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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2016)
LET TERS In the two years Jon Ruiz was meeting with developers about Kesey Square, didn’t anyone think to check the deed? Or did these experts find the restriction saying the square “is forever dedicated to the use of the public” and think, “Who cares? We have hotshot lawyers on speed dial. We can walk right over a deed restriction.” Does the city realize that finagling their way past the restriction could discourage future donations? Didn’t any of Ruiz’s staff suggest that requesting “other ideas” for the development of Kesey Square with a deadline six weeks away could be seen as dismissive, arrogant and even ridiculous? If they want other ideas, they should send out a Request for Proposals (RFP). They can’t, they say, because they haven’t decided that Kesey is for sale yet. Supposedly Ruiz wanted people’s opinions on downtown, so a meeting was held at LCC Dec 2. About 140 people were organized into 17 small groups and an overflow crowd headed off to the Atrium. Everyone wanted to talk about Kesey Square. Top requests by the public: restrooms, seating, trash cans and public space. Ruiz was a no-show at this gathering. I wonder if he read the report. Vickie Nelson Eugene twice, which can be found on OPB as well. Ending the program was not due to lack of air time, nor cost since the program is provided for free. Do you owe your owners any explanation of what ox was gored? I have heard the best insightful and independent description of policies in our country and in our world on Alternative Radio. This is the one program that explains why we do things that risk the world’s environment, world peace, the middle class, resource robbing, corrupt deals by Enron years before it crashed, excellent discussions of international conflict, the prison business and Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. Curious listeners do not want a commercial storyline or tribal lore. It is much more truthful, open and adult in nature than anything from this year’s brawling GOP candidates that receive a half hour of daily coverage, even on NPR. For the loss of this treasure on KLCC, I look at my last donation and feel some regret that my station is bowing out of the best diverse discussion of the issues of our day. Considering KLCC’s sponsorship by LCC, the plight of students is important to your mission. Their tuitions have tripled, the loans are much higher than the banks' rate and good-paying, stable jobs are rare. Government has been trimming their role in higher education for decades even while our debt grows and leaves many students starting their adult life with a large debt. Broadcasts that challenge our practices with other opinions are not a threat and belong on the airwaves in a college town’s community radio station. Steve Trapp Corvallis TRUTHFUL CONTENT SKEWED STATISTICS I turned on the radio recently to hear that KLCC was dropping Alternative Radio. OPB had done that a couple of years ago, and I was thankful that KLCC was a more open-minded station. It now is obvious that I was wrong, and I don’t know why. KLCC airs some weekly programs If you count only students crossing the podium with their classmates, there is actually a 1 percent drop in graduation rates. For better or worse, Oregon graduates now include students with modified diplomas, GEDs, LCC high school equivalency, or a fifth year. The also study some economics. More pay to workers means more money will be spent and make the economy healthier. Too bad about Salem dragging out low minimum wages for another six years! Russ DesAulnier Eugene SURPRISE RESTRICTION? rate is up because it’s simply calculated differently. Besides more dropouts, what else have we inherited from No Child Left Behind? We have tests that widen achievement gaps by over-focusing on urban white middle-class preferences, like testing third-graders on NASA’s space program! As the state sticks with Smarter Balanced tests, 8-year-olds must also perform complex computer tasks, which simply measure whether their parents can afford laptops and smart phones for practice. The 16 percent of students who don’t own such technology, largely minority and poor, often fail regardless of academic ability. Yet despite Oregon spending $27.5 million annually on Smarter Balanced, there are fewer computer courses and still not enough school computers. It’s unfair given increasing demands for technology skills. Despite the repeal of No Child Left Behind, some school officials are waiting for public pressure before making changes. Voice your wishes with your principal, superintendent, school board, PTO or even the Oregon Department of Education. Jesse Hagopian of Black Lives Matter and author Dr. Wayne Au invite you to discuss these issues of “Institutional Racism and Standardized Testing” at 7 pm March 4 at the First Christian Church in downtown Eugene. It’s free and all are welcome! Rachel Rich Eugene TOXIC BONGS 6 February 25, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com I hope you’re all watching as an environmental disaster unfolds in Portland. This is the result of airborne pollution from glass factories. Cadnium, chromium and arsenic, oh my! That’s right, folks, all that groovy, swirly glass you’ve been smoking out of for the last 20 years contains very nasty, toxic chemicals. And their manufacture is polluting the environment. Kinda like the dyes they use for those oh-so-groovy tie- dye T-shirts. Glass blowers have known about this all along and generally take precautions so they don’t pollute themselves. So it’s off into the atmosphere. See, all better. How about your lungs when you use their pipes? Perhaps the DEQ should start snooping around our local bong factories. So there it is. The glove has been thrown. Prove me wrong. I also wanted to mention that green crack extract wax makes a great pipe sealer, for those of us old fogies who still smoke out of wood. David Feinstein Marcola SMALL HERB OUTLETS Your Feb. 18 issue contained the announcement that Mountain Rose Herbs will be opening a retail store in Eugene on 5th Avenue. Eugene is certainly fortunate to have so many outlets for herbs. Less than three blocks down the street from the planned location for MRH’s new store is Mrs. Thompson’s Herbs, Gifts and Folklore and approximately six blocks away is The Kiva with its large herb department. I appreciate the fact that Mrs. Thompson’s buys from local farms and seeks out the very best-quality herbs. Smaller businesses such as Mrs. Thompson’s are at a disadvantage in the marketplace compared to a big company like MRH. All we can do is continue to support those businesses/herbalists that we wouldn’t want to be without. Rose Barrington Eugene BLAMING FAT PEOPLE? In response to Amanda França’s letter (“Fat and Climate”): I am sorry to hear that the Feb. 11 story (“In Celebration of Full-Figured Sex”) made you throw up, as vomiting is never pleasant. However, I question your assumption that fat people
