TURMOIL ON
INDUSTRIAL
LANDS PANEL?
The city of Eugene’s industrial lands
planning and the Envision Eugene process
took a hit this week from Kevin Matthews
of Friends of Eugene. Matthews said FoE is
“very concerned about the breakdown of
transparent, frankly collaborative or
consensus process in Envision Eugene
industrial lands planning.”
In an email to city planners and Planning
Commission members July 25, Matthews
went on to say, “Our fundamental concern,
beyond process, is that, by failing to conduct
accurate fact-based industrial lands planning,
the city of Eugene may put itself on a course
to miss the real economic development
needs and aspirations of our community —
while damaging significant resources
pointlessly, along the way.”
Matthews said a committee report that
was “short, marred by error, non-consensus,
and filed unilaterally by one co-chair — is
still apparently being carried forward by city
staff as legitimate collaborative work output
from the committee” on industrial lands.
Pat Johnston is co-chair of the committee
along with Rusty Rexius and said that, “It is
accurate that the Envision Eugene Industrial
Lands committee did not reach consensus.
… It was our understanding that the city of
Eugene intended to pull the committee back
together and bring in a consensus facilitator
to help the committee meet resolution."
Matthews said FoE is concerned that city
staff is going ahead with implementing an
expansion of the urban growth boundary for
northwest Eugene industrial lands “even
though they have not yet even completed the
current industrial lands inventory, and have
not addressed either the failed technical
process or the failed community process
regarding actual industrial lands need.”
City planners did not respond to a request
for comment by press time. — Ted Taylor
RIVERBEND
SLOUCHES
Italy has its Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Does Oregon now have its Leaning Tower
of RiverBend? EW has heard reports that
the massive 386-bed medical center built in
2008 on sandstone next to the McKenzie
River is settling, despite the hospital’s six-
foot thick reinforced concrete foundation
slab. One source told EW that a gurney with
a patient on it slowly rolled by itself through
a doorway and bumped against a hallway
wall.
Uneven floors on some medical units
have been confirmed but are not a serious
concern, according to PeaceHealth
spokesman Jim Godbold. Minor cracks in
concrete walls have also been observed, but
Godbold said the foundation is fine. “The
building is doing some natural and expected
settling, and there is some deflection, or
bending, between columns in some areas,”
he said. “As a result, there are spots where
the floor is not level. This is being addressed
with floor filler on a case-by-case basis.”
When asked about standing water in the
physicians’ parking garage, Godbold says
there is no groundwater infiltration through
the foundation, but during heavy rainfalls,
“water runs down the entrance ramps past
the drains and pools on the concrete floor.”
Philip Farrington, PeaceHealth’s
regional director of land use planning and
development, did not return a phone call by
press time, and Godbold did not respond to
a question about the cost of needed repairs.
Nor could the runaway gurney story be
confirmed.
Engineers for RiverBend were KPFF,
with offices in Eugene, Portland and Seattle
involved in the design and construction.
One KPFF engineer, reached by phone, said
it would be a violation of his professional
ethics to speculate about any potential
problems with the structure. “All I’ve heard
is that the building is rock solid,” he said.
— Ted Taylor
sports
Slaughter Squeaks By
JEFF BORELO
In the rankings, it doesn’t get any closer. Emerald City Roller Girls travel team, the Skatesaphrenics,
are ranked twelfth in the West. Slaughter County’s (Kitsap County, Wash.) Saints of Slaughter are
thirteenth. It’s only fitting that the bout between these two July 16 at the Lane Events Center fea-
tured seven lead changes before reaching a final 135-132 Slaughter County victory.
Six of those lead changes occurred in the fi rst half as Emerald City tested out a variety of skaters
in the scoring while trying to contain 2010 Northwest MVP On ‘Da Sligh. The highlight of the fi rst
half was when Slaughter’s tiny Asonya Face, unable to get around Emerald City’s Rex Havoc, decided
to go through her legs. Emerald City went to the locker room with at halftime with a 75-71 lead.
Slaughter County took the lead early in the second half and held it. Going into the fi nal minute
up by 16, Slaughter’s scorer landed in the penalty box giving Emerald City’s high scorer Surly Q the
opportunity to win the game, but she was only able to pick up 13 points before time expired.
Each team picked an MVP on the opposing team. Emerald City scorer Katarina Van Rotten and
Slaughter County’s 18-year-old phenom Much Mayhem earned MVP honors.
The bout was preceded by a half-hour exhibition between the B-teams from Emerald City and
Lava City (Bend). Emerald City’s B-Ward won 93-34.
Emerald City’s next bout is Aug. 27 in Olympia, Wash., against the women’s national champion
roller derby team, the Oly Rollers. — James Warmels
TRASK BEDORTHA
Women
Wanted for Rugby
The women of the Eugene Reign, our local rugby team, are looking for some tough, tenacious
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
chicks to round out this year’s squad. “Recruitment is the most important thing for us right now,” says
team captain Brittany Stepnioski.
Rugby teams field 15 players, and Stepnioski says the Reign almost has a full squad but they need
to round out the team with enough players for substitutions.
“What’s great about rugby is anybody can play it, from itty bitty girls to big girls,” Stepnioski
explains. “We can teach anyone how to play, and we can work on getting in shape.”
She says that rugby isn’t nearly as dangerous or difficult to learn as most folks think. In fact, she
adds, anyone who joins the team is guaranteed to play this season. “After your first game you get
some understanding,” Stepnioski says. “The best way to learn is to play.”
Last season the Reign made the playoffs, but were defeated by Olympia’s Budd Bay Bandits, a
team that ended up competing in nationals. On tap this year are three home games and a pair of away
games, including a trip to Boise, Idaho.
It only costs about $100 to join, she adds, which includes the cost of referees, field use, union dues
and a player certification. Stepnioski says rookies this year will get a $10 discount. Also, she added,
there is the further incentive of free beer after each match (the team is sponsored by Ninkasi).
Practices start Aug. 8 and will be held at 5:30 pm every Monday and Wednesday at Skinner’s Butte
near the playground. For more information about Eugene Women’s Rugby, call 525-0157, email
eugenewomensrugby@gmail or visit www.eugenewomensrugby.com; or go to http://wkly.ws/13d to
see EW’s March 17 cover story on the Reign. — Rick Levin
EUGENE WEEKLY JULY 28, 2011 7