Eugene weekly., October 20, 2011, Page 9, Image 9

NEWS BRIEFS
CONTINUED FROM P.7 P.10
Rep. Bruce Hanna jumped from 10 to 60
percent this time; Rep. Tim Freeman went
from 14 to 36 percent; and Sen. Jeff Kruse
improved from 15 to 46 percent.
The ratings were based on 17 contested
environmental votes in the 2011 legislative
session, including bills on “Cool Schools,”
the Bottle Bill update, aquatic invasive
species, business energy tax credits, BPA
in baby bottles, Farm to School program,
etc.
“Oregonians care about our state’s
natural heritage and the importance of
creating a more sustainable, prosperous
energy future,” says Charlie Burr, OLCV
PAC Board chair in a prepared statement.
“With OLCV’s Environmental Scorecard
for the Oregon Legislature, Oregonians
can see how their legislators voted on clean
air, water and other critical environmental
protections during the 2011 legislative
session. An important part of passing
environmental priorities is making sure
citizens know the score.”
Coming early next year will be the
OLCV’s ratings of the Eugene City
Council and Lane County Commission.
The ratings will be based on an analysis
of minutes of meetings in 2010 and 2011,
according to Ashley Miller, OLCV’s mid-
Willamette organizer. — Ted Taylor
OLD NAVY CUTS
UP CLOTHES?
When Penny Parks walked outside to
have a cigarette near the loading docks at
Oakway Center, what she didn’t expect to see
was a Dumpster full of brand-new clothing
that had been destroyed. She says on Oct.
13, “Two of the Dumpsters were fi lled with
Old Navy wool pea-coats, wool pants and
leather shoes. All of this new merchandise
was slashed to ribbons,” Parks says.
Parks took pictures with her cell phone
before the Sanipac Dumpsters were
emptied. She calls sending so much warm
clothing to the landfi ll when so many are
poor, homeless and cold “a tragedy.”
Parks adds that she is aware of the
dilemma that businesses face in donating
to the homeless, sometimes people try to
return the donation to the store for cash, she
says, but “there are easy remedies, such as
using an indelible marker to mark the label.
This would probably take less time than the
slashing took.”
EW spoke to an Old Navy employee
who says in this case the coats had mold and
would have been hazardous.
Because Old Navy stores are not
permitted to speak to the media, EW
contacted corporate headquarters.
Old Navy spokesperson Catherine
Rhoades told EW that “our policy is to
destroy defective merchandise. This
includes items that have been washed, worn
or damaged in some way.” She adds, “When
possible, we will donate unsold inventory
that is not defective or used in any way.”
— Camilla Mortensen
we’ll supply the keens,
you create the fun!
BERN BABY BERN
WATERPROOF AND
COMES IN 3 COLORS
BIDWELL BOOT
AMAZING COMFORT
PIT BULL RENTAL
PREJUDICE
She was the 2010 Oregon Red Cross
“Animal Hero of The Year” for her work
with at-risk youth at the Serbu Juvenile
Justice Center. She’s been in EW; she’s been
on the television news. Sasha the deaf pit
bull might have found someone to adopt
her, but she’s having trouble fi nding a home.
After reading about Sasha in EW’s Pets
issue (7/28) William Novorolsky, who
works with the developmentally disabled
people who are deaf, says he “felt a very real
connection” to the dog. So he sought out
Sasha and her foster mom, Micaela Frank.
He met Sasha and Frank and decided that he
Downtown Eugene
Downtown Corvallis
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Feeling
overexposed?
IT’S ABOUT TIME
BY DAVID WAGNER
T
he equinox brought the last day of
summer and probably one of the last hot
days of the year. Rain is anticipated to
arrive this month as the official NOAA long term
forecast is for a normal climate regime. Mushroom
hunters await rain’s arrival anxiously. The October
mushroom show at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum
depends on it.
NORTHWESTERN
That hot day found a cloud of gnats hovering in still air by
GARTER SNAKE,
THAMNOPHIS
the Delta Ponds. It reminded me of my friend, Marge, who turned
ORDINOIDES
93 this year and is now largely confined to a wheelchair. Years ago
she showed us how to herd gnats. Approaching a cloud with
outstretched arms, she gathered it in and brought it to me. I received it very
slowly and took it to the next person. With slow, deliberate movements, we were able
to pass the cloud from one person to the next. Dancing with gnats is like dancing
with smoke.
Returning from a walk with burrs in my socks and our dog’s fur demonstrates
that seed dispersal is under way. Seeds await the onset of the rainy season, too.
Conifers shower huge rains of seeds from their cones. Only a tiny percent are viable.
Their strategy is to deceive seed eaters into thinking all are empty, thus deterring
them from spending time picking through the empties looking for the good ones.
Baby garter snakes are about, born recently. They are so vulnerable that we will
not see many next spring. Automobiles and phobias are their worst enemies.
CT SCANS WITH UP TO 70% LESS RADIATION
When you need a CT scan, ask your doctor for
f the safer
f CT scan,
only at Oregon Imaging Centers. Call 541-334-7555
Locations in Eugene/Springfield
www.oregonimaging.com
David Wagner is botanist who lives and works in Eugene. He teaches moss classes and leads nature walks.
He may be reached at fernzenmosses@me.com
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EUGENE WEEKLY OCTOBER 20, 2011 9