Eugene weekly., July 18, 2013, Page 8, Image 8

NEWS
The nonprofit Emerald Empire Hempfest is back for
its 11th year for three days beginning Friday, July 19, at
Maurie Jacobs Park in Eugene, across the footbridge
from Valley River Center. The alcohol- and drug-free
festival features live music, food booths, educational
exhibits, a hemp fashion show and new product
demonstrations. This year’s theme is “The Walls of
Cannabis Prohibition are Coming Down.” Volunteers are
still needed. Call Dan Koozer at 517-0957 or see
EmeraldEmpireHempfest.com.
A new Eugene field office for the NAACP of Lane
County has been set up at 120 W. Broadway and the
hours of operation will be from 11:30 am to 3 pm
Tuesday through Saturday. Eric Richardson, president of
the county chapter, says the organization has a six-
month lease and will be looking for a more permanent
home at the end of November. When asked if the office
needs any donations of office equipment, funds or
more volunteers, Richardson said, “Any offer of
assistance will be considered.” Phone number is 484-
1119 and email is president@naacpLaneCounty.org.
Former Eugene resident Paul Scott of Plug In
America is returning to Eugene to give a lecture on the
need to transition from oil to renewable electricity as the
energy source for personal transportation. The lecture
will be at 5:30 pm Friday, July 19, at the main meeting
room at EWEB. Scott lived in Eugene from 1975-1998
and then moved to Santa Monica to work in the film
industry. He is now involved as an activist and advocate
for solar energy and electric cars. He markets electric
vehicles and also lectures on their benefits. “Lane
County residents spend $700 million every year filling
their tanks with gasoline and diesel, of which 90 percent
leaves Lane County,” he says. “Electric vehicles will be a
powerful boon to the local economy.” See pluginamerica.
org.
BOWTECH Archery is opening its factory pro shop for
bow hunters to meet experts and check out the latest
equipment from 10 am to 1 pm Saturday, July 20, at
90554 Pacific Hwy. Jim and Eva Shockey of the TV
shows Jim Shockey Hunting Adventures and The
Professionals plan to be at the event.
Sundance Natural Foods at 748 E. 24th Ave. has
gained national recognition as one of the Top 12 Right to
Know Grocers in North America. The award recognizes
the efforts by Sundance to identify and eliminate
genetically modified foods from its shelves and bins.
General Manager James Mattravers says the store was
honored for “promoting progressive and responsible
food politics, for being at the forefront of our industry in
resisting GMOs and chemical agribusiness and for
educating our community and customers on these
issues.”
Star Gate Books at 1374 Willamette St. is organizing
an evening event with Hopi elder Leroy Lewis from 7:30
to 10 pm Wednesday, July 24, at the Saraha Buddhist
Center, 40th and Donald in south Eugene. Lewis is an
elder in the Flute Clan and will be talking about ancient
Mayan codices that were hidden in a cave for more than
600 years. “The codices also confirm that the Hopi,
Mayan, Q’uero and Tibetans are indeed related,” says
Alan Stein of Star Gate. Tickets are $20 in advance at
Star Gate, $25 at the door. See stargateeugene.com or
call 342-8348.
River City Coffee Company at 69th and Main in
Springfield is under new ownership as of July 5 and
remodeling is under way. New owner is Byron Parra and
daily operations are managed by Mark Lumpkin. River
City offers locally wood-roasted coffee by Caffé Pacori,
along with teriyaki chicken lunches and dinners. Find
River City on Facebook.
The next Emerald FEAST (Financing Eugene Area
Sustainable Talent) will be from 6 to 8:30 pm Thursday,
July 25, at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St.
Diners purchase a meal for $15 to $25 and vote to
donate the evening’s proceeds to one of several small
businesses and start-ups that pitch their projects. The
FEAST has given away $2,900 so far in six events.
8
revolved around whether Brown had a “legislative, economic
or administrative interest” when Handy solicited a donation.
The investigation determined that he did not.
