George Beres: An Independent View - Arena Bond Sale

State should rule against arena bonds to show higher ed is not for sale

By George Beres
For the Beacon

Springfield is third only to Eugene and Portland in the number of University of Oregon graduates living within its borders. Those alumni- all of them- have scant awareness of the misuse of big money at the school in an era when their attention is diverted by mushrooming national debt.

There are some exceptions. One resident confided in me- after I promised to not publish his name- that he had given $500 a year to UO varsity athletics the last seven years, but is going to halt what he calls his “misguided giveaway.” So what’s up?

It is tied to proposed massive spending by varsity athletics for facilities that have little to do with needs, nor with the primary function of a university. At the root of the “giveaway” is a man who has a track record for being the UO’s biggest private donors. Is it ungrateful to criticize a generous donor? Of course, unless- unless there are strings attached to the donor’s gifts. When that happens once, it might be seen as an accident. When it happens again, it’s more than a coincidence. It becomes a pattern of privately controlling University policy.

The situation removes credibility for a proposed state bond issue for a new arena. It was revealed when we learned how donor, Phil Knight, attached secret requirements for use of his $100 million gift to the UO. The early February revelation, conveniently delayed by school administration, bears out my description of Knight as an “Indian giver,” a label we used to give one who takes back- or threatens to take back- a gift if his demands are not met.

When the University admitted Knight’s threat to take back his gift if the state chooses not to issue bonds, the timing was perfect. It came shortly before the legislature was to rule on the bond issue for the project Knight very much wants— a $200 million replacement for historic McArthur Court. There are good reasons for the state to rule against the extravagant bond issue. Those reasons might be ignored if denial resulted in loss of Knight’s donation. That’s what it comes down to if Knight’s improper influence goes on to infect decision-making among state lawmakers, as it has with the UO administration.

It would be no surprise to those who remember how successful he was with an earlier effort to influence University policy. A few years ago, Knight, the boss at Nike, got irate when UO students got the University to become a member of the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC). Its functions include monitoring behavior of corporations dealing with low-paid employees overseas. Knight complained the University should have consulted him before subjecting his Nike to such review. As a wedge, he used the threat to renege on his pledge of multi-millions for expansion of Autzen Stadium. At stake was not only stadium expansion, but the possibility of losing future gifts from the school’s wealthiest alumnus.

The University appealed to the State System of Higher Education. The System responded by making it illegal for its schools to belong to the WRC. It was retroactive. With mock regret, the UO administration announced it was being forced to withdraw from the WRC. Within weeks, Knight came waddling back to make good on his donation. Key to financial viability of a new Mac Court would be its ability to make an annual profit to pay back cost of the bonds. That’s not likely when revenues depend on the success of home teams, whose pre-season optimism this year has been throttled by poor records. A new advertising contract that includes arena naming privilege is misleading. Much of that money would have been forthcoming anyway under standard periodic sale of broadcast rights.

A proposed major boost in ticket prices would make the new facility a venue for only the wealthy. Sky boxes, as at Autzen Stadium and the proposed new baseball stadium boondoggle, accommodate the richest of the rich. Cost of buying a ticket simply to get into the arena will shut out fans on limited budgets. Many faculty members are unhappy about what some term “blackmail” in the deal made by Knight. Beyond that, they are indignant over skewed priorities given varsity athletics when academia continues to suffer shortfalls.

One does not look a gift horse in the mouth to see if it has rotting teeth. But after the University twice has been intimidated by Knight’s threats to forget his promises of money, it should raise an important question the next time he offers a major gift. Should we first inspect the condition of his teeth?

As fans in Springfield and throughout the state have learned, when Knight offers his money, he expects something in return- something no one should be entitled to demand. The legislature would be wise and honest to deny the bonds, and remind us that Higher Education is not for sale.

MT Thoughts: Special Legislative Session

By Michael Twitty
Springfield Beacon

On Feb. 14, Oregon began its 150th year as a state. This month our legislature is meeting in a special session. The justification for this is that our representatives believe that events happen too rapidly, and to meet every 18 months does not allow them to respond to issues facing our state in a timely manner. I understand that there may be a sense of urgency in addressing some of the problems that face us yet, consider this.

In the press release concerning the session the first two goals that are outlined are healthcare for children and senior care. I concur that these are pressing issues. I wonder however how much we will solve these problems in a special session. Last fall Oregonians soundly defeated an increase in the cigarette tax that was designed to extend health care to more children. Since that time I have seen no new methods of funding this even floated to the public. All I have heard or read places the blame of the defeat on the large amounts of money spent by the opponents of the measure. The margin of defeat belies another reason. The public wants our representatives to give us a plan with a viable and equitable form of funding. I am concerned that all that will come from this session is a re-working of the same proposal. If that is the case then the legislature will disprove the need for annual meetings. For all they will be accomplishing is repackaging old ideas.

Caring for seniors either in assisted living or in their home is indeed a problem that appears to be mushrooming. I wonder what we expect our government to do. Why have we not heard a call for community and/or faith based participation? Do we really require the state to mandate and operate all aspects of senior care? How much would this cost? Where are we going to get the funds?

They mention how they want to find some form of assistance for those facing the possible loss of their homes due to the sub-prime lending that exploded in the last few years. No specific ideas, just expressing a desire to address the problem. Is this special session going to give birth to fresh ideas or are they going to just throw us an aspirin to distract the pain? What about the interest rates charged by payday lenders or some credit card companies? What about all the fees that lending institutions and banks charge for everything even just cashing a check drawn on their bank?

Another problem in relation to the housing crisis is our schools. If our schools rely on property levies for funding and the values of those properties are declining does that not translate to less operating funds for our schools?

They mention improving our roads and bridges and other infrastructure. The most obvious method that they almost always rely on is an increase in the gasoline tax. It is easy to claim this is the most equitable method of raising the necessary funds. Every study I have seen tells me that large trucks cause much more wear and tear than passenger vehicles. I am not advocating tax directly on trucks. I would suggest that there could be a way to raise monies from the industries that most benefit from the improvements to our infrastructure. Or at the very least some sort of plan that does not place all the cost on individuals and truck drivers.

