============================================================ Health Options Digest June 16, 2002 Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield ============================================================ * EDITOR'S LETTER * MAJOR NEWS 1.rg - Hospitals plan to continue talks about settlement today 2.rg - Two hospitals reach no deal after 2 days of mediation 3.sn - PH and M-W still trying to hammer out differences 4.rg - No deal after day 3 of hospital talks 5.rg - Public views hospital design ideas 6.sn - RiverBend and area designs unveiled 7.sn - I-5-Beltline meeting tonight 8.sn - I-5-Beltline to be funded in phases 9.rg - Businesses, residents air interchange concerns 10.sn - Public says 'no-build' on Gateway-Beltline options 11.rg - Panel OKs PeaceHealth annexation 12.rg - More PeaceHealth property to be annexed 13.rg - Name game * LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 14.rg - Connecting the dots * COMMENTARY 15.sn - Layoffs at Symantec bad news for workers 16.sn - Joint chamber of commerce is bad idea * OTHER NEWS 17.rg - Chambers buys up brew pub 18.sn - Short-term solutions sought at 42nd Street and Jasper Road * CONTACTS, OTHER LINKS, KEY, CREDITS ===================== EDITOR'S LETTER ==================== Much has happened in the past three weeks or so, so much that there hasn't been time to prepare "Health Options Digest" until now. Here's a summary of recent news... A third day of mediated talks Wednesday between executives and lawyers for PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette yielded no agreement to settle their antitrust lawsuit (#1, #2, #3, #4). PeaceHealth displayed preliminary designs for its new hospital (#5, #6). Citizens and business owners told ODOT not to redesign the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange if it means demolishing businesses and spurring urban sprawl (#7, #8, #9, #10). The Lane County Boundary Commission gave approval for Springfield to annex PeaceHealth property near the McKenzie River, freeing the health organization to submit plans as early as next month for a $350 million hospital and surrounding development (#11, #12). What's in a name? Is it, PeaceHealth or Sacred Heart (#13). In reader writes to the editor that John Musumeci and Suzanne Arlie are "extremely generous people who have stepped up big time for several worthy organizations around town" (#14). The Springfield News editorializes that the announced layoffs by Symantec and the proposed merge of the Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce are both bad (#15, #16). Carolyn Chambers purchased the Spencer's brew pub, which is slated to be condemned for the new intersection at Beltline and Gateway (#17). Meanwhile, citizens lobby for safety improvements to South 42nd Street in Springfield, a project that is vying with the Beltline/I-5 project for funding (#18). One citizen I know likes to call the Beltline/I-5 interchange and the surrounding area a "spaghetti bowl." Is that an oblique reference to Tuscany's Ristorante (formerly Spencer's Brew Pub), or a comment on the tangle plans for the area? In either case, I hope things don't get tied up in knots this summer and that everything can be sorted out by the fall. Rob Zako, Editor 343-5201 rzako@efn.org ======================= MAJOR NEWS ======================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 1.rg - HOSPITALS PLAN TO CONTINUE TALKS ABOUT SETTLEMENT TODAY ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Christie The Register-Guard, 5/31/02, Page 1D HEALTH: Judges work to end an antitrust dispute between the area's main health care centers. Two federal judges spent all day Thursday trying to persuade executives from McKenzie-Willamette Hospital and Sacred Heart Medical Center to settle their antitrust lawsuit. Neither side would discuss the substance of the settlement talks, but one positive sign is that officials from both hospitals were expected to return to the federal courthouse in downtown Eugene today for more talks behind closed doors. U.S. Magistrate Thomas Coffin and U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken shuttled between different rooms at the courthouse, talking first to one party and then the other. Coffin is presiding over the preliminary stage of the suit and will hand the case off to U.S. District Judge Michael Hogan if it goes to trial. Aiken has no direct role in case but she is an expert mediator who has brokered numerous deals in complicated, costly disputes throughout Oregon in recent years. In a suit filed in January, McKenzie-Willamette alleges that PeaceHealth, a health care group based in Bellevue, Wash., that operates Sacred Heart in Eugene and five other hospitals in the Northwest, uses its dominant market power to compete unfairly for exclusive health insurance contracts. Those tactics have caused the smaller Springfield hospital's patient load to decline sharply in recent years and threatened to drive it out of business, McKenzie-Willamette officials have said. PeaceHealth officials have denied the charges and vowed to vigorously fight the lawsuit. McKenzie-Willamette is a 114-bed independent community hospital; Sacred Heart is a 432-bed hospital. Coffin ordered the talks to see if the sides could settle the dispute without going to trial, tentatively planned for June 2003. Antitrust suits are notoriously complex and expensive to litigate. When he scheduled the settlement conference, Coffin ordered that "the presence of all parties with settlement authority is required." Representing PeaceHealth on Thursday was Alan Yordy, chief executive officer for the Oregon region, and corporate counsel Stu Hennessy. Representing McKenzie-Willamette was Roy Orr, chief executive officer, Karen Francis, vice president for finance, and two board members: Chairwoman Maureen Weathers and Ron Peery. Before the conference, each side was required to write a letter to Coffin "in which they state realistic proposals they are willing to make or accept to resolve this case." Specifically, each side had to submit two settlement proposals: one which "you believe is fair," and one "you would be willing to make in order to conclude the matter and stop the expense of litigation," Coffin said in his order. They also had to submit a brief analysis of the key issues in the case; the strongest and weakest point in their case and their opponents' case; and the status of settlement negotiations. Coffin and Aiken will keep the information confidential and use it to help forge an agreement. (end) (web link unavailable) ------------------------------------------------------------ 2.rg - TWO HOSPITALS REACH NO DEAL AFTER 2 DAYS OF MEDIATION ------------------------------------------------------------ The Register-Guard, 6/1/02, Page 2D Executives and lawyers for PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette Hospital concluded a second day of mediated negotiations Friday without reaching a deal to settle their antitrust lawsuit. But federal judges Ann Aiken and Thomas Coffin, who are mediating the talks, called the parties back for another session at Eugene's federal courthouse next Wednesday, said Rosie Pryor, spokeswoman for McKenzie-Willamette. The talks are aimed at settling the federal antitrust lawsuit that McKenzie-Willamette, a 114-bed independent hospital in Springfield, filed in January against PeaceHealth, the Bellevue, Wash.