Eugene weekly., March 13, 2014, Page 9, Image 9

are also involved in the controversial mining
of scenic Parvin Butte in Dexter.
Willamette Water Co. said it intended to
sell the water to rural communities around
Lane County, and in October 2011 the
conservative majority on the Lane County
Board of Commissioners voted in favor of a
resolution in support of the water bid. Com-
missioner Pete Sorenson and former com-
missioner Rob Handy voted against it.
In addition to getting a water right, Wil-
lamette Water also challenged fish protec-
tion conditions recommended by the Or-
egon Department of Fish and Wildlife and
proposed by the WRD, Brown says.
The recent final order stemmed from
a contested case hearing two years ago. In
April of 2012 Administrative Law Judge
James Han wrote in his ruling that “the pre-
ponderance of the evidence established”
that the company’s application was specula-
tive because it had no contracts to sell water,
had not shown it would obtain them in the
future and was applying for more water than
it could show it would put to “actual benefi-
cial use.” The case then went to the WRD.
Brown says in its 83-page ruling that the
WRD “correctly found that Willamette Wa-
ter Co.’s proposal was illegal because it was
attempting to tie up a large block of water for
undefined future sale, rather than proposing
to use the water beneficially as required by
law.” She adds that the department “agreed
with the judge that what the company was
proposing was not a beneficial use but rather
was speculative and therefore wasteful.”
EW’s award-winning series on the McK-
enzie River and Willamette Water drew at-
tention to the issue in 2010, and the articles
were cited in the 2012 contest case hearing.
Willamette Water has 20 days to file ob-
jections to the state’s denial of the permit,
after which the state could modify the deci-
sion and issue a new order. After that pro-
cess ends, the state’s denial can be brought
to the Oregon Court of Appeals. EW con-
tacted Reed Marbut, one of the attorneys
for Willamette Water, for comment, but did
not hear back before press time. — Camilla
Mortensen
NEIGHBORHOOD
PLANS ALDER
STREET MURAL
The Alder Street Advocates neighbor-
hood group is planning a transportation-
themed mural to be painted on the street
surface of Alder Street between 19th and
24th avenues. The design and painting of the
mural will happen through the collaborative
efforts of people who live in the neighbor-
hood.
Grant applicant Allen Hancock says the
applicants have gone door to door and found
50 people who are interested in participat-
ing. “Not only because they want to create
some art and make the street beautiful, but
because they want to meet their neighbors,”
he says.
Hancock is hoping the mural will increase
the feeling of community in the neighbor-
hood and pay tribute to Alder Street’s unique
transportation history, such as the old trolley
line from 1912 and contraflow bicycle lanes
that were installed in the 1970s between 13th
and 18th avenues. He notes that the contra-
flow bike lane, which made traffic two-way
for bikes but one-way for other vehicles, was
one of the first in the country.
“At the time that was really an unusual
thing — to close a street off so just bicycles
could go through it? That was crazy,” Han-
cock says.
Portland is home to several street murals,
and there is one in Eugene on the intersec-
tion of Garfield Street and 22nd Avenue.
Katie Geiser was one of the project coordi-
nators for the Garfield mural. She says after
the mural was painted, “the neighborhood
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ACTIVIST
• A “Hunger Banquet” educational
fundraiser is planned for 6 to 8 pm Thursday,
March 13, at Unitarian Universalist Church at
13th and Chambers. Sponsored by OSPIRG,
ShelterCare and others. All donations will go
to the Rainy Day Food Pantry at LCC. Call Zack
Wright of OSPIRG at 255-5364.
• “Collaboration Corvallis” is the topic at
City Club of Eugene at noon Friday, March 14,
at the Downtown Athletic Club, 999 Willamette
St. Speakers will be Steve Clark, VP for
university relations at OSU and Patricia
Daniels, representing 28 neighborhood
associations in Corvallis. The project focuses
on land use and transportation planning,
along with off-campus behavior issues
involving OSU students who make up about
45 percent of Corvallis’ population.
• A “Save the Bees” event is planned from
1 to 5 pm Saturday, March 15, at Cozmic, 199
W. 8th Ave. Speakers will include Paul Towers
who was featured in the film Killing the Bees,
along with Lisa Arkin, Philip Smith, Gary
Rondeau and Bruce Newhouse. The event
also includes short films, raffles, a silent
auction and kids’ activities. See pacificgreens.
LERT
org or call 543-9159.
• The 2014 Sharing the Coast Conference
will be March 14-16 in Seaside and Cannon
Beach. The annual conference is
co-sponsored by the Northwest Aquatic and
Marine Educators and the CoastWatch
program of the Oregon Shores Conservation
Coalition. Keynote speakers include Alan
Rammer, Debbie Duffield, Stacy Galleher and
Ralph Breitenstein. See oregonshores.org.
• Candidates for East Lane County
commissioner are invited to a community
forum at 6:30 pm Thursday, March 20, at the
McKenzie River Mountain Resort in Blue
River. Faye Stewart is the incumbent and
challengers are Joann Ernst, Kevin Matthews,
Jose Ortal and Jack Schoolcraft.
• About 72 community garden plots
remain available in Eugene in gardens at
Alton Baker, Amazon, Mathews, River House,
Skinner City Farm and in the Whiteaker.
Applications are now being accepted for the
2014 season. Call 682-4800 or visit the city
website at wkly.ws/1p9. A lottery drawing will
be March 24 and any unassigned lots will be
offered first-come, first-served.
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