We are concerned about public safety and our representatives increased our state patrol last year. Then we see operations to catch people who do not wear seatbelts? Is that really a good use of manpower? Is that the main concern of the public?

As we enter our 150th year I hope our legislature addresses these problems embracing the pioneer spirit that settled this great state and does not just follow the path of least resistance. I wonder, if our forefathers followed that path would we ever have become a state?

I wish our representatives well. But if they are going meet every year then they need to spawn some new ideas. If they are just going to talk about them and rehash old arguments then all they are doing is putting on a dog and pony show to distract us from their inability to do what we elected them to do.

George Beres: An Independent View - Reality of War

College veterans bring reality of war to the stage

By George Beres
For the Beacon

College students today have not marshalled their efforts to speak out against the war in Iraq as their fathers' generation did in the '60s and '70s about Vietnam. There are a few exceptions, one of them a Springfield resident, Jason Alves.

He and a few other students of courage used the newly renovated theatre of the Eugene American Legion Hall to give audiences a most personal view of what today's militarism really demands of our youth. Jason and his fellow students at the University of Oregon are veterans of war who have survived – physically – and returned to college to rebuild their lives.

"Our play, `Telling,' gave us an amazing opportunity to share with an audience the support many of us need after having returned from combat in the Middle East," said Alves. "These are things we normally don't talk about, because none of us wants to revive those memories."

Jason and his fellow actors are rare - college students who have undergone military trial by fire. They were young, and chose to volunteer. Their peers, in college and out, aren't required to undergo "training to kill" because there has been no draft during the Gulf War and the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was different during Vietnam, when all males were vulnerable to being drafted and winding up in combat. Their own skins were on the line back then, and that energized them to march in the streets to oppose that war.

"I had it easier than some," said Alves, "because I was in the navy, so served on a ship instead of in the sand. Still, it was an emotional rollercoaster from the beginning."

The "rollercoaster" had a startling start in basic training, especially in marines boot camp. It started with a level of loudness and profanity from the cadre who trained them. If they were going to be convinced to kill, every other word – as they portrayed in vignettes on the stage—was the f bomb, delivered at painful decibels from a cadre mouth just inches from a trainee's ear.

The language was a necessary link to the non-human level of training. But it wasn't suitable for children. One couple with two children chose to leave soon after the cadre language patterns began.

I remember that brainwashing from basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., before I was shipped to Korea. But it was nowhere near as intense as that demonstrated for us by the veterans now enrolled at the UO.

One of the student actors angrily shouted, "People don't support the troops with any understanding of what the troops go through! If you have not been in combat, you have no idea what we were going through!

The production was conceived by UO faculty members after they sat in on veterans panels that described realities of war as they experienced them. They worked with the student veterans to create this novel stage experience where each individual, including two women, told of personal trials in the military.
Boot training was prelude to the trauma of blood and death in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It seemed to have nothing to do with what we were doing there or why we were there," said one student-veteran. "But the blood and death inflicted on us become very personal, happening to people you know. But one doesn't hesitate. One just must move on.”

Said another: "When you are in that alien world of war, you live for those itty-bitty moments, rare times when you can do anything except the horror you are paid to be part of."

What keeps the soldier going is the feeling of responsibility to his or her buddies in battle. A painful legacy of being safely back home is the guilt felt by veterans who still sense a responsibility for their buddies who are fighting - not being there to help protect their friends.

The performance of each actor was real because it came from personal experience. It was not easy to express. As one said: "These are things we normally don't talk about, because every time we tell our stories, we are there again."

George Beres - An Independent View: "Buying Time"

LCC play has ominious overtones for control of law and education

By George Beres
For the Beacon

Enlivening a fictional story with a strong taste of reality is one of the goals of good theatre. "Buying Time," currently at the Blue Door Theatre of Lane Community College succeeds at this admirably.

In a way, that also is a misfortune, because the reality it brings us is an existing cancer of society: the way powerful corporate forces are able to manipulate the better intentions of a law firm. What struck me is the ominous overtones is gets from such a system I have seen also at play on the university level – specifically in the Oregon System of Higher Education.

Last Friday evening, I – like much of the audience – was engrossed with the way the play's many scene changes were handled with a revolving floor that caused one set to disappear as the new one appeared. I was told that smooth-running mechanical system was installed specifically for "Buying Time."

What was more engrossing was the way Broadway playwright, Michael Weller(who also was in the opening night audience), used his play to illustrate how corporate manipulation works when a law firm with a pro bono tradition can be pressured to stop its public service efforts. Intervening are powerful corporate clients who object to its positive environmental goals.

At issue is protection of 15,000 acres of a pine forest which serve as home for a grey hawk – a situation which resonated with the Oregon audience familiar with the spotted owl controversy.

A Springfield woman who is a member of the production crew, Amanda Loop-Kremers, told me: "This play, coming to us during a major election season, suggests that the way corporate powers control the law profession can be used to dominate political parties, too. We've seen how both major political parties are influenced by powerful corporations that give them big money donations. That can't be corrected unless we can get some serious reform of campaign financing. But even a playwright can't seem to come up with an answer for it."

As Weller's script suggests, we assume no one can be "above the law."

That's not the case, as his protagonists show us how law firms committed to some pro bono work in the public interest can be hamstrung. They sometimes have to make hard choices when corporate foes of public service threaten to cancel their large contracts with such firms.

Weller told me he knows that higher education increasingly is finding itself in the vulnerable financial position of pro bono law firms. He said that is because the growing absence of college funding-as in Oregon, where tax revenues for education are down- means universities now must turn to private donors to help pay their bills.

He was interested in two Oregon examples I described to him that symbolize what he feels can happen when schools allow themselves to become obligated to major donors:

• The dropping of the UO Environmental Law Center when a major donor among lumber interests said he would withdraw a $50,000 donation to the school unless the Center were removed.

