|
News
Briefs: Councilors Rated | Buying
Votes | Against Patriarchy | Undercovered
#13 | Cheap Driving | Back to the Streets
| Half Empty | KEZI vs. ABC | Ideas
Wanted
News:
Saving Downtown -- Going beyond cars on Broadway. A collection of ideas.
News:
Silent Language -- Squabble continues over sign language at UO.
Sports:
Ryan's Joy -- Will this size-14 kid emerge as Eugene's next elite athlete?
Happening
People: Bob Saxton.
COUNCILORS
RATED
The Oregon League of Conservation Voters Lane County Chapter
has come out with its first ever score card of the environmental voting records of
the Eugene City Council. The results weren't pretty.
Councilors received an average score of only 57.6 percent, based
on an examination of 10 votes that divided councilors on the environment. Among the
issues were protecting key waterways, supporting alternative transportation, and
subdivision density.
"Most Eugene citizens are strongly in favor of clean water,
clean air, and responsible growth, so it's disappointing to see four of our eight
councilors earning failing grades when it comes to votes on protecting Eugene's environment,"
said Lane County OLCV Chapter Chair Hillary Johnson.
Environmental failures on the council included Nancy Nathanson
at 40 percent, Gary Rayor at 33 percent, Gary Pape at 10 percent, and Pat Farr at
a 0 percent rating.
Greener councilors included David Kelly, Bonny Bettman, and Betty
Taylor who had perfect 100 percent voting records and Scott Meisner with a 78 percent
rating.
"We hope citizens use the scorecard to hold the City Council
accountable for protecting Eugene's land, air and water," Johnson says.
OLCV is a non-partisan organization with more than 3,000 members.
One of the leading environmental groups in the state, OLCV has published an environmental
scorecard on the state Legislature for the past 25 years. Ratings of the Lane County
Commission are due out later. -- AP
BUYING
VOTES
After developers and other pro-sprawl interests spent a
record $120,016 to ram through the West Eugene Parkway in November, the issue of
campaign finance reform is getting ripe.
The Eugene city council plans to take on the issue of bought ballots
next month. Discussion is scheduled for Feb. 17 and a public hearing and possible
action for Feb. 25.
Possible options include voluntary spending limits, public matching
funds for candidates, more detailed disclosure of campaign finances, time limits
on fund raising, public education efforts and restricting elected officials from
voting on issues directly affecting contributors.
"The key is what will withstand court challenge," Councilor
David Kelly says. In the past courts have held that contribution bans violate free
speech protections.
Kelly says he's interested in requiring candidates to report contributions
electronically as they come in and in voluntary spending limits. The voters pamphlet
could identify which candidates have agreed to limit spending, he said.
Public financing of campaigns is unlikely with the city facing
a $400,000 budget shortfall this year, Kelly says.
Councilor Bonny Bettman says constitutional issues make reform
"tricky." She doesn't think the council would support funding a test case
for any new, groundbreaking approach. But Bettman says she would like to see more
timely release of information before vote by mail elections. -- AP
AGAINST
PATRIARCHY
This weekend the Second Annual Against Patriarchy Conference
will be held at the UO. The free conference seeks to reveal male privilege, domination
and sexism so that it can be eliminated from our lives and our communities. Conference
organizers are "striving to create dialogue, educate themselves and each other,
and inspire action." The conference poses questions such as: What is patriarchy
and how does it affect each of us? What does it mean to be a man or woman in this
culture? And, if we could get outside of these roles, what kind of people would we
like to be?
"I hope this conference will show how sexism and patriarchy
play into the model of domination and hierarchy and how socially constructed gender
roles play into that," says Eva Dee, a member of the extensive committee that
is organizing the conference.
Events will begin on Friday with an Art Show Opening from 5 to
7 pm in McKenzie (Grayson) Hall. Then Leslie Fienberg, activist and author of Stone
Butch Blues and Gender Warriors, will speak in McKenzie 129. She will
be followed by award-winning slam poet Alix Olson. Dozens of workshops will occur
throughout the weekend including: inter-generational feminist dialogue, women's self
defense, a workshop for men against sexism, community and domestic violence and non-violent
communication.
