How Eugene Split: EW analyzes the local vote. News Briefs:   Wetlands Saved | UW To Join WRC | Protesting the SOA | AIDS Day Observed | Use of Force | Bye Bye Boc | Corrections/Clarifications Happening People: Herb Everett, Peace Rose Graphics. How Eugene Split EW analyzes the local vote. By Alan Pittman Mayor Jim Torrey's support is slipping, kids top cops, and support for gays, land use planning, and campaign finance reform remains strong in Eugene, according to an EW analysis of voting patterns in Eugene's 27 precincts. Marginal Mayor Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey was unopposed on the ballot, but the mayor convinced only 54 percent of those punching ballots to vote for him. Torrey actually did worse in this election than he did in May when he ran against a slate of weakly funded candidates. In May, 61 percent of the ballots were for Torrey. In this election, about 38 percent of voters didn't vote in the mayor's race and about 8 percent wrote in another name for mayor. Many of these votes are believed to have gone to Michael Glownia who called for supporters to write him in. The county elections office refused to count the Glownia votes citing state law and reported all write-in's as "miscellaneous" votes. Torrey failed to get a majority of the turnout in more than a third of Eugene's precincts. In two Whiteaker precincts, half didn't vote for mayor while another fourth wrote in a candidate. Only about one in four voters voted for Torrey. The lack of support for the mayor may indicate problems for Torrey if he faces a serious, well-funded challenger. While Torrey is a Republican, only 31 percent of Eugene voted Republican in the presidential race. Kids Top Cops Conservative anti-tax precincts in Bethel, north Eugene and Santa Clara joined with progressive precincts in the Whiteaker and UO neighborhoods to crush a trio of local cops and jails measures. Eugene's Measure 20-36 to build a big new police headquarters failed overwhelmingly with 62 percent voting "no." The measure lost in every precinct but one in north Eugene where it passed by less than 1 percent. In four precincts, the vote against funding a new police station topped 70 percent, in 17 precincts the "no" vote topped 60 percent. The county's jail measures (20-38 and 20-39) were killed by a similar combination of progressive and anti-tax precincts. The county has often relied on Eugene voters to support tax increases. But this time -- with the public safety measures focused on incarceration rather than the crime prevention that many progressives favor -- the jail measures both failed in every precinct in Eugene. The "no" vote for the jail operations levy exceeded 60 percent in more than a third of Eugene precincts. The "no" vote for the jail expansion measure topped 60 percent in more than half of the city's precincts. While taxpayers weren't willing to fund bigger police stations and jails, they did vote money for more affordable crime prevention. Eugene's Measure 20-37 passed with 53 percent voting to fund kids after-school programs. North Eugene, Bethel and Santa Clara voters opposed the funding for kids but voters in south Eugene drove it over the top. In six precincts in the central, Whiteaker and UO neighborhoods, more than 70 percent voted "yes." On state measures, Eugene voters rejected Measure 94's repeal of long mandatory sentences. But the measure passed in 10 south Eugene precincts and won more than 60 percent of the vote in Whiteaker and UO neighborhoods. Citywide, the 40 percent "yes" vote for the measure was far ahead of the 26 percent who voted for repealing Measure 11 statewide. Local voters did vote by a wide margin for Measure 3 requiring a conviction before permanent property forfeiture. The measure passed by 70 percent citywide. In more than half of the city's precincts, support topped 70 percent. Even in the city's conservative northern precincts, support was more than 60 percent. Island of Tolerance Judging by the vote on Measure 9, Eugene is an island of gay tolerance in a sea of bigotry. Outside Eugene, the anti-gay measure passed in Lane County with 52 percent voting "yes." Measure 9 passed by 51 percent in Springfield and passed by wider margins in many other county towns including Cottage Grove, Creswell, Oakridge and, by a narrow margin, Florence. But 69 percent of Eugene voted "no" on 9 and the Measure failed with a 58 percent "no" vote county-wide. In Eugene, only three precincts in the Bethel and Santa Clara neighborhoods supported Measure 9. In eight Eugene precincts in south