Health Options Digest
June 26, 2005
Coalition for Health Options In Central Eugene-Springfield (CHOICES)
In This Issue
From the Editor
Week In Review
Last week, we inadvertently omitted stories from The Springfield News. The responsible staff have been disciplined and we have posted the missing stories online where they belong in our previous issue. We regret the error.
There's lots of news but little of it relates directly to PeaceHealth. In the game of "Musical Hospitals" you might think that PeaceHealth "won" by being the first hospital to grab a "seat" -- the RiverBend site. In fact, PeaceHealth is holding on to several seats -- the older Hilyard and Willamette Street sites and the newer RiverBend and Sony sites. With all that space, PeaceHealth just might be playing a game of "Musical Hospitals" with itself, trying to figure out what activities will go where. But as this is all internal to PeaceHealth, it doesn't make the news.
Meanwhile, the idea of a hospital at the EWEB site appears even more uncertain. Last week, John Musumeci signaled that his earlier offer to buy the EWEB site as a "back up" if Triad failed might turn into an all out bidding war, with Musumeci perhaps prepared to outbid Triad. This week, after having told Musumeci that the Lane County Fairgrounds were not for sale, the Lane County Commissioners indicated that the fairgrounds are losing money and that they need to do something to balance the accounts. Thus the idea of a McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center at the fairgrounds is being discussed again. For their part, McKenzie-Willamette offered a non-denial denial that the EWEB site remains their first choice but they would consider the fairgrounds should they become available.
The United Way of Lane County released their annual State of Caring report. Unsurprisingly, more people in Lane County lack health insurance. You can view the report at http://www.unitedwaylane.org/home/uw1/smartlist/37
In other news, there are different approaches to the game of local politics.
In one approach, the player says, "I'm right. You're wrong. Give me what I want or I'll leave the game." Last week, Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken raised the possibility that Springfield would go its own way if Eugene didn't go along with Springfield's desire to expand its Urban Growth Boundary." Such players perhaps believe that good fences make good neighbors.
In another approach, the player says, "We're all in this together and we will prosper or suffer together. Let's come together to see how we can solve our most pressing problems." This week, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken and Lane County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Anna Morrison invited leaders from around Lane County to discuss how to best fund public safety.
Still a third approach is for some players to gang up on others. That appears to be what is happening when Springfield and Lane County "gang up" on Eugene because it wants the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority to, you know, work against air pollution.
As PeaceHealth and McKenzie-Willamette continue to play "Musical Hospitals," whether internally out of view or externally for all to see, it would be good to remember that we will all prosper or suffer together.
Before the bidding wars start for the EWEB site or the Lane County Fairgrounds, wouldn't it be great if a diverse group of community leaders were to sit down together and figure out what makes the most sense?
Speaking of John Musumeci, it turns out he really is a developer. Okay, maybe that isn't exactly true. What is true is that Oregon Estates LLC has signed a contract to purchase 10 acres of Arlie's Crescent Village 39-acre site in order to build 65 luxury homes. But Musumeci was the one who had the vision and the ability to bring it to the point that someone else could actually develop homes.
Speaking of building homes, the Home Builders Association of Lane County lost an appeal of new system development charges (SDCs) for sewers. SDCs are intended to make sure that new growth pays for needed new facilities and services so that existing residents don't have to keep paying.
As work on Interstate-105 winds down, work on the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway in Springfield and the first phase of Bus Rapid Transit in Eugene is gearing up.
The issue of protecting natural areas and wildlife in the South Eugene Hills is coming to a head.
Lastly, with any legislation to clarify Measure 37 looking increasingly unlikely, it will probably fall to the courts to decide if an owner is due "just compensation" when a regulation restricts the use of his or her property. Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court recently reaffirmed the power of local governments to regulate or even condemn property for public uses in a pair of rulings. But we doubt that even the Supreme Court will have the final say on the broader issues.
Rob Zako, Editor
343-5201
rzako@efn.org
Calendar
Thursday, June 30 -- LTD marks 20 years of accessible service
| The Register-Guard | June 21, 2005 |
Lane Transit District marks its 20th anniversary of accessible service this year.
The public is invited to join LTD and celebrate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. Activities include a wheelchair obstacle course, prizes and more.
The district has worked with local, regional, and national advocates to develop a package of products and services for seniors and people with disabilities. LTD is the first transit district in the nation to mark 20 years of accessible service.
For more information, call LTD at 682-6100.
Thursday, June 30 -- LTD celebrates 20 years of accessibility
| The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
Lane Transit District is marking its 20th anniversary of accessible service this year, making it the first transit district in the nation to achieve this accomplishment.
LTD will be celebrating it's milestone from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the Hilyard Community Center in Eugene. Activities will include a wheelchair obstacle course, distribution of securement loops to secure mobility devices on the bus, prizes and more.
In 1985, five years before the Americans with Disabilities Act requirement, LTD invested in retrofitting its entire fleet with wheelchair lifts.
Over the years, LTD has worked with local, regional, and national advocates to develop a package of innovative products and services, called EZ Access Program. The program is geared toward helping seniors and people with disabilities maintain a high level of independence. It provides progressive levels of assistance to people with a range of disabilities.
Community involvement and participation by local advocates continues to be a reason LTD is considered on the leading edge in the transit industry in providing programs serving people with disabilities, according to LTD officials.
For more information about the celebration, contact LTD at 682-6100 or 800-735-2900.
Opportunities
Lane County health panel has volunteer vacancy
| The Register-Guard | June 18, 2005 |
The Lane County Board of Commissioners is seeking applications from residents interested in serving on the Health Advisory Committee.