"Through presentation, dialogue and performance, we hope to
broach these questions seriously and playfully, with intellect and emotion,"
reads a statement from the organizers.
"I'm excited to brainstorm with people with different life
experiences about how we can build a movement that understands the inter-relatedness
of oppression," says Dee. For more information on the conference or to offer
housing for out-of-town guests, go to http://fruitiondesign.com/againstpatriarchy/
UNDERCOVERED #13
-- Environmental effects of the Afghanistan wars are described
in a recent New Scientist article. Much of southeast Afghanistan was covered
with thick forests until Taliban timber mafia sold trees to Pakistanis, refugees
cut firewood, and U.S. bombing destroyed or burned much of what was left. Less than
2 percent of the country is now forested. This year shows an 85 percent drop in migration
of birds, such as pelicans and endangered Siberian cranes, along the Afghan stretch
of the great flyway from Siberia to India and Pakistan. Bombs, fires, soldiers, and
refugees impact on remote mountain havens for snow leopards, gazelles, bears, and
Marco Polo sheep.
-- Kabul residents are alarmed by a rising tide of murders, car-jackings,
kidnappings, and armed robberies by militiamen. Many victims are Pashtun; militiamen
and new police are often Northern Alliance soldiers, many of whom have not received
wages for weeks (Observer). Last week there were 49 murders in Kabul (Frontier
Post, Pakistan).
-- Thousands of former Taliban soldiers are joining the new Afghan
army. Fighting is the only work they have been trained to do. The army in Kandahar
answers to two tribal chiefs rather than to Gul Agha, the governor. "Wait until
the Americans have gone," remarked a Kandahar commander. "Gul Agha will
not last five minutes" (London Times).
-- Doctors Without Borders warned that the food crisis is worsening
in northern Afghanistan. Remote areas and the most vulnerable families are not getting
the food they need. In Faryab province, an increasing number of severely malnourished
children come to feeding centers. Human mortality has doubled. Many families have
only a five-day supply of wheat left; during the last distribution, only 23 percent
of families received any.
-- In south Afghanistan, at refugee camps near Herat, hundreds
of thousands of Afghans endured a week of cold rain and collapsing mud huts (Frontier
Post). Northwest Medical Team volunteers work in these camps, treating refugees
for diarrhea, pneumonia, scurvy, and tuberculosis. Nanette Laufik, a physician's
assistant from Tigard, treated the baby of a 28-year-old woman with eight children.
The woman said she wished Laufik could give her something to prevent more pregnancies.
Laufik replied, "I sincerely wish I could" (Oregonian). Pediatrician
Vazir Seraj has encountered families with 40 children from several wives. "'This
is an unbelievable problem, the number of children,'" he said (AP).
-- The U.N. has protested that looting by Afghan warlords is hampering
food distribution for needy people. Eastern Shura militia are accused of stealing
four out of six trucks of rice that recently arrived from Pakistan (Asia Times).
Near Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghan gunmen in military uniforms stopped World Food Program
trucks carrying 40 tons of wheat, beat the drivers, and took the wheat to a nearby
militia group and the city of Aibak (Frontier Post) Armed groups wander through
the enormous Maslakh refugee camp, looking for food (AP). In southern Kandahar province,
severe security problems disrupt relief work and agency offices have been thoroughly
looted (IRINnews). In Bagdis province, armed men on horses have attacked, stealing
farm animals and killing and raping people (Oxfam). -- Kate Rogers Gessert
CHEAP DRIVING
Oregonians have repeatedly opposed gas tax increases, arguing
the tax is already among the highest in the nation.
Oregon's 24 cents a gallon tax does rank 10th nationally. But when
you consider that Oregon doesn't charge automobile sales tax, driving in Oregon is
cheap.
When you factor in the sales tax, registration fees and other taxes,
Oregon's equivalent tax per gallon is one-third to half of what other Western states
charge, according to an Oregon Department of Transportation Analysis. For example,
Oregonians pay about 27 cents per mile while Nevadans cough up 76 cents per mile.
