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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2011)
including the towering I-5 bridge, and attracted about 19,000 people last Sunday. For the last three years, Portland also has closed miles of city streets connecting parks in five annual “Sunday Parkways” events that now attract about 91,000 people. More than 40 cities in the U.S. now have car-free street events, many inspired by Bogotá, Colombia, where 70 miles of roadway are closed to cars every Sunday for hugely popular “Ciclovias.” Eugene had a similar “Human Powered Parade” downtown 15 years ago, but the event died with volunteer organizers complaining of a lack of city support. Three years ago, bike advocates pushed for closing a stretch of south Willamette Street for a walking and biking event, but nothing happened. But now the city appears fully behind opening the people’s streets to people. But the event will need lots of people to volunteer to help pull it off. The city is looking for about 200 volunteers. About 120 volunteers will help control intersections and others will help promote, set-up and clean-up the event. To volunteer or for information call 501-0390, email SundayStreets@ci.eugene.or.us or visit the http://bit.ly/qQ9dlR website. — Alan Pittman (A version of this story fi rst appeared at Eugenecycles.com) DORENA DAM DISTURBS RESIDENTS Maybe it takes a bringing a frozen summer steelhead to a meeting to really get a point across — at least that’s what some Cottage Grove residents who are taking on a major corporation and the government to fight the installment of hydroelectric turbines at Dorena Dam are thinking. The turbines and new construction on the dam, which is being built by Riverbank Power, formerly Symbiotics Energy Corporation, with approval from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and other organizations, is expected to be a powerhouse. But this power won’t come without a price. For area residents like John Steele, a math instructor at Lane Community College, the dam project will cost the surrounding ecosystem. The current Dorena Dam is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the project must be approved by Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality and by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Despite being regulated by the government, Steele says the dam and the area are still in danger, and the agencies regulating the project are not doing their jobs. “With regard to this project, the amount of flawed scientific data and the level of neglect or remiss within state and federal agencies is incredible,” Steele says, adding that studies on the area have not demonstrated the correct mercury content of the sediment at the lake’s bottom and have not produced an accurate measure of the number and types of migratory fish in the area. But Erik Steimle, director of environmental compliance at Riverbank Power, says the Canada-based company will do everything within its power to comply with government regulations. He explains that Oregon DEQ is closely monitoring the environmental effects of the project. He is positive the project will be beneficial because it will be a new source of renewable energy and will use the same flow regime and infrastructure of the existing dam. For Steele, however, this is not reassuring at all, as he says the flawed scientific data makes it difficult for the government to properly regulate the area. Steele and other residents are concerned the dam will increase turbidity in the river and stir up mercury into the water and surrounding ecosystems. They are also worried about the lack of a fish passage in the new project plan, explaining that without one, the migratory fish in the area are doomed. Steele says on his website, Friends of Dorena Dam, that Riverbank Power has responded that a fish passage is not financially feasible for this project and has even gone so far as to deny the existence of fish in the area. However, studies from ODFW have shown — and fishermen’s pictures have documented — the existence of spring Chinook salmon, rainbow and cutthroat happening people BY PAUL NEEVEL JIM THOMAS “I came out of high school in the middle of World War II,” says retired professor Jim Thomas, who grew up on the Kansas prairie, then worked in a lab at Cal Tech. “I was part of the Manhattan Project and didn’t know it. When I found out, in the fall of ’45, I was appalled.” He became a Quaker, switched his major from chemistry to philosophy, earned a Ph.D .at Claremont and taught at Mt. San Antonio College. “Being