LET TERS
OTHERWISE NICE?
need economic justice for the communities
hardest hit by decades of environmental
racism. And we need it now
A tall order? Yes. Luckily, as with all
big social changes, we the people are the
ones to make it happen. Join the solidarity
and resistance, with hundreds of communi-
ties across the nation, to “Rise for Climate,
Jobs and Justice” from 1-3 pm Sept. 8 at
Campbell Community Center. Meet your
local change-makers and engage in actions
that will create a carbon-free world, start-
ing locally.
Communities will lead this transfor-
mation. Together we can do this! See you
there!
Patty Hine, director
350Eugene
I couldn’t agree more with Michele
Walter’s letter entitled “Downgrading
Rape” (EW, Aug. 16). Riding bicycles in
Eugene does feel dangerous due to the in-
credible amount of transients that loiter or
live along the paths. I particularly worry
about being knocked over and robbed.
The amount of homeless, vagrant, drug
and/or mentally disturbed individuals in
this town is out of control. The library is
beautiful, but my wife won’t take our chil-
dren there, as it is an acknowledged “day-
time homeless shelter” and it frightens her
in more ways than one. Hand sanitizer only
goes so far.
I have written to the City Council and
mayor asking when they are going to make
public “camping” and panhandling illegal,
but have never gotten a response. This
problem is of epic proportions and com-
pletely ruins this otherwise nice small city.
David Campbell
Eugene
JIFFY POP FIELD
LEGAL SEMANTICS
In response to Michele Walter’s letter
(“Downgrading Rape,” Aug. 16): As a fre-
quent user of the bike paths and a woman,
I completely agree that we need to make
them safer. But part of her letter is factu-
ally incorrect and, well, facts matter —
maybe now more than ever.
The term “Unlawful Sexual Penetra-
tion” (USP) is not a “downgrading” of a
rape charge. USP and rape are different
crimes, but both have the same sentencing
guidelines and punishments. The charge is
based on the facts of the individual case
and does not in any way suggest that any
agency is “downgrading a woman’s value
as a human being.” It’s not “barbaric.”
VIEWPOINT
Were the assailant prosecuted for rape
when what he in fact committed was USP,
a good defense attorney would have it re-
duced or even have his client cleared of
charges and free before lunch. The charge
is based on the victim’s statements, not
what word is going to make people feel
better.
There is enough misinformation and
“alternative facts” out there that I think it’s
important we avoid them if we want our
views to be given credibility.
Karma Hunt
Eugene
CLIMATE CHANGE
Kudos and gratitude for your Slant last
week (Aug. 23) on our current climate
change realities. It is sobering.
In 22 years there will be no snow pack
in our mountains; our oceans are souring
(30 percent more acidic, think vinegar)
and we can expect a 500 percent increase
in Western wildfires as Oregon’s popula-
tion doubles. Extreme fires are caused by
decades of mismanagement (fire suppres-
sion and clearcutting) and logging is not
the answer, as some would have us believe.
We need to create a just transition to a
clean-energy future that is fossil free. We
Now that they have completely re-
moved any trace of the old Hayward Field,
it looks like they used a scorched-earth
policy. Maybe that’s to make sure that no
one protests anymore — hard to tell.
From what I’ve seen of the proposed
design of the new stadium, there is no trace
of the original grandstands design. In fact,
the new design looks more like a Jiffy Pop
pan than anything related to Hayward.
So I’m going to recommend that the
new stadium be christened Jiffy Pop
Field. Just don’t call it Hayward Field.
Hayward Field was destroyed and got
hauled off in a bunch of trash trucks.
Scott MacWilliams
Eugene
HOUSTON,
WE HAVE A PROBLEM
Occasionally, this paper has done some-
thing that rises to the level of good jour-
B Y TA R A M A R I E
The North Springfield Serial Rapist
THIRTY YEARS AFTER THE NIGHTMARE, A YOUNG VICTIM THANKS SURVIVORS, PARENTS AND POLICE
I
woke up to a stranger hovering over my bed. His
hand clamped over my mouth. “Don’t scream.
There’s nobody home to help you,” he hissed,
and brandished a knife.
Thirty years ago this summer a serial rapist
began his reign of terror in north Springfield. From
1988 to 1993 over a dozen rapes and attempted rapes
of young girls and teenagers were reported in my com-
munity. Springfield girls and parents lived in a virtual
prison of fear, not knowing when the unidentified pred-
ator would strike next.
Most of the attacks followed a similar pattern. In the
predawn darkness he entered the home of his victim
through an unlocked window or door. In many cases
parents were asleep in another room. The young victim
would awaken to a man with a knife. Although one at-
tack occurred in a grassy field as two girls walked home
from McDonald’s, that case was an exception to the
pattern. Most of the victims were from ages 9 to 16.
Indeed my family’s life changed in many ways after
the north Springfield rapist began his crime spree. My
late mother was a single parent working at the post of-
4
A ugust 30, 2018 • eugeneweekly.com
fice. My sister and I were 11 and 13 at the time. My
mom and perhaps most Springfield parents lived in a
constant state of high alert, trying to raise kids with a
pedophile on the loose.
I remember when a reporter from The Register Guard
interviewed my mother. “I can’t leave my kids home
alone,” she told him. “It’s like when they were babies!”
As a teenager, I was pretty oblivious to my mother’s
struggle. My top priorities were making the eighth grade
basketball team and buying a “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”
record. In retrospect, I realize my mom put on a brave
face, but in fact she (and probably most mothers in my
community) suffered a lot during those years.
The nightmare ended in late 1995 when a local man
was arrested on unrelated sex crimes. A DNA test linked
him to several of the Springfield rapes. Michael Clifton
Owen, a Eugene-Springfield native, was a 31-year-old
inconspicuous neighbor who lived among us. He con-
fessed to being the north Springfield rapist.
In June 1996 many of Owen’s victims (we were young
women by that time) attended his sentencing at the Lane
County courthouse. Several of us testified. As a 20-year-
old college student, I did not know it was quite rare for
victims of sexual abuse to see their perpetrator put behind
bars. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest Na-
tional Network), out of 1,000 rapes, only six perpetrators
will be convicted of a felony and sent to prison.
Due in part to our testimony, Owen was sentenced
to 130 years.
Three decades on, my brave mother has passed;
neighbors moved away; police have retired. Is it too lit-
tle, too late to say thank you? I want to express gratitude
to my heroes, detectives John King and John Umen-
hofer of the Springfield police, and to the courageous
parents who lived in north Springfield at that time.
Most of all, a sincere thank you to the survivors of
Owen’s crimes because our actions have ensured that
he will never hurt another child again.
Finally, thank you to Bernardo for your viewpoint in
Eugene Weekly (7/19). Your story inspired me to write
this piece. ■
"Tara Marie," a pseudonym, is a teacher and married with two children.
Because she was a minor when she was raped, EW is protecting her ano-
nymity.