The city Public Works department dug up the ODOT study to support
its arguments for a local gas tax to fund road maintenance. -- AP
BACK TO THE STREETS
Protests against globalization and war have been put on hold
since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, but the issues have not gone away.
Some 55 protesters were arrested Tuesday, Jan. 22, on the steps
of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York City, according to the War
Resisters League (www.warresisters.org). The protest against U.S.
foreign policy, inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy of peacemaking, is part
of a series of protests and teach-ins planned for this winter and spring. A national
protest against the World Economic Forum is planned Jan. 25 to Feb. 4 in New York
City and a contingency from Eugene's Cascade Media Collective plans to be there as
part of their East Coast tour.
Closer to home, a Peace Caravan Bus will be leaving Eugene for
Salem Saturday, Feb. 2 for the "Oregon Peace Festival II: Peace Begins With
Us," featuring speakers, demonstrations, workshops, music, open mic, face painting,
visual arts and fun for all ages at Willamette University. Contact: www.oregonpeacefestival.org
or 343-8548 for more information. Donations will be accepted to pay for the bus.
Demonstrations Feb. 2 will include a statewide march from 1:30
to 3 pm at the State Capitol in Salem, followed by a 7 pm talk by Winona LaDuke at
the Elsinore Theater. Cost is sliding scale of $10-$25. LaDuke will be signing her
new book All Our Relations in Smith Auditorium at 5 pm. Rumors of LaDuke making
an appearance in Eugene before going to Salem have not been confirmed.
HALF
EMPTY
If you're a person who views the glass as half empty, it's
generally understood that you're someone who doesn't see the bright side. But less
is more when it comes to the landfill -- and what does or does not go into it.
According to Sanipac, in 2000 Lane County residents' garbage cans
were more than half empty -- 52 percent of what we got rid of was reused or recycled
rather than dumped. On average, each person in the county recycled 1,337 pounds of
stuff, for a cumulative total of 216,232 tons.
That puts the south end of the Willamette Valley ahead of everyone
other county in the state, edging out the Portland metro area by 1 percent. -- OI
KEZI
VS. ABC
KEZI-TV of Eugene is battling with the ABC network, reports
the Broadcasting & Cable online news service.
In August, KEZI complained to the Federal Communications Commission
that ABC had violated rules regarding how networks treat local affiliates. "It
is as though ABC felt it -- not we -- owned KEZI and therefore had the right to program
the station," Broadcasting & Cable quoted KEZI General Manager John
Prevedello.
KEZI said ABC blocked its plans to start a 10 pm newscast by refusing
to allow the station to air ABC primetime programs one hour earlier. KEZI charged
that ABC also blocked efforts to air Oregon NCAA playoff games and a one-hour program
on rising electric rates, according to B&C.
This month B&C reported ABC's response to KEZI.
"ABC counters that KEZI wants to launch the early news at
the expense of the network to pay for poor management decisions, such as losses from
syndicated-program purchases. ABC says it has granted numerous schedule changes and
balked only at rebroadcasts of local sporting events," B&C reported.
-- AP
IDEAS
WANTED
Local urban environmentalists are gathering information about Eugene (sub)urban sustainability
projects. Work has begun to document various projects in Eugene that include converting
property into food-producing land, enhancing wildlife habitat, solar design, removing
concrete, and alternative structures and materials.
"What we are looking for are home-based or community projects,
including commercial properties, that make better use of on-site resources for the
purpose of conservation and reducing dependence on conventional sources of food,
energy, materials, etc.," says Jan Spencer.
Those wanting more information or to get involved can call 686-6761.
Back to Top
Saving
Downtown
Going beyond cars on
Broadway. A collection of ideas.
By Alan
Pittman
The City Council is moving ahead with a $2.4 million plan to rip
out what remains of the Broadway pedestrian mall.
 |
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Bulldozing Broadway won't save
downtown, but creative ideas might.
. |
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The trees, benches and playground along the park-like street will
be bulldozed to make room for two-way traffic, parked cars and some newly planted
saplings.
