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Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes News: News: News: Profile: Happening Peerson: Ruby Larson POLICE AUDITOR UP FOR GRABS The Eugene City Council is in the middle of selecting a new independent police auditor to keep an eye on the cops in the wake of officer sex abuse scandals. One key goal of the auditor position is to increase the transparency of the police complaint process. But the city staff and Council decided to keep the entire auditor hiring process secret without allowing the public to attend meetings or the press to report on them. The selection of the auditor will play a key role in determining the success of the independent police review charter amendment passed by voters last November by a wide margin. Some Council conservatives have advocated for hiring a former Eugene police officer for the position, but progressives said such an auditor would have little independence from the police department or credibility with the public. The Council voted to bar candidates who have worked for the EPD for the last 20 years. But the Council is considering hiring applicants from other police departments. It's unclear how independent an auditor hired from another police department would be. Police unions affiliate with each other through national organizations and often refer to themselves as part of a wider "brotherhood." Local police reform advocates have criticized a past review of complaints by the state police as lacking sufficient independence. The Council also barred candidates that have prior relationships with the EPD that "might create actual or perceived bias for or against the Department or Eugene Police Officers." This provision would appear to bar a local prosecutor or police union official but also could bar a local lawyer who has sued the EPD or someone who has advocated for police reform locally. In response to a national call for candidates, the city received 91 applications for the new position. A Council subcommittee screened the list down to 35. On June 19 the Council met behind closed doors to select six candidates to bring to Eugene for interviews on July 24 and 25. A citizen panel selected by the council and a panel of city staff, including police and local law enforcement officials, will also interview the candidates and make recommendations to the Council. The Council hopes to hire someone before it goes on break Aug. 17. It's unclear whether the Council will have worked out important details of the auditor position by then. When voters passed the charter amendment to create the auditor, many assumed that the auditor would have the power to hire and supervise his or her own secretary and assistant. But after the election, City Manager Dennis Taylor, who previously opposed an independent auditor, has claimed that he will have the power to select and supervise the auditor's staff. The manager said he's willing to delegate that authority to the auditor, but police reform advocates remain concerned. Taylor has imposed a policy of "one city, one voice" with city employees that may make it difficult for auditor staff under his authority to act with the independence voters intended. Last week the Council delayed discussion of the auditor staff issue until next month. — Alan Pittman
BLEATING HEARTS Fiber enthusiasts, wool growers and sheep lovers alike are gearing up for the 32nd annual Black Sheep Gathering this weekend at the Lane County Fairgrounds. The free gathering Friday, Saturday and Sunday is "all about educating the public on the ancient and contemporary fiber crafts, which turn wool into wearable and beautiful art," says Annie Dochnahl, one of the fiber artists involved.
Of all the fiber festivals in the region, the Black Sheep Gathering focuses on natural colored sheep and the wool they produce. "The conventional county and state fairs still emphasize white sheep in their competitions, thus losing out on the rich diversity of hues and breeds that create silver, caramel, ocher and deep chocolate colored wools," Dochnahl says. Visitors can get an up close and personal look at how wool becomes finished garments. On the west end of the fairgrounds will be hundreds of sheep and other fiber-producing critters (goats and bunnies) with their human guardians on hand to share their knowledge of the particular breed. Other buildings are loaded with bags of wool (for judging and for sale) and tools of the trade. About 80 vendors are found at the trade show, offering drop spindles, spinning wheels, dyes, books, already spun yarns, and more for sale. The fiber arts gallery highlights the handiwork of fiber artisans. "You'll see everything from multicolored blankets and whimsical felted bags to sumptuous sweaters and fine lace shawls," Dochnahl says. A complete schedule of events is at www.blacksheepgathering.org
STILL FIGHTING UO HOUSING SALE Eight months after the UO announced plans to sell its only low-rent student housing complex, feedback remains virtually unanimous: Hell no. More than a half-dozen UO student organizations, including the ASUO and the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation, have come out against the sale. The UO Senate has twice passed resolutions opposing it. Eugene Citizens for Affordable Housing leads community opposition, which includes three neighborhood associations. Six local politicians, including Sens. Floyd Prozanski and Bill Morrisette, have flexed their political muscle to slow or stop the sale. Yet the university pushes on. In late May, administrators announced a tentative deal to sell Westmoreland to local developer Michael O'Connell for $18.45 million. The sale won't be final, however, unless the State Board of Higher Education, which owns the property, approves it at its July 14 meeting in Portland. The state board recently held three public hearings in Eugene to gauge community feedback on the proposed sale. Opposition was overwhelming at all three, with only UO administrators defending the university's position. At the most recent hearing, on June 13, a long line of speakers spoke out against the sale, while only one — UO administrator Frances Dyke — defended it. A student mother with an infant grandchild broke down in tears, saying she'd have to drop out of the UO if she couldn't depend on affordable housing. Her story reflects that of hundreds of international, graduate and non-traditional students who enrolled at the UO with the understanding that they would be able to live at Westmoreland, where rents range from about $400 to $500. Despite its low rent, Westmoreland generates a profit for the UO, helping pay down debt on the newer and more expensive Spencer View apartments. Even if the state board approves the sale, the deal may not be sealed. Westmoreland is zoned for public use, meaning that only a public or nonprofit agency can own it. Before O'Connell can buy the property, the city must re-zone it for private ownership, a process that requires public input. "It also creates another legally challengeable decision," writes Eugene Citizens for Affordable Housing Director David Zupan in a press release. "Our organization is prepared to pursue legal remedies to demonstrate that the UO's proposed action does not comply with Oregon law." — Kera Abraham
N.E.S.T. TO THE RESCUE When you're at the end of your rope trying to protect old growth forests, what should you do? Strap on a harness, say participants in a new group called the Northwest Ecosystem Survey Team (NEST).
