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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2012)
The county is also seeking to uphold the nearly $8,000 in fines it levied against LCRP, a business of Greg Demers and Norman and Melvin McDougal, for continuing its quarry-mining operations without a site review. Bill Kloos, an attorney for LCRP, argued before Darnielle at the hearing that a site review was not needed. But a number of neighbors testified about the noise and other issues the mining was creating for nearby homes. In a separate case, the neighbors have contested a bridge LCRP wants to build. They fear it will affect salmon and other wildlife and cause flooding. The county says it is asking for reconsideration of the site review ruling because the Lane Code outlines provisions that must be followed for quarry operations. In a letter to the county supporting the request for reconsideration, Dan Stotter, attorney for the Parvin Butte neighbors, wrote that it’s the position of his clients that further legal review, in either the Land Use Board of Appeals or in circuit court, “is likely to result in a reversal of the hearings official’s decision in this matter.” It is unclear at this point if the county will appeal the decision to LUBA or the circuit court if Darnielle does not reconsider or if he repeats his earlier decision. For more on Parvin Butte go to saveparvinbutte.org — Camilla Mortensen zontaeugenespringfield.com and see the “Women’s Day” category in EW’s calendar this week and next week’s issue for more International Women’s Day events. — Caitlin McKimmy IF LCAS GOES WHERE WILL THE PETS GO? The city of Eugene and Lane County are planning to do away with Lane County Animal Services (LCAS), sparking an outcry from local advocates for dogs, cats and other pets, who worry this could bring the county back to the days when thousands of stray pets were killed each year. Lane County, Eugene and Springfield are forming an happening people interagency task team to explore and develop a new model of service delivery for animal services, the county says. LCAS is “one of the real success stories, one of the really shining examples of city-county partnership,” says Scott Bartlett, who serves on LCAS’s advisory committee. He is also the veteran of 16 years on the county’s Budget Committee. Bartlett says, “This new model thing in my mind is shallow, unsubstantiated and extremely risky to the animals.” The proposal for animal control apparently arose out of the announcement by City Manager John Ruiz that Eugene was pulling $130,000 from LCAS’s budget, as well as county budget cuts. According to Karen Gaffney, assistant director for county Health and Human Services, the county’s 25 percent across-the-board budget cut brought LCAS’s ability to “maintain critical services to animals and the BY PAUL NEEVEL WOMEN AND SEX TRAFFIC Most Eugeneans probably assume that human trafficking is an international phenomenon, plaguing far- off nations like India and Thailand. This is decidedly not the case. Trafficking is an issue that affects the U.S., and prostitution and servitude in Oregon is on the rise. In order to raise awareness for this pressing human rights issue, and as part of its annual International Women’s Day Forum, the Zonta Club of Eugene-Springfield is holding a luncheon and panel on sex trafficking 11:30 am Thursday, March 8. Traffickers are exploiting the young people living on the streets of the Pacific Northwest with alarming frequency — Portland and Seattle are among some of the most dangerous cities in the U.S. when it comes to trafficking, according to the Zonta Club. Hosted in the Eugene Hilton Conference Center, the forum titled “Homelessness and Trafficking: Keeping Our Kids Safe” will explore the issue of human trafficking from a local perspective. There will be speakers from a local shelter, juvenile justice, women-survivor support groups and a woman who was trafficked. The goal of the event is to educate the community about how this problem affects local young women and children and what can be done to help. The cost of the luncheon and panel is $25 per person and $200 for a table of eight. All of the proceeds from the event will go to Zonta, an organization that works to support women’s issues locally and worldwide. Advance registration required; check with Zonta for details at MARY DEMOCKER The sixth of nine siblings, Mary DeMocker grew up in an old farm house outside Rochester, New York. “My life was ballet, harp, and horses,” says DeMocker, who put in two years at Colby College in Maine before escaping to NYC, where she worked in film and TV production, studied at NYU, organized students for the Central American solidarity movement, and played harp on the street. “I found a spot in SoHo where they didn’t mind my playing.” After graduating from NYU, she came to Eugene with a UO harp scholarship in 1988. She met her husband-to-be Arthur Peck within months, toured schools with a musical program celebrating Earth Day, and began her career as a home-based harp teacher. She has also published articles on parenting since the birth of her kids Zannie and Forrest in the late 1990s. A few years back, DeMocker and family began a Halloween tradition with a front-yard display of cardboard tombstones bearing inscriptions such as “Climate Change Denial” and “Oil Addiction.” After last fall’s display, the family has gone on to engage its South University neighbors with several more interactive “front-lawn theater” installations, each one aimed at a particular social or environmental issue. See photos of all the recent displays at marydemocker.com Up to 60 % off Wed., March 7th thru Sun., March 11th t New $20 Sale Rack (while merchandise lasts!) t biggest shipment of Flax ever t luxurious Citron printed silks t fun Loco Lindo printed rayons with summer dresses! t assorted spring styles t end of season closeouts w t Ne starting Saturday, additional t markdowns on selected items Bring in this ad for an additional 20% off one total purchase of in-stock merchandise.* S ale star ts at 10 am WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 T H *Cannot include special orders, layaway pick-ups, gift certificates, consignment merchandise or be applied retroactively for refunds on prior purchases. Limited to one coupon per person per day. One coupon only per transaction. Offer ends 3/31/2012. WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • BLOGS.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM EUGENE WEEKLY MARCH 1, 2012 7