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News:
Land of Enchantment Urban partnership helps restore land for
Skinner City Farm. Happening
People: Mona Linstromberg A 30-minute televised debate between Eugene City Councilor David Kelly and local developer John Musumeci has been canceled, or at least delayed. The debate was to be pre-recorded and broadcast as a New Year's Day special on KMTR-TV, but Musumeci apparently changed his mind, saying he was "too busy." The debate was intended to be a follow-up to a series on land use by reporter Zetty McKay of KMTR. McKay expanded her series after receiving complaints from local environmentalists and land use advocates that the series was inaccurate and misleading. "I am disappointed that Mr. Musumeci declined to participate," says Kelly. "He and I have very different ideas about how our area should grow and develop, and I looked forward to being able to contrast our points of view. He's apparently not willing to have his ideas challenged, or even to discuss them with someone who disagrees with him." Musumeci's only response to an EW query was, "Your information is mistaken." The developer has a history of contentious encounters with environmentalists, both in Oregon and earlier in California. He was the founder of the Gang of 9 organization that financed a series of anonymous attack cartoons in 2001 targeting progressive city officials, and he was a key player in land acquisition for the proposed new Sacred Heart Medical Center in north Springfield. — Ted Taylor
The Eugene City Council took a lot of heat last year when a budget cut led to the city building permit office cutting in half the opening times for its front reception desk. Now, the city permit and information center has found that it has an extra $60,000 due to higher permit fee revenue. So will the reception desk go back to full time to better serve customers? No. City staff have decided they have a better use for the money. Planning Director Tom Coyle has dedicated the money to staff training. Cross training staff to be able to conduct multiple types of inspections will increase efficiency, he argued. Councilor David Kelly moved last month to override Coyle and instead use the money to restore the reception position in response to citizen complaints. The motion failed on a 4-4 vote with Mayor Jim Torrey breaking the tie in favor of keeping the reception desk closed. Councilors Scott Meisner, Pat Farr, Gary Pape and Nancy Nathanson voted against more customer service in the permit center. — Alan Pittman
Advocates of campaign finance reform in Oregon aren't wasting any time getting organized in 2003 to put a new initiative before the voters. The last initiative didn't make it on the November ballot due to penalties for duplicate signatures. In a message to supporters this week, initiative organizer Lloyd Marbet says he and attorney Dan Meek will be meeting with Derek Cressman of OSPIRG and activists Mo Kirk and Harry Lonsdale "to revise the last draft of our proposed initiative for campaign finance reform in order to try and address OSPIRG's 'policy' concerns. Derek has indicated that while he doesn't think OSPIRG will be able to commit signatures by Jan. 4, it is possible that OSPIRG could provide their endorsement." Marbet says OSPIRG could also play a greater role "after the ballot title challenges take place and depending on how the U.S. Supreme Court deals with legal challenges to McCain-Feingold." The Jan. 2 meeting is in anticipation of a Jan. 4 gathering in Salem to help organize the initative campaign. A contingency from Eugene plans to carpool up and will be gathering at 9:30 am Saturday at Morning Glory Café on lower Willamette Street. The meeting will run from 11 am to 3 pm at the Jason Lee Methodist Church in the office of Common Cause, 840 Jefferson St. NE. For more information, visit www.voters.net/mind — TJT
Lane County commissioners will reconvene at 1:30 pm Monday, Jan. 6, in the Hult Center for the first meeting of 2003. The event will include music and the unveiling of an historic Lane County painting. Commissioner Bill Dwyer will open the formal ceremony with the 2003 State of the County Address. The event's agenda also includes administration of oaths by Circuit Court Judge Mary Ann Bearden for Commissioners Bill Dwyer, Tom Lininger, and Anna Morrison, Tax Assessor Jim Gangle, and Justices of the Peace Charles Navarro and Cynthia Sinclair. Later in the day, commissioners are scheduled to elect the commission chair and vice chair during their regular meeting. County commissioners have their work cut out for them; statewide budget cuts and the threat on Measure 28 are sure to affect operations and decisions at the county level. They'll also be contending with the transition this spring/summer when East Lane District Commissioner Lininger will take a position with the UO Law School. For information about the Jan. 6 events, visit www.co.lane.or.us —Bobbie Willis
Community Outreach Inc. (COI), Linn and Benton counties' primary provider of services to low-income and at-risk people, completed construction of a state-of-the-art social service center and homeless shelter last summer, but the 31-year-old agency now faces a funding crisis that endangers many of its programs and threatens to close its doors. "This crisis comes as a result of the budget problems being experienced by state and local governments," says Interim Executive Director Robert R. Aptekar "Several sources of revenue are in danger of being greatly reduced or cut entirely." For example, the Emergency Board's decision to eliminate mental health and alcohol and drug treatment coverage under the Oregon Health Plan means that COI will no longer be able to provide service to their clients unless some alternate source of funding can be found.
"Whenever government funding for social services is cut, the assumption is that the private sector — meaning us — will pick up the slack. Our resources are stretched to the breaking point as it is. There is no slack," says Aptekar. "These cuts will cause real harm to many people unless other funds can be found." The anticipated cuts in funding will mean a loss of 27 percent of the agency's operating revenue for next year, affecting COI's ability to shelter the homeless, provide counseling and mediation services, operate the only local 24-hour crisis line, and help people recover from alcohol and drug addiction. COI logs more than 60,000 client contacts each year. For more information, call the agency at (541) 758-3000.