Michaels, who attended the ethics commission meeting,
said that hearings earlier in the day were “friendly, nonpoliti-
cal” but that when Handy’s case came up, former speaker of
the Oregon House of Representatives Larry Campbell made
An Oregon Government Ethics Commission investiga-
the hearing “way more political than anything I had seen all
tor recommended in a 32-page report that the commission
day.” Campbell was a Republican representative out of Eu-
dismiss an ethics complaint against former Lane County
gene in the Legislature in the 1990s. Michaels said, “Some-
commissioner Rob Handy. After debate, the six members
one had more politics than discretion.”
of the ethics commission present at the July 12 meeting did
Michaels said Campbell insult-
not reach the four votes needed to
ed him and Handy’s other attorney
either move forward with or dismiss
Marianne Dugan and questioned
the complaint. As the Handy case
Handy said at the time that he
the investigator did her job.
statutorily expired July 17, this ends
would be cleared of all allegations whether
The director of the Ethics Commis-
a chapter in what some see as a ven-
and called them ‘a smear tactic.’
sion and an assistant attorney gen-
detta against Handy and other pro-
eral signed off on her report.
gressive politicians. Handy said in
“What they are really saying
a statement that he hopes “this kind
to those people is ‘We don’t believe you, trust you, respect
of targeting doesn’t stop other progressives from seeking
you.’ Which they didn’t say in those words, but by contesting
offi ce because there is too much at stake in Lane County.”
them, they were saying, ‘We know more than you do even
The case began in May 2012 when attorney Alan
though you took all these months to do this investigation,’”
Thayer, representing Eugene businessman John Brown,
Michaels said of the three committee members — including
complained that it was unethical for Handy to ask Brown
the member who originally put forth a motion to dismiss —
and others to make donations toward his $20,000 debt
voting against dismissal.
that stemmed from an earlier Seneca Timber-funded case
The end result though, since the committee took no ac-
against progressive county commissioners. Handy said he
tion, is that the case expired July 17, and as Handy predicted
checked with the county’s fi nance department before ask-
shortly before the May election that he lost to Pat Farr, he was
ing supporters to assist with the debt.
not found guilty of any ethics violations.
Handy said at the time that he would be cleared of all
Michaels said, “There was no hint or appearance of a cor-
allegations and called them “a smear tactic.” In addition to
rupt result” in Handy’s asking for aid with his debt. “Yes, this
the end of the ethics commission investigation, the Oregon
was a gift but it’s only an improper gift if there was a corrupt
Department of Justice decided last fall against fi ling crimi-
appearance or intent.” — Camilla Mortensen
nal charges against Handy.
One of Handy’s attorneys, Brian Michaels, said the issue
HANDY DIDN’T VIOLATE
ETHICS, REPORT SAYS
‘This is protocol at
every protest. You
leave the place
better than you
found it.’
A L L E Y VA L K YR I E , A C TI V I S T
A N D H O M L E S S A D VO C ATE
POOP FICTION IN
OUR PUBLIC PLAZA?
Two cases in Eugene Municipal Court this week re-
volved around protest, poop and constitutional free speech
rights. Judge Karen Stenard heard testimony in a motion-
to-dismiss hearing July 15 about two protests in the Wayne
Morse Free Speech Plaza that involved the arrests of 21
people in one protest and activist Alley Valkyrie in an-
other. Both were related to the group SLEEPS, which set
up tents in the plaza to call attention to the plight of the
homeless. The cases were heard on the same day as they
subpoenaed the same witnesses.
Attorney Lauren Regan in her motion to dismiss the
trespassing charges writes that closing the plaza and forc-
ing the protesters to leave violates the U.S. Constitution’s
First Amendment as well as Article I of the Oregon Con-
stitution.
Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson or-
dered the free speech plaza to be closed and controver-
sially called for “disinfection” of the plaza. At the hear-
ing, Valkyrie says, Richardson testifi ed that she smelled
human feces in planter boxes in the plaza within 24 hours
of the closure order and had several coversations about it
with the sheriff’s sergeant in charge of the clean up. But
Valkyrie says the sheriff’s sergeant testifi ed that he didn’t
actually fi nd any feces and that he smelled the feces after
the barricades went up, which Valkyrie says would be two
days later.
Valkyrie, who calls the feces testimony “poop fi ction,”
says that either way, there were no feces to be smelled.
Protesters used nearby city bathrooms and had peacekeep-
ers and a clean-up crew. “This is protocol at every protest,”
she says. “You leave the place better than you found it.”
She also says she takes issue with the way that county
prosecutor Daniel Barcovic “tried to invoke George Zim-
merman” in his questions about if the peacekeepers were
trained or carried weapons.
The poop issue is key because a public health hazard
could be seen as a reasonable legal basis for closing the
plaza. Valkyrie and the SLEEPS protesters maintain that
free speech has no curfew. The case resumes July 18 but a
ruling is not expected until later. — Camilla Mortensen
PHOTO TRASK BEDORTHA
July 18, 2013 • eugeneweekly.com