Fraud Hall? Grayson Hall was named after UO donor now accused of cheating retirees. Stress as Predictor: Does prolonged stress in pregnancy contribute to ADD in children? News Briefs:   Heroin Fix | More Help Arrives | Pricey Trash | Weakened Protection Happening People: Susan Walsh, Bolder Options founder. Fraud Hall? Grayson Hall was named after UO donor now accused of cheating retirees. By Alan Pittman   The Grayson Name is prominent, even repeated, on the kincaid street building. .   Dan Pope, chairman of the UO History Department, works in a building named after a man accused of cheating thousands of union members out of their retirement savings. "It's sort of uncomfortable for us," says Pope. "This is a guy alleged to have ripped off thousands and thousands of workers." The UO named the building after Jeffrey Grayson three years ago just before the law school moved out and the History, Ethnic Studies and other Arts and Sciences offices moved in. Grayson, a 1964 alumnus, is a major UO donor and former president of the UO Foundation. Grayson was CEO of the investment firm Capital Consultants. In September, the government seized control of Capital Consultants after the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission filed lawsuits against Grayson alleging that he conspired to defraud union workers and other investors of more than $200 million, the Oregonian reported. A grand jury is investigating Grayson for possible criminal charges. Nine union trust funds have also sued Grayson, alleging he took kickbacks from risky companies in which he invested workers' retirement savings. The court-appointed receiver who took charge of Grayson's company issued a report alleging that Grayson made numerous reckless loans and then deceived clients by concealing bad investments. "The Receiver found no evidence of thorough or valid credit underwriting due diligence by CCL [Capital Consultants] with respect to its borrowers. As a result, it holds a large number of the equivalent of 'junk-debt'; borrowers who are incapable of ever repaying principal, and collateral that has little or no value. Problem loans were frequently the subject of restructurings, maturity extensions, new advances, debt-for-equity swaps and the like. Few loans were declared to be in default. The Receiver found no evidence that CCL clients were aware of problems in the Private Investments portfolio." While Grayson lost workers' retirement savings by investing in "junk debt," the receiver alleged, Grayson paid himself more than $3.6 million in salary and other benefits for his work last year. If Grayson is convicted of the fraud he's accused of, "I would certainly hope the powers that be would rename the building," says Pope. "It's very unseemly." Pope says the UO also should consider returning some of the money Grayson donated if it's found that it came from defrauding union retirees. UO Foundation Director Karen Kreft refused to say how much Grayson had donated to the UO. "That's not public record." Kreft says the foundation has no policy on renaming buildings or returning money in case a donor is convicted of fraud. Kreft declined to say whether the foundation would consider renaming the building or returning money if Grayson is convicted. "I'm not going to answer that either." Kreft did not return a later call asking whether the foundation had invested any of its money through Grayson. Universities have been known to cling to money from shady donors. In 1991 the UC Berkeley Business School accepted $1.5 million from convicted junk bond trader Michael Milken. The school dean defended Milken as "wrongly convicted." Kreft declined to say whether or not she thought Grayson was innocent of the allegations. Grayson has been a high-profile donor and fund-raiser for the foundation in the past. He served on the foundation board from 1989 to 1999 and as board president from 1995 to 1999. Grayson co-chaired the UO's "Oregon Campaign" fund-raising drive and stood with UO President Dave Frohnmayer at a press conference last year to announce the campaign's success. Part of the money from the campaign went to remodeling Grayson Hall. Pope says the unease about the Grayson name plastered in two-foot high metal lettering on the front of his building points to the ethical dilemmas that can arise from naming buildings after big donors. "This university will name a lot of things after people if the price is right." Back to Top Stress As Predictor Does prolonged stress in pregnancy contribute to ADD in children? By Elizabeth Pownall We respond the same way to stress now as we did in the days of the saber-tooth tiger, says Eugene perinatalogist Dr. Vern Katz. Our modern brains release the same stress hormones, such as cortisol and epinephrine, as they did when we were cave dwellers. When faced with an enemy, our heart rate increases, our vision becomes clearer, and we are prepared to flee or fight. Doctors know that stress