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Eugenesis "Genesis is a great representation of our community," says Pollyanna Lind of the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides. "They support organic, sustainable agriculture, which leads to cleaner water and a healthier environment." But despite its reputation, Genesis has again fallen on hard times. "We are struggling," says Claudia Sepp, a Genesis worker/owner for 17 years. "We have entertained some offers and the idea of selling, but for now we're going to try to make it work," she says. At its prime, GJC was producing over 1,000 gallons of juice per week, but new competition and the increasing costs of doing business have driven down juice production by approximately 100 gallons per week. Genesis dates back to the early '70s. It was started in a garage by John Shelley and his partner, "Ashanti," says Bill Snyder of Eugene who bought the struggling business in 1974 and built it up to include a popular juice bar at Fifth St. Public Market. Snyder sold the company to workers in 1977 after a prolonged debate over business philosophy and a six-month boycott. "I was a little too commercial for some of the people who worked there," recalls Snyder. Snyder helped set up a consensus-model enterprise with multiple owners 4 10 workers put up $500 each for a down payment, and the balance was paid off over three years. Genesis became a viable, worker-owned business and has remained a co-op ever since, modified to include a changing mix of owners and employees. Co-ops come with their own unique opportunities and challenges. Each full-time co-op member has an equal say in the management of the business and decisions are made by consensus. "The success of Genesis depends on the good decisions and commitments of our entire staff," says Sepp, which means the cooperative is only as strong as the commitment of its members. In the early '80s, for example, Genesis took a significant loss due to inadequate financial reporting, and workers took a 50 percent cut in pay for over six months in order to stay in business. Currently, says Jeff Winicour, a GJC delivery driver, workers are volunteering their time for co-op meetings. "We're broke, have kids, but it's important to us to keep it going," he says. The cooperative nature of Genesis is not the only aspect that makes it unique. In its 24 years, GJC has established business practices that do not conform to the conventional economic model but are more sustainable. For example, Genesis bottles its juice in re-usable glass and spends a large chunk of time and money collecting and cleaning the bottles so they can be reused. This practice drives up the price of their product, making it more difficult to compete with juice-makers like Odwalla that use "one-use" plastic bottles. "Many times the social and environmental costs of running a business (such as air and water pollution) are not factored into conventional businesses," explains Sepp. "At Genesis, we don't ignore those costs ... even though it directly impacts our bottom line." The differences between Odwalla and Genesis are reflected in both quality and price. Genesis uses primarily organic and transitional ingredients, Odwalla does not. Odwalla's Superfood Smoothie (15.2 oz.) costs $2.99 and has 15 ingredients; a pint (16 oz.) bottle of Genesis' Green Life Smoothie costs $3.80 and has 37 ingredients, including Chinese, Western and Amazon herbs. There is no denying that competition from conventional juice sellers is hurting Genesis. "Odwalla has cut deeply into our business," says Hayyim Cohen, a GJC worker. "Many consumers don't think twice about buying juice in a plastic bottle." But according to Cohen and many other Genesis employees, they are not willing to make changes (such as switching to plastic bottles) that would compromise their social and environmental commitments. "We're overqualified idealists," he says. "We work for minimum wage because we believe in what we're doing." The people of Genesis Juice say they are committed to keeping the juice flowing, but their efforts will be in vain without the support of people who believe that a higher price tag is a fair price to pay for a healthier community and environment. "Genesis is a local business that depends on the support of the community to keep operating," explains Kevin McLean, 15-year GJC worker/owner. "Ultimately," adds GJC production manager Kirk Black,
"the community will decide whether or not to support the social experiment that
Genesis is." The book was published last spring by W.W. Norton & Co. under the sole authorship of Chranrithy Him, an orphaned Cambodian refugee who grew up under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and now lives and works in Eugene. Williams, a reporter for The Register-Guard, says she spent 10 months interviewing Him about her childhood and composing the first 12 chapters, only asking for co-authorship. "Ms. Him ended the relationship in October 1998, as they disagreed about the appropriate title for Ms. Williams as to her role with respect to her contributions to a portion of the manuscript," says the signed statement. Williams' complaints to both Him and the publishing company were ignored, but a group of friends and fellow journalists rallied to her side, demanding "literary justice." "Exposing this woman was truly a 'grassroots' effort," says Williams. "I couldn't have done it alone." Author Sydney Shanberg (The Killing Fields) initially praised the book, but conducted his own investigation after hearing the complaints. Shanberg sided with Williams, demanding the publisher "remove my comments about the book from every place where they now appear." The statement issued by the two parties does not apologize to Williams, but does conclude: "Chanrithy Him would like to acknowledge her appreciation to Kimber Williams' contributions to When Broken Glass Floats." -- TJT Armory
