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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2014)
“It’s really easy to be diverse and turn on a dime and come up with a new seasonal and really cool menu idea,” Johnson says. City of Springfield Community Development Special- ist Kevin Ko has been working with NEDCO to ensure the program is a positive reflection of and influence on downtown Springfield. He says people can expect to see food carts vending, among other choices, sandwiches, hot dogs and Mexican food. “We’d like to see food carts be successful from a cul- tural perspective as a way to show there’s a lot happening downtown,” Ko says. “And of course we’d like to have the economic benefit for downtown by having the real visible and successful food cart program.” The city has contracted NEDCO to oversee the pro- gram. Food cart owners will pay NEDCO a monthly fee of 6 percent of sales with a maximum of $100, and $50 during winter months. Eugene’s current food cart program taxes 6 percent of sales or $100 monthly, whichever is greater. “I would love to see lots of people who have great food and really haven’t gotten an opportunity to get past that real start-up point,” Springfield Mayor Christine Lund- berg says. Johnson says he expects between five and 10 food carts to participate in the program during the first few months. Food carts will be able to vend in the area between Mill Street and 10th Street and A Street and B Street. Lundberg says food carts on Main Street could end up decreasing visibility of brick-and-mortar businesses. NEDCO conducted a survey of downtown businesses. Johnson says they heard a lot of concerns from restaurant owners about food carts impacting their business. “It’s really a dilution kind of issue,” Johnson says, “and there’s a certain perspective that there’s only so much business in town here and bringing more players onto the field could potentially dilute that business.” Electrical hookups are being upgraded in a parking lot across the street from Springfield City Hall near the Sprout! farmers market and a large fountain, Lundberg says. She suggests food carts park there. “It would create a community gathering place,” Lund- berg says, “maybe the start of something that’s similar to Saturday Market in Eugene.” — Missy Corr ELECTION ENDORSEMENTS T hursday, May 15, is the last day to safely mail in bal- lots for the Oregon May Primary, which is Tuesday, May 20. After Thursday, drop off ballots at any of the white ballot boxes around town or on campus. Dead- line is 8 pm Tuesday. Postmarks don’t count. Statewide Offices U.S. SENATOR (DEMOCRAT) — JEFF MERKLEY Merkley has two challengers in the primary, William Bryk and Pavel Goberman. Merkley is a rising star in the Senate and a strong voice for economic justice and health care reform. OREGON GOVERNOR (DEMOCRAT) — JOHN KITZHABER Kitzhaber has only one challenger in the Democratic primary, Ifeanyichukwu C. Diru. Kitzhaber has served Or- egon well in his previous three terms and has shown real, progressive leadership on health care reform and economic issues. Lane County Commission COUNTY COMMISSION, WEST LANE POSITION 1 — DAWN LESLEY Incumbent Jay Bozievich’s angry and divisive tendencies have turned what was already a contentious County Commission into what feels like a circus. Dawn Lesley has stepped up with a smart, organized campaign and promises to be the hard-working, moderate commissioner the diverse West Lane district needs. SELF DEFENSE CLASSES TEACH WOMEN TO FIGHT BACK KAZ RHOADS (LEFT) OF TRAIN LIKE YOU MEAN IT P HOTO COUR T E SY OF T R AIN LIK E YOU ME A N IT The University of Oregon community has erupted in the past weeks with outrage over the sexual assault case involving three male student-athletes and a young woman. Students have protested at Johnson Hall, holding signs reading “We demand justice” and “I live in a rape culture,” while chanting “Survivors over sports.” The chant refers to what protesters say is the school’s mishandling of the case by allowing three basketball players to continue playing during March Madness while the sexual assault investiga- tion was already under way. While the focus has been on educating women on safety and responsibility (don’t go out at night by yourself, don’t wear skimpy clothing), groups are now confronting the rape culture that allows victim blaming or “slut sham- ing,” as well as permits sexual assaults to happen with little or no repercussions to the perpetrators. But while that fight goes on, a shorter-term solution is necessary, and many women are trying self-defense. Krav Maga is a popular self-defense training system that uses re- flexive responses and intuitive defense when dealing with threatening situations. It focuses specifically on defense from open-hand techniques, such as punches and choke- holds, armed attacks with a knife or a gun and reading into the opponent’s movements to anticipate an attack, accord- ing to local Haganah instructor Kaz Rhoads. Haganah is a self-defense system similar to Krav Maga. Three local groups that teach Krav Maga self-defense classes include the Warrior Sisters Society, Right Mental Attitude (RMA) Martial Arts & Fitness and Train Like You Mean It. Warrior Sisters Society is a nonprofit that focuses spe- cifically on empowering women and giving them the tools they need to defend themselves from sexual violence. The sessions are a female-only space, the Warrior Sisters web- site says, and “are sensitive to the needs of battered, abused and assaulted women who require trainings without the presence of male-bodied people.” Warrior Sisters is donation-based and offers free train- ings to high school students at the Academy of Arts and Academics, as well as for women staying in the Eugene Mission. They also offer free trainings at the Petersen Barn Community Center most Saturdays at 10:30 am. For private trainings, contact the group at warriorsisters@riseup.net. RMA is family oriented and all ages and it offers CT707 Krav Maga, developed from the counter-terror unit in the Israeli Special Forces. RMA’s course focuses on learning techniques in a very short amount of time, which is ideal for those who want to learn self-defense quickly, according to its website. This course also covers multiple-attacker survival, ground survival and impact-weapon defense. For more information go to rightmentalattitude.com. Train Like You Mean It in Springfield is for adults who take Krav Maga-type training seriously and are willing to make the time commitment and come to sessions regular- ly, according to Rhoads, the lead instructor. Train Like You Mean It teaches Haganah fighting and appeals to both men and women, since they believe it’s important to experience situations with both sexes. “Come to us once you’re ready to train, rather than when you’re still healing after a traumatic situation,” Rhoads says. “You want to come to us and be comfortable working with both male and female clientele.” Classes are taught Monday, Wednesday and Friday and focus on open-hand technique, armed attacks and pad-work classes where you learn to read your opponent’s moves. The first week of classes is free, and the first month is discounted. For more information go to train-like-you- mean-it.com. — Anna V. Smith COUNTY COMMISSION, SPRINGFIELD POSITION 2 — SHERI MOORE Incumbent Sid Leiken has been a big disappointment as he follows the divisive lead of Jay Bozievich. We trust Springfield City Councilor Sheri Moore to actually think for herself and better represent her district. COUNTY COMMISSION, EAST LANE POSITION 5 — KEVIN MATTHEWS Incumbent Faye Stewart has been unresponsive to environmental concerns in the county. Kevin Matthews has the loudest and most organized roar in this group of contenders and gets our nod. Joann Ernst and Jose Ortal are also both feisty and thoughtful candidates. Jack Schoolcraft has remained a bit of a fringe candidate. School Bonds FERN RIDGE SCHOOL DISTRICT MEASURE 20-220 — YES The district is asking for bond sales to renovate aging facilities, make safety improvements and update technology. PLEASANT HILL SCHOOL DISTRICT 20-221 — YES The district is asking for just under $18 million in bond sales to improve school facilities. STATE LEGISLATORS No Democratic candidates are contested in the May Primary. On the Republican ballot, only District 7 in our region has a contest, between Cedric Hayden and Gary Williams. CITY OF EUGENE No Eugene City Council races are contested. EWEB also has two uncontested positions. CITY OF SPRINGFIELD No Springfield City Council races are contested. eugeneweekly.com • May 15, 2014 9