The committee makes recommendations on matters of public health, planning, policy development, control measures, funding, public education and advocacy, and acts in a community liaison capacity to provide a link between the community and the health division.
There are four vacancies to the four-year terms.
The application deadline is 5 p.m. on July 22. To request an application by mail, call 682-4207.
LRAPA seeks representative
| The Springfield News | June 17, 2005 |
The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority is soliciting applications from Springfield residents to fill a current at-large LRAPA Board of Directors vacancy. LRAPA is the state's only local air agency and governs most of the county's air quality regulations.
The volunteer nine-member board comprises both elected officials and appointed citizens who generally meet monthly to provide guidance and direction for the agency. Members include four representatives from the city of Eugene, one each from Lane County and the city of Springfield, one from either the city of Cottage Grove or city of Oakridge, and two at-large representatives appointed by the board.
Springfield residents who are interested in helping establish and implement air quality regulations in Lane County are encouraged to apply. Deadline for submittal is July 8, 2005.
Applications are available on the home page of LRAPA's Web site at www.lrapa.org, or by calling 736-1056.
Air pollution board needs a Springfield resident
| The Register-Guard | June 17, 2005 |
The Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority is seeking a Springfield resident to increase the agency's eight-member board to nine.
The cooperative agency exists by agreement between Eugene, Springfield and Lane County to oversee the establishment and functioning of air quality regulations. It's the only local air-pollution regulating agency in the state. All other jurisdictions are overseen by the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Survival of the local agency has been threatened in recent weeks as politicians in Springfield and Lane County have questioned the role of and the need for the agency.
Two previous applicants were rejected by the board for lack of technical expertise and because some board members believed they would favor being too aggressive in pursuing polluting businesses.
Deadline to apply is July 8. Applications are available on the agency Web site www.lrapa.org or by calling 736-1056.
LTD Vacancies
We hear that three positions on the Lane Transit District board of directors will expire at the end of this year: Position 4 for north Eugene east of River Road and the City of Coburg (currently served by Susan Ban); Position 5 for central and west Eugene, including the University area and downtown, and the Whiteaker, Jefferson, and West Side neighborhoods (currently served by Gerry Gaydos); and Position 6 for west Eugene near Highway 99 and River Road and Junction City (currently served by Dave Kleger).
As the bill to make LTD directors elected died in a Senate committee, these positions will be filled by Governor Kulongoski and confirmed by the Senate. The process of appointments by the governor is akin to black magic. Few understanding how the game is played, or even that there is a game. Nonetheless, those from the areas listed above with an interest in serving on the LTD board might begin making discreet inquiries.
For more information, visit http://www.ltd.org/about/boardmembers.html
McKenzie-Willamette/Triad
What if the fair wasn't there?
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | June 23, 2005 |
The Lane County fairgrounds again has surfaced as a possible site for McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, after the county commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to consider moving the financially struggling fair operation.
The commissioners told the board of the Lane Events Center, the 55-acre complex that includes the fairgrounds, to return in the coming months with ways to stabilize an operation that has a deficit of about $350,000.
Relocation is one option, fair officials said, and that raises the question of whether the Springfield hospital would again consider moving to the fairgrounds if plans fall through to move the hospital to the Eugene Water & Electric Board site at 500 E. Fourth Ave.
City, hospital and utility officials agree that the EWEB property remains the front-runner for McKenzie-Willamette and partner Triad, the Texas-based majority owner. But hospital CEO Roy Orr wouldn't rule out the fairgrounds site at 13th Avenue and Jefferson Street, either. (more...)
Editorial -- Decide on fairgrounds: County has simple choice: move or improve
| The Register-Guard | June 26, 2005 |
It remains to be seen if the Lane County fairgrounds is a more desirable -- and perhaps even more importantly, obtainable -- site for the McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center than the Eugene Water & Electric Board's riverfront property in downtown Eugene.
It also remains to be seen if the county can find an attractive, affordable and workable new location for its fairgrounds and convention operations than the current 55-acre site whose central location and single ownership have kept it in the cross-hairs of developers in recent years.
But Wednesday's unanimous decision by the Lane County Board of Commissioners to consider moving its fairgrounds operations is a welcome one, if for no other reason than it should prod the board into making difficult decisions that have been put off for far too long. (more...)
Hospital marks 50 years in one place
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | June 26, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- On a Saturday during which McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center celebrated 50 years in Springfield, there was consensus on perhaps one point: The sooner the future arrives, the better. (more...)
Health Care
Survey measures human needs in numbers
By Susan Palmer
The Register-Guard | June 22, 2005 |
Call it the good news, bad news report. An annual survey of community well-being compiled by the United Way of Lane County concluded that there were better job prospects, fewer people living in poverty and less crime.
On the other hand, more people lack health insurance, child care options for families are shrinking and the cost of housing is increasing, according to the report.
The survey, "State of Caring 2005," pulled together information from a variety of state and federal government reports. In some cases, however, the report draws conclusions based on incomplete or old information. (more...)
Phil Barnhart -- From state Legislature, some turkeys and an eagle
| The Springfield News | June 24, 2005 |
June 17, 2005 -- I heard on public radio the other day of some strange bills being considered in other states' legislatures. Similar shenanigans are occurring here. Following are three head scratchers, followed by one piece of good news:
...
