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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 8, 2011)
NEWS BRIEFS CONTINUED FROM P.8 WHO OWNS THE UO? In arguing for the privatization of the UO, many supporters of outgoing President Richard Lariviere cited figures as low as 6 percent for the amount of the institution’s budget that comes from the state. But actual figures from state government put that percentage at least twice as high. Last year “total state support” to the UO of $80.5 million was 12.5 percent of the “operating expense” of the UO of $644.7 million, according to numbers provided by the Oregon University System. Supporters of privatizing the UO with a governance board independent of state control apparently included athletics to increase the operating number and decrease the percentage. A fifth of all the revenue and spending at the UO goes to sports, according to a UO report to the NCAA last year. Opponents of handing the UO over to private control during the Lariviere debate cited another percentage, 100 percent, as the public’s ownership of all the buildings at the UO. They argued that in order to hand the UO over to private control, the public should be reimbursed for the value of the campus that it owns. According to OUS figures, the total replacement value of all the buildings at the UO is $1.3 billion. — Alan Pittman CELEBRATE SOLSTICE AT MUSEUM The UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) will host its 10th anniversary Winter Solstice celebration Dec. 16, promoting the wonders of animals in winter and enjoyment of rhythm and melody, with activities beginning at 5 pm. Long ago, the Winter Solstice was a time communities came together in the uncertainty of living through the winter and enjoyed wine and beer that was ready to drink, but its significance was diminished after the spread of Christianity. These days, after ’60s counterculture helped revive its memory, people are more aware of the solstice tradition from centuries ago. The MNCH celebration is expected to draw 300 to 400 people and is the museum’s most popular event, according to Denise Sorom, marketing and communications specialist at the museum. She hopes the event will be a time to reflect on seasonal change and come together as a community. “It is purely a secular celebration but just has this festive feel to it and attracts a very diverse group,” said Sorom. Animals will be the center focus of the evening, with Dick Lamster, former president of the Audubon Society of Lane County, giving a presentation on birds in winter. The MNCH will also debut a set of animal marionettes that include a wooly mammoth and a saber-toothed salmon to teach children about the solstice. Other planned events include storytelling of how the beaver got his tail and other animal folk tales. Sorom said the museum tries to find ways to make the event enjoyable for children and adults. Musical performances are scheduled to take place throughout the celebration as well, with Joe Manis, a northwest jazz musician, kicking off the night with his tenor saxophone in the MNCH galleria. Big news this week is that O.U.R. Federal Credit Union in the Whiteaker neighborhood has been purchased by the locally based Northwest Community Credit Union (NWCU). O.U.R. was taken into conservatorship by the National Credit Union Administration last June (see our story at http://wkly.ws/14z), and management was fi red. NWCU has purchased most of the assets and liabilities, and is assuring O.U.R. members that there will be no interruption of services. O.U.R. has about $4.9 million in assets and about 2,000 members. NWCU has $700 million in assets, about 70,000 members, 15 branches, and many services that were not provided by O.U.R. The O.U.R. building, which is owned by NEDCO, will house the new branch for now, according to Matt Purvis of NWCU. Purvis says he expects the new branch will continue at least some of O.U.R.’s member education services, and will add some “horsepower” to small business lending and support. Members will be transitioned to NWCU accounts in January. Call 686-2934 with questions, or visit the Whiteaker branch in person. Inn at the 5th, Eugene’s $12 million, 68-unit boutique hotel at Fifth Street Public Market, is now expected to open in mid-January, according to Heidi Albertson, director of sales. Earlier projections by owner Brian Obie had the hotel opening last summer, then in time for football season, and then in December. Once it opens, the hotel is expected to give a big boost to Fifth Street Market businesses and other enterprises nearby. The website is www.innat5th.com and the hotel is now taking reservations. The Wild Duck Café opened Dec. 6 at 1419 Villard St., just east of Matt Court, offering a Northwest-inspired American bistro menu and a full bar. Current hours are 11:30 am to 1 am daily and breakfast hours are expected to be added in January. Owner Bob Jensen says his old Wild Duck Brewery, Restaurant and Music Hall downtown closed in 2004, but he’s “kept the duck alive” with Wild Duck Catering and Big Green Events. Email bob@biggreenevents.com Valley Vintner & Brewer has changed its name after 10 years to Falling Sky Brewing, a reference to Oregon’s infamous rainy weather, and will be opening a new downtown Eugene Brew House in mid-January. The new pub, inspired by London neighborhood pubs, will be an expansion into the 3,000 sq. ft. adjacent space on Oak Alley behind the brew store at 30 E. 13th Ave. See www.fallingskybrewing.com or call Robert Cohen at 520-8012. Blue Dog Mead has begun production of its honey-based brew at 254 Lincoln St. in Eugene. Owners are Simon Blatz, Chase Drum and Simon Spencer, all UO students. A tasting room may open soon. Meanwhile, the beverage is available at Sundance and at Dairy Mart at 24th and Hilyard, and is being served at Max’s Tavern, Rennie’s Landing and 16 Tons. See www.bluedogmead.com m ww w. O .co rd Ca MM P MM PC a O w. rd .co ww m SpaceMonkey, a third member of the KHAC effort, says the station is already getting a lot of interest from people who want to do a show. “If there’s a desire there, then we can teach them,” he says. The spot KHAC will occupy on the dial, 87.5, was chosen specifically because it is on the unused end of radio spectrum. It’s so underutilized that some radios, particularly car radios, don’t even have it on the dial, according to Static. “It’s a limited edition frequency,” he says. KHAC expects the range of the station to be throughout the greater Eugene area. Static says he knows some people will ask, “Why don’t you use the internet?” instead of radio. But KHAC’s aim it to reach the people who don’t have internet access so “some homeless person pushing a shopping cart with a transistor radio could have access.” Eugene hasn’t had a pirate radio station since about 2002, KHAC says. But pirate radio stations exist around the country. Santa Cruz Calif., has had a pirate radio station since 1995. That station, like KAOS Radio in Austin, Texas, was shut down by the FCC, but both were quickly back on the air, Daniel says. Free speech is at the heart of the matter when it comes to occupying the airwaves. “Pirate radio is essentially just an unlicensed radio station,” according to Daniel. But he says the large fees that corporate stations pay to be licensed and the hoops that need to be jumped through prevent the community from being able to have access and a voice. Public radio stations can’t have a “call to action,” KHAC organizers say, which restricts free speech, as do limitations on obscenity. Future programming might include anything from radio broadcasts of Occupy Eugene general assemblies to talk radio and music. biz beat “We want to get things out there that are not being covered by corporate media,” SpaceMonkey says. Organizers plan to hold a fundraiser for the pirate radio station at a time and location that they will announce later. For more info on KHAC and its fundraiser, or to participate, email 87.5.Eugene@gmail.com or call 286- KHAC. — Camilla Mortensen - W Weekly kl Cli Clinics i - Professional and Private Setting O fice hours 10am - 5pm Monday thru Friday. - Free Record Review - New Patients and Renewals Welcome Practical Goods for Natural Giving Do You Qualify for Your OMMP Card ? Call Today - 1-888-920-6076 Our knowledgable staff will successfully guide you through the OMMP process of aquiring your Oregon Medical Marijuana Card. WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM +20(*$5'(1 *,)7 2OLYH6W :LOODPHWWH6W 0RQ6DW6XQ EUGENE WEEKLY DECEMBER 8, 2011 9
