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Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes News: News: Happening Person: John
Poynter UNITED IN A DREAM "There's not ever going to be a wall big enough or wide enough to keep back people who want to feed their hungry children or who are running from war," Silver A. Mogart said.
Mogart, vice-president of the Associated Students of LCC and a member of LCC's Diversity Council, spoke to mostly Latino crowd at the Day Without Immigrants Rally Monday afternoon. The crowd, estimated at around 400 by rally organizers, showed their colors "for peace" by wearing white t-shirts and for the U.S. by waving tons of red, white and blue flags. The rally came after a national day of action, a boycott of work and school by immigrants and their allies, organized in Eugene by CAUSA and other groups. As Mogart finished, Jefferson Middle School eighth-graders Yesenia Palma, Perla Hernandez and Christina Beltran cheered. The girls, who stayed home from school, came to the rally to "support our people against this law that will hurt our people and our economy," Perla said. "This law" is HR 4437, which would make felons both of undocumented immigrants and of anyone who provided services to them. The law overwhelmingly passed the House in December; it would also build 700 miles of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Some at the rally held signs saying "DeFazio, shame on you," a reference to Congressman Peter DeFazio's vote for the bill. "It's not a fair law," said Beatriz Loper, director of the Spanish program at Eugene Language Services, "and we're here to say there should be other types of proposals." The Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCCP) estimates that 150,000 undocumented immigrants in Oregon pay almost $70 million in state income taxes, property taxes and excise taxes although each family averages $24,300 in income. In addition, the OCPP says, "undocumented immigrants cannot collect unemployment insurance benefits," so Oregon employers who pay $29 to $34 million in unemployment insurance taxes for undocumented workers do so to the benefit only of citizens or documented immigrants. Near the beginning of the rally, an Asian line dance group performed. David Tam, the coordinator, explained that they came to the rally "to represent, to show support for immigration, not only from the Latino communities but from all communities." — Suzi Steffen
DISCIPLINE FOR E-MAIL City Manager Dennis Taylor has disciplined his Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson with a formal written reprimand for Carlson's "She's Baaack" e-mail comment regarding City Councilor Bonny Bettman. In the reprimand, Taylor calls the email "inappropriate, unprofessional and disrespectful" and said it "negatively impacts the credibility and working relationship of the entire city staff with our elected officials." Taylor also writes that Carlson's failure to immediately tell him about the e-mail and apologize to Bettman "demonstrates a serious lack of judgment." "I will not tolerate any unprofessional or disrespectful communications from you, or any city employee," Taylor states. He warns that further breaches could result in additional discipline or termination. The reprimand describes Carlson as a "superior performer" for the city but notes a previous oral warning for speaking inappropriately in public and an evaluation stating that Carlson needed to work on his communication style. In addition to the reprimand, Taylor directed Carlson to write a training on respectful communication and apologize to Bettman by letter. Carlson's letter to Bettman apologizes and states that he wants his discipline public because he wants the council and public "to know that I accept responsibility for my action." Carlson, who served as acting manager before Taylor was hired, is one of the most powerful assistant managers the city has ever had and at times has been referred to as Taylor's "co-manager." — Alan Pittman
OSPREY GROUP SETS RETURN Consultants from the Colorado-based Osprey Group will be sending out their West Eugene Parkway (WEP) report to the community this week and have set a meeting for 6 to 8 pm Thursday, May 11 at the Lane Events Center Performance Hall at the Fairgrounds on 13th Avenue. The large community meeting with consultants John Huyler and Dennis Donald will be to discuss the consultants' conflict assessment regarding the proposed WEP. The written assessment is due to arrive in Eugene e-mail boxes this week, and a smaller meeting in anticipation of the larger community meeting will be held at 7 pm this Thursday, May 4 at the EWEB Training Room. Mayor Kitty Piercy will talk about the assessment process and what might happen from this point on. A slide show is also planned on Fender's blue butterfly (see Calendar). "Our assessment describes the controversy surrounding the proposed West Eugene Parkway, with particular emphasis on what, if any, expanded community involvement might be helpful," said Huyler of the group. He said the assessment will be sent simultaneously to everyone on the e-mail list, which has grown to about 300, and it's not too late to be added to the list. Send a request to list@TheOspreyGroup.com The consultants met face-to-face with about 60 people when they were in Eugene in early April. "That's more people than is typical," said Huyler. "We specialize in complex conflicts, and we found that the pot is boiling in this one, more dynamically than in some communities, which leads