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Slant: Short opinion pieces and rumor-chasing notes News:Alien Species Science Pub eyes invasive plants and animals News: Happening Person: Eularee Smith and Sarah Beth Byrum LONG LIVE THE S.L.U.G. QUEEN! Saturday Aug. 11 marked a quarter century of S.L.U.G. (Society for the Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod) queens in Eugene. The competition was hard fought, but in the end Queen Glorious Gastropause (or Queen Glo to her minions) beat out the other hopefuls.
After a display of talent by the Old Queens, the competition asked the candidates to show off their own talent, answer questions that would have stumped the brightest of Miss Americas, and display their costumes. Unlike Miss America, there were no two-piece bathing suits. This was perhaps for the best, though contestant Malta Landers was lovely in what appeared to be an evening gown of sorts. Talents included singing by Slugaña, whose entourage chanted "Escargot!" as he shuffled across the stage. Slugaña looked rather like a male snail, but during his spiel, while "coming out of his shell," s/he pointed out that snails are hermaphroditic. Queen candidate Terre Verde wowed the crowd with stiltwalking and also showed off her devotion to slug-green with her nail polish and unmentionables. The crowd was horrified and delighted when contestant Pittie Pie Slugstocking dropped her skirt while hula-hooping to "Baby Got Back," but the unclothing revealed pink ruffled hip-high grandma panties, suitable for all but the most discriminating audiences. In the end, after a lengthy debate among the judges, it was Queen Glo (also known to Eugenans as Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant) who was coronated by the Old Queens. Please note: There are no former S.L.U.G. queens, only Old Queens, Very Old Queens and, for those whose "rain" ended more than 20 years ago, Very, Very Old Queens. Queen Glo, a humorous author and speaker and former KOPT radio personality, won the judges over with a monologue poking fun of everything Eugene, from field burning to anti-Bush administration quips. (The competition encourages the contestants to "Bribe early, and bribe often" when it comes to the judging.) Pittie Pie was first runner-up and stands ready to take over if Queen Glo cannot fulfill her duties; Slugaña slimed into third place. The competition ended with dancing to the music of J.C. Rico and Zulu Dragon. Queen Glo will meet her public at the S.L.U.G. Queen Silver Jubilee from 6:30 to 7:30 pm Friday, Sept. 7, at the Eugene Public Library and again Saturday, Sept. 8, during the Eugene Celebration Parade. — Camilla Mortensen
BLAME IT ON THE CLIMATE Is the spotted owl the latest victim of climate change? An article in the summer 2007 edition of Forests for Oregon, the Oregon Department of Forestry's (ODF) magazine, blames climate change for the dwindling numbers of spotted owls. Barred owls have moved west and begun to push the threatened northern spotted owl out of its dwindling habitat. Barred owls not only eat the same mammals spotted owls do, they also interbreed with them, creating owl hybrids. Scientists fear that the incursion of the barred owl into spotted owl habitat is one more nail in the coffin of this threatened species. According to the 10 year report on the Northwest Forest Plan, spotted owl populations have been steadily declining, possibly due to weather, harvest of habitat (logging), fires and insect infestations that alter habitat. Jeri Chase, an ODF public affairs specialist writing about the work of Forest Service researcher Ronald P. Neilson, speculates that "the incursion of the barred owl into spotted owl territories is a harbinger of climate change." Chase calls the incursion of barred owls "a potential increase in overall biodiversity," while noting the barred owls place "the continued existence of an endangered species in peril." The Northwest Forest Plan called for unlogged reserve blocks of old-growth habitat intended to support owl reproduction. However, the recently issued Western Oregon Plan Revisions (WOPR), which supercedes the Northwest Forest Plan, does away with those reserves. Old-growth forests are one of the most secure forms of carbon storage, according to conservation group Oregon Wild. Carbon storage slows the greenhouse gases that lead to climate change. — Camilla Mortensen
TASERS USED IN PRISONS Eugene is debating the role of electronic weapons known as Tasers in the arsenal of the Eugene Police Department, and similar debates are happening at the state level and around the country. And now the national Partnership for Safety and Justice (safetyandjustice.org) is calling for action to reduce or eliminate the use of Tasers in our jails and prisons. The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) is proposing a change in its rules that will allow prison guards to use Tasers on unruly or noncompliant prisoners. "The DOC currently uses electronic shields and has an older model of an electronic gun in its arsenal," says a statement from the group. "The newer electronic projectile weapons are much more likely to hit their targets than older models, and they've proven themselves to be deadly weapons. More than 220 people have died after being shot with electronic weapons." The deadline for comments on the proposed DOC rules change is Aug. 25. Information on how to send a message to DOC's Director Max Williams can be found at SafetyAndJustice.org Look for the Action Center page. In Eugene, a series of public meetings on Tasers are being held by the Police Commission and a commission subcommitee. These meetings are being videotaped, in part, and broadcast later on Community Television Channel 29's Altruistic Insight program with Christopher Kelsay. Meetings from July 26 and July 5 will be broadcast at noon and 11 pm Thursday, Aug. 23. Another Taser meeting is planned for Aug. 20 and will be broadcast the following week. See CTV29.org for program schedule.