• The threat by a major donor to withdraw his multi-millions for expansion of Autzen Stadium because the University had signed on with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), which monitored his firm and others for misbehavior. The University went to Higher Ed for help. It got it when the State System ruled membership in the WRC hereafter (and retroactively) would be illegal. Then the donor came waddling back with his major gift.

Weller did not say one of his next plays will deal with the way corporate donors can dictate university policy. But I'd not be surprised to see that theme the next time he has a production on Broadway.

Remaining performances at 8 p.m. on Feb. 14, 15, 16. Phone 463-5761.

Letters to the Editor - Feb. 13, 2008

County Commissioners need to provide services we pay for

I am reminded of a cartoon that I read recently that depicted a male politician shouting and holding up a sign proclaiming the need for change. The next picture was of a female politician shouting and holding up a sign proclaiming the need for change. The next picture was of a wage holder opening a pay envelope and two coins roll out. With a bewildered look the wage earner’s word was change. A true depiction of reformers implementing programs and not considering the far-reaching consequences of their “reformation.”

The radical environmentalists are a good example. Through out the previous decades they proclaimed that Oregon’s natural resources had to be placed off limits from human use and set aside for nature, for nature’s sake. No thought was given to the consequences of eliminating Oregon’s use of its resources. Oregonians are currently experiencing the results. The Federal government, tired of subsidizing Oregon’s short sightedness, is justifiably eliminating the graft (timber payments) Oregon has illisitly received for many years.

To solve the problem our over bloated County Commissioners have just recently and brilliantly discovered that Lane County is in a fiscal crisis. Their solution, reduce or eliminate taxpayer protection from criminals! Not bad enough, they advertise to the criminals the crimes they can commit and get an out of jail free pass.

Do the Commissioners expect us to quiver in fear and turn over whatever sums of money they demand? I love my family too much and we have worked too hard to allow criminals to take control of our lives. I also do not trust the Lane County Commissioners as a fiduciary accountant any more and will not grant them additional funds until they use what they have more foresightedly and frugally.

If the Lane County Commissioners cannot provide the protection taxpayers dearly pay for, a refund is in order for services not rendered. Rest assured that individual family and property protection will still exist.

Arvid Freiberg
Springfield


Springfield Beacon a pleasure

You folks have a real winner of a publication. It is such a pleasure to read all the good news of Springfield.

Everything is so interesting and well written and complete. Congratulations. I know it is an art to produce and seems to be in the hands of experts.

I’m prompted to tell you what I think is a well kept secret in Springfield, the Second Story Books store. Neatest, most complete, a knowledgeable manager. It’s there on Main Street. Take a look, it’s classy and a nice addition to town.

My Eugene address is a retirement complex but I’m really a Springfield boy.

Thanks for the Springfield Beacon … it’s a joy.

Ray Cavagnaro
Eugene

George Beres - An Independent View: Ending Cubs Curse

Springfield strawberry patch could end infamous baseball curse

By George Beres
For the Beacon

Springfield could have a role in ending the greatest all-time curse of sports history. What makes it possible is my chance encounter some years ago with two fellow strawberry lovers in a Springfield U-pick patch. Out of that chance meeting came the idea for an exorcism of the notorious baseball curse.

The hex in question is known among baseball fans everywhere as the Billy Goat curse. It was invoked by a Greek barkkeep in Chicago in 1945. That was the last time the Chicago Cubs ever played in the World Series, even though to that time they had played in more of them than any other National League team. The barkkeep was thrown out of one of the games against Detroit because he had brought with him his tethered goat to sit in one of his two box seats.

Fans complained of the barnyard fragrance, and as security police ushered him and his goat out, the man sputtered in broken English. “Okay! Okay! We go. But never again will World Series be played in this stadium.” True to his curse, the stadium- Wrigley Field, the oldest in the league- has not hosted another Series game in 62 years.

The barkkeep’s name: Sam Sianis. It will have a familiar ring for some area residents, as his cousin, Harry, once operated the Original Joe’s Restaurant across from Eugene’s Hult Center for the Performing Arts.

That brings us back to the Springfield strawberry patch where I met Harry’s wife, Alexandra, and daughter, Katina. It was quiet there except for their lively banter in Greek, a language I understand. I greeted them in our second language. When Momma said their name was Sianis, I said, “I know of a Sianis who has become famous in Chicago where I used to live.”

The elder responded with mock tolerance, “Yes, yes, he is our `koumparo’, the cousin of my husband and the godfather of my daughter.” As a lifelong, frustrated Cubs fan, I suddenly saw possibilities for ending the curse.

“I’ll be in Chicago next month,” I told them. “Do you think your `koumparo’ would discuss the baseball curse with me?”

“Of course,” Alexandra answered. “He discusses it with everyone he meets. Go to his bar, and tell him I said he should give you a free beer and what he calls a cheeseborrger.”

Weeks later, I was sitting with Sam in his bar, enjoying a free beer and cheeseborrger. When I suggested an exorcism of the Billy Goat curse, he said, “Bravo.” He had milked the curse for all the attention he could get. Now he could see chances for more free publicity if he were to cooperate in reversing the curse.

My next step was to visit with actor Don Novello, who portrays Fr. Guido Sarducci on the “Saturday Night Live” TV show. We met the evening of his appearance at the Britt Festival in Jacksonville. He agreed he was the one to exorcise the ballpark. A psuedo-cleric could pull the stunt the Catholic Church would not allow one of its priests to do. Only one hitch: someone would have to sponsor the event so he could get his five-figure appearance fee.

I’m trying to find an organization that can pay that fee. Maybe a potato chip? Or a beer? Or maybe even a chewing gum like Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit?

When that day comes, Father Guido will exorcise Wrigley Field. Then the Cubs will win the pennant after lo these many years- and a Springfield strawberry patch will earn lasting fame.

Letters to the Editor - Feb. 6, 2008

Keynes had the right idea about recession

On Jan. 17, 2008, the Register-Guard published an editorial by Harold Meyerson dealing with the forthcoming recession and to best deal with it.