CORRECTIONS/CLARIFICATIONS ‚ Last week's review of the new Lord of the Rings film referred to the "Austrialian" team that created the epics, but of course they are not Aussies, but New Zealanders, from that magical neighboring kingdom to the east. But now we know who the Kiwis are among us. ‚ In the Dec. 12 review of Intaba's Kitchen, the Arc of Oregon bingo house was described as "closed." The Arc of Oregon bingo house, 823 Hwy. 99 North, is open for business, Wednesdays through Mondays starting at 3 pm.
Land
of Enchantment EDITOR'S NOTE: See footnote for authors. This article was produced at the Center for Appropriate Transport by the Chainlinks program which introduces young people to the theories and practices of mass media and communications. Writing, visual design, photography and computer skills are all used together to create individualized student portfolios while also producing work for Oregon Cycling Magazine. Just within sight of where Eugene Skinner stood and surveyed the lines that would eventually become 1st Avenue and Willamette Street in Eugene, a new project is attempting to preserve a part of the city's past while connecting with its present. Skinner City Farm is the result of planning by a group of Eugeneans with a unique proposal for city planners: to create a historical community farm in the heart of the city. While returning a little-used (and at one point controversial) chunk of city parkland to usefulness, the project combines alternative education, agriculture, practical civics and historical analysis into a lesson in what community involvement can accomplish. Most people acquainted with city history know that Mary and Eugene Skinner built their homestead in the western shadow of the butte that now bears their name. Today, the land is part of Skinner Butte Park, 100 acres of public parkland in downtown Eugene. "It is a jewel in the heart of the city," says Robin Hostick, a City of Eugene Parks Planner and Skinner City Farm supporter. Considering what a rare treasure Eugene boasts in having such a pastoral presence so close to the downtown business districts, the Skinner Butte area is fortunate in that its natural character has not changed much throughout the city's history. Looking at the area now, one may have to mentally remove some power lines, roads and building silhouettes, but the qualities that made this place a "land of enchantment," as Eugene Skinner described in a letter, are still apparent. Today, a rough interpretation of what Skinner's original cabin may have looked like stands only a block from where Skinner City Farm is taking shape on a formerly vacant lot at Cheshire Avenue and Lawrence Street. The inspiration to transform the site literally came from a pile of dirt — actually, a small mountain. In 1997, this historic site found itself covered with several tons of earth excavated by Chambers Construction from the area near Broadway and Charnelton Street — where the Broadway Place development is today. "It was ugly, and damaging," maintains Anastasia Sandow, a Skinner City Farm board member who became involved with the project early on. "The dirt came from the middle of the city, so there was no telling what was in there," she says. "The public was not involved in the process to decide where to dump the massive pile," Sandow continues, "so as a community we came together to create an alternative function for the site." Neighborhood opposition to the dump eventually led to the removal of the dirt, but the site remained in limbo until November of 2000. At that time, a diverse group of urban farmers, educators, city staff and community members began creating the plan that would grow into the official proposal for the nonprofit Skinner City Farm. After many public meetings, questionnaires and grassroots outreach programs, the proposal was accepted as part of the city's Skinner Butte Master Plan.
This historic area now seemed like it could be more than a dumping ground. When asked about how the community managed to pull together with a plan to remove the pile, most people point to Jan VanderTuin, director of the Center For Appropriate Transport (CAT), located two blocks from where the farm is taking shape. "This two-acre site was sort of a blemish on a park that borders the beauty of the river and the butte," VanderTuin says. "We felt that there was a huge opportunity for restoration," he continues, referring to the board members and numerous volunteers who have kept the project moving. This past spring, funds for beginning the project were secured through the city of Eugene's Neighborhood Matching Grant program, an important source of money for community-initiated neighborhood improvements. In May of 2002, students from Northwest Youth Corps and CAT's alternative education program began improvements on the site with the construction of compost piles. This fall, the students from CAT as well as from Looking Glass's Lane Metro Youth Corps have been installing fencing and sowing a cover crop for the winter. "It's been a lot of work— digging fence posts, pouring concrete, stuff like that," says CAT student and volunteer Brock Becker. Volunteers have been the backbone of the project from the beginning, and their commitment is beginning to pay off with the realization that a community dream is taking shape. "The project is built on trust," Anastasia Sandow reminds us, "a trust we have built between the city government and the community at large." Skinner City Farm has just completed its first season of work on the site. The cover crop put in during October is the beginning of a revitalization of the soil that will culminate in community garden plots. In the coming months, project participants will be planning and planting trees, shrubs, bushes and a living fence. Spring will see work begin on a worm composting system. In the fall of 2003, a youth farm will be established to teach young people traditional agricultural skills, history and science as well as practical lessons in civics and community living. As a community resource, Skinner City Farm is poised to benefit the entire city with its programs. "This is a metropolitan park. The goal of Skinner City Farm is to invite more community members to use and enjoy this beautiful site," says volunteer Stacey Janssen. Students involved in this story include Cassandra Hurd, 16; Chris Withrow, 14; Corey Sherwood, 17; Rosey Wise-Welsh, 14 and Kirk McDowell-Shafer, 17. Photo composition by Daniel Brockett, 14. CAT staff Karl Benedek and Kurt Jensen advised the group. For more information about the project or to volunteer, contact Skinner City Farm at 344-1229 or scf@efn.org. To see the plans on the web, check out www.efn.org/~scf
Mona
Linstromberg — Paul Neevel
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