Downtown Eugene Inc. and other business groups successfully argued
that this will revive downtown, helping pass a measure to reopen Broadway last September.
But an earlier opening of Willamette Street didn't help much to
revitalize downtown. Since the street opened, Prince Puckler's Ice Cream and Rosewaters
Deli closed. Developer Ed Aster demolished the Woolworth's building almost a year
ago, but has yet to build anything in its place. Aster's gaping hole on Willamette
is one of downtown's worst eyesores.
Before September's vote, Broadway pedestrian advocates argued the
millions of dollars to restore vehicle traffic could be better spent on other measures
to revive downtown. Culled from measures that have worked in other cities and from
local ideas, here's a list of improvements that could bring Eugene's downtown back
to life.
-- The Pike Place Market in Seattle is one of the city's greatest
tourist attractions. The historic landmark was saved from demolition in 1963 by Seattle
citizen activists. Citizens who contributed to the restoration had their names put
on brick pavers in the market. Eugene has a historic public market already on Broadway
that could be restored. The arched ceilings of the old market are buried under an
ugly façade of an extensively altered structure at Charnelton and Broadway
that is now used to sell medical supplies.
-- Like Eugene, Mansfield, Ohio's downtown suffered the ravages
of suburban shopping malls sucking the life out of downtown. The city has used an
old fashioned carousel to help turn things around. Salem, Ore., has also built a
merry-go-round in a downtown park that's a popular tourist and recreation attraction
and promoter of civic pride.
-- Santa Monica re-zoned it's city to only allow movie theaters
along a downtown pedestrian mall. Third Street Promenade now draws hordes of people.
-- Much of Eugene's downtown is dreary -- stained, cream-colored
walls and slabs of vertical concrete. Huge murals could help liven the place up for
little cost. Why not paint tie dye patterns on the drab backside of the Hult Center?
-- With the destruction of the pedestrian mall, Eugene is losing
a major swath of downtown park land. How about tearing down the vacant Sears eyesore
to make a central park in Eugene? The park could include grassy lawns and a pond
for kids to sail boats under the shade of an arboretum of native trees. A section
could be set aside for a downtown neighborhood community garden.
-- Building on the library, a kid theme could make downtown a major
attraction. A playground of climbable sculptures could celebrate children's literature
and local wildlife. A kids market could fill with children-oriented stores.
-- The Broadway plaza built after Willamette Street reopened is
stark and under used. A rock climbing wall and/or a man-made waterfall with sculptures
of leaping salmon (as in Hood River) could liven the place up. Or how about a fountain
kids can play in like the people fountain along the downtown Portland waterfront?
-- Instead of spending millions to chase the "mall rats"
around with cops and bulldozers, how about giving them something to do? A downtown
skateboard park (perhaps in the Aster hole on Willamette) would be hugely popular.
New York City's Riverside Park has a skate park designed and run by teens employed
by the city parks department.
-- A new youth recreation/craft center downtown would also help.
The city could co-locate the community center with a new downtown fire station. Between
calls, firefighters could play pick-up basketball games with kids.
-- The new library will bring a major boost to downtown, but more
is needed. How about a new indoor aquatic center across the street? Vancouver, B.C.,
has a successful indoor swimming pool right downtown.
-- Victoria, B.C., attracts droves of tourists by hanging flowerpots
exploding with color from every lamp post. Downtown Eugene could do that and add
a showcase of street trees growing from plots of wildflowers (as opposed to the current
iron collars).
-- Encouraging the UO to build student housing and even classrooms
downtown would bring lively crowds of young people. A city trolley (like the hugely
popular new one in Portland) could connect downtown to the university.
-- A downtown city art gallery in an attractive new building could
enrich downtown, local architects Carolyn Kranzler and Otto Poticha suggested in
a recent City Club speech.
-- Eugene could enliven downtown by encouraging/subsidizing street
musicians and performers. The city could sponsor a downtown flea market and attract
thousands of garage-salers. The city could invite Oregon Country Fair vendors to
set up booths downtown for a few weeks after the fair ends. City grants to local
artists could fill vacant storefronts where window shoppers could watch art being
created. A crazy cuckoo clock could attract throngs every hour (as in Prague). An
outdoor theater could bring crowds and a Eugene peace memorial could be a major attraction.
