Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 2011)
letters TO THE EDITOR to the community. Historic barns across the country have been adapted as farmer’s markets, retail spaces, youth educational facilities, event spaces and more. A few people have suggested that the advertising-painted section might be salvaged and hung up somewhere. But this is a case where the whole is defi nitely greater than the sum of its parts. What makes Dr. Pierce’s Barn so beloved is the total package — the authenticity and integrity of the barn in its setting, telling its story. The possibilities for Dr. Pierce’s Barn have not been exhausted. But the community needs to get behind it in a demonstrable way or no “hero” has any reason to come forward to make the investment. We encourage anyone who thinks that Cottage Grove would be diminished by the loss of this resource to contact the “Friends of Dr. Pierce’s Barn” on Facebook or through the HPLO. Peggy Moretti Executive director, Historic Preservation League of Oregon EMBRACING THE PAST It is sad to see the disappearance of a community icon. And it is particularly sad when the icon is a long-established community landmark. Cottage Grove is in danger of losing one if its most visible landmarks. The barn with the Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets advertisement is visible from I-5. Photographs of the barn and sign have also been distributed near and far on postcards. But this may soon be no more because of the intended sale of the property. Cottage Grove is a community that has very visibly embraced its past. From murals to covered bridges and a historic Main Street, this city has avoided the error of other Willamette Valley communities which chose to embrace “progress” and only in retrospect realized that progress should have been approached with more forethought! Perhaps the best win-win solution for the community is the acquisition of the part of the barn wall with the advertisement through an agreed-upon fair price offer to the landowner. The wall could then be retained for eventual installation in the developing Bohemia Heritage Park. Historical landmarks are sorely missed after their demise. Sometimes a demise should, and can be, avoided. Robert L. Hart Executive director, Lane County Historical Society and Museum MANUFACTURED SCANDAL Don’t let PR consultants decide this election. The Willamette Week “Not Paying His Dues” article on Brad Avakian, spun by Bonamici consultant Mark Wiener and written by WW writer Nigel Jaquiss, misrepresents “Avakian’s money troubles.” Since the opposition cannot attack the great work Avakian has done for Oregonians they have manufactured scandal. The WW article is an October surprise delivered in mid-September. Journalists should not be ad men for or appendages of any political campaign. It is shameful. Brad is one of the most effective, progressive voices in our state government. He has been recognized by the OLCV, AFL-CIO and SEIU as a dedicated environmentalist and a strong voice for our working and middle class families. His record in the Legislature is impeccable. The Avakians’ late tax payment years ago makes them similar to many Oregonians who have been under fi nancial duress, and makes them more in touch with struggling Oregon families. Steve Coatsworth Eugene METER SECRECY So-called “smart meters” are being installed by the Consumers Power Inc. electric co-op in the areas they serve near Eugene. Unlike EWEB, CPI is using Obama stimulus dollars to pay for it. The Sept. 15 EW article about smart meters did not mention the biggest issue. I worry that cyber terrorists could launch denial of service attacks and create havoc by turning off home electric services remotely, which could also destabilize the power grid and cause permanent damage to equipment. The publicly available smart meter engineering specifi cation for the smart meter on my house says two-way communication (e.g., to remotely shut off your electric service) is done over the same unlicensed radio frequencies used by wi-fi computer networks, but with a different and incompatible mesh network standard defi ned by the ZigBee Alliance. GO BACK TO CAMPUS IN THE OCT 6TH ISSUE OF EUGENE WEEKLY Promote your business in our advertiser’s service directory Ads start at $50 CALL JAYME OR JENNIFER AT 541-484-0519 WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM BIRKENSTOCK SALE SAVE 20-70 Learn more about the sale at Facebook.com/ footwiseeugene % POEJTDPOUJOVFE TUZMFTBOEDPMPSTGSPN #JSLFOTUPDLNPSF Starts Tomorrow, Ends Monday! 'SJEBZ 4FQUUISV.POEBZ 0DU &#SPBEXBZt 'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFFVHFOF .PO4BU4VO FOLLOW YOUR FEET TO FOOTWISE Fall Events (un)Bound By Law October 1, 2011 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Knight Law Center 1515 Agate Street Symposium in honor of Keith Aoki. For more information and to register, please visit law.uoregon.edu/org/aokisymposium Agenda for a New Economy October 5, 2011 6:30 p.m. 110 Knight Law Center 1515 Agate Street Featuring economist David Korten. Cosponsored by UO Humanities Center, Net Impact: Lundquist College of Busi- ness UO Environmental Studies Program, Land Air Water, Green Business Initiative, National Lawyer’s Guild, American Constitution Society, and Law and Entrepreneurship Student Association. Not in Our Town: Light in the Darkness October 8, 2011 3 p.m. Hult Center Studio 1 Eugene Center Screening followed by discussion on communities and immigration featur- ing Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and others. Part of the Good Works Film Festival. c Third World Approaches to International Law Conference October 20-22, 2011 Knight Law Center 1515 Agate Street Focuses on Capitalism and the Common Good. Visit waynemorsecenter. uoregon.edu/twail for a complete schedule and to register (required). Corporate Power in Politics and the Economy: What the “Citizens United” Decision Means for Our Democracy November 7, 2011 4 p.m. Erb Memorial Union Ballroom UO Campus Wayne Morse Public Address featuring Wayne Morse Chair Sen. Russ Feingold . Cosponsored by the Lorwin Lectureship on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. EUGENE WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 29, 2011 5