us to talk to more people." When asked about whether people he talked to really understood the issues, Huyler was diplomatic: "In any community there is a spectrum of sophistication about how the decision-making process occurs, and there is a spectrum of individual decisions on if or how people will intervene." The consultants have both said that the WEP is "Eugene's conflict" and needs to be resolved as a community, but the Oregon Department of Transportation also plays a major role. Local scientist and environmentalist Mary O'Brien says, "The big thing is whether ODOT is willing to collaborate or try to maintain control of it by limiting the number of collaboration meetings." O'Brien was on KOPT radio's "Breakfast with Nancy" program Tuesday morning and interviewed a veteran of the collaboration process, Minnesota attorney Howard Lieberman. The attorney was involved in a contentious bridge project over a wild and scenic river in Stillwater, Minn. "The Minnesota DOT didn't believe in collaboration and were dragged kicking and screaming into the process," said Lieberman. "We began with a group of people who hated each other," he said, but after years of meetings, the collaborative process yielded a compromise that saved an historic landmark bridge for foot and bicycle traffic and built an attractive utilitarian bridge in a less environmentally sensitive area. — Ted Taylor
RIVER MOVES NEAR HOUSE The McKenzie River has changed course and is bowing out toward an east Springfield area home. If the house falls into the river, it could contaminate Eugene's water supply, which is pumped from the Hayden Bridge facility downstream.
The house, belonging to Michael and Andrea Gramzow, is located several miles downstream of another home that was demolished in March 2004 after the river began to erode the soil beneath its foundation. That six-year-old, 3,000 sq. ft. house, belonging to Cindy and Randy Mathews, was originally built 110 feet from the river's high water line. But in 2002 the river changed course and eroded up the bank until it reached the house. Real estate broker John Brown of Eugene organized a donation-funded demolition in order to prevent the house from falling into the river. Ironically, attempts to protect the bank upstream may have accelerated the river’s advancement toward the Gramzow house. Randy Mathews said that in 1996, he replaced lost rocks in an Army Corps revetment along the river's edge, and in 1997, FEMA installed jetties and a bar upstream of his home. Those actions likely caused the river’s current to speed up and accelerate the erosion of the bank downstream. "The river has done some major channel shifts in recent years," said Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife District Fisheries biologist Jeff Ziller. "The shift that it's making right now is lining it up to take out [the Gramzow] house if we have some high water events in the near future. Come next October or November, that's when the risk really increases." Both the state DEQ and the EWEB agree that it's the homeowners' responsibility to get the house out of the river's way. "We're concerned with potential pollution, but otherwise it's not something that falls within DEQ's parameters," said DEQ spokesperson Jennifer Boudin. "When houses fall into rivers above our [municipal water] intake, not only do we get debris, but we also get paint, insulation, roof tiles and other things that could possibly contaminate the water," said EWEB Drinking Water Source Protection Coordinator Karl Morgenstern. "It's just a good idea not to let things fall into rivers. But EWEB has no regulatory authority over such matters." He noted that the county regulates home siting. The Gramzows did not return calls by press time. — Kera Abraham
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR? Last fall Eugene citizens voted for an independent police auditor. But after the measure passed, the independence of that auditor function was threatened. City Manager Dennis Taylor, who opposed the creation of an independent auditor, and his lawyers said it would be the manager and not the auditor who would have the authority to hire, fire and supervise the supposedly independent auditor's support staff. Supporters of an independent auditor feared that could allow the manager to undermine the auditor by controlling the support staff he or she needs to do her work. Last month the manager proposed a solution, retaining "ultimate authority" over the auditor staff but promising to delegate "day to day supervision" of the staff to the auditor through an administrative order. The solution didn't satisfy Councilor Bonny Bettman, who prefers that the council bind the manager to his promise with a city ordinance or perhaps refer another amendment to the City Charter. "There's no assurance here" with the manager's promise not to undermine the auditor's staff. "That's not independent." Citizens will have an opportunity to weigh in on the independent auditor issue at a council public hearing at 7:30 pm May 8. — Alan Pittman
GREEN ROOF UNVEILED Habitats Inc. has completed Eugene's first permitted residential "green roof," designed as an educational model in alternative stormwater management. The system includes a roof vegetated with native plants, a cistern and gravity-fed irrigation system, bio-swales, a storm surge pond and a drywell. The entire home is disconnected from the city storm sewer; stormwater is retained for garden irrigation. The system will also improve the home's summertime energy efficiency.
