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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 2014)
TROUBLED LIFE ENDS FOR HOMELESS VET KENNY MAC Kaiser Permanente announced this week that it will open a medical office in Eugene in late 2015, according to a press release. Medical office sites are being evaluated to accommodate at least four primary care physicians and their staff. Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit provider of integrated health care services and insurance plans, serving 9.3 million members, including about 495,000 members in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Kenneth MacPhearson, aka Kenny Mac, was featured in EW Oct. 10, 2013, as a homeless vet trying to get back on his feet with the help of local agencies, churches, non- profits and Veterans Administration programs. After our story came out, Mac found six months of housing in a small apartment, but died July 13 following an apparent head injury sustained in the Whiteaker neighborhood. The circumstances surrounding his injuries were in- vestigated by the Eugene Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, but “they were not able to find any evidence that he was assaulted,” says EPD spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin. The medical examiner “ruled the manner of death was undetermined,” she says. Mac’s friend Kim Craig says, “He, along with much difficulty, was blessed with many moments of grace in his life. He was a kind, good-hearted man who got into trouble with alcohol and drugs.” Craig says Mac was born in a small town in Califor- nia on July 2, 1965, grew up in Missouri and is survived by two daughters and a sister. After high school he went into the Army Medical Corps as a surgical technician. He served as a medic in the Panama/Grenada era. He moved to Oregon in the fall of 2013 and worked as a carpenter at the Oregon Country Fair. He was also a member of the Rainbow Family and a Dead Head. “He told me once that children and dogs loved him and he figured if that was true the rest didn’t matter,” Craig says. “He was known to his fellow veterans on the street to be a man who would give you the shirt off his back.” “I believe my friend died because of foul play,” Craig says, “but I don’t believe we will ever know what hap- pened to Kenny Mac.” — Ted Taylor A Tour de Lane bicycle makers mixer will be from 1 to 3 pm Friday, Aug. 1, at Hop Valley, 990 W. 1st Ave. Co-motion, Rolf Prima and Bike Friday are local bicycle manufacturers that will have representatives available to meet and greet. The public is invited. Contact Anne at rally@mhevent.com or call 896-3088 for more information. The first regional skateboarding competition at WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza will be Saturday, Aug. 2, and up to 60 professional and amateur skateboarders from the West Coast and beyond are expected to compete for $6,000 in prizes, including a $1,000 best trick contest. The event is called Northwest Jam and sponsors include Tactics Boardshop, Nike SB and Independent Truck Co. Tactics held two qualifying events earlier this summer to select six local skateboarders to compete with the regional skaters. A party at Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave., is planned at 8 pm after the event, sponsored by Tactics, Emerica Footwear and Ninkasi. Tactics is also celebrating 15 years in business. Tickets for the party are $5 in advance at Tactics or $8 at the door. Coffee Plant Roaster, 2836 W. 11th Ave., is celebrating its first anniversary beginning at 11 am Saturday, Aug. 2, with live music by Banda Super Mercado. Free coffee samples, sales on all beans to go and surprises all day are planned, says owner Robert Rubin, including a new “Birthday Blend.” The business offers organic coffee beans grown on small farms and roasted daily on-site in a vintage roaster. Call 359-1505 for more information. A free small business clinic “Ask the Experts” will be from 5 to 7 pm Thursday, July 31, at the Eugene Public Library downtown. Sponsored by LCC Small Business Development Center and SCORE. Pre-registration required by calling 682-5450. The 18th annual Holistic Health, Psychic & Crafts Fair is happening Aug. 2-3 in Yachats. Artists, exhibitors and seminar leaders are coming from all over Oregon and as far away as Ohio and Texas. A donation of $3 is asked for the weekend. See chucklingcherubs.com. The nonprofit Cascades Raptor Center is planning its annual benefit dinner at King Estate at 6 pm Saturday, Aug. 9. This event often sells out. Call 485- 1320 for reservations. Green Lane’s August luncheon will focus on the “sustainable remodel of Eugene