in pregnancy is one of the predictors for pre-term birth and low birth rate, Katz says. Now we ask: does prolonged stress cause even more problems for the baby? The best study on this, Katz says, was a study done on 186 children following Israel's Six Day War in 1967. Researchers looked at two groups of children who lost their fathers. The first group was still in utero when their fathers died during the war, the second group lost their fathers following the war, after they were born. It was found that the children whose fathers died while their mothers were pregnant had more long-term behavior problems than children whose fathers died three months after the war. This, Katz says, is not a proof of an idea; however, it is, perhaps, the window for research in this direction. The most important studies, Katz says, are those done on rhesus monkeys at the Primate Center at the University of Wisconsin. The Primate Center has an environment that allows the monkeys to roam in an area closely resembling that of their natural habitat. In the early '90s, a study was done with two groups of pregnant monkeys, Katz explains. In one group, the mothers were handled once a day while they were pregnant, while in the other group the mothers were untouched. The handling of the monkeys was considered a minimal, yet prolonged stress. Researchers found that the mothers who were handled produced offspring that exhibited behaviors similar to that of children with attention deficit disorder, or ADD. The offspring had trouble focusing, problems with attention and problems socializing with their peers. In another experiment, one group of monkeys was given an injection of saline while the second group was given an injection of ACTH, the pituitary gland hormone that stimulates cortisol production. The result was similar. The mothers injected with ACTH gave birth to offspring with behaviors that mimicked ADD. Over time it became apparent that these behavior problems were worse if the stress occurred early in the pregnancy. It appeared, Katz says, that prolonged stress in a mother's first trimester changed the stress reaction in her fetus. These offspring responded differently to stress than offspring who had not been subjected to prolonged stress. Although research is showing direct evidence in this direction, no one knows if it is a result of a genetic predisposition on the mother's side, or if it has to do with a threshold response in the mother. This information is more important for the health provider, at this point, than it is for the mother. "Telling someone not to be stressed doesn't help at all. ... What we're looking at is an interaction between what is going on in a mom's life, and what the fetus may react with. But every mom with stress is not going to have an ADD child," Katz says. "I don't think we are in a place where we should get everyone meditating, and everybody praying, or everybody in yoga, depending on what you want to use to take away the stress," he says. "But I would say in my opinion as a physician, our society is a very high-stress society. We don't have very good psychological mechanisms for dealing with the stress ... Our physiological mechanisms that respond to stress haven't changed in the last hundred thousand years." What about a woman's increased sense of danger and need for safety that she experiences when pregnant? There are four psychological tasks of pregnancy a mother undergoes, Katz responded. These include reordering her relationship with her partner, reordering her relationship with her mother, considering her new role as a mother, and reordering her relationship with other children she might have. A new mother's thought processes become more introverted, or primary, as she deals with the physical changes and the transitions she is undergoing. This experience differs with every mother, says Katz. It will be different for the mother who is socially connected as opposed to the mother who is more isolated. As a society, Katz believes, we ought to pay for this mother to get the extra time and assistance if she needs it to relax and prepare for the birth of her child. "It is the goal of any sane species," says Katz, "to isolate the noxious agent that hurts reproduction," and alleviate the problem. Women can't control all of the stress in their lives. For example, if George W. Bush is elected president, he says "we are not able to get rid of Bush in the next four years, so we are all going to have stressful pregnancies," Katz said. In addition to his medical practice, Katz is also the director of medical education of Sacred Heart Hospital. Back to Top Heroin Fix Crime prevention got a big boost this month with a $1.5 million federal grant to fund county heroin treatment programs. The three-year grant for the county's methadone program will expand services at ACES, Centro Latino-Americano, Looking Glass, White Bird and Willamette Family Treatment Services. "This