WE GROUP TO MEET The West Eugene Collaborative, aka WE Group, has scheduled another in its series of facilitated community meetings to hash out solutions to traffic congestion in west Eugene. The group was formed after the Eugene City Council withdrew its support for the West Eugene Parkway last year. The meeting runs from 2 pm to 5 pm Monday, Aug. 20, at the Lane Council of Governments building, 99 E. Broadway. The meeting, facilitated by Dennis Donald and John Huyler of The Osprey Group, will begin with an overview of meeting goals and a review of key decisions from the previous meetings. Presenters and discussion leaders include Emily Proudfoot, Tom Schwetz, Gerry Gaydos, Chris Pryor, Sue Wolling, Rob Zako, Susan Ban, Mary O'Brien, Mayor Kitty Piercy and Jack Roberts. Updates on the meeting agenda will be emailed this week to participants and interested parties. To get on the email list visit www.TheOspreyGroup.comor email johnhuyler@earthlink.net
BOTTLED WATER BACKLASH
There's "water, water everywhere" but is any of it environmentally sustainable to drink? The most recent backlash against the bottled water industry is the revelation that Pepsi's Aquafina and Coke's Dasani bottled water are actually tap water (you can read a "Democracy Now" transcript on this issue at www.alternet.org/environment/58604/). Pepsi, whose previous Aquafina slogan was "So pure, we promise nothing," has begun a campaign to heighten its "7-step purification process" and downplay its new tap water image. Pepsi has agreed to include the words "public water source" on Aquafina labels. The bottled water backlash has also involved the revelation that bottled water is no healthier than tap water. A study put out by the Natural Resources Defense Council showed that while the Environmental Protection Agency demands that big city tap water be tested 100 times or more a month for bacteria, the Food and Drug Administration demands only weekly testing for bottled water. Yet consumers pay more per gallon for bottled water than they do for gasoline. Even bottled water from "natural springs" has its problems. A popular water like Evian, which comes from source near Lake Geneva in Central Europe, must be transported thousands of miles to get to consumers in the U.S. Making the bottles themselves also uses massive amounts of fossil fuels — enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year, according to the Earth Policy Institute. But just when you thought the safest and most eco-friendly thing to do was carry your tap water (Eugene's comes from the McKenzie River) in one of those ubiquitous Nalgene bottles, think again. Although a panel convened by the National Toxicology Program downplayed the possible danger of a compound called bisphenol A (BPA) found in plastics used to make Nalgene bottles as well as baby bottles, other scientists disagree. An independent panel of scientists concluded that BPA, which is now found in the blood of most Americans, may play a role in "prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (type 2) diabetes and obesity, and neurobehavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." Aside from water bottles, BPA is also found in products ranging from dental fillings to Coca-Cola containers. An article at Green Guide (www.thegreenguide.com/doc/114/bpa) gives hints about avoiding BPA, such as washing a Nalgene bottle by hand and not in the dishwasher and not using bottles that are cracked or cloudy. Drink up! — Camilla Mortensen
CASCADIA ECOFAIR COMING UP