Eugene, opposition topped 80 percent. In 15 precincts, 70 percent or more voted "no." In one precinct near the UO, 90 percent opposed the OCA initiative. With the passage of Measure 7, Eugene taxpayers may be stuck doling out millions of dollars to developers to get them to not violate zoning, livability and environmental laws. But Measure 7 failed by a wide margin in Eugene, with 62 percent opposed. The measure passed in only five precincts, with most of the votes in the Bethel area. In 12 south Eugene precincts, opposition topped 70 percent. Measure 6's call for publicly funded campaigns to fight the influence of money on democracy failed statewide. But the measure passed handily in Eugene with 58 percent voting "yes." The measure passed in two-thirds of the city's precincts. In one UO neighborhood, 78 percent voted for campaign reform. Local progressive groups have been talking about an initiative for campaign finance reform for local elections. The Measure 6 votes in Eugene may indicate support for such an initiative. Back to Top   The City View site contains ponds, ash trees and unique grasses. .   Wetlands Saved Several years of citizen activism have led to the preservation of 6.36 acres of open space in west Eugene. The park-like parcel on City View Street near 14th Avenue connects with Amazon Creek and contains significant wetlands, ponds and wildlife. After lengthy negotiations, Bingham Construction Co. agreed last week to sell the acreage to the city for $539,470, according to Lloyd Williams of the Eugene Public Works Department. The Bureau of Land Management will provide the bulk of the funding, $482,200, in exchange for a conservation easement, says Williams. The city's share will be $57,270. Russ Royer, the city's acquisitions officer, was out of town this week and unable to provide additional details on how the negotiated price was reached, and what the city's role will be in restoration and maintenance of the land. "The neighborhood group is elated" at the news, says Ginger Gietzen of the Westmoreland Wetland Advocacy Group (WWAG). She, neighbor John Henry and others formed the group several years ago when Bingham Construction filed for permits to drain the land and build a 130-unit, two-bedroom apartment complex. The project would have supplanted the last sizable wetland left in urban west Eugene. WWAG, with the support of Citizens for Public Accountability (CPA), wrote more than 100 letters to the Army Corp of Engineers in 1998 asking for a public hearing on the fill permits. More than 100 citizens turned out for the hearing, and later Sen. Ron Wyden and Congressman Peter DeFazio intervened on the citizens' behalf to press for city action. Last year, a 75-year-old man who reportedly had an option on the property was caught by neighbors trying to ditch and drain the wetlands without permit, says Gietzen. He was stopped by city officials and the pipe he installed was plugged. In doing her research, Gietzen says she looked back over aerial photographs of the area since the 1930s. "I saw my neighborhood grow and here was the one parcel, the one jewel, that had been untouched through all that. It touched my heart." A city wetlands inventory from the mid-1990s documents meadow foxtail grass, meadow barley, tufted hairgrass, harding grass, velvet grass, tall fescue, clover and wild carrot on the site, along with "an abundance of birds and waterfowl and other wetland dependent species." The report concludes that "the site's capacity to store and filter run-off before it passes into Amazon Creek makes it a high value wetland." Gietzen says her group invested countless hours and thousands of dollars on attorney fees, long-distance phone calls, leaflets and postage. One neighbor donated $2,000 to the cause and CPA gave a grant of $5,000 from proceeds received in a successful lawsuit in 1998 against Hyundai Semiconductor for water pollution. Gietzen says she and Henry had never before been involved in environmental activism, and they plan to follow-up on restoration efforts at the City View site. "It's important to recognize that citizens can make a difference," she says. -- TJT UW to Join WRC UO's President Dave Frohnmayer is considering withdrawing membership in the labor watchdog Worker Rights Consortium (WRC) for legal reasons, but those reasons don't appear to faze University of Washington President Richard McCormick. McCormick last week officially gave the go-ahead for the UW to affiliate with the WRC while maintaining membership with the Fair Labor Association (FLA). "This is a big deal for student