House kills resolution calling for affordable and accessible prescription drugs, June 7:
The House leadership failed again to prioritize the health and well-being of Oregonians over the power of special interests. Together with Rep. Mary Nolan, D -- Portland, I brought a resolution to the full House that called for "a commitment to helping ensure that prescription medicines should be as affordable and accessible as possible." On a party-line vote, the majority refused to support Oregon's sick, disabled and impoverished who must use expensive medications in order to remain healthy, or even to stay alive. (more...)
Letter -- Time for universal health care
By Jack Stevens, Eugene
The Register-Guard | June 20, 2005 |
Tillamook creamery workers have returned to work after a short strike. They accepted a smaller pay increase in order to have a more favorable health care program. Oregon's favorite cheese will still be available.
From the Lane Transit District to General Motors, health care is the principal concern of all Americans. All over the nation, workers are sacrificing their well-deserved wage increases in order to have health insurance.
The Iraq debacle, the neglect of education, the decline in the real income of working people are all serious and important matters, but the health care crisis terrifies every one of us every day and our Republican pseudo-government does nothing about it.
It is long past time that the United States joins the rest of the world in providing universal health care for all our people.
Letter -- Stay informed on health care
By Frank N. Turner, M.D., Eugene
The Register-Guard | June 26, 2005 |
I was interested to read the front page article about the unfortunate individuals who need to raise money for health costs with benefit concerts (Register-Guard, June 13).
The newspaper needs to keep health care access on the front page. The lack of access to health care is a growing problem, as well as an indictment of our society's inability to deal with complex problems.
This problem, namely lack of access to health care, will continue to grow and plague us.
What can each of us do about this, other than to be charitable? Each of us needs to become aware of the issues involved.
What positions do interested parties take? What buzz words or spin can we expect to hear from vested interests? What, exactly, does patient responsibility mean? How about market forces, choice?
There are many groups working to bring these issues to light. I wish a little more light had been shed on the recent Medicare drug benefit.
Who really benefits from that? When our society finally comes up with a fix, let's all hope for a real fix.
Nearby Developments
Panel on sustainable development to meet
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
Environmentalists, labor advocates and business people will try to find common ground in thenext year as members of Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy's "Sustainable Economic Development Task Force."
Piercy last month named 15 people to the committee, which will identify possible ways to create income for local businesses and living wage jobs for employees, while also conserving the environment. "The goal is to make Eugene a nationally known center of excellence in this rapidly growing field," Piercy said.
Rusty Rexius of Rexius/Grant's Landscape Services and chairman of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce, and David Funk of the Funk/Levis Associates marketing company are co-chairmen of the committee. (more...)
Glenwood development plan takes shape
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
Anticipating change, city planners want to guide how Glenwood's riverfront develops and redevelops.
In a joint meeting held Monday night, Springfield city councilors and Lane County commissioners met to discuss a package of amendments that would set up a redevelopment process for a 48-acre area referred to as "Subarea 8: The River Opportunity Area."
The opportunity area lies along the river edge -- the western boundary stretching to the Ponderosa Mobile Village at 3998 Franklin Blvd. and the eastern boundary hedged in by the railroad tracks.
The idea is to bring a mix of uses to the area through nodal development, which emphasizes pedestrian-friendly design with commercial, retail, residential and public open space development. The plan calls for a designation change to mixed-use/nodal, but zone changes would be developer-driven. This would allow existing property owners to continue their present uses, according to city officials.
Otto Poticha, principal architect, said the redevelopment plan has been in the works for three years. The hope is that by providing a framework for development to occur, the riverfront will become a destination point. (more...)
City approves land annexation
By Serena Markstrom
The Register-Guard | June 21, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- The City Council on Monday gave a unanimous nod to a resolution to annex 14 acres adjacent to Symantec Corp.'s current call center into the city limits.
The resolution is a step toward the software company expanding its campus and building a new facility. The land is within Springfield's urban growth boundary, but annexation would allow the permit and development process to begin. The annexation now goes before the county boundary commission, which will decide its fate. (more...)
Symantec facility to become company's biggest
By Ben Raymond Lode
The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
The Springfield City Council on Monday unanimously approved annexation of a 14.14-acre property that abuts Symantec Corp.'s Springfield facility.
The annexation comes in the wake of last week's announcement from Symantec officials that the company has bought 14.7 acres of land next to its existing facility, for purposes of expanding it.
The company plans to build a roughly 200,000-square-foot building with the capacity to house 1,000 employees, right next to its older 198,000-square-foot facility. (more...)
Symantec's Unstable Jobs
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | June 23, 2005 |
Symantec announced last week that it will double its jobs in Springfield to about 2,000, but it's uncertain whether the call center jobs will outlast the tax breaks in the volatile industry. (more...)
Springfield buys land so millrace restoration can begin
By Serena Markstrom
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- The city has cut a check for almost $1.3 million to buy 43 acres of land from McKenzie Forest Products in order to move forward on the millrace restoration project that's been 10 years in the making. (more...)
Public offered details on Wildish plans to expand gravel operations
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | June 23, 2005 |
A collection of state and federal agencies will be offering information to the public on Wednesday about Wildish Land Co.'s proposed expansion of gravel mining along the McKenzie River, plus construction of a long dike to protect the pits.
The proposed work is on the north side of the McKenzie River, at the point where the Willamette and McKenzie meet. (more...)
Wildish withdraws plan to expand mining
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | June 24, 2005 |
Wildish Land Co. has abruptly withdrawn its controversial plans to expand gravel mining on its land near the confluence of the Willamette and McKenzie rivers.
The Eugene company cited the complicated approval process that loomed ahead, and said it would soon submit a simpler application. (more...)
