SLANT
Since 1971
• Civic Stadium may survive the wrecking ball after all. It’s a wise leadership move by 4J
Schools Superintendent Shelley Berman to support the city of Eugene’s offer to open an avenue
for both the YMCA and a restored Civic Stadium on the 10.2 acres in south Eugene. Next, the
School Board should follow his lead with a positive vote on Feb. 19. Only the city of Eugene’s
proposal of $4.5 million includes reusing the historic stadium and the opportunity for a new Y
on the site. With that big community decision out of the way, the district can focus on the
education issues swirling around out there and look forward to the precious new funds within
the year. Kids win in every way.
• With Pete Seeger songs and cries of “Hey, Obama! We don’t need no climate drama!” about
100 Eugeneans rallied at the Wayne Morse Federal Courthouse on Feb. 2, joining similar
protests of the controversial tar-sands-carrying Keystone XL pipeline across the country. The
protests arose after the U.S. State Department unveiled its final supplemental environmental
impact study last week, which played down the pipeline’s potential climate-changing effects.
Eugene and Corvallis have formed 350.org groups to fight global warming.
• Maybe it’s time for the Eugene
City Council to get some cultural
sensitivity training. Seems like
Councilor George Poling didn’t realize
that raising the middle finger is seen
as an insult in many countries,
including the one he lives in. Activists
for the unhoused were dismayed
when at a Jan. 29 council meeting
Poling sat with his middle finger
extended against his head. Alley
Valkyrie, who took a photo and posted it to her public Facebook page, wrote that “Poling, the only
councilor who openly and regularly expresses bigoted and prejudiced views towards the
homeless, held his finger up in this position at an audience full of homeless advocates for a
significant portion of the discussion about Whoville.” Jan Bohman, community relations
director for the city of Eugene, objected to EW posting the photo on our blog and said that Poling
“often rests his head on his hand” in this particular position, and he could be seen doing so
earlier in the meeting during the discussion of the Amazon Headwaters.
• The O&C Land Act of 2013 gets its first hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee this Thursday, Feb. 6, and Sen. Ron Wyden chairs this committee. More than two
dozen environmental groups are on record opposing Wyden’s legislation as it is written, and the
language in the bill is likely to get worse before it passes the Senate. Environmental protections
could be further watered down in conference committee with Rep. Peter DeFazio’s House bill.
We’ve heard lots of talk about jobs and money, but not nearly enough talk about carbon storage
and climate change, and the economic value of standing forests, wildlife habitat and clean water.
In terms of economics, it’s also time to look at our timber taxes in Oregon (or lack of them). And
about those promised timber jobs: Nobody’s talking about how more logging on public lands
means more exports of private raw logs (and jobs) to overseas mills.
10th Annual Citrus Celebration!
On Sunday, Feb. 9th from Noon to 4pm sample:
Over 25 varieties of organic citrus &
Organic Cheeses
Organic Hummuses
• Raw
• New
from Cascadia Creamery
from Sundance Kitchens
Herbal Elixers
• Chocolate
Vegan
• Organic
from Terra Firma
Valentine Cookies
Vegan Artisan Cheeses
• Local
from Sundance Kitchens
from Vtropia
Citrus Beer
• Local
Organic Traditional Chai
• Bulk
from Hops Valley
from Blue Lotus
Organic Fair Trade Coffees
• Local
• Kombucha
from Kombucha Mama
from Café Mam
• On Sale Friday Through Sunday •
Organic Valencia .79¢ /lb
Organic Bulk Chai $2.25 /oz
Organic Minneola .99¢ /lb
Choc. Herbal Elixers $9.95
reg $1.49/lb
reg $1.99/lb
from Blue Lotus
reg $3.62/oz
from Terra Firma reg $13.50
Local merchants, the heart of our community
24th & Hilyard • 541-343-9142 • open daily 7am-11pm
• Eye candy: (sub)Urban Projections 3rd Annual Digital Arts Festival at the Hult Jan. 30
was a huge success, packing the soaring lobby with young and old. The audience was guided
through nine cutting-edge performance pieces, perfectly paced at five-minute intervals,
ranging from local band Medium Troy to mapped 3D animation layered over modern dance. This
is the kind of event that will put Eugene on the arts map — good to see the public embracing it.
Did we mention it was free?
• Get ready to roll. The Emerald City Roller Girls will kick off their seventh season Saturday,
Feb. 8, at the Lane Events Center. The 2013 home-team champions, the Flat Track Furies, will
battle the Spokannibals from Spokane; the second bout of the night will be between the
Andromedolls and the Church of Sk8in to begin the intra-league competition towards the league
championship title. This is not how your mother taught you to skate.
SLANT INCLUDES SHORT OPINION PIECES, OBSERVATIONS AND RUMOR-CHASING NOTES COMPILED BY THE EW STAFF.
HEARD ANY GOOD RUMORS LATELY? CONTACT TED TAYLOR AT 484-0519, EDITOR@EUGENEWEEKLY.COM
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eugeneweekly.com • February 6, 2014
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