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Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes Architecture: Happening Person: Jim
Carpenter AWARDS SHOW RAISES BUCKS It was wild. It was chaotic. It was brilliant. It was idiotic. Throw a bunch of creative types together with a loose script and anything can happen. But in the end, Eugene Weekly's first Best of Eugene Awards Show filled the McDonald Theatre Oct. 15 and raised nearly $6,000 for FOOD for Lane County.
The evening, billed as an "Oscar night-like extravaganza," was a mix of music, comedy, celebrity hosts and awards to winners in multiple categories (see Best of Eugene listings in this issue). Denny Guehler was the MC and Jessica Chanay and Scott Morgan of FOOD for Lane County presented the first awards of the evening for Best Poet, Best Northwest Food and Best Public Figure. Other presenter pairs included Evin Marshall and Ted Taylor, Slug Queens Frank Slugsnotra and Scarlett O'Slimera, Steve Sawada and Laura Kemp, Emily Freeman and Maribeth Zanone, Giancarlo Guerrero and Mason Williams, Betty Snowden and Kim Still, Kirk Boyd and Kera Abraham, Melissa Bearns and Ted "Papa" Lee, Sally Sheklow and Rebecca Urhausen, Jim and Ginevra Ralph, Patti Chappel and Shelley Kurtz, Paul Holvey and David Kelly, Jeffrey Stout and Matt Hastings, Mark Zolun and Kenne Glenn. In typical Eugene fashion, people showed up in everything from formal wear to blue jeans. Music ranged from a jazz/classical Frank Zappa piece performed by the Oregon Percussion Ensemble to country to rock to punk — and music and dancing continued on until midnight. The house band, Oonie Egghen and His Bag O' Tricks, was led by Paul Biondi in collaboration with Bill Shreve, EW's director of sales and marketing. Shreve also produced the show. Financial backers of the show included CD World, KEZI, QSL Printing, Dutch Bros. Coffee, The Kiva, McKenzie River Broadcasting, Black Forest, Diablo's Downtown Lounge, Brails Coffee Shop, Midtown Pipe & Tobacco, McKenzie River Music, E&D Services, Western Beverage and the UO Cultural Forum. All proceeds after expenses go to support FOOD for Lane County's local hunger programs. Will EW do it again next year? "We've never attempted this insanity before," Shreve says, "but we had such a good time, and it's for such a good cause, that we just might do it again." — TJT
THE R-G'S TRIAD SITE Is The Register-Guard going to cash in on Triad? The R-G owns a vacant 47-acre business park on Chad Drive in north Eugene that has enough room to accommodate Triad's proposed new hospital. The R-G's developer for its Summer Oaks Business Park, Dan Tucci, said he hasn't heard the hospital is interested in the site.
The paper announced in April that it was asking the city to rezone the land from an industrial designation to commercial. That zoning change could make it easier to build a hospital on the land. If Triad builds at the R-G site, the paper will make a huge profit. The R-G bought one 23-acre piece of the property for about $1 million in 1996. Now the county has put the market value of that land at $6 million. But the land could sell for much more. PeaceHealth paid land speculators about $20 million for its hospital site in north Springfield. While the R-G would reap millions, taxpayers would be stuck with the bill for millions of dollars in road and other infrastructure to serve the site on the edge of town. Already, the city plans to spend $500,000 in street money to extend Chad Drive to provide easier connection to I-5. Even if Triad doesn't build on the R-G's property, the daily paper could still make millions if the hospital chooses one of several possibly available sites just to the north along Coburg Road. The R-G could then cash in on building nearby ancillary medical offices for the hospital on its rezoned property. The R-G's mixed mission as a major developer and a newspaper could present a conflict of interest. The R-G's coverage of locating the hospital in downtown Eugene has been largely negative and has failed to describe how a central hospital location would save on costly urban sprawl, prevent traffic congestion and make the city more livable. The R-G has argued in its rezoning request and in articles that there is not a demand for the industrial zoned land at its site. But that assessment conflicts with state and local economic development officials who have said there is a lack of shovel-ready industrial sites. Commercial zoned land is often worth far more than industrial zoned land. — Alan Pittman
CHEM-FREE CITY PARKS? Seattle did it. Portland did it. Salem did it. Now Eugene, too, might kick pesticides out of some public parks. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP), the nonprofit that drove pesticide-free park initiatives in Portland and Salem, met with city park staff on Oct. 12 to discuss the potential for a similar program in Eugene. Park staff were open to the idea but will gauge public support before moving forward. The vision: With community input, city staff would choose several small neighborhood parks for a pesticide-free trial run, replacing herbicide use with non-chemical methods. Volunteers would provide some of the extra elbow grease. The Eugene Parks Department already uses integrated pest management (IPM) techniques such as hand weeding, mulching, mowing, planting native vegetation and using eco-friendly products to limit pesticide use in public parks. Some areas, like Scobert Park and several open spaces around the university, are managed without pesticides. But in other parks, staff spray the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) to