BROUHAHA ON THE BALLOT
Is there a mistake on your ballot? Aaron Baker, who is running against incumbent
Democrat Paul Holvey for Oregon House District 8, says there is. Baker, a Republican
railroad engineer perhaps best known for the Tea Party-esque videos he posts at his “No
Sugar Coated News” website, has accused fellow challenger Lucian Blansett of election
fraud and says his name should be removed from the ballot. Lane County says it’s too
late — ballots have already been printed in order to be mailed Oct. 19. Blansett says of
the allegations, “I haven’t heard anything, but everything we’ve done has been up and
up.”
House District 8 encompasses southwest Eugene, Lorane, Veneta and Noti. It histori-
cally leans Democratic, and Holvey has won handily in the past. Blansett, who has a
distribution business and lists his prior government experience as “taxpayer,” is running
as a Constitution Party candidate.
Baker, who is prone to anti-communist rants in his online videos, interspersed with
videos of goats and sea lions, contacted the Oregon Secretary of State Elections divi-
sion earlier this month to fi le a complaint against Blansett, writing, “Blansett has clearly
failed to fi le form SEL 220: Statement
of Organization for Candidate Commit-
tee, and along with that the required form
SEL 223: Campaign Account Informa-
tion. Both forms are required to be fi led if
˹ L U CI A N B L A N S E T T
a candidate at any time spends or receives
more than $750.00 in a calendar year.”
Baker says that between paying the fee to be in the Voters’ Pamphlet and paying for
printing costs for brochures and lawn signs, Blansett has exceeded the $750 amount. He
asked that Blansett be taken off the ballot. A compliance specialist at the Elections Divi-
sion responded that Baker could either consult with an attorney in seeking an order from
the court to advise the county elections offi cial to not tally the votes for this candidate,
or some other legal remedy that the attorney might advise; or contest the election results.
Baker says having Blansett on the ballot when he has not properly accounted for cam-
paign expenditures — EW was not able to fi nd the PAC Blansett listed, Lucien Blansett
PAC, fi led with the Secretary of State’s offi ce — is not fair either to him or to Holvey.
The Elections Division says it was going to mail an inquiry to Blansett on the matter
by Oct. 15. — Camilla Mortensen
‘Everything we’ve done
has been up and up.’
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Check us out on facebook and mckenzierivermusic.com
SHO 4rd Annual
Wine
Tasting
FUNDRAISER
Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012 4-7pm
Hult Center Studio
SAMPLES PROVIDED BY:
Chateau Lorane, Benton Lane,
Silvan Ridge, Sweet Cheeks,
Chocolate Decadence,
Olive Grand, Eugene Coff ee Co.
Wine Sampling
Hors d’oeuvres
Silent Auction
Music by Group Th erapy
21 & Over • Tickets $15
www.HultCenter.org
or Hult Center ticket offi ce
541-682-5000
NOW BOOKING HOLIDAY PARTIES!
Marketplace@Sprout!, an indoor,
year-round evolution of the Springfield
Farmers Market, opens for the first time
with a celebration from 3 to 7 pm Friday,
Oct. 19, at 418 A St. in downtown
Springfield, the old First Christian Church.
NEDCO purchased the building in 2011
with support from the city of Springfield
and various groups and foundations. The
market will be open every Friday and the
facility will also have a commercial
kitchen and serve as a small business
incubator. See sproutfoodhub.org or call
345-7106.
We hear from Warren Weisman that
Hestia Home Biogas LLC is relocating
soon from Eugene to Ventura, Calif., to
Jake’s Wayback Burgers, with 56
locations, has opened its first Oregon
franchise at 45 Division Ave. in Eugene,
tucked in a small group of businesses just
north of the Fred Meyer on River Road.
Jake’s motto is “re-imaging the great
American roadside burger stand,” says
Gillian Maffeo of the company. Each
restaurant in the chain of 56 sites
employees between 25 and 30
people. Guests can dine in or order online
at waybackburgers.com
NEW HOURS BEGIN NOVEMBER 6th!
+ 201
ER Tuesday-Thursday 4-10
Friday & Saturday 4-11, Sunday 4-10
Tuesday-Saturday 4-6
& an hour before closing!
2 +
IRON
CHEF
EUGENE
LAND
& PORT
2101 BAILEY HILL RD., SUITE L
a Trunk Sho
n
o
Z
450 west 3rd St
three doors west of REI
Oct 18 - 21
Saturday Market is continuing at the
Park Blocks downtown, rain or shine, from
10 am to 5 pm through Nov. 10. The
opening weekend of Holiday Market will
be one week later, Nov. 17-18, at the
Fairgrounds.
Local ad agency bell + funk, headed
by David Funk and Jennifer Bell, has
added EWEB to its client list. The contract
was awarded in June but just announced
last week.
Send suggestions for Biz Beat items to editor@eu-
geneweekly.com with “Biz Beat” in the subject line.
w
Social entrepreneurs take note: The
next Emerald F.E.A.S.T. dinner will be from
6 to 8 pm Thursday, Oct. 25, at the First
United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St. in
Eugene. Chef Patty Harrison and her crew
will be preparing a “grandma’s feast.” The
acronym stand for Emerald Financing
Eugene Area Sustainable Talent, and
proceeds from the dinner are awarded to
“boost a very small entrepreneur with big
ideas for helping the community,” says
David Hazen, one of the organizers.
Tickets are sliding scale, $15 to $25.
During the dinner, four selected individuals
will pitch their projects and diners will
have scorecards to submit. The winner
gets an instant grant. See emeraldfeast.
weebly.com or call 520-6621.
take advantage of “terrific incentives for
biogas along with higher electric rates,” he
says. His local biogas units can be found
at Maitreya Ecovillage in Eugene and at
Laughing Stock Farm on Territorial
Highway. Hestia designs and builds
residential and farm biodigesters to
provide low-cost energy. See
hestiahomebiogas.com
11:00 - 6:30
Sof t and comfortable, your favorite everyday clothes
Lots of NEW Blouses and Jackets
sewn in soft TENCEL fabrics
big variety of colors and weaves
$10
$15 Big Sale Rack $20
450 W. 3rd St
$25
www.zonaclothes.com
eugeneweekly.com • October 18, 2012
11