Every year, the Lane County fair could parade pigs, horses, llamas, cows, rabbits
and other animals through downtown to kick off the show at the fairgrounds.
Back to Top
Silent
Language
Squabble continues over
sign language at UO.
By Jessica
Pyne
Imagine becoming fluent in a language, learning the grammar and
understanding the culture, yet not being able to receive foreign language credits
to fulfill the bachelor of arts (BA) requirements. More than 80 universities in the
U.S. accept American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language, including prestigious
schools such as Yale and Stanford, but not the UO.
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Jo Larson-Muhr (right) teaches American sign language at UO and has a waiting list
for her classes. |
|
In 1994 the UO Undergraduate Education and Policy Coordinating Council
(UEPCC) denied the request for ASL to meet the BA exit language requirement. The
issue came up this year because a student petitioned the Academic Requirements Committee.
The UEPCC (renamed the Undergraduate Council -- UC) will meet again this winter term.
This time the outcome may differ from 1994 because of different members on the council
and a more recent Oregon law.
Proponents of ASL say things have changed and it's time for UO
to change, too. One thing that has changed is Oregon law. In 1995 the Oregon Legislature
approved an act that states ASL can satisfy any second language elective requirement.
In Section II it reads,
If a State Board of Higher Education determines that if enrollment
is sufficient to make an American Sign Language class economically viable and if
qualified instructors are available, the board may offer to students courses for
credit in American Sign Language at any institution of higher education within the
State System of Higher Education. Such courses shall qualify any second language
elective requirement.
But the recommendation of the UEPCC in 1994 was that "the
UO should not accept American Sign Language (ASL) as a means of meeting the BA exit
language requirement".
In 1997, the university decided that the admission requirements
would change, and that ASL could satisfy the two required years of a language in
high school. So ASL can satisfy an entrance requirement but not an exit
requirement.
To receive a BA from the UO, a student must take a foreign language
with the following requirements: The language must allow the student to gain linguistic
skills; to gain familiarity with other cultures which have ancient and distinctive
histories; and to provide a challenge while gaining insight to one's own language.
The UEPCC found that ASL did not meet these requirements. According
to the council, it fails to represent a distinctive culture, found in other foreign
languages. In the 1994 motion to deny ASL as a foreign language, the council states,
"Majority opinion held that the deaf community has a subculture of American
culture, rather than a foreign culture distinct from that of the U.S in general."
And, "If all available languages were placed on a spectrum
of priority, most other languages would receive higher priority."
Proponents of ASL maintain it is not a subculture of American culture;
this is similar to Native Americans who have a separate culture from mainstream Americans
and yet they reside in the U.S. Native American languages are taught at some universities,
Navajo is taught at the University of New Mexico.
Arguments against ASL include that it is not a spoken language,
and that ASL is not "foreign," because it resides in the U.S. and Canada.
But ASL is most often the official language used at international conferences.
"If the good professors at UO are looking for ASL-using deaf
people who are monolingual and monoculture, they will surely fail," says Dr.
Sherman Wilcox.
Wilcox, an associate professor of linguistics at the University
of New Mexico, has opposing views on the issue. In 1995 Wilcox successfully made
ASL a foreign language at UNM. His primary research interests are in the area of
sign language linguistics.
It was his passion for acceptance of ASL as a foreign language
that propelled him. Wilcox found evidence that ASL is a "true human language
fully distinct from English with its own literature and culture," he says.
Unknown to the hearing world, the Deaf do have a culture, he says.
Anthropologists, ethnographers and folklorists interested in culture are studying
the Deaf culture. There is evidence that supports the cause of ASL as an approved
language, in that the Deaf have a distinctive culture, it is different from that
of other foreign languages.
Wilcox and UO teacher Jo Larson-Murh feel the same passion for
ASL as a foreign language. Larson-Murh hopes that the UO will allow students to get
the best and most diverse education possible by allowing ASL to satisfy BA requirements.
