students receive scholarships. FKSW initiated
the Malo Wool Project, 45 women who knit little wooly animals. “They have
earned $24,000,” says Meyer, who has made FKSW a full-time unpaid job. “It’s
fun for me. John and I go back every year. Fifty volunteers have joined us.” The
public is invited to a celebration of FKSW from 6 to 7:30 pm Thursday, July 7, at
Tsunami Books. Online at http://fksw.org
NEWS BRIEFS
manager to run it. It’s a unique niche in the
community and it will be a loss to the
community when it goes.” — Ted Taylor
BAGS AND
BPA STILL
OK IN OR
Oregon’s Legislature has wrapped it up
for the year, and while the border collie
didn’t get voted in as Oregon’s state dog,
Jory soil, that red dirt that’s so good for
growing pinot noir and Christmas trees,
did finally get its due and is Oregon’s
official state soil. But soil aside, the
environment made some gains and took
some hits in the Legislature this session.
The proposed ban on single-use plastic
bags was tanked by plastic bag industry.
Though this might have less effect here in
Eugene, where many stores like Kiva and
Market of Choice already don’t offer
single-use plastic bags, it’s still bad news
for Oregon’s landfills and for the ocean,
where many bags end up.
The proposed ban on toxic chemicals in
baby bottles and sippy cups didn’t go
through either, so moms and dads will need
to look closely at what they buy for their
babies. The chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in
the polycarbonate plastics used to make
many types of sippy cups can seep into
foods stored in those containers, according
to the Mayo Clinic. And the National
Toxicology Program at the Department of
Health and Human Services has said it has
some concern about the possible health
effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and
prostate gland of fetuses, infants and
children. If you’re looking to avoid BPA,
note that the polycarbonate plastic is usually
a hard, clear, lightweight plastic and often
has the number 7 recycling symbol on the
bottom. Washington state banned BPA in
children’s food containers in 2010.
Oregon’s large-scale renewable energy
industry — wind and solar — took a hit
from the Legislature when the lawmakers
decided to make changes to the Business
Energy Tax Credit (BETC) program, but
the good news is that small renewable
projects can still get credits — under the
new legislation, projects would be capped
at 35 megawatts and could not receive
more than $250,000.
Also good news is that the latest attempt
to hunt cougars with hounds once again
was defeated, as were a number of bills
slant
• How great would it be if Connecting Eugene would
reach beyond the Riverfront Research Park and
connect other parts of Eugene, maybe the precious
riverfront all the way from Valley River Center to
Glenwood! Connecting Eugene is the
one fierce group, mostly UO faculty and students,
who persisted for years until the university, led by
President Lariviere, Oregon Research Institute, the
developer, and all the players agreed to put the new
ORI building and its parking lot south of the railroad
tracks instead of on the river’s bank. That’s a huge
and complicated win for smart planning and the
environment. Let’s not waste the dollars and years
that conflict cost. Connecting Eugene, Lariviere and
the UO, ORI, EWEB, the city of Eugene, local
architects, the public, plus the visionaries in the U.S.
Courthouse could bring about a viable plan for the
Willamette riverfront through Eugene.
• A dangerous incident June 29 involving an
agitated veteran with a loaded shotgun at the VA
clinic in Eugene could have gone much worse for
everyone involved, but restrained action by Eugene
police saved the vet’s life. Good job. Maybe we’re
making some progress here. We recall other such
encounters with emotionally agitated people that
did not go so well.