Meyerson suggested all those books by J. Maynard Keynes be dusted off, especially the parts where Keynes suggested that to deal with a recession, a government should increase government spending and cut taxes. Keynes was very specific about the type of government spending which would be helpful such as building dams, roads and bridges which are labor intensive. This increase in employment would lead to an increase in demand for consumer goods and business would invest in capital goods and hire more workers to meet this increase in demand.

In terms of tax cuts, Keynes suggested tax cuts for the less affluent instead of the rich (as has been the policy of the Bush administration). Keynes felt that income received from such government infrastructure projects would be spent on consumer goods producing what Keynes called a multiplier effect as each person or business who received these payments will in turn use the extra or marginal income to buy more consumer goods and, therefore, produce an impact on the economy in excess of the initial tax cut or increase in government spending.

So what can we do? I would suggest contacting Congressman DeFazio who chairs the House Transportation Committee and State Representative Terry Beyer who chairs a similar committee in Salem and ask them to use their influence to spend more money repairing our bridges, a number of which are unsafe. This would help our economy and safety as well, and J. Maynard Keynes would be be pleased to be dusted off again!

G. Dennis Shine
Springfield

George Beres - An Independent View: Obesity in Football

Football players seek heavy weight even though obesity is a student problem

By George Beres
For the Beacon

Nowhere is the problem of obesity among adolescents more visible than among football players in high school, continuing on into early adulthood in college. That's borne out by the growth in player weights over the past 30 years.

There are seriously overweight persons of all ages who are not responsible for the problem, but victims of genetic makeup. Rarely is that the case among high school and college football linemen whose weight mushroomed more than any other group in recent years. Best way to trace the change is to review team rosters I have from 1987, 1997 and 2007.

That's easy to do for the the University of Oregon as I go through files I've maintained for three decades. It's not so easy for the Millers and Colts, whose files don't carry roster lists of years ago. What we know is that last fall a 300-pounder played for Thurston, while players of 290 and 280 pounds played for Springfield.

Those weights reinforce the growing concern that two factors are at the root of this explosion in poundage: the temptation to take steroids – none evident among local players – to build muscles along with weight, and the belief that overeating will develop the physical mass well beyond natural levels. For Mom and Dad, calculating the major cost of college, a football player son can improve his chances for a scholarship by tipping the scales to their peak.

Matt Binkerd, Springfield director of athletics, said he has his coaches discuss with players dangers of ingesting supplements. "The state school system has a ruling that alerts high school administrators and coaches to warn students against use of steroids," said Binkerd.

Thurston head football coach, Justin Starck, said while the obesity problem is one faced by society in general, "football players probably face the biggest temptation to inflate their sizes. But," he added, "I've not seen our players involved in trying to boost their weights beyond the normal."

The Journal of the American Medical Assn. and the Journal of Pediatrics this year published articles about how the problem of increasing weight among high school football players far outpaced that of fellow students. Both suggested it often is in an effort to attract attention of college recruiters. A study of 3,600 high school linemen in Iowa found half of them overweight for their height and bone mass.

I've found evidence of such dangerous growth in college by comparing weights of players in 1987, 1997 and 2007. This is how they compared at the University of Oregon:

1987 - 300 pounders, one; in the 290s, none; over 250, nine.
1997 - 300 pounders, four; in the 290s, three; over 250, 26.
2007 - 300 pounders, 14; in the 290s, six; over 250, 28.

Last fall, Oregon started an offensive line (center, guards and tackles) averaging 315 pounds. Rosters of two major football powers suggest an even more startling difference if one goes back to 1971: Michigan State then had three players over 250, and the heaviest was 264. Minnesota had four over 250, and the heaviest was 260. Over the years, their weight levels have ballooned like those of all teams.

In fairness to some of the behemoths, those who earn starting positions usually have admirable agility to go with their huge size. But the warning signs are there. The rigors of being an overlarge lineman during youthful playing days exert a heavy penalty of ailing knees and hips in later life.

The price can turn out to be heavier than players.

Letters to the Editor - Jan. 30, 2008

Ducks do need new arena

So, George Beres thinks the the University of Oregon doesn't need a new basketball arena. As one who has season tickets for Duck basketball, I beg to differ. Below are my reasons: First of all, Mac Court was built for a totally different generation. The building was constructed in 1928. There is limited leg room and the place is not fan friendly. Secondly, there is only one men's room for three stories and getting to the rest room at halftime is a real pain. Also, no elevators are available. Last of all, Mac Court is a firetrap. If that place ever were to catch fire during a game, thousands would be killed. In order for the UO to remain competitive in the Pac 10 conference, a new arena is a must.

There is one other fact that Beres forgets about and that is the absolutely known fact that a winning athletic program brings in more students who are not athletes.

Even though I will probably be priced out of the new arena, it absolutely must be built.

Daniel Wolfe
Springfield


Springfield students have spoken! Are we listening?

During Springfield's Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, students, once again, opened our eyes to the kind of world they want to live in and to the deficits that still surround (bankrupt) us today.

In honor of Dr. King, students submitted essays, poems, artwork and speeches. Some expressed their desire for that 'Beloved Community' which Dr. King so passionately spoke of. He gave us a joyful and elevated image to reach for. Some students shared their pain of being set apart by poverty or by racism. Some experienced the power of speaking out for themselves, for others and for the environment. A few challenged readers by including the questions: "Where are the voices?" "Who will speak out?"

After reading several essays and poems, I realized that some of the students wrote with the hope that 'someone' would hear their pleas and 'fix' things. Others wrote with more urgency for the suffering to stop.

How will our community respond to their concerns and experiences of discrimination, inequality, hunger, poverty, and their desire for a healthy environment and for peace not war?

Can we shed our party loyalties, corporate loyalties and whatever else separates us and work together to finally make Dr. King's Dream a reality? Let's unite as Springfielders, join with others who are already working on some of these issues and be prepared to help many more students and families as the economy continues its downtrend.

Please do not remain in denial or require more study, more proof, and more pain - or wait for certain winds to change - before helping to set the course that will alleviate poverty and lead to the equality and peace which Dr. King sought 40 years ago and which our children are still seeking now.

