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JUSTIFIED MISTRUST Are we to have yet another toothless bureaucracy investigating itself? The answer resides in the outcome of the Nov. 8 vote on Eugene City Measure 20-106. If it passes, as it should, we will, at long last, have a public entity, empowered by us, to punish and prevent police misconduct. Having worked toward this outcome for almost a decade (some have advocated for it for over 25 years), I say it's long past time to address the justified mistrust we have in the city manager's oversight of the chief and his police department, and especially the secretive and unfair manner in which the department's internal investigations process is run. It's sad it took the crimes of Magaña and Lara to bring this issue to a head. Our city should become known as a place where domestic violence is always prosecuted and punished, not a place where the vulnerable — the poor, women and the politically unpopular — are victimized by those who take an oath to protect and serve us all. I urge you to vote yes on 20-106, to create a truly external, truly independent police misconduct review process, one under the people's branch of government, the City Council. Paul Prensky, Eugene
WRONG TOWN Thank you so much for changing the club listings to the old format! It looks like my two former letters requesting that worked. In response to "This Paper Sucks" (9/29), I like the Weekly a lot and am thankful to have a small, alternative, local paper that's FREE. I think it's cool that the staff listens and communicates with its readers. I think it's even cooler that EW actually put your negative, EW-bashing letter in their paper. If you want EW to be like The Portland Mercury, maybe you're in the wrong town. Eugene is smaller than Portland and much more community based. EW, for me, is a direct, affordable, tangible connection to what's happening in our area. If you don't like it, maybe you should move to Portland. I fully support EW and thank you again. Lisa Ann, Eugene
OVERHEARD Overheard in line of the "dining room" — the free dinner place — by some Jerry Springer Types I thank God I'm not related to. They were "raggin'" on a son who wouldn't get a job: "I'll put his ass in the Army. That'll make a man out of him, alright. And, God forbid, if the worst happens to him, what the hell, it's $250,000 for us and a monthly stipend besides. We'll be sittin' pretty. The damn fool. We sure as hell won't be standing in this line again. The damn fool." Lori Kasprzak, Eugene
BLATANT RACISM I was shocked to see a blatantly anti-Semitic slur in the EW recently. Your Oct. 6 article "Cheap and Choosy" said "Locals demand style and substance for their shekel ... Here's a days worth of tips and tricks for the choosy cheapskate." The shekel is a Jewish monetary denomination mentioned in the Torah (Bible) and used in ancient and modern Israel. Your use of this term in this context is perpetuating old derogatory anti-Semitic lies about Jews and money. Would you also print something about Blacks loving watermelons? It's on the same low level. The Nazis were well known for printing this sort of thing in the German media, degrading Jews and ultimately dehumanizing them in the public's eyes. We already have trouble in our town with anti-Semitic graffiti and hate literature, but to have something like this appear in our regular media is horrible. There needs to be zero tolerance for racist attitudes here in Eugene, for all groups, not just the ones that EW deems "PC." Many people have commented that they get an uncomfortable feeling of anti-Semitism in the EW hidden under a thin veneer of "political correctness." This time it is out in the open. The Jewish community of Eugene deserves a genuine apology from EW and a promise that you'll be more sensitive, and show true respect in the future whenever mentioning this minority ethnic group. Lee Warner, Eugene
RELOCATE O'HARA As an alternative to the PeaceHealth Clinic site for a new McKenzie-Willamette hospital, Eugene and Triad should consider the location of Jefferson Memorial Park and O'Hara School locations on West 18th. As opposed to the myriad of problems for the downtown site, not the least of which are timing, cost and what to do with the clinic until RiverBend is completed, acquiring the sites near O'Hara would involve only the relocation of the school and a few older houses along 18th. The sites contain plenty of open space, are located across Amazon Creek near the Fairgrounds (for future expansion possibilities), are larger than the four blocks presently being considered, are located along one of Eugene's major bike paths (for alternative transportation) and could have easy road access from 13th, 18th, Jefferson and the 105 ramps. In addition, Amazon Creek provides an opportunity for enhanced landscaping possibilities throughout the site. As an alternative for O'Hara, the city owns plenty of park space near Kid Sports (in Westmoreland Park) that could be devoted to a new O'Hara School with fields shared by Kid Sports, O'Hara and Jefferson Middle School. This location would allow O'Hara's entrance to move off of busy 18th Avenue, would eliminate land acquisition costs to the city and allow Triad's land purchase dollars be spent on a new O'Hara school. Mark Sixel, Eugene
MISSED STORY Seldom have I ever seen EW shy away from a local political controversy such as the rumor surrounding Eugene School District 4-J's attempt to confiscate public property to fatten the coffers of 4-J. As EW has already been advised, District 4-J has reportedly made a "deal" with the Santa Clara Grange to share in the financial gain of selling the historic building and adjoining property to a private developer instead of retaining the publicly owned property as public property designed to benefit the community of Santa Clara. The question in the minds of many Santa Clara taxpayers' minds focus upon the organization. Is it legal to share 8 percent of public funds with the Santa Clara Grange? Has EW missed something in their reporting of local news? John Fluent, Eugene