65 luxury houses in the works
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | June 22, 2005 |
A Eugene-based builder of custom homes will be the first to construct buildings at the Crescent Village mixed-use development in northeast Eugene.
Todd and Julie Bardwell, owners of Oregon Estates LLC, have signed a contract to buy about 10 acres of land on the eastern edge of the 39-acre Crescent Village, off Crescent Avenue.
Todd Bardwell said on Tuesday that his plan is to build 65 luxury rowhouses and townhouses once the project gets city approval. He said he hopes to begin construction in October and have some of the units ready for occupancy by late spring 2006. (more...)
Retail Notebook: Opening a new window on Willamette
By Joe Mosley
The Register-Guard | June 23, 2005 |
Think for a moment about the transformation of a once-stagnant commercial district that has occurred along Coburg Road since a top-to-bottom renovation of the nearby Oakway Center four years ago.
Now shift to south Eugene and think about current plans to upgrade the former Willamette Plaza shopping center -- which has been renamed Woodfield Station -- at Willamette Street and 29th Avenue. Standard Insurance Co., which owns the center, plans to spend $10 million to $12 million on that project.
Finally, think a little ahead of the curve, to some possibilities for a renewed retail neighborhood in a stretch of Willamette that has seen few additions or upgrades over the past decade or so. (more...)
Builders lose court challenge to fees
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | June 22, 2005 |
A Lane County judge has blocked attempts by local home builders to flush away increases in sewer and wastewater development fees adopted by Eugene and Springfield last summer.
Alleging that Springfield, Eugene and the county violated state law and land use policies when the jurisdictions raised fees, the Home Builders Association of Lane County last year took its case to the countyCircuit Court and the Land Use Board of Appeals.
The new fees were a relatively minor pain for homeowners, but added a big cost for home builders and people buying new homes. Contractors were hit with a 79 percent increase in the regional wastewater systems development charge -- one of the fees levied on developers of new homes. (more...)
Builders lose suit over wastewater fees
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
After nearly a year of legal wrangling, the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission will be able to keep its system development charge system, a judge ruled.
In a decision handed down last Friday, Lane County Circuit Court Judge Karsten H. Rasmussen sided with the MWMC on all nine assignments of error filed by the Home Builders Association of Lane County. (more...)
Construction surge boosts suppliers of house fixtures
By Scott Maben
The Register-Guard | June 21, 2005 |
It's not just builders, real estate agents and mortgage brokers that are profiting from the home construction boom.
Businesses that supply the floors, windows, doors, lighting, plumbing fixtures and other materials are busier than they've been in years, according to several local companies. (more...)
Editorial -- System-wide failure: Property crime proposal is only a minor fix
| The Register-Guard | June 21, 2005 |
If you're unarmed and under heavy bombardment, even a BB gun can look like a desirable addition to an otherwise empty arsenal.
For rural Lane County residents, the proposal to hire a full-time sheriff's detective to work on property crimes is the equivalent of creating a BB-gun arsenal. It won't make a serious dent in the county's property crime rate, nor will it change the county's appalling inability to prosecute low-level property crimes or to hold behind bars those suspected or convicted of committing such crimes. But a single detective coupled with a new commitment from city and state police agencies to cooperate in fighting property crime is certainly better than the alternative -- which is nothing. (more...)
4,618 Square miles. 103,452 people. 5 deputies. That's the reality in Lane County, where sheriff's deputies try to handle as many calls as possible. This is a day in the life of one of those deputies.
By Bill Bishop
The Register-Guard | June 26, 2005 |
A .45-caliber pistol in her holster, an AR-15 rifle and a shotgun at her side, Adam 6-2 wheels a Ford patrol car through a drive-up coffee stand to kick off another swing shift for the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
Adam 6-2 -- that's the radio moniker for deputy Chris Jacobson -- is ready for anything.
She has to be. (more...)
County, cities to try again for funding
| The Register-Guard | June 26, 2005 |
Elected officials from cities around the county plan to meet Thursday to try again to reverse the decay in the county's public safety systems.
The meeting follows a setback last month in the county's plan to form a public safety taxing district to pay for additional patrols, prosecution, jail space, probation officers and treatment programs.
A divided Eugene City Council voted down the idea after Springfield officials narrowly approved it. Eugene officials said they wanted more discussion of ideas before a proposal came up for a vote.
Mayors from a dozen cities will meet at 6 p.m. in Building 19, Room 102, at Lane Community College. (more...)
Editorial -- Neighborhood Watch is cheaper than a new jail
| The Springfield News | June 24, 2005 |
We've focused a lot of attention on Springfield's plans to build a new jail, so we can hold criminals accountable in our town. It's going to cost more than a million bucks a year to run, and a small platoon of committees is trying to figure out how to finance that right now.
We really do need that jail. But it's a couple years from fruition, if it even happens. And we have a crime problem right now.
Just one week ago, The Springfield News featured a story on South Valley 4x4. Its owner, Leonard Hays, is pulling his hair out, because he has to pull other peoples' used syringes out of his landscaping every morning. Junk piles up and people break into cars on his property, apparently with impunity.
And he's not the only one with this problem, as a quick glance at the Police Blotter in any issue of The Springfield News will reveal.
Sure, the jail will help. But right now, what Hays needs -- like the rest of us -- is some good old-fashioned neighbors helping neighbors.
No, we're not talking vigilante action. It's much simpler than that, and more legal: Neighborhood Watch. (more...)
Council OKs talks on pact for jail pre-design firm
By Serena Markstrom
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
The city hasn't yet figured out how it will pay for operations of the Justice Center, but is beginning to design the facility.