Elaine Hayes
Springfield

From the Editor: Stories from the campaign trail

By Ariel Oliver
Springfield Beacon

We’ve all started to sense the early signs of an extremely important political year ahead of us. Although I’ve stated that I’m more concerned with promoting voter turn-out than personally endorsing parties or candidates in the Beacon, I will from time to time share stories from the campaign trail that I feel our readers may find of particular interest. This is one such story from Senator John McCain.

“As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room.

This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home. One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.

Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.

As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt.

Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event.

One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could.

The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian.

He was sitting there, with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world.

You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country.” - Senator John McCain

George Beres - An Independent View: A messy marriage?

Could marriage of donor and university include a prenuptial agreement?


By George Beres
For the Beacon

A recent letter to the Beacon by Springfield's Arvid Freiberg gave credence to what this column previously revealed about funding of higher education in Oregon: too much is going to non-essential, intercollegiate sport, while academics continue to suffer. He recognized the financial devolution of academia compared to varsity athletes with these words:

"Hold on to your hats as "big donors" ram a new basketball complex down our throats."

It was ironic when that same week, the University of Oregon announced the State System of Higher Education again had given in to its funding subterfuge. Many buy the oft-used lie that varsity athletics support themselves through major gifts and gate receipts. Truth is, much of such funding is tax money many citizens – from Portland to Springfield to Klamath Falls – are on the line to pay. That was evident with the announcement that the legislature's Ways and Means Committee agreed to use a bond measure to guarantee payment of what now looms as a cost of more than $200 million.

Cost of construction is one thing. Payment of bond interest is another, estimated at $14.5 million annually for what in effect is a 30-year mortgage. The UO had wanted 40 years to pay back that massive bill, but the committee – with a limited sense of responsibility – ruled it had to be 30 years. The University, committed to deficit spending on a facility I believe is not needed, chose to take a pollyanish positive view of the restricted years in which to pay. Alan Price, Vice-President for University Advancement, said: "By going on 30 years instead of 40, we'll save substantial in the long term."

On the other side, there are those who find Mac Court would be serviceable and more than adequate for decades to come if the equivalent of one year's interest in new gym bonds provided the old gym money for upgrading it for more years of use.

A misleading view often given to justify spending on varsity athletics and their facilities is they support student activities. That becomes ludicrous when you calculate the small proportion of students served by multi-millions spent on Autzen Stadium expansion and a new gym. On the same page of the Oregon Daily Emerald that announced legislative agreement on bonds for the gym, a chart illustrated money proposed for several non-athletic student programs:

•Jewish Student Union, $6,764.
•Honk Kong Student Assn., $4,178.
•Japanese Student Union, $6,601.
•Ecological Design Center, $279.
•Sexual Assault Support Services, $43,957.
•Global Talk, $300.

Irony of the claim of serving students is clear, reinforcing an image of duplicity the UO builds for itself in financial matters with a pliable State System. It was equally evident some years ago when an incensed Phil Knight said he'd take back the many millions he pledged for work on Autzen if the University did not withdraw from the Worker Rights Consortium, the watchdog that monitors his Nike and other corporations for wrongdoing with its employees overseas.

The State System responded to the UO's potential loss by making membership in the WRC illegal. Then Knight again reversed himself, and gave the money. Now the UO points to another gift from Knight as backup in case it fails to meet payments on a new Mac Court.

I wonder: In this messy marriage between a corporate dictator and a state university, could there have been a prenuptial agreement allowing the donor to take back a pledge if he does not like the way things are going?

MT Thoughts - Pluribus Unum

On the rhetoric of our coins

By Michael Twitty
For the Beacon

Recently I received an e-mail bemoaning the lack of prominence the motto “In God We Trust” was displayed on a newer U.S coin. The sender went on to suggest that we join in boycotting this coin. I ask you to consider this.

The very first coin designed for the United States had the motto “rebellion to tyrants is obedience to god”. Yet by 1800 any reference to god was absent from our money.

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln spoke of our father’s four score and seven years before. We were involved with our civil war. Inflation and debt were becoming an increasing burden. There was a growing movement to end the war, so much so that Lincoln’s reelection was very much in doubt. The need had arisen for the issuance of a new coin a 2 cent piece.

The confidence of the public in their government was very low and there were major concerns that this coin would have a difficult time being accepted.

Samuel Chase the Secretary of the Treasury had received many letters suggesting that some sort of motto alluding to God be placed on our money. He took these suggestions to some marketing associates he was familiar with in New York City and asked them to help him come up with an acceptable motto for the new coin. One that would not only refer to righteousness of our country and our cause but make people embraces the new coin. “In God We Trust” was the agreed upon motto. When the two cent coin was introduced in 1864 it was the first coin to have the motto.

In an effort to insure the acceptance of this coin, Secretary Chase enlisted the aid of clergy throughout the union. The Emancipation Proclamation took on new meaning. We were now involved in a holy and righteous cause to end slavery. Until this time the Lincoln administration was wary of placing too much emphasis on the slavery issue. There was debate that the public would not unite over the freeing of slaves. The issuing of this coin changed the rhetoric. The public did unite and Lincoln won reelection in a landslide.

It was not until 1956 that the words "In God We Trust” became our national motto. It was widely held that communism equated atheism so “under god” was added to our pledge of allegiance, “so help me god” was added to our oaths of office and “In God We Trust” appeared on all newly issued money.

Our founding fathers that Lincoln spoke so eloquently of recognized the commonality of various religious values could serve as a unifying tool. They also recognized that any preference or slant that elevated a specific denomination over another could tear their government apart. This same logic led to the issuing of the 2 cent piece with the new motto.

It is sad that when we as a country are facing many issues. That an argument over the prominence of a motto on our coins. A motto created on Madison Avenue is used to divide and stir fears of an individual’s religion being attacked. I personally feel both sides are being a little too sensitive even somewhat childish.

As we enter this election year I can only hope that when we are exposed to these fringe arguments that are designed to divide and anger. We just ignore them.