-based parent of the 432-bed Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. McKenzie-Willamette has alleged that PeaceHealth used its dominant market power to compete unfairly for exclusive health insurance contracts. PeaceHealth officials deny the charges. McKenzie-Willamette is seeking $35 million in economic and punitive damages, sums that would triple under antitrust law. In the settlement conference, executives and lawyers for the hospitals met in separate rooms while the judges shuttled between the rooms. They met all day Thursday and until about 2 p.m. Friday. Neither side would discuss the substance of the negotiations, which are not open to the public. (end) (web link unavailable) ------------------------------------------------------------ 3.sn - PEACHHEALTH AND MCKENZIE-WILLAMETTE STILL TRYING TO HAMMER OUT DIFFERENCES ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Shinabarger The Springfield News, 6/5/02 Officers of PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette Hospital will meet today to continue a settlement conference requested by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas M. Coffin. McKenzie filed an anti-trust lawsuit in federal court against PeaceHealth on Jan. 28. McKenzie alleges PeaceHealth used monopoly power to bar insurance giant Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield from listing McKenzie as a preferred provider on local employer-insurance plans. PeaceHealth responded April 3 with a motion to dismiss part of the lawsuit. Coffin had scheduled a settlement conference for last Thursday and Friday on PeaceHealth's motion to dismiss. Officers from both hospitals came to the U.S. District Courthouse in Eugene. The parties stayed in separate rooms in the federal courthouse and mediators went back and forth between the rooms, talking to representatives of each hospital, McKenzie spokeswoman Rosemary Pryor said Monday. In a news release, Pryor said, "We are optimistic that the conference is continuing." She declined requests for further comment Monday. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0605/community/sn_community-02.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 4.rg - NO DEAL AFTER DAY 3 OF HOSPITAL TALKS ------------------------------------------------------------ The Register-Guard, 6/6/02, Page 5B A third day of mediated talks Wednesday between executives and lawyers for PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette yielded no agreement to settle their antitrust lawsuit. Federal judges Ann Aiken and Thomas Coffin, who are mediating the talks, ordered the parties to come back for more negotiations July 2 and 3, said Rosie Pryor, spokeswoman for McKenzie- Willamette Hospital. Aiken and Coffin are trying to persuade the hospitals to settle the federal antitrust lawsuit that McKenzie-Willamette, a 114-bed independent hospital in Springfield, filed in January against Peace- Health, the Bellevue, Wash.-based parent of the 432-bed Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene. McKenzie-Willamette has alleged that PeaceHealth used its dominant market power to compete unfairly for exclusive health insurance contracts. PeaceHealth officials deny the charges. The case is tentatively set to go to trial in June 2003. The two sides met twice last week and until about noon on Wednesday. Neither side would discuss the substance of the negotiations, which are not open to the public. Pryor said McKenzie-Willamette's chief executive, Roy Orr, was "optimistic that the parties are communicating." Brian Terrett, spokesman for PeaceHealth in Oregon, had no comment. (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/06/06/5b.cr.mediationday3.0606.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 5.rg - PUBLIC VIEWS HOSPITAL DESIGN IDEAS ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Christie The Register-Guard, 6/3/02, Page 1D PEACEHEALTH: Architects use picture boards to help citizens consider the look, feel and character of the project. Imagine you've purchased a scenic piece of riverfront property on which to build that dream house. Now imagine this dream house will have nearly 1 million square feet, cost at least $350 million, and that all your neighbors have an intense interest in what it will look like and how it will affect traffic, growth patterns and the environment. Oh -- this dream house will be the place where generations of Oregonians are born, die and will be treated for disease. Now you've some idea of what PeaceHealth is up against as administrators plan the design for a new hospital campus on the banks of the McKenzie River in north Springfield. PeaceHealth officials last week invited interested citizens to two informal drop-in sessions intended to solicit feedback on some early design concepts for the hospital, surrounding campus and a mixed commercial-residential neighborhood. PeaceHealth bought 160 acres in late 2001 from developer John Musumeci for $34 million. A new 900,000 square-foot hospital, to be dubbed Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, and 200,000 square feet of medical offices will occupy about 60 acres. A medium density residential district, with about 800 housing units, will be built on the north end of the property. PeaceHealth's architects haven't yet drafted plans showing what the development will look like. Instead, they created 15 different boards filled with pictures and images of other hospitals, college campuses, chapels and streetscapes. Each board represented a different theme or element of the project, such as "hospital," "wellness," "river's edge," "open space" and "chapel." The pictures are intended to evoke "the look and feel and character of the hospital and campus," PeaceHealth spokesman Brian Terrett said. The pictures show brick buildings, meandering pathways, prominent use of natural materials, water features, gardens, and lots of open space. They also show examples of what the mixed-use part of the development might look like: a pedestrian-oriented district with rowhouse-style homes and bustling sidewalk cafes. The images displayed last week were chosen through a process in which architects showed PeaceHealth decision-makers hundreds of pictures of other projects to get an idea of the look and feel they wanted for the new project, said Kip Richardson, an architect with one of three architectural firms PeaceHealth has retained. "It's a wonderful, natural site" he said. "We're trying to maintain the integrity of the site." That means using nontoxic building materials and sustainable design techniques, he said, such as filtering stormwater through grassy basins known as bioswales, or even "eco-roofs," rooftops covered with plantings. PeaceHealth officials plan to incorporate some of the comments they solicited last week into a master plan they'll submit to the city of Springfield in July. The master plan depicts the location of residential, commercial and medical uses, roads, sewers, and traffic circulation. Schematic drawings that depict how buildings will look and their footprints on the site won't be completed until fall. Meanwhile, the interior design of the hospital is continuing through a process called functional space planning. About 350 Sacred Heart employees, including many doctors and nurses, were asked to provide ideas on how the new hospital should be laid out and what features it should include. (end) (web link unavailable) ------------------------------------------------------------ 6.sn - RIVERBEND AND AREA DESIGNS UNVEILED ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Shinabarger The Springfield News, 6/5/02 Planners, architects and environmental consultants are steadily working out where streets, the Pioneer Parkway Extension and the new Sacred Heart Hospital will go -- as well as what else will be on PeaceHealth's proposed RiverBend hospital campus in north Springfield. PeaceHealth displayed preliminary designs this week for its project. The Bellevue, Wash.