activists on campus, and a big shift for university policy," says Scott Gutierrez, news editor of the UW student paper, The Daily. The Daily quotes McCormick saying, "The Licensing Advisory Group has recommended... that the university affiliate with the WRC. I accept this recommendation and ... am instructing staff responsible for the university's trademarks and licensing program to initiate steps to join the WRC." A committee of students and faculty comprised the advisory group that reviewed the effectiveness and organization of the two watchdog groups over the summer. Kristina Anderson, a member of Washington Students Against Sweatshops (WSAS) and the advisory group, was quoted in The Daily praising McCormick's decision while at the same time calling for UW to disassociate from the FLA. UW Vice President and Executive Director for University Relations Norm Arkans was quoted saying he doesn't share Frohnmayer's concerns about paying dues to a non-incorporated organization. "Fortunately, the WRC is a recognized corporation in New York state, so we can pay dues," he said. -- TJT Protesting the SOA   Protesters, including actor Martin Sheen (left) march on the School of the Americas Nov. 19. .   A dozen Eugene-area residents joined an estimated 10,000 people from all over the Americas Nov. 19 at the gates of Fort Benning in Georgia to demand the closure of the U.S. Army School of the Americas (SOA). They came to Ft. Benning to protest the "deadly impacts of U.S. counterinsurgency training on Latin American communities," says Michael Carrigan of Eugene, director of Oregon PeaceWorks. About 3,500 demonstrators marched onto the Army base, many carrying crosses with the names of victims linked to the SOA. About 1,700 were arrested and cited on various charges. Some face up to six months in prison, other first-time "tresspassers" were banned from the base for five years, according to School of Americas Watch (www.soaw.org). The SOA is a U.S. training facility for Latin American military personnel. Over its 54-year history, says Carrigan, the SOA has trained more than 60,000 soldiers in military intelligence, sniper techniques, and psychological and commando operations. A manual recently released by the Pentagon documents the teaching of torture at this school, says Carrigan. Graduates of SOA include such notorious figures as recently deposed Peruvian intelligence chief Vladimir Monstesinos, and at least 10 dictators including Manuel Noriega of Panama and Rios Montt of Guatemala. Additionally, in El Salvador, SOA alumni make up nearly all of those believed responsible for the execution of six Jesuit priests, the massacre of more than 900 civilians (mostly women and children) at El Mozote, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, and those who brutally raped and killed four U.S. churchwomen. "The protest at the SOA was a powerful and effective example of nonviolent civil disobedience," says participant Peg Morton of Eugene. "Through a movement based on non-violence, our hearts and the hearts of others can be changed. The SOA will be closed and the world may move away from killing and torture and trampling on the poor." Morton called on Sen. Gordon Smith to join Rep. Peter DeFazio, Sen. Ron Wyden and others in the Oregon delegation who support closure of the SOA. This year marks the fifth time Ann Huntwork of Portland has entered Fort Benning. "She is awaiting trial on prior charges and may face time in federal prison for following her conscience," says Carrigan. Since 1990, protesters around the country who have defied the army ban have spent a total of 30 years in prison, says Carrigan. Oregon and the UO were well represented at the protest. SOA Watch Oregon brought 69 people to the protest and about 20 other Oregonians came on their own. At least 33 Oregonians crossed onto the base and 28 of them were detained and processed. Protesters came from all around the state and their ages ranged from 13 to 80. The SOA is scheduled to close on Dec. 15 and be replaced by the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. The new school will be run by the Defense Department, under guiding principles of the Organization of American States. Activists say the name change is just cosmetic and protests will continue. -- TJT AIDS Day Observed The 13th annual World AIDS Day will be observed around the world and in Eugene on Dec. 1. Despite the fact that new AIDS drugs are prolonging years of productive life for many with HIV, the rate of new HIV infections remains high in the U.S., with 40,000 new infections