AS WE SINK I just read a copy of the proposed Iraqi constitution. It's obvious that freedom and democracy is on the march. It has marched out of America. The Iraqi constitution bans all forms of torture, mental and physical. Here in America, President Bush has threatened to use his fist veto to kill a torture ban. The Iraqi constitution also calls for free health care and education for all of its citizens. Sixty-five percent of Americans think Bush is doing a bad job. I have my doubts about the remaining 35 percent, since 20 percent of Americans think the sun revolves around the Earth. It's time to educate those still supporting Bush before we sink into the Dark Ages. Michael T. Hinojosa, Drain
HEALTHY LUNCHES This is National School Lunch Week, proclaimed by President Kennedy in 1963 to raise public awareness of child nutrition. More than 28 million children in 100,000 schools and childcare facilities participate in U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, the lunch fare is made up largely of USDA's surplus meat, milk, and cheese commodities, which contain excess protein, saturated fats, and cholesterol and account for the epidemic of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease afflicting our children. Moreover, most nutrition education materials are provided to schools by the meat, dairy, and junk food industries. According to USDA's own surveys, 90 percent of our children consume excessive amounts of fat and only 15 percent eat the minimum daily recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. These early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, contributing to an escalating public health crisis. Not surprisingly, 5.3 million American children are overweight, 25 percent have high cholesterol and blood pressure, and 30,000 suffer from type 2 diabetes, once limited to adults. But change is on the way. Hawaii, California, and New York legislatures passed resolutions asking schools to offer a daily vegan or vegetarian option to every child. National health advocacy organizations and local parents groups have mobilized to improve school food quality. Parents and others who care about this critical issue should work with their PTAs in demanding healthy school meals, snacks, and vending machine items. Additional information is available at choiceusa.net, healthyschoollunches.org, asfsa.org/nslw, and schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov Edward Newland, Eugene
JOBS VS. POISON Does my neighbor have the right to foul the air that I breathe with volatile fumes that are nauseating and carcinogenic? If you have driven west of Highway 99 on Roosevelt Boulevard, you have probably noticed a pungent odor, sort of a sweet paint thinner smell. My 12 or so years on an industrial safety committee tell me that a mask for volatile organic vapors is probably needed when the odor is that strong. The facility that apparently emits these fumes is also considered to be responsible for a toxic ground water plume that extends under the adjacent residential area. The residents have been cautioned not to use well water to irrigate lawns or gardens. The agency charged with the responsibility of caring for our environment has proven itself to be unable to deal with this matter in an effective manner. The agency is monitoring air quality at the facility but it appears that the monitor station is located at the west end of the facility where the somewhat cleaner air enters the facility. I suspect political tampering. I have been told that the offending business, if pressed too hard, will pull up stakes and 55 jobs will be lost. Fifty-five jobs versus outbreaks of childhood leukemia, exacerbated emphysema, and other maladies. This is all a matter of public record. The assigned officials say that there is no conclusive evidence. On a very personal level, I feel as though someone is intentionally poisoning me and I can see no difference between someone shooting at me or attempting to poison me. It is attempted homicide and should be treated as such. The perpetrators should be brought to trial, convicted and incarcerated indefinitely with the "regulators" soon to follow. Mike Martin, Eugene
KEEP IT OPEN The Eugene Water and Electric Board is in the midst of considering plans to limit access to the top of the College Hill Reservoir, including the option of fencing off the entire reservoir top and preventing public access entirely. The reservoir has been on the top of College Hill, between Lincoln and Lawrence streets, for 66 years, ever since its construction in 1939 by EWEB with the assistance of a Public Works Administration grant. Although constructed for civil engineering purposes, EWEB authorized the City of Eugene's Playground Commission to use its cover as a playground in 1940. It has been used by the residents and visitors of this neighborhood and this city as a resource almost daily ever since. The EWEB staff's plan of fencing the reservoir off has been estimated to cost as much as $200,000. The reason given for the fence is to reduce reservoir vulnerability, including prevention of intentional and unintentional contamination. But this fence would not prevent unintentional contamination from birds and wild animals, and even EWEB staff has admitted that a fence won't be sufficient to stop intended contamination. Other alternatives have been suggested, but EWEB staff is planning to allocate funds for the fence in the 2006 budget, which will be completed by December of this year, and after the fence goes up, the chance of any other alternatives being pursued is very limited. Is a $200,000 fence acceptable to ratepayers? The EWEB board has not yet finalized the 2006 budget, so if you have strong feelings about this issue, I encourage you to contact your EWEB commissioners in writing at P.O. Box 10148, Eugene 97440, or email via www.eweb.org Megan Davis, Executive Board member Friendly Area Neighborhood Assn.
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