-based organization intends to build a $350-million regional hospital on the site and surround it with associated medical facilities, housing and open space. The designs show what will be about 80 acres of medium-density residential land sandwiching an area of about 100 acres for the hospital and related medical services buildings. Photographs show gardens, wide paved paths through forests, three-story brick brownstones and row houses, sidewalk cafes with hanging flower pots and shade trees and three-story office buildings with wrap-around windows on the entire top floor. Text accompanying the photos states the images are meant to communicate the character of the campus but are not illustrations of actual buildings or landscape designs. The text states the campus will include a chapel in the woods. PeaceHealth has retained the idea of a "nodal development" or urban village that mixes high-density residential housing and neighborhood-oriented businesses. PeaceHealth spokesman Brian Terrett declined to speculate on how big such a nodal development would be. The hospital itself will be northwest of the Douglas fir grove that stands in the southeast corner of the property, according to the designs. PeaceHealth held showings in Eugene and Springfield to solicit input on its design concepts before putting them into more advanced stages. The showings were by invitation and the organization didn't invite the general public to review the designs. The organization will load its design concepts onto a Web site so people can review them, Philip Farrington, PeaceHealth's director of land use planning and development, said. PeaceHealth will incorporate public comment into a draft master plan and deliver it to the city this summer, probably in July, Farrington said. It will take that draft to the public for further input and then submit a master plan for actual application to the city in the fall, probably in November, he said. Before that, it will submit applications to amend the Gateway Refinement Plan, Farrington said. As written, the Gateway Refinement Plan calls for the entire 160-plus acres PeaceHealth owns to be developed in medium-density-residential zoning. The master plan will show a number of things, Farrington said, including: * Where PeaceHealth wants to locate the hospital, medical offices and residences. * Which tree stands will remain. * What level of riparian buffers the development will have along the McKenzie River. * Access and circulation routes for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians. * How the organization will protect natural resources. * Stormwater drainage. * The timing for development. * A narration of how the project conforms to city and state code and to the Gateway Refinement Plan. PeaceHealth will be up-front with the public and will set high design standards, Farrington said. "We want to strike a tone for high-quality development that lasts over time," he said. PeaceHealth directors selected the photographs in the showing, according to Kip Richardson, associate principal of Fletcher Farr Ayotte PC, the architectural planning firm responsible for the master plan. The property will include very little single-family housing, Richardson said. Because it's all zoned for medium-density-residential, he expects the city will require about 800 housing units in the whole site, he said. That makes single-family residential homes unfeasible, he said. Instead, it will have two- and three-story brick townhouses or row houses with parking underneath or behind them that increase the density of housing, he said. The nodal development area could include retail shops on the ground floors of buildings and loft housing on upper floors, depending on demand and on what the industry decides is viable, he said. Whether the hospital will retain ownership of the land and work with a developer on housing hasn't been determined, Richardson said. The design goal is to have housing integrated into the natural landscape and to create something that's consistent with the hospital and the vision PeaceHealth has, he said. "This site has wonderful natural features that, as much as you can, you want to retain," Richardson said. "That's the reason people want to be here." Bonnie Ullmann, immediate past president of the Game Farm Neighbors Association, said she didn't learn much from the showing. Questions remain about traffic impacts to the neighborhood, height of the buildings, sound impacts from ambulances and helicopters, and flooding from the McKenzie River, she said. "I'm not canceling my flood insurance over what I saw tonight or what I heard at my neighborhood meeting," Ullmann said. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0605/frontpage/sn_frontpage-01.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 7.sn - I-5-BELTLINE MEETING TONIGHT ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Shinabarger The Springfield News, 6/5/02 Transportation agencies say the Interstate 5-Beltline Road interchange has geometric, operational and safety deficiencies. They have been working with local government and other interested parties for years, trying to agree on a design that satisfies everyone, solves traffic congestion and removes traffic hazards. The Oregon Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration released an environmental assessment for the project in May and ODOT holds a public hearing on the assessment at 6:30 p.m. today. The hearing is at the DoubleTree Hotel, 3280 Gateway St. Local governments, through the Eugene/Springfield Metro Area Transportation Plan (or TransPlan), say the reconstruction is necessary to support planned growth within the communities of Eugene and Springfield. The project for which ODOT released a design includes reconstruction of the Beltline Road-Gateway Street intersection. The entire project has three phases. Phase 1, scheduled for 2005, includes: * A new exit-and-merge lane from southbound I-5 into westbound Beltline Road to replace the existing lane. * A new auxiliary westbound lane in Beltline Road from I-5 to Coburg Road. * A "flyover" ramp for traffic moving from northbound I-5 to westbound Beltline Road. The flyover, a two-lane ramp that extends over the southbound lanes of I-5 and the eastbound lanes of Beltline, will be about 50 feet high at its highest point, Karl Wieseke, ODOT project manager for the interchange project, said Monday. * A new exit ramp from northbound I-5 to Beltline Road to replace the existing eastbound ramp and westbound cloverleaf; a traffic signal at the new intersection. * A pedestrian and bicycle overpass over I-5 from Eugene's Willakenzie neighborhood to the Gateway Mall. Phase 2 of the project is reconstruction of the intersection of Beltline Road and Gateway Street. To handle projected future traffic loads, it includes construction from International to Postal Way and could reshape Kruse Way and Hutton Road. ODOT is still considering three options. The proposals include construction of a connector between Gateway Street and Beltline Road via Kruse Way and Hutton Road. Options include a smooth looping S-curve from Gateway that enters Beltline Road either at Hutton Road or east of Hutton. All three options eliminate business locations. The Union 76/Circle K at Gateway and Beltline and the Chevron station at Gateway and Kruse Way are displaced by all three construction options. Joining them in at least two options per business are Spencer's, Denny's and Jack in the Box. One of the options would also displace the Best Western Motel, Comfort Suites and Outback Steakhouse. The group Gateway Owners for Positive Change has been involved in the public process and members have contested ODOT's ideas. Comfort Suites General Manager Todd Cooley, a member of the group, was not available Monday or Tuesday to return calls. On Monday, group member Sue Kline said, "I can tell you we are not happy with the way things are going. They (ODOT) are like a big steamroller and they want to just roll right over everybody." Kline is manager of Patrician Manufactured Home Park at the corner of Game Farm Road and Beltline Road. ODOT had proposed a "jughandle" connector street through the park but has agreed to take that off the table. The intersection project is going to take out all the gas stations in the Gateway area and that will devastate restaurants and hotels there, she said. She has been working on this issue for three years and ODOT has "rejected every workable solution we've come up with," Kline said. Wieseke, the ODOT project manager, said right-of-way negotiations with individual business owners will be handled on a case-by-case basis based on what similar businesses are selling for in the area. Beltline Road is a state highway but Gateway Street is a city street, he