6/26).
As tons of these functional glass pipes
are being produced, what environmental
effects take place during processing?
What ecological impacts occur when
they’re lost, broken, garbage-canned or
tossed out the windows of vehicles before
crossing borders? What chemical solvents
are used to clean the marijuana residues
from these works of art?
Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I’ll
stick with making my own pipes from
natural materials like pipestone and exotic
hardwoods.
Robert Simms
Eugene
GLASS FOR ADULTS
Thank you for mentioning us [Glass
Prodigy] in your cover story [6/26] on
Eugene’s functional glass industry!
However, I’m afraid your report
misrepresented our company, for though
we do sell locally made glass sex toys on
glassprodigy.com, we do not manufacture
them — in fact they’re a small part of our
business. We sell and distribute functional
glass — mainly glass pipes and waterpipes,
most made either right here in Eugene or
just a few miles up or down I-5.
We’re proud to support some great
artists and their families in town and just
wanted to make sure people know what we
do as we continue to provide our unique
mix of locally made adult glass — sex toys
and smoking glass — around the country
and the world!
Rafael Dwan, president,
glassprodigy.com
Eugene
BIKE CONGESTION
I’ve lived along the Riverbank Path
System for 23 years and use it about as
much as anyone, both as a pedestrian and a
cyclist. I’m on the path at least every other
day for exercise, and can even see it from
my kitchen window or when I’m working
in my garden, so I speak with considerable
experience.
In my opinion the solution to most of
the problems is simple and inexpensive:
A stripe painted down the center along
with some instructional stenciling and
directional arrows.
Regular users have a tacit understanding
of the rule: Keep to the right, pass on
the left. Problems arise with infrequent
users, and often it’s not their fault. They
are simply unfamiliar with bike-path
etiquette. A stripe down the center clearly
defi nes where you belong.
Small children or toddlers, especially
those learning to ride bicycles, are
particularly at risk, and they inherently
have a very short attention span. I hear
parents continually chastising little bikers
to “keep to the right,” but that’s not an
easy concept for a small child to grasp.
How about “Don’t cross the line”? Isn’t
that an easier idea?
I once glanced a pedestrian with
my bicycle, hitting his wrist with my
handlebars. He was walking with a group
while looking or texting on his cell phone,
and although the group was keeping to the
right, he strayed into me at the last second.
People with dogs are all over the path.
It should be illegal for an owner to allow
their animal to cross the stripe.
Another suggestion is to put a 4-foot-
wide bark-dust trail right along the
pavement, on either side. I’m sure most
runners would much rather be on a soft
surface, many pedestrians might, and I
think dogs would prefer it.
I’ve sent letters to various city
employees suggesting a center line. I
got a reply once stating that it wouldn’t
work. I imagine someday someone will be
seriously injured and the lawyers will have
a fi eld day determining liability. After that,
some city employee will come up with the
idea of making the path safer by painting
a center line, and probably get a raise as
well as a testimonial dinner for their acute
observation.
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Ted Chudy
Eugene
SPRINGFIELD HISTORY
As a member of the Springfi eld
Historic Commission, I am writing to
invite residents, business people, workers,
Membership requirements apply. See SELCO for details.
Banking | Mortgages | Insurance | Retirement | Business Lending
eugeneweekly.com • July 10, 2014
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