South hills homeowner Debbie Olsen decided to install the roof when she realized she would have trouble setting up a stormwater pump for her newly constructed, 2,800 sq. ft. home. Normally, stormwater pipes run from a house's gutter to the curb, and gravity does the pumping. But Olsen's home sits on a hill below the curb, so she would have had to pump stormwater up to the street. The green roof system eliminated that need altogether. Olsen's manager, Nancy NesSmith, said that Olsen is a supporter of green architecture and liked the idea of reducing stormwater runoff into Amazon Creek. Olsen's home also includes a solar water heater and radiant floor heating. The roof and related systems cost a total of $40,000, about half of it paid for by grants from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board and EWEB. The Eugene Stream Team, Long Tom Watershed Council and Lane Forest Products contributed materials and support. "This project in particular is intended to educate people about the possibilities for using a green roof to manage stormwater on-site," said Habitats Inc. principal Aaron Whitney, who designed Olsen's house and roof. Two other buildings in Eugene — the UO Longhouse and a part of the UO Lillis Business Complex — also have green roofs, Whitney said. On April 29, Olsen and Habitats hosted a grand opening of the roof system. Several city planners, UO students and professors, and Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy were among the attendees. — Kera Abraham
PESTICIDES AT PISGAH On the heels of the County Commissioners' vote to approve limited herbicide use on public roadsides, Friends of Buford Park (FBP) will propose herbicide use within the Howard Buford Recreation Area/Mt. Pisgah. FBP has not used herbicides in the past. FBP Restoration Coordinator Jason Blazar declined to offer greater detail about the proposal. "We are working on a control strategy for false brome, but I'm not prepared at this time to disclose the specifics of that plan," he said. Blazar would say only that FBP will employ an "integrated approach" to weed control, including herbicide applications, manual weeding and the use of non-toxic Waipuna Hot Foam. Proposed pesticide applications will comply with Lane County Public Works' "last resort policy," which directs county officials to use a permitted list of pesticides only after other weed control options have been exhausted. In August 2003, the commissioners passed the last resort policy by a 4-0 vote and ordered a moratorium on herbicide use by county road crews until an implementation plan could be created. As a result, the county has not used herbicides on public roadsides for almost three years. On April 26, despite objections from about a dozen residents, commissioners approved five brand-name herbicides for road crew use: Oust Extra, Aquamaster, Garlon 3A, Habitat and Milestone. Commissioners Green, Morrison and Stewart voted in favor of the list; Sorenson and Dwyer voted against it. Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides scientist Caroline Cox is disappointed in both the commissioners' vote and FBP's proposal. "Herbicides offer a very short-term solution to a weed problem, and it usually leads to more herbicides," she said. "Herbicide use doesn't really mesh with most people's idea of what Mt. Pisgah is or should be." FPB will present its proposal before the Lane County Parks Advisory Committee at 5:30 pm Monday, May 8 at the Public Works building, 3040 N. Delta Hwy. — Kera Abraham
GARDEN FINDS PARTNERS April 1 marked the official launch of Moonstone Hotel Property's management of the Oregon Garden, a Silverton attraction plagued with financial worries and swiftly mounting debt. Parties from both constituencies worked for several months to negotiate with the garden's debtors and Marion country courts for approval the plan, which will bring adjacent lodging to the site while preserving its unique horticultural qualities. The Oregon Garden opened to 250,000 visitors in 2001 but was unable to maintain the number of visitors it needed to remain financially stable. Additional revenue generated by the hotel, which is slated to begin