said, so the city may be the entity buying right-of-way from business owners. The city will be eligible for federal funds to acquire right-of-way, he said. Wieseke said, "ODOT officials recognize that with a project this size, there are some impacts." All three intersection alternatives work, he said. "I'm looking forward to hearing from the public in Wednesday's hearing." Phase 2 construction is scheduled for 2015. But that timeline is tied to traffic numbers, Springfield transportation manager Nick Arnis said. Because the area is developing and generating traffic faster than anticipated, parts of the intersection project could be constructed by 2010, he said. Phase 3 includes: * A new southbound I-5 ramp terminal with a signaled intersection for drivers who want to go east on Beltline Road. * Improvements to Beltline eastbound ramps to I-5 north and south. * Ramp improvements from westbound Beltline to I-5 south. The environmental assessment is a 316-page document, not counting appendices. An executive summary is 20 pages. Copies are available at the Springfield City Library, 225 Fifth St., or at the Area 5 ODOT office at 644 A St. Members of the public can put their comments on the record at tonight's hearing or by mail to Susan Vickers, ODOT Environmental Services, 1158 Chemeketa St. NE, Salem, OR, 97301. ODOT will accept public comment until 5 p.m. June 21. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0605/frontpage/sn_frontpage-02.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 8.sn - I-5-BELTLINE TO BE FUNDED IN PHASES ------------------------------------------------------------ By Tim Shinabarger The Springfield News, 6/5/02 Of the $104 million to $122 million the Oregon Department of Transportation says the Interstate 5-Beltline Highway project will cost, so far only $25 million has been committed. The state has already promised $18 million in funds from the Oregon Transportation Investment Act for Phase 1. That money will pay for everything except the flyover lane, Springfield transportation manager Nick Arnis says. The flyover will cost at least another $20 million, he said, and possibly $25 million. State officials recently promised $17 million in additional OTIA money to the Willamette Valley region, which includes Corvallis, Salem, Astoria and Lane County. Springfield, Eugene and Lane County officials applied in early May for the entire $17 million for the I-5-Beltline Road project. In a May 6 letter to local officials, ODOT Region 2 Manager Jeffrey Scheick said ODOT would request the $17 million for the project, but only if the cities and county provide a $5 million match. Scheick gave local governments until May 9 to discuss "the commitment of your agency to participate" before ODOT made a recommendation to the Oregon Transpor-tation Commission on May 15. By May 14, Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken wrote the OTC agreeing to commit to secure $5 million. The city will request federal transportation funds through U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, he said. The OTC will decide by its July meeting who gets the $17 million, Karl Wieseke, ODOT project manager for the I-5-Beltline interchange project, said Monday. The state could spend the $17 million in transportation funds in two ways, Wieseke said. It could spend it all on this project or it could be "smeared out like peanut butter" on a number of smaller projects in the region. Based on funding the state can be expected to supply over the next 20 years, local cities and Lane County can reasonably expect $53 million in funding for Phases 1 and 2 in the next 20 years, Wieseke said. The cost for the entire project includes $4 million for utilities, $21 million to $37 million to buy right-of-way and about $80 million for construction. Funding for Phase 2, reconstructing the intersection of Gateway Street and Beltline Road, includes $7 million from PeaceHealth. The hospital organization agreed to fund Phase 2 construction in its annexation agreement with the city. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0605/community/sn_community.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 9.rg - BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS AIR INTERCHANGE CONCERNS ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 6/6/02, Page 1B Springfield -- Citizens and business owners told officials Wednesday night not to redesign the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange if it means demolishing businesses and spurring urban sprawl. Officials with Eugene, Springfield, Lane County and the state and federal highway departments will decide later this year what to do about the interchange, where tricky on- and off-ramp merges contribute to its being in the top 10 percent for interchange crashes statewide. While few deny that the interchange can be dangerous, many are concerned that plans to improve the interchange and the nearby Belt Line/Gateway Street intersection could eliminate as many as a half-dozen businesses. Todd Cooley, general manager of Comfort Suites, captured the sentiment of those who oppose construction if it means wiping out businesses: "There's a heartbeat in the Gateway intersection," he said, "and this document kills the integrity of that intersection." Another Gateway-area businessman, developer Richard Boyles, suggested that officials improve the interchange but postpone a decision on the intersection. But Bob Pirrie, area manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said that the intersection's close proximity to the interchange contributes to safety risks. He added, however, "the 'no-build' remains an option." Officials used pictures to illustrate the growth around the interchange in the last 30 years and the need to accommodate it. But Eugene resident Mark Robinowitz turned that argument on its ear, saying that the interchange prompted the growth. And, he added, "it's obvious this project will spur more development." Critics also targeted quality-of-life issues. Jon Ewing, speaking for Harlow-area neighbors, called for sound walls southwest of the interchange, adding, "it seems ODOT is interested in traffic concerns and business interests but not" neighboring residents. Others questioned how officials can proceed without knowing the impact if PeaceHealth wins approval for a planned $350 million hospital in the Gateway area. PeaceHealth planner Philip Farrington said the existing problems at I-5/Belt Line make improvements necessary, and ODOT project leader Karl Wieseke added that the transportation department isn't required to address developments, such as PeaceHealth's, which may or may not occur. Still, Wieseke said he is confident that -- regardless of the hospital outcome -- the interchange plans would hold through 2025, and perhaps beyond. One supporter of construction, Larry Reed of Arlie & Co. development, said it's short-sighted to attack the plans in an effort to prevent growth. "This area will continue to grow no matter how hard some people try to stop it," he added. Lane County Commissioner Bill Dwyer, a member of the team that will make a decision on the improvements, said that, as a citizen, he's frustrated the plans don't consider traffic at Coburg Road or the need to connect International Way with a high-speed bus line. "We have to have connectivity," he said. A 19-member group that represents local interests will review Wednesday's comments and make a recommendation to the Belt Line Decision Team. Likewise, that five-member board of government officials -- Eugene City Councilor David Kelly, Dwyer, Pirrie, Springfield City Councilor Christine Lundberg and John Gernhauser of the Federal Highway Administration -- will make a recommendation to ODOT and the Federal Highway Administration as early as September. If construction is approved, it could cost $104 million to $122 million and would begin in 2005. PUBLIC COMMENT * Oregon Department of Transportation will take comments through June 21 on plans to improve the Interstate 5/Belt Line Road interchange and the Belt Line/Gateway intersection. A decision could be reached by September. * More information: Call Karl Wieseke, ODOT project leader, at 744-8080. (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/06/06/1b.cr.interchange.0606.