Do so in the spirit of our first motto, “Pluribus Unum”. Or “out of many, one."

George Beres - An Independent View: School Nickname Controversy

Mohawk Indians are part of Oregon's school nickname controversy

By George Beres
For the Beacon

There was a time when the majority was unmindful of how use of nicknames for sports teams could torment minorities. To some extent, that time remains with us, though diminished by a growing awareness of the problem among sensitive citizens and school officials who represent them.

That’s especially true in Oregon, where an advisory committee to State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo has explored how to encourage “culturally appropriate instruction in high schools” on the issue of Native American nicknames. In the Springfield area, the issue is live at Marcola’s Mohawk High School, whose teams, including last fall’s state divisional football champions, are known as the Indians.

They’re far from alone in carrying a nickname that is in dispute. There are 14 others in the state. Others with the Indian name are Molalla, Roseburg, Scappoose and The Dalles. Braves is the name used at Banks and Reedsport, while Rogue River has the name Chieftains to itself. Warriors is carried at Amity, Lebanon, North Douglas, Oakridge, Philomath, Warrenton and Siletz Valley.

It was a student at Siletz Valley who first challenged the school system about concern over the names felt by his fellow Native Americans. A member of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz, he described how use of the ethnic nicknames damaged their personal esteem and self-image. That is when state education meetings were held to discuss a proposal, not as yet reached, to ban use of Native American mascots at the 15 schools which have them.

The majority view among citizens statewide seems to oppose any ban. Is that a shallow outlook by people unable to sense what it is like to wear the shoes or moccasins of a minority? So it seems when a basic objection they raise, outside of a loyalty to an abstract tradition, is the cost to schools for removal of printed or painted references to Native American nicknames, mascots and logos. The conflicting views will be considered in the months ahead while a Sept. 11 date is considered for the ban if it is instituted.

Principal Rola Weber of Mohawk High School told me he doesn’t “minimize seriousness of the complaint,” but has not indicated a decision in Marcola. He said: “We need much more dialogue and study for our student body to better understand concerns of the Native American population. We’re seeking ways to teach Oregon history in a way that would correct what may be curriculum deficiencies on Native American culture.”

Resistance to the ban is reflected in the statement of Roseburg School District superintendent, Lee Paterson. He said: “We have no data that shows how an Indian mascot does harm.” Exploration of the issue by state school officials may be able to give him some insights into the harm, especially when a student minority is personally affected.

It has to be hard for school officials to take an unpopular public stand against the majority attitude no matter how unjust the majority view may be. I saw it from personal experience at my hometown high school in Pekin, Ill. It was natural for Pekin to take on a Chinese identity because of the town’s name. What seems inconceivable to me now is that the school nickname of its teams for decades was Chinks!

As a student, I was unaware (as were all others in the town of 20,000) that Chink is considered a slur by Chinese. The town found out in the mid-‘60s, when it gained statewide attention by winning the Illinois basketball championship. Pekin had no Chinese residents. But there were many in Chicago, 180 miles to the north, and they reacted. Resistance to changing the name in Pekin was strong, but it came within four years, when the name was changed to Dragons.

Unintended nickname bigotry in Illinois had an impact in Oregon three years ago. Some students and faculty of the University of Oregon objected to plans for a two-game series with the University of Illinois Illini, a nickname in serious dispute at the NCAA level. Major objection has been to the use of a mascot, Chief Illiniwek, a cause of resentment for many Native Americans. The mascot last year was dropped.

So it can be done. It may not be easy. Some have such loyalty to a nickname and mascot that they find it hard to consider the special meaning- positive or negative-that name has in the ethnic history of those from which it was borrowed.

That’s what such names in dispute, as in Marcola Indians, are on loan. When the owner no longer can abide its misuse in a foreign setting, it’s time to give it up.

Letters to the Editor - January 16, 2008

Academics losing battle with athletics for money

I certainly appreciate the views expressed by George Beres, a former insider, concerning academics taking second place to athletics in our educational institutions. It confirms what many of us have suspicioned for years. The devolution of academics and the evolution of athletics. Hold on to your wallets as “big donors” ram a new basketball complex down our throats.

Arvid Freiberg
Springfield


Restoring native habitat along the Willamette

In Dorothy Velasco’s article on Willamalane (Dec. 19), she mentions that Willamalane has been working to “clean up” the banks of the Willamette River between Island Park and East Alton Baker Park. What “clean up” really means is destroying wildlife/bird habitat. Yes, there were invasive blackberries that needed to come out, but there were also native blackberries, snowberries, thimbleberries, dogwood, ninebark, Oregon grape, wild roses, current, and other native plants that birds need for nourishment, shelter, nesting and protection from predators if they are to survive. Everywhere else along the course of the Willamette River, organizations and volunteers have been working extremely hard to restore native habitat, planting native plants. Although I really appreciate Willamalane and almost everything that they do, I feel it was very wrong for Willamalane to destroy the native habitat that they were so fortunate to have. I am hoping that Willamalane will replant this area with native plants before the coming spring.

Carol Stern
Springfield


Library appreciates help from volunteers, Borders

Friends of the Springfield Public Library recently completed another holiday stint of "Wrap 'n Rap" of gift-wrapping for donations at Borders Bookstore in Oakway Center. Led by "Chief Elf," Kate Wallace, a crew of elves began wrapping the day after Thanksgiving and continued through numerous days until Christmas Eve. This is a fundraiser project for the Springfield Library and helps the library enhance children's programs, and purchase books or other items on the library's wish list.
Therefore, the Springfield Library Board wishes to recognize all the hard work of Kate and the other elves, and the generosity of the customers who stopped by to have their purchases giftwrapped. This year's donations were nearly $1400. We also wish to acknowledge Borders for their cooperation in providing the opportunities, space and quality supplies for fundraising, to us, as well as other nonprofit groups.