reported in 1999. The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has become so alarming that the U.S. has declared AIDS a national security threat. As of 1999, an estimated 34.3 million men, women and children worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS and 19 million have died. Last year, 15,000 people were infected with HIV every day. In the U.S., 850,000 people are now infected. In Lane County, approximately 1,500 people are HIV-positive. It is thought that two out of three HIV-positive people do not know they are carrying the virus that causes AIDS. Also in Lane County, an estimated 10,000 injection drug users (IDU) are at high risk for HIV infection from contaminated needles. IDUs are the primary cause of pediatric AIDS. HIV Alliance will lead community observances at the Hult Center lobby at 5 pm for World AIDS Day ceremonies. Rose Colborn, volunteer coordinator for the Cascade AIDS Project in Portland, will share her experiences doing AIDS outreach in Russia and Diane Lang Brissenden, executive director of HIV Alliance, will report on the state of HIV and AIDS in the U.S. and Lane County. Joella Ewing of Congressman Peter DeFazio's Eugene staff will read a statement about AIDS in Lane County. The statement has been read into the Congressional Record. Community members will gather in the Hult Center Plaza after the remarks to light candles and read the names of those who have died from AIDS. Roosevelt Middle School students will ring 20 bells for the 20 years since AIDS was reported in the U.S. Chris Sorenson and Gus Russell will play music. The observance will last until approximately 7 pm. Admission is free. -- AS Use of Force The Eugene Police Commission Use of Force Committee is soliciting public input on "police use of force issues," particularly as they relate to crowd control and/or political protest situations. A public forum is planned at 6:30 pm Tuesday, Dec. 5 at the EWEB Training Room, 500 E. 4th Ave., North Building. The forum begins with a presentation on police policies and practices, followed by a public comment period. Bye Bye Boc Eugene talk show host Victor Boc is pulling his mic plug and cruising up the freeway to join "Radio Free Oregon" at KPAM 860 AM in Portland. Boc has hosted a popular, antagonistic talk show for three and a half years weekday afternoons at KUGN 590 AM. His last show will be Friday, Dec. 8. "And there's more," says Boc, sharing his news via e-mail. "Starting Jan. 1, KPAM will be simulcast here in Eugene. It will be at 660 AM. This means that, starting next year, Eugene will, for the first time ever, have a third talk radio station (not just KUGN and KPNW anymore). No one down here knows about the simulcast yet." Boc's politics lean to the right, but he also claims many listeners on the left. "A huge element of counter-culture anarchists on the far left listen to me," he said in a July 20 EW interview. "I almost don't feel worthy of it. I don't align with their issues." -- TJT Corrections/Clarifications In the 11/22 news story "Stress as a Predictor," Dr. Vern Katz' position at Sacred Heart Medical Center was incorrect. He is currently the chairman of the Medical Education Committee. Dr. Katz also notes that his "political views are personal and do not represent the views of Sacred Heart Medical Center." Back to Top Herb Everett In the mid-1970s, New York native Herb Everett dropped out of UO Law School after one year to concentrate on political activism. "I met my wife doing solidarity work with the United Farm Workers," he recalls. "There was a big campaign to honor boycotts of table grapes and lettuce." Everett got a start in the printing business with the Eugene Coalition -- "an old lunatic organization that came out of the anti-war movement." He was a founding member of the Northwest Working Press, a collectively run print shop that lasted 10 years. "We worked for progressive institutions and businesses," he says. "Some of us donated time for anti-Trojan and Central-American solidarity work." For the past 10 years, Everett has run his own design and printing business, Peace Rose Graphics, serving some of the same clients. He sits on the coordinating committees for CISCAP and for the Amigos de los Sobrevivientes. "Herb is in it for the long haul," says CISCAP staffer Scott Mix. "He's also a fount of knowledge about the history of progressive Eugene going back 30 years." -- Paul Neevel Happenin' People Archives Nominate A Happenin' Person Table of Contents | News & Views | Arts & Entertainment Classifieds | Personals | EW Archive