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 10.sn - PUBLIC SAYS 'NO-BUILD' ON GATEWAY-BELTLINE OPTIONS ------------------------------------------------------------ By Jonni Gratton The Springfield News, 6/8/02 "No build." That was the request of most of the dozen public speakers made up of business people, residents, stakeholders and public officials at the Oregon Department of Transportation public hearing and open house for the Interstate 5/Beltline Road interchange project. The purpose of Wednesday night's meeting was to review the Environmental Assessment of the project and to allow the public to give feedback on three Gateway Street-Beltline Road intersection options that will be part of the project scheduled to begin in 2005. The meat of the project, expected to cost between $104 million to $122 million, is the reconfiguration of the I-5/Beltline cloverleaf. ODOT considers the interchange to be functionally obsolete and a safety hazard due to heavy use. Included in the project is a flyover from northbound I-5 to westbound Beltline and a bike/pedestrian path. ODOT officials say the interchange has 11 weaving conflicts causing traffic backups and is in the top 10 percent of crash locations in Oregon. The interchange doesn't support 685 acres that are vacant in the urban growth boundary -- such as access to the proposed PeaceHealth medical campus. It has also become a barrier to non-auto modes of transportation, and increased traffic levels affect neighborhood livability. While all of the public speakers agreed that improved safety at the interchange is necessary, most were not keen on any of the Gateway-Beltline intersection options. Many speakers also agreed that it is unfortunate that the project is an "all-or-nothing" deal, which means that one option must be chosen for the I-5/Beltline interchange project to get the go-ahead. Concern over displaced businesses and the health of the Gateway area led comments. Daryl Bigley, manager of Outback Steakhouse, said he wants the no-build option because the business opened only three years ago and one option goes right through his restaurant. "There are too many impacts in all of these plans," Bigley said. Comfort Suites general manager Todd Cooley said the Gateway area is the "heartbeat" of Springfield, providing healthy tourism, jobs and an economic basis. "This document kills jobs and business," Cooley said of the environmental assessment. "'No build' is the only option to create quality, reasonable change. This document is not reasonable." Ed Bergeron of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce said he did not support the assessment because better solutions could be found. DoubleTree Hotel manager George Rodgers said he would lose a third of DoubleTree's property. "The environmental assessment is outdated. PeaceHealth should be in the plan. Why build something that will be antiquated and outdated," he said. Commissioner Bill Dwyer stated, "This isn't rocket science. We need to do it right or we're not going to do it at all." Eugene City Councilor David Kelly said he thought the stakeholder process of local vested parties was good but somewhere along the line, they got left out. "Everyone said the interchange needs improvement, but these options don't work," Kelly said. Another issue of the environmental assessment concerned traffic noise levels, which were not taken at rush hour when it's the loudest. Many speakers wanted soundwalls provided for their neighborhoods. Christine Lundberg, Springfield city councilor, said she is confident that a workable solution will be found. She encouraged everyone to work toward finding a solution the community can be proud of. Public comment is being accepted through June 21 at 5 p.m. Comments can be mailed to Susan Vickers, ODOT Environmental Services, 1158 Chemeketa St. NE, Salem, OR 97301. Comments will be analyzed by the local stakeholder group and it will make a recommendation to the Beltline Decision Team. A recommendation will also be made to ODOT by the local five-member board of local officials. A final decision could be determined by September. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0608/community/sn_community.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 11.rg - PANEL OKS PEACEHEALTH ANNEXATION ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 6/7/02, Page 1D Springfield -- The Lane County Boundary Commission on Thursday gave approval for the city to annex PeaceHealth property near the McKenzie River, freeing the health organization to submit plans as early as next month for a $350 million hospital and surrounding development. The 4-1 majority said that because they believe urban services can be provided, they were bound to support the request. But Commissioner Walt Sands was persuaded by PeaceHealth opponents -- including a watershed hydrologist from the University of Oregon -- who argued that flooding concerns on the 59-acre site haven't been addressed. "I've been involved (in commission proceedings) where flooding has been reason enough to deny or postpone a decision," Sands said. "This development is right on the riverbank." Commissioner Christine Larson, noting that the land is within the urban growth boundary, said the commission's decision was bound by years of public input that have defined where development should occur. "If we do not listen to that charge," she said, "we're not doing our job." PeaceHealth plans to submit a pre-application for development of the entire parcel -- totaling 160 acres -- in early to mid-July, spokesman Brian Terrett said. The health organization hopes to to break ground next year on a hospital slated to open in 2006. The boundary commission's approval follows a unanimous vote of support from the Springfield City Council last month, after hospital and city officials ironed out an agreement for PeaceHealth to contribute millions of dollars toward roads, storm water drainage and other services. Opponents challenged that agreement Thursday night, arguing that it binds the city to future actions while bypassing the public process. "The agreement creates a quid pro quo situation in which the city of Springfield has a financial incentive to approve future permit applications," Eugene resident Rob Zako wrote in a statement to the commission. "It biases future land decisions and undermines the normal process." Bonnie Ullmann, a member of the Game Farm Neighbors in Springfield, also took aim at the agreement. It calls for improvements to the Gateway Street/Belt Line Road intersection by 2009, Ullmann said -- six years earlier than planned in the continuing public discussion about redesigning the intersection and the Interstate 5/Belt Line interchange. "We are quite alarmed that an annexation agreement with a commercial property developer could dictate the timing of a project requiring public input," Ullmann said in written comments. During the city's study of the annexation earlier this year, residents objected to acquiring the 59-acre site because questions remain about the location of the flood plain there and whether current homeowners would be threatened by future development. The site is contiguous to the 102.5-acre site planned for the hospital. Philip Farrington, a PeaceHealth planning supervisor, acknowledged that much of the site lies within the flood plain -- and that the health organization will adhere to city standards for development there. Regardless, Farrington added, "those are not relevant criteria for (boundary commission) approval. The sole criteria is whether the site can be served by key urban services." But one land use advocate said approving the annexation fuels urban sprawl. In comments read by an associate, Lauri Segel, Lane County planning advocate for 1000 Friends of Oregon, said a "yes" vote