Lane County is known nationwide for its permaculture community — people living and working in environmentally and socially sustainable ways. And one event that draws people from all over the country (and beyond) is the annual Northwest Regional Permaculture Gathering, known this year as Cascadia EcoFair. This year's 10th annual gathering runs Aug. 23-26 and will feature a rural location, River's Turn Farm in Coburg. New this year will be camping and expanded programs and entertainment, according to organizers. "This site offers the opportunity to demonstrate a dynamic and vibrant emerging sense of community, informed by sustainable and permaculture models," reads an email from the group. Organizers include members of Lost Valley Educational Center and the Eugene Permaculture Guild. Workshops are still being finalized, but so far include sessions on human development, appropriate technology, bicycle culture, parenting, climate crisis, alternative energy, water issues, ecobuilding, culture change, relocalization of the economy, food and gardening, farming and farmscaping, and workshops for children. Sliding scale ticket prices start at $15 per day; work trades and scholarships are available. For more information or registration, email registration@cascadiaecofair.org or call 349-4309. Two websites (cascadiaecofair.org and suburbanpermaculture.org) feature the event and its schedule.
OPEN FORUM ON BROADWAY Eugene architect Art Paz and other leaders of Eugene's urban design community will offer their perspectives on West Broadway redevelopment at a public forum at 7 pm Thursday, Aug. 16, at EWEB's meeting room, 500 E. 4th Ave. The topic is "What Does Our Community Want For The West Broadway Redevelopment?" and discussion will be facilitated by Rob Handy, board member of Citizens for Public Accountability and a member of the West Broadway Advisory Committee. For more information, visit www.lanecpa.org/cpa Lane Area Herbicide Spray Schedule • Weyerhaeuser Co. — South Valley (744-4600) will ground spray 412 acres with Arsenal, Garlon 4, Oust, Escort and Chopper herbicides plus Moract adjuvant near starting Aug. 20 (#50896). • Weyerhaeuser Co. — South Valley (744-4600) will spray roadsides with Accord and Garlon 3A herbicides plus Methylated Seed Oil and Induce adjuvants near starting Aug. 23 (#50909). Call Paul Clements, Oregon Dept. of Forestry at 935-2283. Compiled by Jan Wroncy, Forestland Dwellers: 342-8332, www.forestlanddwellers.org WAR DEAD Since the U.S. invasion began on March 20, 2003 (last week's numbers in parentheses): • 3,689 U.S. troops killed* (3,676) • 27,279 U.S. troops injured* (26,558) • 292 Coalition troops killed* (292) • 417 contractors killed** (414) • 75,723 Iraqi civilians killed*** (74,927) • $451.7 billion cost of war ($449.7 billion) * through Aug. 13, 2007; source: icasualties.org; some figures only updated monthly** estimate; source: icasualties.org*** highest estimate; source: iraqbodycount.org; based on confirmed media reports; other groups calculate civilian deaths as high as 655,000 to one million
EULAREE SMITH & SARAH BETH BYRUM
A music-education major at Fullerton College, Eularee Smith taught kindergarten for a couple of years, then got married and became a full-time mom. When the family moved to Eugene in 1979, she began to give piano lessons at home and to volunteer in the community. "In the back of my mind, I always wanted to start a program to bring arts to children," she says. So when her daughter Sarah Beth graduated from UO in 1999 with a dance major, Smith enlisted her as a partner in Upstart Crow Studios, a nonprofit that offers classes in theater, music, dance and other arts to children, without regard to talent or economic status. "Thirty percent of our kids are on scholarship," she notes. After years of teaching and performing in churches and schools ("Our homes became costume shops"), UCS moved into its own own building in September 2006. "It's passion, not work," says Smith, who volunteers her time as artistic director. She still teaches piano and volunteers elsewhere, as in: Oregon Meals on Wheels Volunteer of the Year for 2006. See more on UCS classes and shows at upstartcrowstudios.com.
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