project provides our community with an opportunity to gain momentum in turning around the heroin problem in Lane County," says Karen Gaffney, assistant director of the county's Health and Human Services Department. Thirty-four heroin users overdosed in Lane County last year. Lane County ranks second among Oregon counties for heroin overdoses and Oregon ranks third in the nation for heroin deaths, according to the county. The federal grant will help fund: * 27 additional intensive outpatient treatment slots for adolescent heroin users. * 73 additional intensive outpatient treatment slots for adult heroin users, including 26 for methadone treatment. * Contacts with at least 1,000 hard-to-reach adolescents, 2,000 hard-to-reach adults, 1,000 hard-to-reach rural adolescents and adults, and 1,000 hard-to-reach Latino/Hispanic/Chicano adults with information about treatment availability. * Information for all clients about enrolling in the Oregon Health Plan, the importance of selecting a primary care physician, and about their risk for HIV, hepatitis and other communicable diseases. -- AP More Help Arrives President Clinton's recent signing of a stronger Violence Against Women Act will have a direct benefit for Lane County women through a clinic co-sponsored by the UO School of Law. The new and expanded law covers women abused by their boyfriends and husbands, helps battered immigrant women and attacks "international traffic in human beings." It also helps provide the continuation of many services to victims of domestic violence, including the Lane County Domestic Violence Clinic (DVC). The clinic is part of the Stop Violence Against Women Project, which last month was awarded a federal renewal grant of $350,000 to continue and expand the clinic's work. "The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is an important step in the continued efforts to end domestic violence," says Merle Weiner, associate professor, UO School of Law and member of the Lane County Domestic Violence Council. "Domestic violence is rampant in Oregon -- it takes a daily toll on adult victims and their children, as well as on Oregon's economy." The Lane County DVC is a joint project of the UO School of Law, Lane County Legal Aid Service, Womenspace and Sexual Assault Support Services. The clinic was founded in 1998 as part of the Stop Violence Against Women Project, which received a $281,000 grant from the federal Violence Against Women Office. The initial and renewal grants were awarded following a highly competitive process. Critical to the clinic is the work of third-year UO law students who, with permission from the Oregon Supreme Court, represent clients in cases including contested restraining orders and divorces involving battered women seeking child custody. Students receive training by the local domestic violence shelter and sexual assault advocacy program and work under the supervision of a qualified attorney. During the 18 months of the initial grant period, third-year law students, domestic violence advocates and attorneys working at the clinic assisted about 600 Lane County domestic violence victims. "The renewal grant will allow us to help even more victims and take on more complex cases," says Weiner. Pricey Trash Eugene residents are throwing away less garbage -- so they'll have to pay more for pick ups, according to a memo this month from City Manager Jim Johnson to the City Council. City regulators plan to boost residential garbage rates 22 to 29 percent to cover the losses of private haulers resulting from residents switching to smaller garbage cans with lower pick-up charges, according to the city. In 1994, about 52 percent of all residential customers used the smaller 32-gallon containers, now 67 percent of residents use the smaller cans. Further rate increases are expected in the future to deal with the migration to smaller garbage cans. City staff expects that eventually 75 percent of residents will use the 32-gallon cans. A 32-gallon can now costs $13.85 a month to pick-up compared to $26.80 for a 60-gallon can and $32.85 for a 90-gallon can. Garbage rates will increase even further due to a $3.20 a month yard debris charge due to go on bills starting July 1. With that increase, the city says Eugene's rates will be among the highest in Oregon. Staff have identified weaknesses in the current garbage collection system that contribute to rising rates. Haulers make profits of up to 17 percent on commercial service, but the system doesn't allow commercial rates to subsidize residential rates. Sanipac is far larger than the other local hauling companies and competition is limited. The city is considering ways to redesign the garbage collection system to lower residential rates. The City Council plans to discuss the issue Nov. 27.