would allow PeaceHealth to "flee an existing site in the urban core (of Eugene) in order to build a regional facility on the edge of the community." (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/06/07/1d.cr.peacehealth.0607.html ------------------------------------------------------------ 12.rg - MORE PEACEHEALTH PROPERTY TO BE ANNEXED ------------------------------------------------------------ By Sam Karp The Springfield News, 6/12/02 The Lane County Boundary Commission has given approval for Springfield to annex into the city 59 acres of PeaceHealth property along the McKenzie River. The City of Springfield determined the area to be within the urban growth boundary and it lies on the floodplain of the McKenzie River, primarily east of Baldy View Lane. Eleven portions of tax lots were included in the annexation, all owned by PeaceHealth. "This property being annexed is not a part of the (proposed) hospital site development. This would be a residential area currently planned as medium density residential development. That is the plan at this point," said Paula Taylor, executive officer of the Lane County Boundary Commission. The newly annexed land is located northeast from the hospital site, she added. A pre-application on the entire site of 160 acres may be submitted by PeaceHealth in early to mid-July for the estimated $350-million hospital and area development. PeaceHealth hopes to break ground next year and open the hospital in 2006. The 59-acre annexation decision came on a 4-1 vote of the seven-member board Thursday. Taylor said the annexation was initiated by the City of Springfield. The boundary commission has the statutory authority to act on annexations to cities and certain special districts in order to be enacted. If the commission does not give approval, land is not annexed. This approval allows PeaceHealth to continue with its master plan and next steps in the development process. The city will require a master plan before development begins. Members of the commission voting on the annexation were Van Heeter, Florence; Karen Seidel, Eugene; Walt Sands, Creswell; Chris Larson, Springfield; and Clay Myers, Coburg. Sands was the sole dissenting vote. Members not in attendance were Jim Spickerman, Eugene and Eleanor Mulder of Eugene. Taylor said the commissioners approved the annexation because they thought it was consistent with commission law and standards, that it was consistent with the plan, it was within the urban growth boundary, and services could be provided. Taylor said Sands wanted to continue the annexation rather than approve it to gather more information on the floodplain. The Springfield City Council gave unanimous support on the annexation last month after PeaceHealth said it would pay for millions of dollars toward roads, storm water drainage and other services. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0612/frontpage/sn_frontpage.htm#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 13.rg - NAME GAME (SPRINGFIELD CITY BEAT) ------------------------------------------------------------ By Matt Cooper The Register-Guard, 6/8/02, Page 1B So which is it, PeaceHealth or Sacred Heart? If you're following the plans for a new hospital near the McKenzie River, you probably know that "PeaceHealth" is the name of the Washington-based health organ- ization. "Sacred Heart Medical Center" refers to said organization's hospital in downtown Eugene. And "Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend" refers to said organization's planned hospital in Springfield. But not everybody can keep it all straight. Some have been confused by references to "PeaceHealth" and "Sacred Heart," which the health organization uses interchangeably and tried to clarify in a recent newsletter. "The confusion has been since the name 'PeaceHealth' was adopted in 1994," spokesman Brian Terrett said. That's when the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, who have been providing health care to communities in the Pacific Northwest since 1890, consolidated various health care ministries in the West into the single not-for-profit corporation. It's too early to say what the official name for the Springfield hospital will be, Terrett said -- assuming the project is eventually approved. While PeaceHealth officials are leaning toward some version of "Sacred Heart Medical Center," they recognize that it could lead to confusion with the facility in downtown Eugene. "It really becomes the question of, 'How do we distinguish the two?'" Terrett said. Springfield reporter Matt Cooper can be reached at 338-2317 or by e-mail at mcooper@guardnet.com (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/06/08/1b.cr.spcitybeat.0608.html ================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 14.rg - CONNECTING THE DOTS ------------------------------------------------------------ By Dave Miles, Eugene In The Register-Guard, 6/8/02 Apparently, Lane Community College is trying to decide whether or not to accept a nearly $3 million gift from Arlie & Company. This makes me think back to what was the genesis of all the mistrust of John Musumeci. Maybe Register-Guard columnist Karen McCowan could help out. After all, she was so good at "connecting the dots" (Register-Guard, July 30, 2001) between John Musumeci and others who disliked the way the City Council did business. Maybe McCowan could connect the dots between her publisher's huge loss of potential land values of the newspaper company's Crescent Drive property when the hospital went elsewhere and the subsequent smear campaign by The Register-Guard of John Musumeci (Register-Guard, Sept. 11, 2001) utilizing inaccuracies and half-truths. I know John Musumeci and Suzanne Arlie to be extremely generous people who have stepped up big time for several worthy organizations around town. Of course, the public never hears of their philanthropy. And what was their crime? Well, I guess that little business school on 13th Avenue and Kincaid Street neglected to inform me that buying low and selling high is against the rules, at least in Eugene. As for LCC, I suppose if the college can afford to turn down such a lucrative gift, it won't be counting on the taxpayers for help any time soon. (end) http://www.registerguard.com/news/2002/06/08/ed.letters.op.0608.html ======================= COMMENTARY ======================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 15.sn - LAYOFFS AT SYMANTEC BAD NEWS FOR WORKERS ------------------------------------------------------------ Editorial The Springfield News, 5/22/02 The news that Symantec Corp. plans to close its private-customer service division in late July and outsource that service is troubling. Customer service calls will be taken instead by Spectrum Contact Services, a company that is opening a center in Eugene in space formerly occupied by Symantec. It's troubling because 160 full-time and 110 temporary employees will lose their jobs, although Symantec is encouraging them to apply for jobs with Spectrum. Symantec will still have some 500 employees in its new building on International Way, but that's not enough for Symantec to retain its five-year tax break. That could be good news for the city of Springfield, because it would mean that Symantec might have to pay some $3.1 million in property taxes. Symantec is located in an enterprise zone, which allows it to get an exemption on property taxes if it meets certain qualifications. One qualification is that a company increase its work force by at least 10 percent. In Symantec's case that would be at least 617 employees. By outsourcing its private-customer support services division, the company will cut its current work force down to 500. Symantec says it is making the move so it won't need to invest in tools and products that aren't part of its core business. Instead, it plans to focus on its corporate-customer division or "enterprise solutions," which has a different set of products and tools. Obviously, the move will save Symantec money or it wouldn't be making it, and in today's high-tech global economy, companies often have to move fast to remain competitive. And at least the jobs are staying in Lane County, although they are moving from Springfield to Eugene. They could be going elsewhere. Still, it's troubling because layoffs are always troubling. Although Symantec employees will have a job until July 26, it's probably unsettling to them to know they'll be looking for work. Even if Spectrum hires most of those Symantec employees -- and it's making no guarantees -- the job and benefits may not be the same. Lane County has seen too many layoffs in recent years. Let's hope the layoffs at Symantec are the last of them and that our economy begins to recover quickly. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0522/opinion/sn_opinion.html#TopOfPage ------------------------------------------------------------ 16.sn - JOINT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IS BAD IDEA ------------------------------------------------------------ Editorial The Springfield News, 5/22/02 Saturday's paper carried a story on Page 1 about the suggestion that the Eugene and Springfield chambers of commerce merge into one unit. It's a bad idea. The idea surfaces every so often, the thesis usually being that the metropolitan area is a whole community, which is true, and so it should have one chamber. But it's still a bad idea. The Eugene chamber has 1,200 members while the Springfield chamber has 575 members. Approximately 200 members belong to both. The main reason a joint chamber is not a good idea is that Springfield would be swallowed up by Eugene, which is more than twice as big as its neighbor. We're used to being considered second best by Eugene folks. After all, Eugene is the county seat and by far the biggest city in the county. It has the University of Oregon and the Lane County Fairgrounds and various other things that make it an outstanding city in its own right. But Springfield is also an outstanding city, a good place in which to live and work. Formerly a mill town -- that's why Springfield High School students call themselves the Millers -- the city has changed drastically in the last 10 years. It offers campus industrial sites, which has attracted such businesses as Sony and Symantec, and acres of attractive new homes. It ran a good campaign to become the location for a new federal courthouse. PeaceHealth has announced plans to build its new medical center here. While a joint chamber might benefit some of Springfield's members, it could leave others behind. As Corkey Gourley, who is on the Springfield chamber board, pointed out in Saturday's story, small businesses make up the majority of membership and they need more assistance from a chamber of commerce than larger businesses. Small businesses might get lost in the cracks in a giant chamber. In addition, every other city in Lane County has its own chamber of commerce. Why should Springfield be any different? The merger suggestion is still in the talking stages. The next step is for both chambers to consider it if they wish. No dates have been set for such discussions. The Springfield chamber should just let the topic die. Entertaining the idea of merging might be a good move for Springfield if it's chamber wasn't functioning, but it is, and there is no need to replace it. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0522/opinion/sn_opinion-01.html#TopOfPage ======================= OTHER NEWS ======================= ------------------------------------------------------------ 17.rg - CHAMBERS BUYS UP BREW PUB ------------------------------------------------------------ By Christian Wihtol, Business Edltor The Register-Guard, 6/4/02, Page 1B GATEWAY: A developer continues her Springfield spree with the purchase of a doomed restaurant. SPRINGFIELD -- Eugene businesswoman Carolyn Chambers is brewing another property deal in the Gateway area. Chambers late last month bought the shuttered Tuscany's brew pub -- formerly Spencer's -- in Springfield's Gateway area. The purchase continues a Springfield shopping spree for Chambers. She's in the midst of buying 22 vacant acres at the north edge of Gateway; earlier this year she bought the Island Park office complex and neighboring buildings near the city's downtown; and she's developing three vacant commercial acres in Gateway for a private college and other office uses. Just what Chambers has in mind for the Tuscany building on Kruse Way is not clear. She didn't return a call from The Register-Guard seeking comment. But whether the brew pub -- Springfield's first and only such establishment -- will even exist in a few years is uncertain. That's because under the Belt Line Road/Interstate 5 interchange expansion being proposed by the Oregon Department of Transportation, the lot would be bulldozed to widen Kruse Way and improve traffic flow between Gateway Street and Belt Line. Spencer's was built in 1994 by Springfield real estate developer Richard Boyles and Eugene restaurateur David Andrews as the brew pub craze swept Lane County and the Pacific Northwest. But business at Spencer's eventually tapered off, and last year, Boyles and Andrews converted it to an Italian dining theme -- Tuscany's Ristorante and Pizzeria -- plus brew pub. "We tried to reposition it," Boyles said. Spencer's "wasn't doing particularly well. We felt the brew pub thing has kind of run its course," he said. Andrews died of a heart attack in January, leaving Tuscany's leaderless, and Boyles said he closed the business three weeks later. Boyles said he's selling the property because he wants to focus on what he knows best: real estate development and hotels. Plus, he said, a wave of new dining outlets in Gateway has made the industry brutal. Outback Steakhouse and the Original Roadhouse Grill now compete directly for the same customers Tuscany's and Spencer's courted, Boyles said. Plus the area has attracted other food outlets -- Quimo's Classic Subs and Schlotzsky's Deli, for example. "That pie has got carved a lot of different ways," Boyles said. Nationwide, the brew pub niche is in decline, Boyles added. Locally, the brew pub sector remains crowded, with three McMenamins outlets, Steelhead Brewery, the Wild Duck Brewery, West Bros. BBQ and others. It cost about $1 million to construct the Spencer's building and furnish it with beer-making equipment. Boyles sold the land and building to Chambers for $790000, according to a deed filed with Lane County. The interior improvements, including the brewing gear, were sold to Chambers separately for an undisclosed sum. In its plans for expanding the Belt Line/I-5 road system, ODOT offers three alternatives for widening Kruse Way. All three would displace the building, according to the environmental impact statement ODOT released last month. Chambers is no stranger to the alcoholic beverage business. She owns Silvan Ridge/Hinman Vineyards southwest of Eugene. Chambers' daughter, Liz Chambers, is general manager. Silvan Ridge/Hinman makes and markets wines and runs a tasting room where it plays host to catered events. (end) (web link unavailable) ------------------------------------------------------------ 18.sn - SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS SOUGHT AT 42ND STREET AND JASPER ROAD ------------------------------------------------------------ By Anne Thomas The Springfield News, 6/8/02 Although South 42nd Street isn't scheduled to have major improvements done until between 2004 and 2007, a couple of short-term solutions could make the street safer for pedestrians right now. So says Mayor Sid Leiken, who met Thursday with a group of area residents and staff representatives from various agencies. The gathering was a response to a plea made to the City Council in late March following the death of 7-year-old Daniel Ryan Lindsey on Feb. 27 after he rode his bicycle across South 42nd and struck a trailer. Appearing before the council in March were Jeannine Crane, a neighbor who witnessed the accident, and other residents. Crane was among the group