News Articles

Eugene’s 4J School Board agreed last week to convene a work session this week to address issues that have arisen over moving all district high schools to a common 3x5 schedule. The proposal to address the schedule change came after the Eugene Education Association (EEA) asked the board to postpone the move, citing opposition by a majority of high school teachers, and more than two dozen parents, teachers and students spoke against the change at a packed meeting. The board also addressed the latest budget shortfall projections and proposed cuts to services in a number of programs.

Claiming support from both liberals and conservatives, a small group of Eugene citizens has organized a Political Action Committee (PAC) to campaign against Ballot Measure 20-211, the proposed fees for city residences and business that will be on the ballot in May. 

Citizens for Truth, Justice, and the American Way (CiTJAW) has a website at votenocityfee.org and the PAC directors are Bonny Bettman McCornack and Paul Nicholson, both former city councilors. David Monk is the treasurer.

• Rosboro LLC, 746-8411, plans to hire Western Helicopter, 503-538-9469, to aerially spray Velpar DF and/or Transline on 97 acres in the Coast Range near the headwaters of Swartz Creek and South Fork Ferguson Creek. See ODF notice 2013-781-00226.

Between climate change, pollution and resource depletion, the coastal areas have a lot to plan for. Oregon is preparing for these challenges by establishing five small marine reserves to preserve habitat and to monitor ecological and biological changes. Cape Perpetua south of Yachats is the closest marine reserve to Eugene. Conservationists are hoping that the marine reserves will help keep populations of fish and other species within the reserve high and potentially keep surrounding populations buoyed via a spillover effect. 

• The Oregon Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Haugen v. Kitzhaber during its annual visit to the UO School of Law. The arguments will take place at 10:30 am Thursday, March 14, in room 175 of the Knight Law Center, 1515 Agate St. in Eugene. The proceedings are open to the public, a capacity crowd is expected and an overflow room will be available. Video of the proceedings will be available on the law school’s website later in the day.

When it comes to saving the environment, lawyers and protesters often go hand in hand, so it may come as no surprise that alongside (though not an official part of) the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference at the UO Feb. 28 to March 3, there were acts of protest.

“I doubt we’ll put in a Ferris wheel,” Brian Obie says of his proposed new development downtown. County Commissioners voted 4-1 on Feb. 26 to give Lane County Administrator Liane Richardson authority to enter into discussions for an interim lease and exclusive negotiating rights with Obie and Housing and Community Services Agency of Lane County (HACSA) for land at East 6th Avenue and Oak, near Obie’s 5th Street Public Market. 

Deadlines for submitting comments to Oregon DEQ regarding over two dozen local facility’s industrial stormwater pollution control plans take place over the next eight days. Comments are due by 5 pm on the following dates. March 7: Rexius Forest By-Products, Frito-Lay Eugene, Teevin Bros Log Yard, Superior Steel, Spec Pipe. March 11: Western Pneumatics, Weyerhaeuser (Bertelsen Road), USF Reddaway, Western Coating, Tyree Oil.

When you think of the gender gap, you probably think of fields like math and science or construction. But Wikipedia says it has its own gender gap in female entry writers, and it’s trying to fix the problem. The Center for the Study of Women in Society, the Fembot Project and the ASUO Women’s Center will host workshops to train women as Wikipedia editors March 8-9.

Eugene Coffee Company has been in business for five years and is having an all-day celebration Saturday, March 9, at the store at 18th and Chambers, across from BiMart. Owner Sue Harnly was picked by EW readers as Best Barista in 2011. Harnly started the business with Alicia Hays and Adelka Shawn in 2008. Since then the store has sold 22,000 pounds of Café Mam coffee, 246,000 drinks and 56,000 donuts, bagels and pastries.

In Afghanistan

• 2,169 U.S. troops killed* (2,168)

• 18,299 U.S. troops wounded in action (18,285)

• 1,316 U.S. contractors killed (1,316)

• 12,793 civilians killed (12,793)

• $618.1 billion cost of war ($615.7 billion)

• $182.5 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($181.8 million)

In Iraq