The City Council Monday authorized City Manager Mike Kelly to negotiate a contract with an architectural pre-design firm.
The consulting firm Liebert and Associates provides design guidance for buildings before architects begin work. They will determine how many beds the city jail will need.
The firm will also determine space needs for administrative offices, training rooms and specialized functions such as evidence storage and labs.
Transportation
Letter -- Ill-Fated WEP
By Rob Handy, Eugene
Eugene Weekly | June 23, 2005 |
Your columnist Mary O'Brien hit the nail on the head (Natural Resistance, 6/2). ODOT's proposed $169 million West Eugene Parkway (WEP) project isn't passing muster with the Bureau of Land Management. Ditto for the Army Corps of Engineers, another project partner. Still another cooperating partner, the Federal Highway Administration, holds its nose at this proposal and turns the other cheek.
Yet ODOT continues to fritter away taxpayer dollars planning for a project that is going nowhere, and has diminishing support by the month.
Eugene needs an integrated transportation and land use alternative that will address connectivity challenges along Highway 126/West 11th, can solve future congestion issues, and preserve the west Eugene wetlands. ODOT's proposed WEP fails on all counts.
ODOT needs to account for the concerns and values of all of this project's cooperating agencies, including the businesses and residents of the city of Eugene. ODOT has a current agreement with the Oregon Consensus Program, which helps facilitate collaborative agreement-seeking processes among various stakeholders. ODOT should use them.
The WEP will never be built. It's time ODOT faced their denial and accepted their part in prolonging the pain this community has endured around this ill-fated project. It's time for ODOT to stop wasting taxpayer dollars planning a dead-end project and support exploring alternatives that all stakeholders can live with.
Street project oiling its engine
By Joe Harwood
The Register-Guard | June 22, 2005 |
SPRINGFIELD -- After puttering along for the past three months, work on the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway project will shift into high gear in about two weeks.
The two-year, $12 million project will extend Pioneer Parkway one mile north from Harlow Road to Belt Line Road, providing a vital link to the RiverBend regional medical center PeaceHealth plans to build on land east of the parkway.
The new parkway also will take pressure off the busy Gateway Street, and provide relief to homeowners along Game Farm Road, which was not built to handle the big volume of commuter traffic that presently uses the road. (more...)
Work on Eugene-Springfield high-speed bus line set to roll
By Matt Cooper
The Register-Guard | June 20, 2005 |
Work on a bus rapid-transit link between Eugene and Springfield is speeding up.
Construction on the next part of the high-speed bus route starts early this week along 11th Avenue, as Lane Transit District pushes toward a planned opening of the $18 million system in fall 2006. (more...)
I-105 construction closures finally pass
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | June 24, 2005 |
Commuters can breathe a collective sigh of relief -- major lane closures are now a thing of the past.
Construction closures for the $13 million Interstate 105 Highway Improvement project, covering a three-mile stretch of highway from Eugene through Springfield, will cease as early as this Sunday or as late as Monday. (more...)
I-105 Construction Update
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
Eugene-Springfield's trip down the long, hard road of a disruptive spring paving project ended abruptly Friday morning.
Oregon Mainline Paving finished the major Interstate 105 closures at 10:30 a.m. -- more than a month ahead of schedule.
That doesn't mean the work that had been under way since May 19 was a breeze. (more...)
Letter -- Bicycles a way to beat gridlock
By Sue Wolling, Eugene
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
Construction on Interstate 105 has suddenly brought Eugene traffic to a standstill. To escape the congestion, motorists have tried using alternate routes. Apparently, they hope that the traffic jam on Franklin Boulevard will be nicer than the one on Coburg Road or Seventh Avenue or Belt Line Road.
Seeking an alternate route is an exercise in frustration. When a major arterial such as I-105 is closed, traffic congestion is automatic. The best way to avoid it is to get out of your auto. The solution is not an alternate route, but an alternate mode of travel.
For years, Eugene has wisely invested in facilities for alternate modes of transportation -- transit stops, bike lanes, sidewalks and off-street paths. It's time to cash in on that investment.
With I-105 under construction, autos and buses are outmoded forms of transportation. They simply can't compete with bicycles for efficient travel on many short trips. The streets may be clogged, but the bike lanes are wide open.
Bicycling has always been a healthy and enjoyable way to travel. When gas prices started to rise, bicycling became an increasingly economical choice as well. Now that construction has clogged roads throughout the city, a bicycle has also become the quickest way to make short trips around town.
What are you waiting for? Take a constructive approach to road construction. Try the bikeway.
Bill fails, but ODOT says highway's safe: Agency no longer plans freight route
| The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
A bill to protect the scenic McKenzie Highway from becoming a designated freight route has failed, but the highway is still not being recommended for truck traffic. (more...)
Transportation bonds clear Senate
By Niki Sullivan
The Associated Press | June 23, 2005 |
SALEM -- Airports, railways and ports would be upgraded under a $100 million bond authorization bill passed by the Senate on Wednesday.
The "Connect Oregon" bill, one of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's key initiatives, passed the Senate 29-0. It goes to the House.
The bill will allow the state to issue up to $100 million in lottery bonds to fund air, rail, public transit and water transportation projects.
Kulongoski urged the House on Wednesday to fast-track the bill, which he said is non- partisan. (more...)
Need your fix? It's time to realize we're hooked, but changing habits isn't impossible
By Nicole Lavelle, 20Below News Team
The Register-Guard | June 20, 2005 |
I think we're all a bunch of addicts. I'm not so bad in comparison to other people; I only need a fix once every two weeks, and luckily I consume less than others.