that met with Leiken Thursday, along with some of Lindsey's relatives. Leiken said two possible short-term solutions are to move a crosswalk and to make all traffic stop at the intersection of Jasper Road and South 42nd. The current crosswalk that students must cross from the school to the west side of South 42nd was put in place to accommodate the old Mount Vernon School and is nearer to the railroad tracks, which takes students out of their way. A more natural place to cross is at Holly Street, which is closer to the new school, he said. Lane County Commissioner Bobby Green suggested that flashers with a pedestrian sign would call attention to the crosswalk. Students cross the street with a traffic guard, but even so, it's dangerous, Leiken said. "After we met in the room, we actually went out and walked on the street while kids were walking home from school," Leiken said. "It's kinda scary." He continued, "Watching her (the traffic guard) having to step out on 42nd Street to block traffic, I think, it would be stressful." The second solution -- making all traffic stop at the Jasper Road-South 42nd Street intersection -- should help slow traffic down. Currently, traffic entering the intersection from the west has to stop while other drivers don't. "The main thing is just to have all the traffic stop," Leiken said. Oregon Department of Transportation has placed the road improvements -- widening the street and installing sidewalks, curb cuts and a bike lane -- as a top priority but says it won't get to it until the 2004-07 cycle. South 42nd Street is a state road from Jasper Road up to Main Street, even though most of it is inside city limits. Once the improvements are made, the state wants the city of Springfield to take over maintenance of the road. Leiken said he has no problem with that, pointing out that a newly constructed road shouldn't need much maintenance for several years. Leiken praised Crane, the neighbor who witnessed the accident, for her involvement in rallying neighbors to approach the council and work toward a solution. "Sometimes we have a tendency to view things in statistics," Leiken said, "and it's important for staff to listen to people who are involved." "I think this proves that one or two or a handful of people can make a difference," he said. (end) http://springfieldnews.com/2002/news0608/frontpage/sn_frontpage-01.htm#TopOfPage ======================== CONTACTS ======================== ------------------------------------------------------------ CHOICES ------------------------------------------------------------ P.O. Box 70753, Eugene 97401 choices@efn.org Jan Wilson, Coordinator 341-1380 jswilson@efn.org Rob Zako, Editor, Email List Manager 343-5201 rzako@efn.org Steering Committee choices_steering@efn.org Announcements and Discussion Email List choices-l@efn.org ------------------------------------------------------------ SPRINGFIELD NEWS ------------------------------------------------------------ 746-1671, 746-0633 (fax) 1887 Laurel St., Springfield 97477 news@springfieldnews.com http://www.springfieldnews.com Shinabarger, Tim 746-1671 x316 ------------------------------------------------------------ REGISTER-GUARD ------------------------------------------------------------ 485-1234, 683-7631 (newsroom fax) http://www.registerguard.com Register-Guard Mailbag (Letters to the Editor) 485-1234 x2351, 338-2828 (fax) P.O. Box 10188, Eugene 97440-2188 RGLetters@guardnet.com McCowan, Karen (Columnist) kmccowan@guardnet.com Christie, Tim (Health & Medicine) tchristie@guardnet.com Cooper, Matt (Springfield and East Region) 338-2317 mcooper@guardnet.com eastnews@guardnet.com Dietz, Diane (Eugene City Government) ddietz@guardnet.com Haberman, Margaret (City Editor) rgnews@guardnet.com Wihtol, Christian (Business Editor) cwihtol@guardnet.com ------------------------------------------------------------ EUGENE WEEKLY ------------------------------------------------------------ 484-0519, 484-4044 (fax) 1251 Lincoln St., Eugene 97401-3418 http://www.eugeneweekly.com Ted Taylor (Editor, Letters to the Editor) editor@eugeneweekly.com ------------------------------------------------------------ SPRINGFIELD CITY COUNCIL ------------------------------------------------------------ 726-3700, 726-2363 225 Fifth St., Springfield, OR 97477 http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/ http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/calendar.htm http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/dsd/dept_dsd.htm http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/dsd/Planning/index.htm http://www.ci.springfield.or.us/dsd/Planning/Planning_Commission.htm Ballew, Anne (Ward 3) 744-9324 953 C St., Springfield, OR 97477 aballew@clippernet.com Fitch, Tammy (Ward 2) 747-6287 1102 West D St., Springfield, OR 97477 tfitch@ci.springfield.or.us, Fhins@fitch-huggins.com Hatfield, Lyle (Ward 6) 746-6684 518 North 68th Pl., Springfield, OR 97478 lylehatfield@attbi.com Leiken, Sid (Mayor) 726-9848 196 38th Pl., Springfield, OR 97478 mayor@ci.springfield.or.us, sid@maoregon.com Lundberg, Christine (Ward 1) 747-0571 127 Woodlane Dr., Springfield, OR 97477 CKLundberg@Prodigy.net Ralston, Dave (Ward 4) 746-7081 2114 L St., Springfield, OR 97477 chess714@msn.com, Simmons, Fred (Ward 5) 747-4283 312 South 52nd Pl., Springfield, OR 97478 fsimmons@ci.springfield.or.us ------------------------------------------------------------ EUGENE CITY COUNCIL ------------------------------------------------------------ 682-5010 777 Pearl St., Room 105, Eugene 97401 mayorandcc@ci.eugene.or.us http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/ http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/Council/Agenda/AGENDA.htm http://www.ci.eugene.or.us/council/agenda/CCAGENDA.pdf Bettman, Bonny (Ward 1) 344-3150 2191 Friendly, Eugene 97405 Bonny.S.Bettman@ci.eugene.or.us Farr, Pat (Ward 6) 689-0542 1929 Praslin St., Eugene 97402 Pat.M.Farr@ci.eugene.or.us Kelly, David (Ward 3) 686-3343 2988 Chandler St., Eugene 97403 David.S.Kelly@ci.eugene.or.us Meisner, Scott (Ward 7) 338-9946 66 North Adams St., Eugene 97402 Scott.Meisner@ci.eugene.or.us Nathanson, Nancy (Ward 8) 686-3446 2516 Hawkins Lane, Eugene 97405 Nancy.L.Nathanson@ci.eugene.or.us Pape, Gary, (Ward 5) 349-9939 355 Goodpasture Island Rd., Suite 400, Eugene 97401 Gary.D.Pape@ci.eugene.or.us Rayor, Gary (Ward 4) 343-5070 2373 Washington St., Eugene 97405 Gary.E.Rayor@ci.eugene.or.us Taylor, Betty (Ward 2) 338-9947 1051 East 36th Ave., Eugene 97405 Betty.L.Taylor@ci.eugene.or.us Torrey, Jim (Mayor) 682-5882 Jim.D.Torrey@ci.eugene.or.us ======================= OTHER LINKS ====================== PEACEHEALTH - WILLAMETTE VALLEY http://www.peacehealth.org/Community/owv/ MCKENZIE-WILLAMETTE HOSPITAL http://www.mckweb.com/ OREGON DEPARTMENT OF LAND CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT http://www.lcd.state.or.us/ ARLIE & COMPANY http://www.arlie.com/ =========================== KEY ========================== "Health Options Digest" is best read with an email program that recognizes links to web pages. It includes leads from and links to stories and opinions from the following publications: rg = The Register-Guard sn = Springfield News ew = Eugene Weekly cn = Comic News ode = Oregon Daily Emerald cce = City Club of Eugene Newsletter or = Oregonian For some stories (in the Springfield News and the Eugene Weekly), two links are given. Use the first link if the story is still current; use the second if another issue has since been published. ========================= CREDITS ======================== "Health Options Digest" is published once or twice a week by the Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES) as a service to the community. It is intended as an unbiased digest of news and opinion related to proposed changes in health care options for the community. The purpose of "Health Options Digest" is to inform, not editorialize. Please forward your copy of "Health Options Digest" to a friend. 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