Eugene weekly., July 19, 2012, Page 8, Image 8

NEWS BRIEFS
YOUNG DEMS PLAN
ODYSSEY TO DNC
Democratic Party of Lane County Secretary Andrew
Becker and Steven Coatsworth, the national committeeman
for the Young Oregon Democrats of America (YODA),
have been elected, along with others, to represent Oregon at
the Democratic National Convention starting Sept. 3 in
Charlotte, N.C.
The two will be driving cross-country in an old car
painted as an American flag, in what they are dubbing a
“Gonzo-throwback American Adventure.” They will be
interviewing and videotaping people they meet along the
way, both liberals and conservatives, about their views on
the November election. Their interviews will be posted on a
video blog at a website to be announced. They also plan to
stream footage from the floor of the convention and
distribute information to other delegates about Oregon’s
vote-by-mail system and our initiative process.
Coatsworth says the two have managed to pay in
advance for their hotel bill in Charlotte, but need to raise
money to pay for their gas and food along the way.
“The cost for each individual on this trip is, ironically
enough, approximately $2,012,” Coatsworth says. “The
goal for each of our seven delegates is to raise $2,012. Each
delegate is responsible for individually raising the funds that
s/he will need for the convention. Surplus funds will be used
to aid others in our Oregon delegation.” Other members of
the delegation are Quintin Kreth, Richard Cundiff, Gerry
Rempel, Kathryne Maurer and Matt Keating.
To contribute to the trip, send checks made out to Steve
Coatsworth or Andrew Becker to 1338 Jefferson St., Level
B, Eugene 97402.
— Ted Taylor
HEMPFEST PUTS
EDUCATION FIRST
It’s high time for a rollback on the prohibition of the
world’s most beneficial plant, activists say. Emerald Empire
HempFest is gearing up for its ninth annual event at Maurie
Jacobs Park July 20 to 22.
Fashioned after Seattle’s HempFest, the Emerald Empire
HempFest is becoming something more than just a haven
for pot paraphernalia and heavy tokers. “It’s all about
education,” HempFest Executive Director Dan Koozer says.
“This year will be a celebrating event,” Koozer says,
because Initiative 9, which qualified for the November
ballot on July 14, gives Oregon voters a chance to legalize
marijuana this fall.
“Keep it free,” the HempFest’s slogan, is double-sided.
“HempFest is free for people to come and go, while trying
to free the plant,” Koozer explains.
According to Koozer, there will be stages for musical
performances, a food court, booths for artists, vendors
featuring hemp products and nonprofits groups.
There will be guest speakers from Voter Power, THCF
and Mercy Centers who will address environmental benefits
of hemp, medical uses of marijuana and the negative
consequences of prohibition.
The Emerald Empire HempFest’s “Ganja Goddesses”
will be seeking donations to help cut production costs and to
raise more green for the cause.
This is an all-age, alcohol-free event and no illegal
activities will be tolerated. See www.emeraldempirehempfest.
com for info.
— Mike W. Davis
ACTIVIST ALERT
• A free screening of Bag It!, a documentary on plastic
bags, will be at 7:30 pm Thursday, July 19, at Cozmic, 199
W. 8th Ave. in Eugene. Sponsored by OLCV, Surfrider
Foundation, Sierra Club and Environment Oregon. Plastic
bags will be on the agenda of a work session of the Eugene
City Council Monday, July 23, and a draft ordinance can be
read at www.Eugene-or.gov
• Author and Rabbi Maurice Harris will speak at 10 am
Sunday, July 22, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Eugene, 1635 W. 13th Ave., on the topic of “Being Pro-Gay
and Hanging in There with Leviticus.” Harris was ordained
at the Re-constructionist Rabbinical College, the first major
rabbinical seminary to ordain gay and lesbian rabbis
beginning in 1984, and he is a longtime advocate for
marriage equality and the full affirmation of LGBT people
in religious communities.
• National mental health advocate Laura Van Tosh will
speak at a free public forum from 1 to 3 pm Tuesday, July
24, at Lane County Behavioral Health Services, 2411 Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd., Room 198, near Autzen Stadium in
Eugene. Tosh is an advocate for mental health peer
services nationally and in Oregon. For more information,
email oregon.united@gmail.com or call 345-9106.
PHOTO BY PETE HELZER
PARVIN BUTTE
PARVIN BUTTE DISPUTE
Parvin Butte is still standing. Shorn of most of its trees and blasted by heavy
equipment, the Dexter landmark lingers in the background as summer visitors play on
Dexter Lake. The Dexter/Lost Valley neighbors are still fighting to save the butte from
McDougal brothers and developer Greg Demers, whose company Lost Creek Rock
Products (LCRP), has been decimating it. The latest skirmish took place in front of Lane
County Hearings Official Gary Darnielle on July 12.
Parvin Butte neighbors came to testify before Darnielle on a site review of LCRP’s
quarry and mining-related activities within a 200-foot setback area surrounding the
quarry operation. LCRP has argued site review isn’t needed at all. Site review allows
neighbors input on troubling aspects of a quarry mine, like pollution, traffic and noise.
Attorney for the neighbors Dan Stotter says there is a key difference between what
triggers a site review — the gravel trucks going through the setback — and the scope of
the site review, which would deal with the quarry mining itself and its explosions and
heavy equipment that affect neighbors. It’s like the difference between an invitation to
dinner, he says, and what you have for dinner.
Large animal vet Jeff Pelton testified on the effects the blasting would have on
animals from sheep to horses that are the source of income for many in the Parvin Butte
area. “In a nutshell, I demanded that they should show it is safe for livestock before they
let them reduce Parvin Butte to rubble,” Pelton says.
A source of contention at the hearing was that LCRP earlier applied for, and was
granted, a bridge permit to access the site. The quarry argued that access to Parvin by
way of Rattlesnake and Schafler roads was terrible and another route via a new bridge
was needed, Stotter says. But now in the site review application the gravel miners are
8 JULY 19, 2012
EUGENE WEEKLY
arguing to use the Rattlesnake Road route, without withdrawing their bridge permit.
Neighbor Jim Babson argued in his testimony that LCRP might not have right-of-
way access to all of Schafler Road and has requested the gravel miners produce deeds
showing they indeed have right-of-way access for this plan.
Other testimony was more emotional. Neighbor Arlen Markus says some neighbors
were in tears at the hearing as they spoke of how 136 trucks a day, from 7 am to 6 pm,
six days a week would affect their rural community: heavy traffic going through nearby
Pleasant Hill and its schools, problems blasting will cause a veterans’ home on
Rattlesnake Road that houses vets with traumatic issues from wartime experiences and
the damages dust produced by the quarry will cause a nearby organic farm.
Stotter says Rattlesnake itself has blind corners and other unsafe driving conditions
for large commercial gravel trucks.
The attorney says people can submit comments on the issue to the county until July
26. A decision from Darnielle is expected by mid-August, but Stotter suspects attorneys
for LCRP will let a 120-day clock on this issue run out, so they can take the case to circuit
court, rather than the normal route after a decision is made by the county for it to go the
Land Use Board of Appeals.
Stotter says quarry attorney Bill Kloos’ office is not willing to stipulate any additional
time. Forty-five days have already passed. Darnielle has said he will make his decision
within week of the August 9 final rebuttal by the applicant, but after that the Lane County
Board of Commissioners would weigh in. The board, which is currently led by a
conservative majority, “could take longer than needed intentionally so as to duck the
issue politically and send it to court,” Stotter says.
— Camilla Mortensen
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