NEST volunteers have been scaling trees in the "Trapper" timber sale in the McKenzie Watershed, scouting for red tree voles (a small rodent that is the threatened spotted owl's main food source) and rare lichen. And they've found both, the group says. Under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), the Forest Service must leave 10 acre protective buffers around red tree vole nests. The Trapper sale is in old-growth forest surrounding Wolf Rock, Oregon's biggest rock monolith, in the McKenzie River watershed, the source of Eugene's drinking water. A little history: In 2004, the Bush administration attempted to circumvent the "survey and manage" part of the NWFP that requires on-the-ground inspections for protected plant and animal species before logging can begin. But in January, a U.S. District Court judge upheld NWFP rules, concluding that the Forest Service had allowed the cuts to proceed without checking for sensitive species. The ruling postponed or stymied more than 140 logging projects on public lands in the Northwest, about three quarters of them in Oregon. "After 2000 acres of old growth and mature forests cut on the McKenzie last year, despite the outcry and action of several environmental groups, NEST may be the last hope in protecting any of these forests in our drinking water supply," says Josh Schlossberg, an activist involved with the group. For more info or to volunteer for NEST, contact Josh at thombanjo@riseup.net or 688-2600.
TAKE A HIKE Yeah, yeah, we know the deal — you're a nature-lover who spends too much time in the Great Indoors. You sign online petitions against the destruction of our last wild places, but you haven't gone hiking in months. You're too busy. Gas is too expensive. You're out of fresh ideas about where to go.
Well, no more excuses. The Oregon Natural Resources Council is bound and determined to get you off your butt and into the wilds, at least during the sixth annual "Wilderness Week," a festival of 39 outdoor events throughout Oregon. They offer hikes through old growth forest, wildflower fields and waterfalls; family friendly outings, fishing trips, trail restoration projects and white-water rafting. They'll introduce you to the fishy richness of the Oregon Coast, the stark beauty of the Klamath-Siskiyou region and the spectacular wildlands surrounding Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. "Wilderness Week is a chance for the public to join knowledgeable experts on outings to the pristine, yet unprotected wildlands that make Oregon a special place to live, work and play," remarked Christine Caurant, Northwest Field Organizer for ONRC. All events are free, guided by experts and require RSVPs. For more information, visit www.oregonwild.orgor www.onrc.org;to make reservations, call Chandra LeGue at 344-0675.
Ruby Larson
When he moved to Eugene in 1984, Ruby Larson lived in his car for five months, picked berries and fruit and made wine in the back seat. "I've been brewing since I was 16," says Larson, who distributes beer and wine-making supplies doing business as Ruby Brew. He works out of his auto repair shop, Avant Carb. Ruby's Real Root Beer is a favorite at the Get Fried Rice booth at the Oregon Country Fair. "One of the founders asked me to help," Larson says. "I started running the booth in '89." Get Fried Rice runs on 100 percent volunteer labor and donates all proceeds to non-profit groups chosen by booth workers. Larsen also takes GFR on tour to nine or 10 summer events from California to Washington. A leader in recycling at the fair, GFR will serve all its entrees this year in reusable plastic bowls. "We feed the people who volunteer to wash dishes," Larson notes. "The response is amazing." A graduate of the Master Recyclers program, Larson has initiated several local recycling projects. "I've been making drinking glasses out of wine bottles," he demonstrates. "I'll distribute these when I get polishing equipment."
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