control tough invasive weeds and maintain hard-to-mow areas. According to the Toxics Right-to-Know database, the city applied 185 pounds of glyphosate and 120 pounds of other pesticides to public open spaces in 2004. The city's IPM program has been in effect for years, but it's not yet an official park policy. The pesticide-free parks initiative could help shape the effort to get the city's pest management policy on paper. Eugene Parks Maintenance Manager Kevin Finney emphasizes that the city will try pesticide-free parks only if the community supports it and volunteers provide some of the labor. Users of pesticide-free parks should be prepared to accept aesthetic changes such as taller grasses around trees. "What we do is a reflection of the community values," Finney says. "We want to assess what the community wants and then act on it." If Eugene implements a pesticide-free parks pilot program and it proves successful, NCAP hopes that city staff will expand the initiative to include more public open spaces. "We would love to see all Eugene parks pesticide free," Kemple says. NCAP will hold a community meeting from 3-5 pm Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Eugene Public Library. City park staff will be present to hear community feedback about the idea. For more information, e-mail NCAP at info@pesticide.org or call 344-5044. — Kera Abraham
DRUNK FANS GET CITY NOD Drunken brawling at Autzen Stadium has again made headlines this year. Local police regularly crack down on bars and student parties for fueling such disorderly conduct with booze, but the UO Duck fans appear exempt. Section 4.190 of the Eugene Code prohibits open containers of alcohol in public places. But 4.190(4) exempts tailgaters. "Malt beverages and alcoholic liquors may be drunk or consumed in the parking lot immediately adjacent to Autzen Stadium during a period commencing four hours before the start of a scheduled collegiate football game at Autzen Stadium and ending two hours after the game is completed." It's not clear why football games get such special treatment. The stadium does have a close relationship with the EPD — the UO pays cops tens of thousands of dollars in overtime to police its games. Cops generally like time-and-a-half pay and compete for the assignments based on seniority. The UO opposes any changes in alcohol rules at the stadium and may be getting exactly the policing it pays for. While the UO and other universities have sought to crack down on underage drinking, they've long profited from beer advertising around their sports teams. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has called on universities to urge the NCAA to end beer advertising during college games. The national effort includes 228 schools, but the UO has not signed on. Beer corporations spend $60 million a year on college sports advertising and universities have been loathe to give up the money despite years of alcohol related deaths, date rapes and student riots. Six years ago, Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami and former U.S. secretary of health and human services wrote, "The time has come to sever the tie between college sports and drinking — completely, absolutely and forever. Schools must consider voluntary guidelines that say, 'No alcohol advertising on the premises of an intercollegiate athletics event, no bringing alcohol to the site of an event, no turning a blind eye to underage drinking at tailgate parties and on campus, and no alcohol sponsorship of intercollegiate sporting events.'" — AP
PROTECTING CITY STREAMS After the city proposed better protecting the environmental benefits of stream corridors with wider setbacks for development, some land owners threatened to file Measure 37 claims for compensation. But it's unclear whether many property owners would actually have a valid claim under the state ballot measure passed by voters last year which can require waivers or compensation for regulations. The measure was ruled unconstitutional last week but could be upheld on appeal. City staff have repeatedly said that the proposed new Goal 5 regulations would not prevent anyone from building on their land. City Attorney Glenn Klein told the council last week that if someone could still build on their lot, just further back from the stream, an appraisal may show they would not have a valid claim under Measure 37 since the new regulations did not reduce the value of the property. Also, Klein said some economists may say that the lot actually increased in value since neighbors also weren't allowed to build so close to the stream, encroaching on views. The city has yet to receive any claims under Measure 37. — AP SOLOMON BACK IN TOWN Nationally syndicated columnist Norman Solomon and singer- songwriter David Rovics will visit Oregon as part of a West Coast "Stop the Wars Tour" to help strengthen and expand the peace movement. The tour events encourage "dialogue between citizens with differing points of view."
Solomon is author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. The book includes examples of quotes during war-time, including President Johnson's statement in 1964: "Our one desire — our one determination — is that the people of Southeast Asia be left in peace to work out their own destinies in their own way." The first stop on the tour will be at 7 pm Sunday, Oct. 23 at the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St, in Eugene. Tickets at the door are sliding scale $5-$20. The event is sponsored by the Justice Not War Coalition and Eugene Media Action, a committee of Eugene PeaceWorks. For more information, call 484-9167.