construction in June, will be used to pay off existing debt, and under management by Moonstone, no additional public debt will be incurred. Rather than buying the property outright, Moonstone's co-owner Dirk Winter joined the existing board of directors, which continues to manage the garden in partnership with the county, the City of Silverton, the Oregon Garden Foundation and Chemeketa Community College, the current stakeholders involved in the garden's business affairs. Malaei Weir, spokeswoman for Moonstone Properties, said that Winter is a gardening enthusiast who owns a nursery and a small chain of garden-themed inns on the West Coast. "He heard about the garden and its challenges and was interested in seeing how he could get involved, what was practical, what was possible," Weir said. According to Weir, the calendar of concerts, classes and special events held at the garden will be expanded to "broaden its appeal to a wider range of visitors." The addition of the inn is intended to attract tourists both to the garden and to the town. — Adrienne van der Valk
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS Our 4/13 cover story, "The Battle of Biscuit," implied to some that the Biscuit Fire burned in Douglas County. It actually burned in Josephine and Curry counties, though adjacent timber-dependent Douglas County has been most involved in the salvage planning. Additionally, the Kalmiopsis Wilderness was in one place erroneously referred to as the "Klamath Wilderness."
Lane County Herbicide Spray Schedule ODOT District 5 roadside nighttime spraying scheduled May 1–4 (8 pm-9 am) on Hwy. 126 W from Eugene to Mapleton; Territorial Road from Veneta to Douglas County line and Veneta to Cheshire; Hwy. 36 from Junction City to Deadwood. Nighttime spraying scheduled May 8-11 on Hwy. 126 W from Florence to Mapleton; Hwy. 36 from Mapleton to Deadwood; and Hwy. 101. ODOT District 5 IVM Coordinator Dennis Joll: 686-7526; daily spray information: (888) 996-8080. Complaints: Becky Thoreson: (503) 986-4366. — Compiled by Jan Wroncy,Forestland Dwellers (541)342-8332
Endorsements At a Glance See our April 27 issue for full endorsement text. Ballots must be received by the Lane County Elections Department by 8 pm May 16. In non-partisan local races, any candidate who gets more than 50 percent of the votes cast goes on to be uncontested in the November general election. Governor, Democrats. Pete Sorenson Governor, Republicans. No preference Superintendent of Public Instruction. Susan Castillo Supreme Court Judge, Position 6. Gene Hallman Lane County Circuit Court Judge. Alan Leiman or Debra Vogt Lane County Commissioner, East. Ron Davis Lane County Commissioner, West. William Fleenor Lane County Assessor. Anette Spickard Eugene Councilor, Ward 3. Alan Zelenka Eugene City Councilor, Ward 6. Rich Cunningham EWEB, Wards 4 & 5. Ron Farmer Bethel Local Option Levy, 20-109. Yes
JOHN POYNTER
Ten years ago Texas native John Poynter earned a degree in wildlife and fisheries biology at OSU. "Now I use it to wipe my brow," says Poynter, who opted instead for a career in organic farming to stay close to his wife, Shannon, and newborn son Ezra on their 10 acres west of Lorane. Hey Bayles! Farm grew veggies for seven subscriber families in its first season of community supported agriculture. Over the years, Poynter has gradually converted pasture land to crop production and built greenhouses to grow exotic salad greens 10 months a year, and heirloom-variety vegetables in a climate 10 degrees cooler than Eugene's. "We stepped into the Saturday Farmers' Market at just the right time," he notes. "The next year, several big growers dropped out." In its 10th anniversary year, Hey Bayles! Farm supplies 65 CSA members plus several restaurants and markets. It employs eight workers, including interns who get classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience. Find the Hey Bayles! booth at the Farmers' Market and the Hey Bayles! website at www.heybaylesfarm.com Know anyone whose good work deserves attention in this space? Call the editor at 484-0519 or editor@eugeneweekly.com
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