letters
TO THE EDITOR
of Spencer’s Butte only to fi nd it covered
in litter. Soda and beer cans, water bottles,
snack wrappers and of course cigarette butts
were everywhere I looked. It blows my
mind that people are somehow able to carry
these items up the trail, but are too lazy and
disrespectful to take them back down. Treat
your own property however you want, but
don’t bask in the glory of public nature only
to trash it when you’re done. I have a feeling
some of this recent litter was left on Earth
Day, which makes me even more angry.
Brooke Lusk
Eugene
NOT A WARM GUN
In last week’s EW (5/10), Andy
Valentine expressed his joy at shooting
guns in the woods of Oregon, in his article
“Happiness is a Warm Gun?” He came from
England, where most guns are banned, and
was amazed at how you “can literally drive
out beyond city limits with a borrowed gun
and start fi ring.” He states, “The sound of a
pop echoing through the valley is something
that every American should hear once in his
life,” after shooting an assault rifl e.
I don’t share his new fascination. I grew
up in rural Arkansas, where the year-round
“pop” of gunfi re was a constant reminder
of how gun-happy our country is. I’m no
stranger to guns, having shot quite a few as
a teen. Shooting is a rite of passage in that
region. But my enthusiasm was a bit tainted
when I sometimes heard my neighbor’s
bullets slashing through trees over my head,
or when my 14-year-old friend committed
suicide with his father’s weapon, or when,
at 18, I was six feet away when one boy
fatally shot another in the head. Perhaps
Mr. Valentine hasn’t been in the states long
enough to understand that 110,000 shootings
a year can make guns a little less “happy?”
Baldr Odinson
Eugene
OCCUPIERS, TAKE HEED
Interesting story (5/3) about the two
moms who were pepper sprayed. Occupy
protesters need to be aware that it is a
The Shedd Institute
different world they are protesting in now,
as compared to last fall. The government
has been busy crafting new laws to deal
with dissidents in the US. Protesters should
familiarize themselves with the following.
For background information: Civilian
Inmate Labor Program, Emergency
Centers Establishment Act.
And since last fall: In December,
Kellogg Brown Root called for FEMA
Camp Service Activation Bids; the
National Defense Authorization Act,
signed into law by Obama on Dec. 31,
2011; and the Federal Restricted Buildings
and Grounds Improvement Act, signed
into law by Obama in February.
Taken together, the government now has
far greater power to deal with protesters, so
act accordingly.
Jim Showker
Eugene
Hugh Laurie
May 31 (sold out)
Led Kaapana
Siri Vik
Where Or When
Mike &
Nancy Oft Rose
The Life & Lyrics
of Lorenz Hart
Fri, May 18
Sun, May 20
DENY THE REQUEST
We applaud the recent denial of a large
speculative application for water rights on
the McKenzie River. The application from
the Willamette Water Co. did not identify
committed customers for the water or
show how the withdrawal would comply
with land use laws. The company also has
challenged some recommended protection
for fi sh. The administrative law judge’s
conclusions that the application did not
meet legal requirements and that granting
the permit could be detrimental to the public
interest might be expected to end the matter.
However, the Oregon Water Resources
Commission is not required to heed the
judge’s decision and the Water Resources
Department had earlier recommended that
the permit be granted.
The League of Women Voters of
Lane County is requesting the governor
and our local legislators to encourage
the department and commission to deny
the Willamette Water Co. request. We
hope others who share our interest in
responsible management will do the same.
Our water is our most precious public
resource and granting rights for its use
June 2
Dan Hicks June 8
& The Hot Licks
PARTNERING
NERING FOR THE PLA
NERI
PLANET
MAY
5-19
$10 will go to the McKenzie River Trust or
Corvallis Environmental Center for every pair of
Patagonia footwear purchased from May 5-19.
W FOLLOW
IS THE TIME
FOR FEET
NEW TO SHOES
YOUR
COMFORT
Downtown Eugene
&#SPBEXBZt
'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFFVHFOF
.PO4BU4VO
Downtown Corvallis
48.BEJTPOt
'BDFCPPLDPNGPPUXJTFDPSWBMMJT
.PO4BU4VO
At the Eugene Water & Electric Board, we’re empowering citizens
with resources to save money and energy in their homes and
businesses — like James and Jennie Cupp. James helps his
mom change out incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent
lamps (CFLs) that use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer
than incandescent bulbs, and Jennie recycles old CFLs instead
of throwing them away. To find out about EWEB’s energy-saving
programs for your own home, visit eweb.org/saveenergy or call
541-685-7000. Maybe yours will be the next powerful tale we tell.
WWW.EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
EUGENE WEEKLY MAY 17, 2012
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