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS In response to a news brief (9/22) about unadvertised open seats on the Lane Transit District board, agency spokesman Andy Vobora explained how LTD is now getting the word out. Information about the application process is on the LTD website (ww.ltd.org) and in an Oct. 13 R-G insert. Over the next several weeks, LTD will advertise the openings through press releases, letters and paid ads. The state deadline for applicants is Dec. 1. Regarding last week's cover story on KLCC, the list of other public radio stations left out the non-profit KWVA on campus, broadcasting at 88.1 FM. John Zerzan hosts the "Anarchy Hour" talk show at 11 pm Sundays, and Amy Pincus Merwin hosts "InForm Radio" at 6:30 pm Mondays and "Informed Talk" at 5 pm Fridays. "Democracy Now" broadcasts at 7 am weekdays. See program listings at http://gladstone.uoregon.edu/~kwva
City
Hall 3.0 Eugene has long outgrown its City Hall and with civic offices scattered around downtown the city is now studying alternatives for a new facility. The current City Hall, like its predecessor, will likely face the wrecking ball — another in a long line of Eugene's disposable buildings. The price tag floating around is about $100 million — that's a lot of cabbage. But it's about what it cost to embellish Autzen Stadium. Phil Knight won't be kicking in millions on this project, however — it will be up to the good folks of Eugene, so citizen involvement is critical. This project will be a symbol of who we are and what we want our city to be.
Eugene's architectural godfather and gadfly Otto Poticha called for the preservation of the existing building in his address to the City Club recently. Besides being too small, it doesn't meet current seismic standards. Perched up on the columns of the garage level, a sizable earthquake could be devastating. His idea is to stabilize the structure at the garage level and insert offices or other more street friendly uses. In my last article (9/15) I bemoaned the destruction of the 1890s City Hall and characterized its replacement, the current building, as "faceless and aloof." The problems are down at the street level — the 8th and Mill street elevations are blank, visually impenetrable and raised above the man and woman on the street — exposing its unfortunate underbelly of parking. At night the dreary fluorescent-lit garage is all that the building projects. But the existing building also has strengths — the innovative and symbolic layout of the central court and wonderful examples of modernist detailing. Otto suggests at least keeping the civic functions such as the council chambers at the current facility and placing the support functions to the city owned property to the south (a likely site for the new facility). The bridge between the two might allow a major facelift to the 8th Avenue elevation— perhaps shifting a transparent pedestrian friendly entry to the south. I believe that the flaws of the existing structure would justify major surgery, but not tearing it down. An excellent recent example of how a modernist building can be treated is Rowell Brokaw Architects' building at 1 East Broadway. With a few subtle and tasteful moves highlighting its steel and glass framework, the building has been transformed into a striking addition to the streetscape of downtown. Cities need built-in memories — their histories are written not only in words but also in buildings. Significant buildings are landmarks to our culture. The many layers of Rome come to mind — but Corvallis gives some (less Romantic) insight closer to home. Corvallis' old City Hall still stands as an anchor in it's downtown — about the same vintage as Eugene's original building. Citizens and activists have made a valiant struggle to keep out the big box retailers and to keep much of the historic fabric of the town. And its downtown supports a variety of small locally owned shops — avoiding the pervasive vacancy that characterized downtown Eugene for so many years. Corvallis doesn't have a mall. Then there's the principle of reuse — of saving not only cultural resources but physical resources as well. Principles don't always describe the most practical path but they push us toward more responsible ways of building and living. City governments should operate on principles as well as the principle bottom line. Architects have to take part of the responsibility. We need to design buildings and building components that are flexible, reusable and expandable. A hopeful sign for the new project is the selection of a strong design team for the new project. Thom Hacker is the chief architect — a former resident of Eugene and one of the Northwest's most respected designers. The local firm of Solarc, with its strong energy and sustainable design credentials, will also be part of the team. At some point we have to value the things we make. In another 50 years, when the number (and building) crunchers call for the destruction of the structure we're about to build, we want a City Hall that the citizens will stand in front of the bulldozers to save. Michael Cockram is a Eugene architect, free-lance writer and adjunct assistant professor of architecture.
Jim Carpenter
"When I was 5, I knew what I wanted to be," says artist Jim Carpenter. "I've been poking at it ever since." An Iowa native, he spent five years at the University of Iowa, taking every art class he could get. "I knew that I'd never have the opportunity again," he explains. "I got an education instead of a degree." Since he moved to Eugene in 1984, Carpenter has worked mostly at free-lance illustration, including many covers for What's Happening/Eugene Weekly. Library patrons will also be familiar with his life-sized bronze sculpture of the city's founder, Eugene Skinner. After he met Grateful Dead publisher Alan Trist when both had kids at the Waldorf School, Carpenter illustrated Trist's 1989 book, Water of Life, a retelling of the folk tale that gave the Dead their name. Early this year, he was called on to illustrate The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, compiled by David Dodd and introduced to Eugene with a book-signing and concert last Friday (see book review 10/13). "We sold 200 copies," says Scott Landfield of Tsunami Books. Also a musician ("Eugene's best second-rate Irish fiddler") and an instrument builder, Carpenter shows off his home-made hurdy-gurdy in the photo. -BY PAUL NEEVEL
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