Ruth Haberman
Chair
Springfield Public Library Board

George Beres - An Independent View: Legacy of Oleg Kripkov

By George Beres
For the Beacon

It was natural for the late Oleg Kripkov to keep a low profile, which kept few from knowing he was a Springfield resident. It came naturally because Oleg spent most of his 52 years in Russia when it was the center of the repressive USSR, where addresses for some were secretive. His residence in Springfield the past year was just east of the Gateway shopping complex. When he died in an auto accident, Dec. 19, it took from us a rare person who tried to be a bridge of understanding between two long-warring nations, Russia and the United States. He had a close personal perspective on both, having migrated to the U.S. in the early 1990s, after spending most of his first 35 years in Rostov-on-Don south of Moscow.

It’s not surprising that a great sense of loss is felt by his colleagues at the University of Oregon, where he taught Russian history. What astonishes me is the widespread depth of feeling that I’d not seen before except in the death of a major national figure. It was reflected in comments shared on the internet. Said one: “The impact of Oleg’s life transcends time and space, making all who knew him better. A spirit like his never leaves.” Another: “Oleg was a gifted and deeply energized force of nature, and I don’t expect to see another like him. His life was a great gift to all who knew him.”

I got to know Oleg only in the last year of his life when we shared occasional meals and discussions on life and politics. The emotional response of others to his premature death at 52 caused me to want to learn more about Kripkov the man. I discussed with others what made him a man valued by so many, and one not to be forgotten.

He and his wife, Yelaina, were immigrants from Russia after the fall of the Berlin Wall. They eventually joined the UO faculty, where Yelaina is Russian language coordinator. They were preparing to teach together courses on Masterpieces of Russian Culture and on Sexuality and Feminism in Russia.

It was not an easy climb to full acceptance in academia for this child of a Russian ghetto. He was raised by his mother after his father left the family, and at this time of year would reminisce about his hauling buckets of water from the neighborhood well during frigid Russian winters.

He brought his wife, mother and daughter (now 28) to the U.S., settling first in Tulsa, Okla. A student of piano, he managed to survive at the outset by playing the bayan, a Russian accordion, in Polish, German and Italian restaurants. He learned English from scratch, and eventually earned college degrees, including a doctorate from the University of Kansas, going on to teach Russian history, language and culture.

His struggles for seeking world peace with justice never diminished from the years when he was under surveillance by the KGB (the USSR’s equivalent of the CIA). As his students gained from him an intimate understanding of Russia, they also valued his faith in the healing character of humanism, reflected in his support of environmental groups and his involvement in anti-war actions in the U.S.

In 2003, he joined Oregon’s Bill of Rights Defense Committee at the state capitol in Salem to oppose the USA Patriot Act. A fellow demonstrator remembers Oleg saying: “The Patriot Act goes even beyond Stalin’s wildest dreams.” This had impact on his fellows, coming from a man who had fled the Soviet Union after defying that restrictive government by advocating for democratic reform.

As a boy in the USSR, Kripkov learned the folly of dictatorship. Later in the U.S., he saw the same folly from what he recognized as democracy deserted by many of its citizens. “The Cold War,” he told me, “was a calamity produced by failed and self-serving leadership in the USSR, as well as in the United States.”

He would have agreed that even a full lifespan would have been too short to achieve his aims of a just world peace. Those who knew of his courageous honesty echo the belief of one of his colleagues: “Because of Oleg, many of us hesitate less, and truly live our beliefs more.”

A memorial service will be Jan. 12, 6 to 8 p.m., at Core Star Cultural Center, 439 W. Second, Eugene.

Letters to the Editor - Jan. 9, 2008

Our country is a republic

I’ve been a very busy man. Listening to the radio for many years with thousands of commentaries about our nation and what we should be doing, with the way things are going, as a people. The people have been incrementally, slowly but surely, lulled into a sense of security that the government can do all things, if we put our trust in them.

It’s not what our founding fathers had in mind. Our trust was to be put in our Creator, (or Providence), the way He set it up in the beginning.

So as one person talking to the people, let me start addressing in this way. This country is not a democracy, as you have been told lately and for so many years. It is a republic, one nation under God, is for which it stands.

No more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, like it is now, it is because we, as a people, tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, truthful and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national and state legislatures. If the next few years do not find us a great nation, do not aid in controlling the political forces.

The moral character of who we are, and how we treat our fellow man, shows up at every level of our government.

As we go, so goes the nation.

John Large
Dexter

From the Editor: Thank You Springfield!

Our first year: From a seed of possibility

By Ariel Oliver
Springfield Beacon

All of our readers have now gotten a taste of what we are all about. What a wonderful year of stories and events we’ve had the pleasure to share with our hometown! As the new year rolls over into 2008, our community newspaper marks its completion of our first year as well. On Dec. 21 we celebrated our 52nd edition and as editor, I found myself giving out a huge sigh of relief, quickly followed by a stirring of excitement for all the issues yet to be born.

For anyone who knows me they know I’m full of old adages. My favorite these days is: “Be careful what you ask for in life, you might just get it.”

Yes, I asked for this. All of it! This town that I’ve grown to love, the river that wakes me up every morning and comforts my soul before I go sleep at night, the strangers that treat me like I’m their long lost best friend… all of it!

The work load has been daunting at times but as with anything worthwhile in life, I’ve learned it’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it. Fortunately for all of us at the Beacon, our support for this hometown paper from our family, friends, neighbors and citizens has been so overwhelmingly positive that there is truly no other place we would rather be.

Of course it takes more than an editor to fill the pages of your newspaper week after week. I certainly haven’t done it alone. Our publisher, Erik Jonsson, has given not only me, but this entire city a gift of generosity in being willing to finance this endeavor. My assistant editor, Emily Panter, has been working with me side by side every issue. Her well-rounded skills and willingness to excel in whatever she does has been a cornerstone of this paper from the start.

My partner, Michael Twitty, an Oregonion through and through, who has mentored me throughout the entire process. My son, Bashi, an artist, graphic designer and far more skilled in computers than myself, helps us create the visual appeal that is truly the signature of our publication. I would also like to recognize Todd Peterson who first brought us the concept of “Fifty Artists: Fifty Weeks.” Todd is another one of those versatile and creative individuals who kept bringing us such wonderful ideas we had to hire him.