-- AP Weakened Protection Federal agencies responsible for implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan this week released the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) on changes to Survey and Manage Measures. A "record of decision" is expected in January. Conservation groups reviewing the final document expect little changes between the FSEIS and a draft EIS released earlier this year. The proposed revisions will significantly weaken protection for old growth associated wildlife species, according to Peter Nelson, policy director of the Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project in Seattle. The Northwest Forest Plan, crafted in 1994, has been plagued by recent legal troubles. Last August, federal Judge William Dwyer ruled that the government had violated the Forest Plan's "clear, plain and unmistakable" requirement to conduct wildlife surveys prior to logging old forests. In response, the government has proposed changes to the Forest Plan that substantially weaken existing environmental safeguards and open the door to industrial logging of the remaining unprotected old-growth forests. A number of prominent scientists who were involved in the development of the original Northwest Forest Plan, raised serious concerns about the ability of rare and sensitive wildlife to survive under the proposed changes. The FSEIS failed to consider a "no old-growth logging" alternative, which had been sought by more than 150 conservation groups and members of the Washington, Oregon, and California congressional delegations in March 2000. Although the Forest Plan reduced unsustainable logging levels by 80 percent in the spotted owl region (northwest California, Western Oregon and Washington), the plan continues to rely upon old growth to meet timber targets. Roughly 50 percent of all trees logged under the plan come from classic old-growth stands, says Nelson. "The Northwest Forest Plan was intended to provide a balance between habitat destruction and conservation of wildlife. After five decades of industrial logging, hundred of plants and animals are at-risk of extinction. Instead of buckling down and carefully and deliberately protecting rare and sensitive wildlife, the agencies instead propose weakening wildlife provisions and logging the last remaining unprotected old-growth forest," says Nelson. Susan Jane Brown, executive director of the Gifford Pinchot Task Force (Portland/Olympia) says, "All of the options considered in the FSEIS rely almost exclusively on clear-cutting old forests. As long as old growth falls in the Pacific Northwest, public controversy will forever plague the Northwest Forest Plan." Public opinion polls show that the majority of Americans want greater protection for national forests and believe that logging the last remaining ancient forests on public lands is unacceptable and unnecessary. In addition, the market demand for old growth is diminishing. "Major corporations including Home Depot, the world's largest lumber retailer, and Kinkos have pledged to stop using old growth in their products. If corporate America can move away from old growth, why can't the federal government?" asked Ivan Maluski, Regional Organizer for the American Lands Alliance. Federal timber is no longer a driving force in local economies, says Nelson. "Federal timber now accounts for less than 10 percent of all wood logged in the Pacific Northwest and less than one fifth of one percent of total employment in the region affected by the Northwest Forest Plan. The economic health of the region relies in part on preserving our natural forest heritage which provides clean drinking water and air, habitat for fish and wildlife and unparalleled recreation opportunities." Back to Top Susal Walsh After graduation from Georgetown University, Susan Walsh spent six months working with abused and neglected kids on a ranch in Nevada. "It was an amazing experience," she relates. "It turned me on to working with youth." Walsh entered Villanova Law School, but later transferred to the UO for its environmental emphasis. "I also got into social issues, working as a law clerk for Judge Ann Aiken," she says. Aiken noted that Walsh related well to kids caught up in juvenile justice, and introduced her to a group interested in starting a mentorship program for troubled youth. In 1994, Walsh launched Bolder Options (based on a Colorado program called Boulder Options). She works with running coach Mike Manley to match experienced runners one-on-one with teenagers living in residential treatment facilities. "Susie works hard -- she's an excellent people person," Manley says. After five years of mostly volunteer work as coordinator, Walsh merged Bolder Options into Committed Partners for Youth last year. No longer just a running program, Bolder Options now seeks volunteer mentors in any field. Inquiries are welcomed at the CPY office in the L&L Market building. -- Paul Neevel Happenin' People Archives Nominate A Happenin' Person Table of Contents | News & Views | Arts & Entertainment Classifieds | Personals | EW Archive