I try my best not to use so much, but it's quite difficult to alter my habits. I've tried reducing my dependence so many times, but really, I'm getting so many mixed messages.
Peer pressure is huge. Everyone around me uses, and in far greater quantities than I could ever imagine. And the government? Well, it's doing absolutely nothing to curb our nation's growing dependence.
But admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery, right? So let's all join hands and take the first step together. Repeat after me:
I am addicted to gasoline. (more...)
Russell Sadler -- Highway tax pilot project raises privacy issues
| The Register-Guard | June 20, 2005 |
How would you like to pay your highway taxes based on the miles you drive rather than the gallons of gas you buy?
You may get the chance. (more...)
James Whitty -- Misconceptions abound about mileage-based tax test
By James Whitty
The Register-Guard | June 24, 2005 |
In the June 15 Register-Guard Mailbag, a reader questioned the validity of Oregon's tests of a mileage-based tax. I want to address this reader's concerns, as well as those of other Register-Guard readers, knowing Oregonians want to rely on facts when making decisions. (more...)
Natural gas fueling facility planned for state motor pool in Glenwood: Oregon has just five stations in service now
By Ben Raymond Lode
The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
The fueling infrastructure that would allow owners of vehicles that run on natural gas to drive from coast to coast is non-existent today.
But the Oregon Department of Administrative Services is making efforts to give, local, state and federal government employees the opportunity to travel at least the length of Oregon without having to worry about running out of juice.
The most recent of those efforts is the planned addition of a compressed natural gas fueling facility for the Eugene-Springfield Motor Pool, located at 3233 Franklin Blvd., at the extreme westernmost end of Glenwood between Brooks Cut Rate Auto Parts and Interstate 5. (more...)
Other News
Man works to save bird's habitat
By Edward Russo
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
South Eugene resident Kevin Matthews has long admired the sights and sounds of pileated woodpeckers in his backyard and the surrounding, forested hills. (more...)
Steve McQuiddy -- It's hard to put a price on some land deals
By Steve McQuiddy
The Register-Guard | June 21, 2005 |
Much talk recently has centered around Eugene land use issues: the Willamette riverfront properties, the Santa Clara "land swap" decision, logging in the McKenzie River watershed and building houses off Dillard Road.
The dominant questions nearly always seem to be economic: how resources can be exploited, how land can be developed, how to make it pay.
These are relevant questions. But we might also consider asking who exactly will be paid, in what form will that payment be and how long might the benefits be sustained. (more...)
New ideas for schools win favor in Eugene
By Anne Williams
The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
A pair of education reform advocates from the Portland-based Chalkboard Project found a largely receptive audience at the Eugene City Club on Friday, where they explained the initiative's recently unveiled strategies for improving Oregon's public school system.
But one of their ideas -- expanding school choice so that any child may attend any school, regardless of neighborhood or district boundaries -- raised red flags with some in the crowd who are familiar with Eugene's ongoing angst over the topic. (more...)
City votes to leave money in budget, but keep an eye on it
By Amber Fossen
The Springfield News | June 22, 2005 |
Springfield City Councilors approved the 2005-06 fiscal year budget with some adjustments -- and a caveat.
Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority dues will remain part of the budget. But in a unanimous decision, councilors voted that those funds could not be appropriated without council's authorization.
The budget has $50,000 marked for LRAPA.
Springfield Mayor Sid Leiken said he was uncomfortable with making a funding decision for LRAPA without a report updating its activities. Councilor Dave Ralston, who serves as chair of LRAPA, was absent from the regular session held Monday night. (more...)
Regional Rivalry
Springfield and Lane County conservatives attack Eugene.
By Alan Pittman
Eugene Weekly | June 23, 2005 |
Eugene, Springfield and Lane County cooperate on a lot of stuff. Air pollution regulation, road funding, sewage treatment, jail funding, human services funding and metropolitan land use and transportation planning all are governed by regional boards composed of representatives from the various jurisdictions. Getting anything done requires cooperation, as the boards often give veto power to each jurisdiction.
In the past this wasn't too much of an issue. Eugene, Springfield and Lane County were all dominated by conservatives and/or Republicans who often put developer and business interests ahead of taxpayers and the environment. But last year that changed with the election of a progressive mayor and City Council majority in Eugene, leading to mounting friction. (more...)
Torrey offers precise plan to save Kidsports
By Diane Dietz
The Register-Guard | June 24, 2005 |
Former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey's plan for rescuing the venerable Kidsports from financial collapse fits on a single sheet of paper. (more...)
Editorial -- Kidsport rallies in ninth: Torrey offers plan to rescue organization
| The Register-Guard | June 25, 2005 |
It's not an exaggeration to say that Kidsports was on life support and in danger of fading into that great playing field in the sky when former Eugene Mayor Jim Torrey took on the job of trying to revive the nonprofit organization. (more...)
Kulongoski assails Legislature over inability to act
By Charles Beggs
The Associated Press | June 20, 2005 |
SALEM -- Gov. Ted Kulongoski says the Legislature's impasses over the budget and other issues raise troubling questions about that branch's relevance in the government.
Rigid political positions and threats from special interests to take issues to the ballot if lawmakers don't do as they want have legislators stymied and afraid to act, the Democratic chief executive said in an interview last week. (more...)
Senate revives two initiatives
| The Associated Press | June 21, 2005 |
SALEM -- The Senate approved a measure Monday restoring two of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's environmental initiatives that the House stripped last week in passing its version of the Department of Environmental Quality budget.
