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When my parents home was totalled by hurricane Wilma I came home from Florida with a new understanding of the effects of natural disasters. I immediately put together the recommended emergency supplies required in the case of an earth quake. My family sat down and agreed on a meeting and communications plan. I contacted the city about safe, recommended meeting locations that may offer basic services or shelter in the cast of an earth quake. I received no reply. After repeated requests with no answer, my family decided we would meet at Lincoln High School and go from there.

Does the city have recommendations for safe shelters in the case of an earth quake?

Mary, (living on a fault on Council Crest)

posted 3 years, 2 months ago
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Listening to the discussions about U of O's proposed stadium expenditures I had to revisit an editorial about college sports written by Frank Deford for NPR. In his 11/14/07 editorial entitled: Comparing Sports , Arts Is Dangerous Business, he says,

"I think what exasperates so many people is that the situation only grows more lopsided, that sports in our schools and colleges are not only ascendant, but greedier and more invulnerable than ever.

For prime example, The Chronicle of Higher Education has reported that donations to athletic departments have increased dramatically. College stadiums only become more opulent, so-called student-athletes more outrageous."

Although Franks speaks only of how the arts take a back seat to funding afforded college basketball and football programs, I submit that it is all academics that suffer this neglect. My suggestion is that, to be fair, every investment made to a sports venue be matched by an equal investment in an academic venue/program/building. At the very minimum it sends college students the message that their academic studies are actually valued equally with the sporting events so loved by the alumni. And if we are speaking of being fair, see Frank's 1/2/08 editorial: In All Fairness College Athletes Should be Paid.

posted 5 years, 4 months ago
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