Quaker, I did service abroad and in the U.S.,” says Thomas, who served with the Peace Corps in Tanzania in 1966-68. “My wife and three boys were there.” Visiting Japan, he saw the area in Nagasaki hit by the bomb. “I worked on the detonator,” he says. “I was weeping, and Japanese people came over to comfort me.” In 1987, five years after the death of his wife, Thomas met Susan Chute at Pendle Hill Quaker retreat center near Philadelphia. “I had just retired,” he says. “We sang together, and we’ve been in cahoots ever since.” They spent four years at the center, then eight years on a farm outside Myrtle Creek. “Susan is a horse person,” he notes. After they moved to Eugene in 1998, the Thomases started a Quaker group called Alternative Responses to Military Service (ARMS) that for seven years put on a monthly Peace Pizza Party for kids ages 14-18. ACTIVIST ALERT • The Back to Back program has an ongoing free film series dedicated to education, dialogue and discussion. The next showing is at 9 pm Thursday, Aug. 18, of The Celluloid Closet, featuring the history of gays’ and lesbians’ influence on Hollywood. The film will be shown on the lawn of the Leslie Brockelbank Peace and Justice Center at 458 Blair Blvd. As always, popcorn will be provided. • Lane County Democrats are hosting an information booth at the Lane County Fair this weekend, selling buttons and registering voters. Elected officials are expected to spend time in the booth talking to constituents, says organizer Matt Davis. Local Americans for Prosperity/Tea Party leader Jeff Lozar says his group has nothing planned for the Fair. No word back from Lane County Republicans. • Eugene’s annual Summer Garden Party to benefit Basic Rights Oregon is from 2 to 4 pm Saturday, Aug. 20. Suggested donation is $25. To RSVP, visit http://bit.ly/eugene2011 or email Juan@basicrights.org for details. • A “Stop the Pipeline” sit-in at the White House is planned between Aug. 20 and Sept. 3 and a Eugene contingency is planning to be there. See www.tarsandsaction.org for details. More than 2,000 people have signed up to join the protest against the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to carry tar sands oil down from Canada. • A free event, “Going Local in a Globalized Economy,” dealing with the Lane County Fair Trade Campaign, local bean and grain farmers, and local WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM food advocacy, will be from 6 to 8 pm Tuesday, Aug. 23, at Cozmic Pizza. Speakers including Karen Edmonds, Mary Ann Jasper and Krishna Khalsa will discuss solutions for farmers, our local food economy, and community food security. Area groups involved in localizing food will give short talks. Contact Samantha Chirillo at 543-1253. • More cuts to the Lane County budget for FY 2011-12 is expected to be on the County Commission agenda Wednesday, Aug. 24, and conservatives are planning to show up to advocate for prioritizing law enforcement funding. See www.lanecounty.org for updated information. Agendas and documents are usually posted two days in advance of meetings. • About 50 people showed up for a Eugene meeting Aug. 11 on proposals for a state and national Alzheimer’s plan. “It was good that representatives from Sen. Wyden’s office and Rep. DeFazio’s office were in attendance,” says Jon Bartholomew of the Alzheimer’s Association. People can still submit comments online at http://action.kintera.org/alzplan • Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is coming the Matthew Knight Arena 7:30 pm Aug. 26, 2 pm & 6 pm Aug. 27 and 1 pm Aug. 28. Peaceful protesters will be objecting to “an hour’s worth of entertainment that results in lifetime of suffering” for the animals. Signs and leaflets will be provided or bring your own. Meet an hour prior to the shows at sidewalk on the corner of Franklin and Garden Ave. For more info contact Misha English misha.law@gmail.com LANE AREA SPRAY SCHEDULE • Seneca Jones (541-689-1011) will begin a hack and squirt operation using Polaris AC and Chopper on a tributary of Fish Creek, 16S 07W Section 30, notice 2011-781-00606 • Giustina Land & Timber (541) 345-2301 is hiring Oregon Forest Management Services (541) 896-3757 to apply Arsenal, Garlon 3A, Garlon 4, Chopper, Forester’s and Escort using hack and squirt on 79 acres along tributaries of Long Tom River and 109 acres along Swartz Creek beginning Aug. 19. Garlon 4 must have a 60 foot buffer on the west side of the Coast Range to protect Coho salmon. Compiled by Jan Wroncy, Forestland Dwellers: 342-8332, www.forestlanddwellers.org EUGENE WEEKLY AUGUST 18, 2011 7