The Senate, run by Democrats, passed its DEQ spending measure 16-13 and sent it to the Republican-controlled House, which has yet to act on it.
The two houses must negotiate budget settlements eventually, but since the joint budget writing committee split into separate panels last month, it's not clear how that will happen.
The House and Senate environmental budgets differ in two areas: whether to prohibit California's auto emissions standards and whether to fund a plan to clean up the Willamette River. (more...)
Lobbyists press against global warming policy
By H. Josef Hebert
The Associated Press | June 21, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- Industry groups and environmentalists lobbied hard to sway lawmakers' votes Monday as the Senate prepared for a major challenge to President Bush's global warming policy as part of emerging energy legislation.
At the same time, the Senate agreed unanimously without debate to incorporate a package of energy tax incentives totaling $18 billion into the energy bill. The tax breaks lean heavily toward promoting energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, alternative motor fuels and clean coal technologies. (more...)
'Voluntary' climate plan OK'd
By H. Josef Hebert
The Associated Press | June 22, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- The Senate endorsed President Bush's climate-change policies Tuesday, approving a measure that avoids mandatory reductions of heat-trapping pollution while still boosting government support for cleaner energy sources.
In a second setback for environmentalists, the Senate agreed to conduct an inventory of offshore oil and gas resources that some senators called a prelude to drilling in coastal waters now off limits to energy development. An attempt to strip the inventory from a broad energy bill failed 52-44.
Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden and Republican Gordon Smith both voted yes. (more...)
Senate rejects caps on gas emissions
By Jeff Nesmith
The Register-Guard | June 23, 2005 |
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Wednesday for the second time in two years against requiring reductions in U.S. emissions of heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases.
Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., failed on a 60-38 vote to attach their measure to an energy bill Senate leaders hope to pass this week. (more...)
Final touches on energy bill
By Josef Hebert
The Associated Press | June 24, 2005 |
WASHINGTON -- The Senate neared completion of a sweeping national energy agenda late Thursday that would promote conservation and environmentally friendly fuels. But senators rejected a last-minute bid to substantially raise automobile fuel economy over the next decade.
The massive energy bill, which was essentially completed but awaits a final vote next Tuesday, contrasts with a bill more favorable to oil and gas producers and approved by the House in April.
If the Senate, as expected, passes the bill next week, it will set the stage for difficult, possibly lengthy negotiations with the House later this summer. (more...)
Finn John -- Editor introduces a new column
| The Springfield News | June 24, 2005 |
I know this sounds like the kind of indulgence only a total egomaniac would do, but I think it's time for me to start writing a regular personal column in The Springfield News. So here you have it, my first one. (more...)
Elections
Mona Linstromberg -- The Politics of Indifference
Anna Morrison's extreme record alienates Mom and Pop.
By Mona Linstromberg
Eugene Weekly | June 23, 2005 |
West Lane County Commissioner Anna Morrison's recent remark that "I don't look at myself as being extreme" has county watchers scratching their heads.
Speaking at the county's recent 2005-06 budget-setting Feb. 25 Leadership Team meeting, Morrison loudly proclaimed, "I would not have heartburn around getting rid of Lane County Extension; I would not have heartburn around WIC [Women, Infants & Children] or teen pregnancy," almost gloating over possible painful service cuts to thousands, in keeping with her proposed cuts of April 2005.
Morrison now appears to be attempting an image make-over. Coming on the heels of a March 17 local press interview in which she claimed that her attempts (rejected by a board majority in favor of a 9 percent budget trimming) to axe 18 vital programs in the county's current 2004-05 budget were simply motivated by a desire to give more money for county tax collection, a look at those pesky ol' facts is in order! (more...)
Poll: 33 percent would back Kulongoski
By Brad Cain
The Associated Press | June 26, 2005 |
SALEM -- With a new statewide poll showing tepid voter support for re-electing Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a number of Democrats as well as Republicans are lining up to possibly run for governor in 2006, and some are openly criticizing Kulongoski's leadership style.
The Democratic incumbent hasn't formally announced his re-election bid yet. But he makes it clear that he's ready to run on what he says is a record of creating new jobs and putting the state's finances back on solid ground after years of economic recession. (more...)
Measure 37, Oregon's Land Use Planning System
State works to define high-value farmland
By Mitch Lies, Oregon Staff Writer
The Capital Press | |
SALEM -- Six months into a legislative session that held the promise of "fixing" the controversial land-use measure voters approved in November, an Oregon Department of Agriculture official questioned whether the "fixes" are more likely to preserve high-value farmland than the status quo.
Jim Johnson, the department's point person on the measure, said at a Board of Agriculture meeting last week that it may be time to re-evaluate the measure in light of recent county and state government decisions to deny or at least dramatically limit the scope of several Measure 37 claims filed to date. (more...)
Measure 37 stuck in circle of chambers
With compromise unlikely on House and Senate bills, the courts may have to clarify the land-use measure
By Laura Oppenheimer
The Oregonian | June 21, 2005 |
As time runs out to revamp Oregon's new property-rights law, state legislators continue a game of political pingpong.
Measure 37 is bouncing between the House and Senate in a strategic exchange likely to unfold over the next few weeks -- but unlikely to produce a compromise.
Proposed rewrites have stalled in both chambers after months of negotiations. Last week, measure authors Oregonians in Action withdrew their support for a deal in the House.
Now things get political. (more...)