Advances A gathering of citizens is planned for 6 pm Sunday, March 18, at the EPUD building on Seavey Loop Road near BRING Recycling, and a public hearing on development plans is tentatively scheduled for April 5. Call 683-0918 for more information. The Oregon Military Department (OMD) is planning to build an Armed Forces Reserve Center that would include facilities for the National Guard, Marines and Navy Reserves. The project, developed in partnership with LCC for sewage treatment, would include areas for heavy equipment, maintenance and storage, an area for Marine Corps training in combat engineering and bridge building, an indoors weapons range and large meeting and training buildings. The OMD is proposing to share upgraded sewage treatment facilities with LCC. The area is outside Eugene's urban growth boundary. The Russel Creek Neighbors group is leading the fight and has retained the legal services of Bahr & Stotter, according to Gwyneth Van Frank Carlson of the neighbors group. "Let them build it somewhere else," says Carlson who is concerned about diminishing the rural character of the area, pressure to expand Eugene's urban growth boundary to the freeway, and wetlands on the site. "They say they will build only on dry land, not wetlands, but nobody believes it," she says. -- TJT Sparks
Honored Sparks was picked on the basis of his portfolio, which included lesson plans and published articles (including some from EW) and many letters from colleagues and students. Anne Marie Prengaman, longtime LCC colleague, says, "Lance is a wonderful teacher and we are lucky to have him at Lane. I have never known a student who didn't learn a whole lot in his class. I attended a couple of weeks ago and the room was packed with 26 people. The students never took their eyes off him and were excitedly engaged. He is an outstanding teacher and certainly one of Oregon's finest." Sparks has more than 30 years of teaching experience at the college level. He's taught at the UO, Portland State, Linn-Benton and LCC. "For this to arrive for me is kind of a high water mark to say the least," says Sparks. The distinguished jury of five judges who chose him included English Professor Lois Barry of Eastern Oregon University; past National Council of Teachers of English President Beverly Chin of the University of Montana; Portland Public Schools Language Arts Supervisor Linda Christensen; NCTE President Jerome Harste of Indiana University; and Chemeketa Community College English Professor Paul Suter. Sparks will be presented with his award April 7 in Ashland at the Language Arts Conference of the OCTE. -- AS Bees
Biz Buzz Grier, who works for the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, has unsuccessfully tried to rid her hives of mites by using natural oils and mint-sugar concoctions. She now relies on a professional beekeeper to bring hives to the farm. "I have to know there will be enough blueberries. We can't screw up. We have to import bees." She says the beekeepers she knows have to use insecticides to keep the bees alive, and that those insecticides probably end up in the honey. Chuck Hunt, president of the Lane County Beekeeper's Association, uses pyrethroid strips in his hives. "I'd so much rather not have to have the strip," he says, but right now, he doesn't see a choice. He's angered by local beekeepers who claim they don't use miticides. "They kill a lot of bees. You've gotta see what the mites do to them," he says. "I think it's cruel." Miticides are a short-term solution, albeit an undesirable one, to what Hunt calls "a crisis of pollination." The long-term solution is in bees developing a natural resistance to the mites, he says. Hunt's been researching the possibility of breeding mite-resistant Russian bees with local honeybees, who often don't recognize mites in their hives. Because Russian bees encountered Varroa mites as early as 1915, they've had time to develop preventative grooming habits. When a mite lands on a resistant bee, the bee begins to shake, drawing the attention of other bees who then grab the mite and bite it. Until local bees develop resistance, though, farms will continue to suffer. "Any of the orchard crops that really rely on pollination from honeybees are in trouble," Hunt says. For those interested in learning more about bees, Glorybee Foods will conduct a backyard beekeeping course from 8-5 on March 17. Call 689-0913 for more information. -- Kristina Johnson Money
Available "Lane County has received a record amount of federal funding for LIEAP this winter in response to escalating energy costs," Bennett says. "While we have long waiting lists for appointments at some intake sites, centers that help seniors are hardly getting any calls." Income limits for the program are 60 percent of the Oregon median income. For a one-person household, the gross monthly income must be at or below $1,197. For a four-person household, monthly income must be no more than $2,255. LIEAP makes a one-time payment that ranges from $100 to $270 directly into a household's energy account. For information, seniors 60 and older can call 682-5354 in Eugene, 736-4406 in Springfield, 682-7804 in Cottage Grove.
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