A Distinct Culture
ASL speakers make a distinction between the words deaf and Deaf. Deaf with a
capital letter refers to the cultural aspect of the language; deaf refers to someone's
state of hearing. Culture for other foreign languages is easier to pinpoint. There
is authentic food and clothing that is studied by anthropologists and ethnographers
in languages like French and Spanish. ASL has its own culture that is defined by
a symbolic language.
"It is difficult concept because we can't go there,"
Larson-Muhr explains. "Unlike going to Spain and being immersed in it."
Wilcox says, "There is a rich body of ASL literature by and
about Deaf people, as well as texts on ASL in both written an oral modes. The folk
heritage of Deaf people is passed down through generations of ASL users, including
legends, naming practices, tall tales, jokes, word play, games, poetry, customs,
rituals, and celebrations."
The UO has first year courses in sign language. Larson-Muhr teaches
ASL in the Speech-Language-Hearing Center. Currently she is the only staff member
that teaches ASL. Larson-Muhr was raised in a home where her parents were deaf. She
learned to sign before she learned to speak. Her own children grew up learning sign
language and learning the importance of ASL. She says that it takes about four years
of intensive learning to become fluent.
"It's the same as learning any other language; there are some
who have an aptitude for it and some who don't."
Larson-Muhr has a waiting list for students who want to learn ASL
and she doesn't expect making ASL a foreign language would hurt enrollments in other
foreign language.
Herb Chereck is the university registrar, one of the founding members
of the UC and has had continuous membership. He defines culture broadly: "Culture
is the very beginnings of a group of people, whatever that may be and as it evolves
over time, so it's their history, their development, their learning ... their arts,
including visual and oral -- you could just go on and on and on."
"It's through learning the language in how it's presented
in stories, the lives of the people," he says. "The language -- you have
to learn how to spell it, how to speak it. You read stories about how the people
lived."
Revisiting the Issue
Gail Unruh works in the Academic Learning Services on the McNair Scholars Program.
This year Unruh is the chair of the Academic Requirements Committee, and says student
petitions to ARC largely focus on requested exceptions to university graduation requirements.
If the council were to approve any issue, they would make a recommendation
to the university Senate. If the Senate were to approve a resolution then it would
go into effect.
"The Undergraduate Council will be taking a look at what institutions
allow it, if there are limitations in allowing it and how it is taught." Unruh
says.
He feels that a lot has changed and that the undergraduate council
will have new information to consider.
Even in 1994 there was some support of the ASL issue. The minority
agreed that ASL clearly provides linguistic skills. ASL is slightly weaker in its
cultural component then standard foreign languages, however; they also stated that
ASL does have enough cultural integrity to carry it to a two-year limit. .
A decision is expected sometime this year.
Jessica Pyne is a journalism student at UO.
Back to Top
Ryan's
Joy
Will this size-14 kid
emerge as Eugene's next elite athlete?
By Nate
Puckett
To call Ryan White a "standout" eighth grader is like
calling Joey Harrington a "well-known local."
It's true, but not entirely truthful.
 |
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Ryan White.
. |
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White, Oregon's sole representative on the Under-16 Boys National
Soccer Team, doesn't just stand out.
A large-framed 6'1,'' White stands up, up, up -- and he has the
skills to match his size. From Jan. 19-27, he'll be in Guadalajara, Mexico, playing
alongside 31 other kids from 15 other states. As a defender, he'll be responsible
for slowing down scorers from Mexico's elite club teams.
He'll also be the youngest guy wearing a USA jersey.
"I like challenges," says White, who attends Roosevelt
Middle School in south Eugene. "I guess I'd like to represent Eugene ... and,
you know, on this team you're representing America." Two rows of braces become
visible as he smiles at the thought. Without them, it would be even harder to remember
that White, for all his free sneakers and plane tickets and national accolades, is
just 14 years (and two months) old.
"He's really matured with his experiences over the past six
months," says Fraser Morrison, who coaches White's McKenzie United club team
-- a team largely composed of high school freshmen. "He's changed from looking
like an innocent boy on the playing field to, in many ways, a man."