Chances of M37 compromise fading
By Mark Engler, Freelance Writer
The Capital Press | June 24, 2005 |
SALEM -- Two key Oregon lawmakers central to Measure 37 discussions over the past few months held out hope this week, albeit faint, that the Legislature might still offer some clarification and direction on elements of the voter-approved regulatory takings law.
However, the chief lobbyist for the group that sponsored the property rights initiative, which 61 percent of the Oregon electorate endorsed last November, said he thinks the chances of compromise are slim and getting slimmer. (more...)
Is land transferable under Measure 37?
By Damian Mann
The (Medford) Mail Tribune | June 24, 2005 |
Richard Armas had what seemed like a straightforward question for county commissioners this week.
The Central Point resident wondered if a Measure 37 claim waiving zoning restrictions on his mother-in-law's Gold Hill property could be transferred to another owner if she sells it before developing the 1.3-acre parcel. (more...)
County decides on more Measure 37 claims
By Ezra Casteel
The (Lincoln City)News Guard | June 21, 2005 |
For the three Measure 37 claimants, their bid to either have land regulations waived or be paid compensation got one step closer last Wednesday.
The Lincoln County Commissioners passed five orders and denied its first claim during its weekly meeting, after discussing the claims the week before. (more...)
Councilors to develop vision plan for Bend
By Yoko Minoura
The (Bend) Bulletin | June 19, 2005 |
At a Saturday workshop, Bend City Council members backed a proposal intended to preserve Bend's identity without restricting growth or change.
Without exception, councilors expressed their support for the development of a "vision" plan, an overarching document about Bend's identity, values and aspirations for the future as the city faces demographic changes and pressure on the environment and open spaces from growth. (more...)
Downtown's traffic jam is a foreseeable future
Salem's livability looks bleak without strong planning
| The (Salem) Stateman Journal | June 26, 2005 |
Fast-forward to 2050: Drawn by Oregon's fabled livability, nearly twice as many people pack the Willamette Valley as at the century's turn. When work lets out, downtown Salem looks -- well, it looks a lot like it looked the evening of June 17, 2005. As motorists start the three-hour trek home, they grumble, "Why didn't someone do something to prevent this decades ago?"
Back to the present day: We did. Or at least we tried to. When Salem Futures started in 1998, it was a bold effort to plan so that our community still would be livable in 50 years. Sadly, the 2005 version has been greatly watered down in the name of practicality.
Soon, the city will ask the state to approve part of that plan involving land use and transportation. A City Council committee has spent the past year massaging it down to little more than a memo. It "encourages" changes but doesn't require anything. (more...)
Russ Brooks and Leslie Lewallen -- Your right to own and reasonably use your property is under attack
By Russ Brooks and Leslie Lewallen, Special to The Times
The Seattle Times | June 26, 2005 |
Imagine purchasing land in a rural area 20 years ago with the idea that one day you would build your retirement home on that land. This home would be your place to kick back, get away from the crowded city, and enjoy trees and open sky.
At the time you purchased the land, local planning and zoning rules allowed such a home. But between your purchase date and your retirement, a government agency decides there are too many homes and not enough open space. The agency changes zoning regulations, preventing you from building a house.
For taking this home site away from you, the government offers to pay you absolutely nothing. Zero. You've lost your dream home and everyone else has gained open space. (more...)
New Internet Site: Development credit details now online
| The Asbury Park Press | June 18, 2005 |
TRENTON -- A new Web site to help Pinelands landowners obtain development credits and find buyers for those building rights has been set up by the state Department of Banking and Insurance and Pinelands Development Credit Bank. (more...)
Urban planning, with Christian values
By Marshall Allen, Staff Writer
The (Pasadena, CA) Star-News | |
PASADENA -- Eric Jacobsen speaks passionately about things like sidewalks and store fronts. But he's not an architect or a developer.
He's an ordained Presbyterian pastor who says city planning can have an important influence on religious experience. Jacobsen is an advocate for New Urbanism, the movement that calls for interdependence among residents by promoting pedestrian-friendly streets, parks and town squares in neighborhoods where shops and homes coexist.
The values of New Urbanism, whose national leaders gathered in Pasadena last week, are consistent with those of Christianity and a possible antidote to the isolation experienced by many churches and Christians, Jacobsen said. (more...)
Supreme Court Upholds Local Regulations on Private Property
A San Francisco law requires developers to pay a fee when turning rentals into hotel rooms.
By David G. Savage
The Los Angeles Times | June 21, 2005 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dealing another setback to the property rights movement, the Supreme Court on Monday upheld a San Francisco ordinance that required building owners to pay the city a fee when they converted rental units into hotel rooms.
The owners of the San Remo Hotel said the $567,000 fee they were forced to pay violated the Constitution's guarantee that "private property [shall not] be taken for public use without just compensation." (more...)
Reactions to ruling run cool to heated
By Jeff Wright
The Register-Guard | June 24, 2005 |
Local officials' reaction to Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court ruling on eminent domain ranged from shrugs of shoulders to shouts of alarm.
In Eugene, City Attorney Glenn Klein said the ruling merely affirms what most local governments presumed were among their existing rights in pursuing economic development and removing urban blight. (more...)
Ruling will lead to abuse of eminent domain, critics say
By Matt Apuzzo
The Associated Press | June 26, 2005 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. -- When a divided Supreme Court broadened the government's right to seize private property this past week, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor painted a grim portrait of what she saw coming.
She said wealthy investors and city leaders had been given the power to run people from their homes to make way for new development. The line between public and private property has been blurred, O'Connor said in her dissent, and no home is safe. While municipal leaders say O'Connor's view is unrealistic, people who have fought eminent domain say it's already here. (more...)