Additionally we are fortunate to live in a thriving artistic community where individuals like Chris Mihulka, Dorothy Velasco, Rachel Christ, Austin Berger, George Beres, Richard Reed, Daniel Wolfe, Sara VanOrsdell and cartoonist Christopher Carter all reside and have found their way to our front door this first year to help us out.

We are a small publishing family. Many of our readers aren’t aware of how small we actually are. Following in the footsteps of our predecessor, The Springfield News, most tend to think that we are still located in the same building on Laura Street, employing thirty or more with a budget similar to that of Lee Enterprises who owned it the last years before they closed down most of their Oregon weeklies.

I worked for Lee Enterprises and The Springfield News so I can share with you this. About the only thing we have in common is that we both have published a newspaper for this growing city. Lee is the fourth largest publisher in the U.S. and we have to be one of the smallest! Lee employed between 30 to 50 employees for The Springfield News and we employ two full time, three part timers and a handful of interns, volunteers and columnists who donate their hours freely.

I have always had the philosophy that “if you build it…they will come” and come they have! Journalism interns seek us out so that they can realize their dream of seeing their written words in print. Sheila and Sue, two community volunteers drop by on Tuesdays when they know we’re always in need of extra hands to fold, label and mail that weeks edition out, bringing with them the heart of what this paper is all about…. the voices of our own hometown.

Yes, we are proud how this seed of possibility is beginning to blossom. When we hear the comments our readers tell us, “I can’t wait to get our paper each week.” …” I read it from front to back and then pass it on to my friends.” …. “Your front page is so refreshingly positive.”…. “Your unbiased approach to journalism is a rare treat.”…. “Your sincerity shows.”….. and yes, it goes on and on, reminding each of us how fortunate we are to be a part of nurturing this Springfield community paper into full bloom.

As this first year has come to a close we just want to share with all of you, those we know personally and those we’ve never met, how honored we are to be living our dream with all of you in it!

Thank you to all the business owners who have chosen to support our newspaper with their advertising dollars! Thank you to our post office who has helped to expedite our mailed delivery! Thank you to our City leaders who have forgiven us for not being able to attend all of their meetings yet continue to take the time out of their own busy schedule to talk with us!

Thank you to our schools, our churches and our non-profit organizations who help us stay informed with upcoming events and stories of local people making a difference….. and most of all, thank you to our readers for letting us know how appreciated we are!

Happy New Year to all!

George Beres - An Independent View: The Money Game

Academics come in 2D in Oregon when TV offers a big football check

By George Beres
For the Beacon

Kids in Springfield have been shooting baskets for more than a month. But football refuses to give up. The many football bowl games now played in winter remind me of how college sports have changed for the worse since I was part of them.

Most of my professional life was as a sports information director at Northwestern University, then the University of Oregon. I savored it back in the 1960s and 1970s. I'm grateful to be out of it now because excessive hype and spending have ruined college games.

Effects are evident at Oregon and Oregon State, as every fan in Springfield should know. No better example can be found than the reason the Ducks and Beavers changed the date of their annual windup football game this year to December. That's a week later than earlier slated. Why?

The Oregon campus newspaper, the Emerald, explained weeks ago: look no further than the conflict between funding higher education and underwriting costs of varsity athletics. That took a turn at the UO when two former heads of the UO Faculty Senate and the University president went at it in the local press like wrestlers battling for a pin.

The professors -- Nathan Tublitz, Biology, and James Earl, English -- alleged that out-of-control spending on varsity athletics damages students and faculty. The response was that the school's fundamental principle is not money, but that athletes are students first.

Then came the Emerald bombshell. It reported that Oregon-- tempted by a large rights payment from a TV network-- got Oregon State to join it in violating their six-year old resolution to not schedule a football game near finals week. The agreement was to avoid game distractions for athletes and other students going into finals.

At the insistence of ESPN-TV, they agreed to play this fall's game, Dec. 1, just before start of exams. It's the result of Oregon, with OSU approval, moving the season's wind-up game back to accommodate an ESPN request that shifted Oregon's Nov. 10 game with Arizona to Thursday, Nov. 15. That prevented playing the Civil War game on its original date. It required an inactive Saturday, which was an ironic disaster for the Ducks when they were upset in Tucson in the mid-week game.

The money issue has festered since it was announced Bill Moos, athletics director until last year, was resigning, but also was getting a goodbye gift of $2 million. Such payments are part of severance when someone is asked to leave, not when one chooses to leave.

Lying is not foreign to college sport. I know from experience as a sports information director, when I, like my colleagues nationwide, would inflate heights and weights of players in media guides at requests of coaches. That was trivial, and sharp sportswriters saw through the subterfuge. Not trivial is the lying suspected when Moos departed early.

Some close to the program suggest the change was at the demand of a major donor and alumnus, Phil Knight of Nike, whom Moos occasionally challenged. The suspicion is fueled by how the Nike multimillionaire used his influence a few years ago to counter the UO becoming part of the Worker Rights Consortion (WRC), which monitors employee relations of corporations, including Nike.

Knight threatened to renege on his promise of millions for expansion of Autzen Stadium unless the University withdrew from the WRC. If you're part of Labor, as I once was in the IBEW, you'll understand such a management ploy. Within weeks, the State System of Higher Education ruled it was illegal for its schools to be in the WRC. Then Knight came waddling back to alma mater with his Nike gold nuggets.

The issue transcends sports. It reveals the growing threat to independence of higher education everywhere from corporate donors who feel they can assert their will on schools because they bought that right with big donations.

One can understand state schools turning to corporate donors for money as state aid diminishes. Citizens are thankful for that generosity-- but not when donors see it as license to exert their will on academia, as in hiring and firing coaches and directors.

Some feel schools are becoming Corporate U. If so, that would solve all financial problems. But it would mean destruction of academic integrity, which-- as the Emerald alerted us-- already has begun.

(The writer is former University of Oregon Sports Information Director.)