The past six months have been busy ones for White. Deciding to
try out for the state's Olympic Develop-ment Program (ODP) team, he began a whirlwind
transformation from local talent to national prospect.
He made the ODP team. When that team went to its annual regional
tournament in Idaho, it won for the first time in history. Coaches took notice of
White, selecting him for a 48-player pool that traveled to Boston for a 120-player
tournament. Thirty-two of those athletes, including White, would make the national
team -- after playing another tournament in Florida over Thanksgiving.
Pretty heady stuff for a kid who says he was drawn to soccer because
"I just like running around all the time."
Don't be fooled, though. White has aspirations big enough to match
his field presence. He's not afraid to discuss his desire to play Division I college
soccer, and ultimately become a professional.
"I want to go to Europe ... play in England, or Italy,"
he says in a calm, level tone that makes it obvious he's already considered the issue.
"Those are the big two. It's where I'd really like to end up."
It's rare to find an athlete so young who can speak of something
so grand in such a restrained manner. But White seems used to being an exception,
almost resigned to it. He exudes the quiet confidence of someone who plans
to come out on top; the alternatives just aren't as interesting.
It's an attitude that can only be partially ascribed to his precocious
talent. Both of White's parents have athletic backgrounds, and the sense to keep
their son's hype level to a minimum.
"All of what's been going on lately has been Ryan's joy, and
our appreciation of his joy," says his father Mike, who played center for the
Oregon State football team from 1967-69. (Mother Jean was on OSU's club gymnastics
team and has coached several high school sports.) "We weren't overly shocked
-- more like pleased -- when he made the (national) team. But it's his joy.
If he comes home and says, 'Dad, I'm done with soccer,' that would be fine."
For his parents, maybe. But USA National Team coaches -- hell,
any coach who likes to win -- might be a little more resistant.
"If you were to watch (White) play, you'd be amazed that he's
usually the youngest player on the field," says Morrison. "His ability
to win challenges, both in the air and on the ground, stands out ... and he has the
skill to play with the ball, to control it. Lots of composure."
White's certainly no finesse player, although he has more coordination
than can be reasonably expected of a 6'1'' adolescent with size 14 cleats. He enjoys
-- and excels at -- physical play.
"I'm known for my slide tackles," he says, smiling shyly.
"That's my kind of game."
For all his calm, calculated talk about professional soccer, White
seems to retain a strong sense of fun when it comes to the sport itself. He gets
more animated talking about his local team, filled with guys he's known for years,
than the national squad.
For example, he grins when the subject of his nickname comes up.
"They call me Whitey," he explains. (McKenzie United has three Ryans).
When his team takes corner kicks, White runs upfield from his defensive
position to try to score, an element of the game he relishes. "My coach tells
the team, 'Hit Whitey's head,'" he says, proud of his role.
Whether or not Ryan White will emerge as Eugene's next elite athlete
is anybody's guess. But the national soccer community has taken notice, and he seems
intent on making a name for himself -- Whitey or otherwise.
Back to Top
 
Bob Saxton
Ever since his retirement from the workaday world and acquisition
of a computer in 1997, Eugenean Bob Saxton has taken to the keyboard to express his
views on the state of the world. "Bush, bin Laden, and Sharon are the three
musketeers of 21st Century tribal warfare," he wrote in a typically effusive
EW letter-to-the-editor last October. "My writing is outspoken, but my
personal life is quiet and retiring," says Saxton, who grew up in Molalla and
Canby in the '30s and '40s. He became politically active during the Vietnam War era,
while he was working as a technical writer in Los Angeles. "I joined the Peace
and Freedom Party and the Ecology Action group," he says. "I wrote letters
to an alternative paper in L.A." After Saxton moved back to Oregon in 1973,
he and his family lived for 18 years in the backwater Coast Range community of Deadwood.
"I was politically aware but not politically active," he says. Now that
he has the time, Saxton writes regularly to the Weekly and other publications.
He also targets militarism and greed on his personal "Futuresave" web site
(www.cyber-dyne.com/~rsaxton).
-- Photo by Paul Neevel
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