• We were excited when AG John Kroger proposed
an overhaul of Oregon’s nearly 40-year-old public
records law. Keeping the work of our public officials
in the open is a key to good government. Our state’s
ACTIVIST ALERT
• July 16 is the deadline for comments and suggestions
for alternatives on a BLM proposal to return to using four
herbicides along roadsides and in rights of way in the
Eugene area. Between 100 and 500 acres would be treated
with Glyphosate, Imazapyr, Triclopyr or Clopyralid. Send
comments to Michael Mascari, BLM, 3106 Pierce Parkway,
Springfield 97477 or email or_eugene_mail@blm.gov
• MoveOn is helping organize at least four local
meetings in private homes Sunday, July 17, in its campaign
called Rebuild the Dream. “The American Dream used to
mean something in this country,” reads the email campaign
message. “That if you put in a hard day’s work, you could
10 JULY 7, 2011
EUGENE WEEKLY
open records laws are full holes and exceptions, and
are not up-to-date — there’s no mandate, for
example, for public officials to save their text
messages. Institutions from the Eugene police to the
UO have been awfully cagey with their records on
everything from cops who are a little too enthusiastic
about using their weapons to what’s going on with
Uncle Phil and the UO athletics program. Kroger had
proposed a 10-day initial deadline for responding to
records requests, with five-to-30-day extensions
possible if an agency demonstrated it had a good
reason for needing more time, and he proposed that
meeting minutes be available seven working days
after the meeting. This would have gone a long way
in helping EW, the R-G and other news sources get
accurate info out quickly. Too bad the Legislature let
Kroger’s open records reform legislation die.
• Judging by the burnt red, white and blue garbage
strewn on city streets, sidewalks and parks this week,
the Fourth of July has become the national holiday
that Americans celebrate by trashing their country
from sea to shining sea. Come on people, have fun
but remember America the Beautiful; show a little
love for your country by doing your patriotic duty
and picking up your celebratory trash.
inactive and hungry, but all that long spring grass
and lush undergrowth is turning to dry fuel.
On a barely related note, we have learned that
seasoned firefighters (unlike Smokey the Bear) never
pee on forest fires. It’s considered uncouth. Once a
fire is under control and cooling down, firefighters
scout the ashes looking for hot spots to shovel up
and mix with dirt. Smoke is not always visible, so they
use their noses (smoldering wood underground has a
distinctive aroma), and they also check for heat in
suspicious spots with their bare hands. Even super-
sooty firefighters get pissed if they stick their fingers
in pee-soaked ashes.
• An intriguing suggestion popped up at a political
gathering last week. If the Supreme Court really wants
corporations to be like people and be able to
influence elections, the court should set some basic
rules. Corporations should be at least 18 years old
before they can give money to political campaigns, and
be U.S. citizens in good standing (no felony convictions
among their managers). Maybe they need to register
for the draft. Any other requirements come to mind?
• We hear this is a tough season, economically, for
professional wildland firefighters around the
Northwest and northern California. Firefighters are
finally back at work and spending a lot of time away
from home. The wet spring has kept Northwest crews
• The conservative Oregon Family Council is
crowing about a phone survey of 660 likely Oregon
voters that indicates 50 percent would vote today to
reaffirm Measure 36, which defined marriage as
between one man and one woman. What they don’t
say is that Measure 36 passed by just 57 percent in
2004. A 7 percent shift in public opinion over seven
years shows that Measure 36 is doomed.
expect good American wages, benefits, a dignified
retirement, and a better life for your kids. Everyone wasn’t
in the middle class, but everyone believed that — given a
fair shot — they could make it there. That’s the American
Dream I’m fighting for.” Information on the location of
Eugene-area meetings and how many people have signed
up for each one can be found at http://wkly.ws/12v and
people can also sign up to host their own meetings.
• Lane County Democrats are holding their eighth annual
Chili Cook-Off competition from noon to 3 pm Sunday, July 17,
at Alton Baker Park Picnic Shelter #2. Live entertainment,
food, raffle prizes, all for $5 suggested donation. Contact
cronin@uoregon.edu or call (503) 927=8189. The next
monthly meeting of the Lane County Democrats will be at
6:30 pm Thursday, July 21, at EWEB. Contact chair@dplc.org
or call 484-5099. Dems will also be celebrating Obama’s
50th birthday from 5 to 8 pm Thursday, Aug. 4, at an open
house for their new offices at 228 E. 11th Ave. in Eugene. Find
the DPLC newsletter at http://wkly.ws/12x
• The second International Copwatch Conference will
be July 22-24 at the University of Winnipeg in Manitoba.
“Copwatching groups and individuals can share their
experiences and knowledge of police in their communities,
contribute to a larger understanding of police, and provide
new creative tools and ideas to take back to our
communities,” according to the Copwatch website (http://
wkly.ws/12w). For local Copwatch videos and information,
search for “Picture Eugene” on YouTube or Google.
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