City Hall, “with architect John Rowell, at 11:30 am Wednesday, Aug. 6, at the Eugene Hilton downtown. Lunch is available for purchase. See greenlane- sbn.org. 6 July 31, 2014 • eugeneweekly.com PHOTO BY ADRIAN BLACK OREGON’S LEGAL WEED MEASURE EXPLAINED Legalization of marijuana for adult use qualified for the No- vember ballot the same day a panel of legalization advocates outlined how the new Measure 53 will work if it passes. What will it do? How is it different from Washington’s and Colorado’s marijuana laws? What will be the impact on the Oregon Medi- cal Marijuana Program? How will the tax revenues be allocated? What about hemp? What about the huge black market that cur- rently distributes pot? A “Stirring the Pot” discussion July 22 sponsored by Eugene Weekly drew about 100 people to Cozmic. Speakers were Anthony Johnson, chief petitioner for the New Approach Oregon initia- tive; Paul Stanford, who spearheaded Measure 80 that failed to get enough votes to pass in 2012; and state Sen. Floyd Prozanski, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Moderator was Rick Levin, EW staff writer. Johnson said pot legalization will be “set up similar to how beer and wine are regulated, with licenses through the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, taxed and only for adults over the age of 21.” He said OLCC will collect taxes of “$35 per ounce for flowers [aka buds], $10 per ounce for leaves and $5 for every marijuana plant that’s sold.” Forty percent of the revenue generated will go to education, 35 percent to state and local law enforcement and 20 percent to the Oregon Health Authority for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. The OLCC will have a year to work up rules before the law goes into effect. Limited home cultivation will be allowed, he said, similar to home brewing and making your own wine, and the measure “explicitly protects the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program” (OMMP) and will allow the growing and sale of industrial hemp. “This will open up a new market for farmers who are currently not allowed to grow industrial hemp,” Johnson said, and overall the legislation will “generate millions of dollars in new revenue for our state.” Licensing fees will be set at $1,250 for any license, whether it be wholesaler, retailer, producer or processor. Those who qualify for an OMMP card and pay their annual fee will be exempt from the taxes imposed on non-OMMP pot. The cur- rent OMMP fee is $200 with discounts for those on state assistance or Supplemental Security Income. Prozanski has long supported legalization of marijuana and hemp and said, “New Approach Oregon has taken the lead and they have a very sound piece of legislation, one that I will be support- ing.” He also supports the new law being run by the OLCC since this agency, “more than any other,” has experience in this form of regulation, enforcement and taxation. Prozanski was critical of the marijuana programs in Washing- ton and Colorado and said Oregon’s program will be much better and will therefore discourage the black market and the organized crime that goes with it. Washington does not allow home cultivation and only allows possession of up to one ounce. “If you have over 40 grams [1.4 oz.], you go to jail,” he said. Colorado’s program is “particularly onerous and over-regulated,” he said, even requiring live video feeds from every grow operation to a central state agency. In Colorado, marijuana stores have to grow 70 percent of what they sell, and in Washington growers cannot sell at all. Oregon’s measure allows vertical integration: You can be a producer, a pro- cessor and a retailer and not be taxed until you sell to a customer. Prozanski is a prosecutor as well as lawmaker and was asked about all the thousands of people who are in jail or awaiting trial on pot charges. The measure doesn’t affect any previous convictions or sentences, he said, but “I expect to see DAs looking at reality and changing practices and dropping charges … we may need a legisla- tive fix.” Wrapping up the evening’s panel, Johnson said, “Many people put in years of work to make this happen, and here in Eugene I want to give a shout out to Jim Greig who was a tireless advocate for this cause.” Greig died June 16 (see Activist Alert for information about his memorial). “We need a thoroughly well-funded campaign because mari- juana is not going to legalize itself,” said Johnson. “It’s going to take people all over the state volunteering, contributing and do- ing what they can to make sure we win this election. We’re ready to end marijuana prohibition and stop treating this like a crime.” — Ted Taylor
