Sale Price Tag Set at $18 Million the University’S Asking Price for Westmoreland Has Discouraged Two Apartments
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Get your Freak on! | Section B An independent newspaper at the University of Oregon www.dailyemerald.com SINCE 1900 | Volume 107, Issue 93 | Wednesday, February 8, 2006 Westmoreland sale Basketball Sale price tag set at $18 million The University’s asking price for Westmoreland has discouraged two apartments. But after he received the request for tickets cut proposals in an e-mail Monday, the price made potential developers who wanted to create low-income housing it less plausible, he said. “Well, I haven’t talked to my board, but right now I don’t think we’d be able to afford following BY STEVEN R. NEUMAN continue to provide housing for residents. NEWS EDITOR an $18 million property,” he said. “That’s a St. Vincent DePaul of Lane County Executive $1.8 million bond.” Official documents released Monday show the Director Terry McDonald said his organization Herman also said although the organization University wants $18 million minimum for the had considered buying Westmoreland to create negotiation would probably not submit a proposal, it was Westmoreland Apartments — a price tag that has a mixed-use site, reserving some of the apart- committed to continuing discussion with the The amount of seats available already discouraged two developers who previ- ments for students and turning others into University. He suggested that if current West- ously expressed interest in using the property to low-income affordable housing. moreland tenants were left without options free to students will decrease to create affordable low-income housing. “At those kind of numbers there’s no way we after the sale, Metro might be able to help counter the ‘no-show factor’ The “Request for Proposals for the purchase could afford the property,” he said. “Our point provide alternative low-income rentals. of Westmoreland Village” (RFP), released with- was to create a mixed community, but at those out fanfare on the University’s Web site, outlines kind of numbers I’d have to bump student rents RFP, page 8A BY NICHOLAS WILBUR SENIOR NEWS REPORTER the proposed terms for the sale of the 404 unit up above $500.” apartment complex situated on 20.57 acres of Richard Herman, executive director for Met- READ MORE ONLINE Students will have 300 fewer tickets to each land approximately 3 miles west of campus. ropolitan Affordable Housing Corporation men’s basketball game in McArthur Court next It states two goals for the sale: to sell the prop- (Metro), a local non-profit that provides low-in- To view the University’s “Request for Proposals for the Purchase year as a result of the student body’s new con- erty for the highest possible sale price, and so come tenants with affordable housing in Eu- of Westmoreland Village” or to get updates and additional tract with the Athletic Department, officials said long as it does not “materially and adversely” af- gene, said the company had expressed initial in- information visit: vpfa.uoregon.edu/westmoreland.htm at a meeting Tuesday. fect the first goal, to find a buyer who will terest to the University in purchasing the The contract follows negotiations between the ASUO Athletics Department Finance Commit- tee and the Athletic Department that had to balance increased ticket prices with decreased Professor evaluations available online student demand. Students have picked up about 1,900 of 2,000 Both the Office of the Registrar tickets per basketball game this season, but only and RateMyProfessors.com have about 1,000 students actually attended the games, Associate Athletic Director Steve McBride said. student feedback on the Web To counter this “no-show factor” and to fit within modest ticket budget growth approved by BY RYAN KNUTSON the ASUO Student Senate, the contract cuts 303 NEWS REPORTER of the 419 seats accessible to students in The student evaluations of every professor McArthur Court’s third-floor balcony — 15 on campus are listed on the Office of the Reg- percent of all home-game tickets. istrar’s Web site, but many students don’t The “no-show factor” hasn’t caused the Ath- know where to look. letic Department to cut basketball seats for as “It’s not just a rating, it’s a collaborative ef- long as he could remember, McBride said. fort in improving teaching,” said Russell Tom- The Senate voted earlier this year to give lin, vice provost for Academic Affairs and the ADFC a 3.48-percent budget increase next professor of linguistics. year, providing another reason for the ADFC to Tomlin said the faculty evaluation system investigate cutting basketball tickets. is used to provide individual faculty members TICKETS, page 8A with feedback about their teaching methods, to allow departments to review required courses’ effectiveness, and to serve as evaluation of faculty when they are up for ASUO group promotion and tenure. “The student evaluations are a significant component of those reviews,” Tomlin said. resists merger ZANE RITT | PHOTO EDITOR Tomlin said they are also there to provide a Business professor David Dusseau looks at his rating on RateMyProfessors.com, where he has been rated by summary for students to review before taking more students than any other professor at the University. a course, and they are taken very seriously with program by faculty. FACULTY RATINGS WEB SITES “I really feel it’s important that students take them seriously,” he said. “They’re impor- The Leadership Resource Office www.RateMyProfessors.com is a Web site where students can view or post ratings of their professors on an anonymous forum and pay tant and they do play a role in has proposed combining with the membership fees to see all professor ratings. faculty standing.” courseevals.uoregon.edu/evals.cfm is the University’s faculty evaluation Web site where the rating Scantrons filled out by students at the end The database can be found on the Community Internship Program of each course can be accessed. EVALUATIONS, page 8A BY NICHOLAS WILBUR SENIOR NEWS REPORTER In the first of many discussions, the Commu- Car theft increases 66 percent in Eugene area nity Internship Program, an ASUO-funded group, met with a representative from the newly estab- Stolen vehicles increased by 66 percent last year in Eugene, with lished Leadership Resource Office to discuss merging the programs in an effort to increase Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans being the most common type stolen enrollment and keep CIP from closing down. The CIP is an incidental fee-funded organization BY BRYAN GAMROTH Detective Dennis Doe said. that offers students upper-division credit for vol- NEWS REPORTER Sophomore physics major Ian Kelly-Morgan unteering in the community. Its enrollment rates Sophomore art major Karen Bridges had just discovered his 1996 Jeep Cherokee was stolen have gone “into the red” this year after just break- gotten off the bus last Wednesday and was in September after returning to his University ing even last year, but CIP members will spend the walking to her University Commons apartment Commons apartment at the end of a long Sat- next couple weeks looking into other options to when she noticed her 1988 Toyota Camry was urday night. He said he thought it had been continue offering the services of the program. nowhere in sight. towed and called several towing companies CIP members have not voted in favor of the “I was just thinking about changing the tags, before contacting police. merger, and won’t until group members can ex- but then when I noticed it was gone, I knew it “It was really not something I wanted to deal haust other avenues for funding, which currently had been stolen,” she said. with that weekend,” Kelly-Morgan said. comes from the College of Education. Her car had just been stolen for the second Doe, the only detective in charge of investigat- CIP Executive Director Tiffany Larson said “we time in four months. ing auto theft in Eugene, has witnessed the recent need to find out as much information as possible “I thought, ‘Oh no, not again,’” she said. “It explosion in car theft and is urging students to before that decision is made” so that all CIP was pretty disappointing and frustrating.” help by watching out for their neighbors’ cars. members can have enough information to sup- Many other students have experienced the “What would be very helpful is if the public port a final decision. For now, she said, CIP will same frustration as Bridges. Car thefts in Eugene would be more attentive to the cars parked operate through this year and make changes, if increased by 66 percent from November 2004 to around their living spaces and watch out for each ZAC GOODWIN | PHOTOGRAPHER necessary, for next year. November 2005 and are especially prevalent in other,” Doe said. Sophomore Karen Bridges stands outside her Diane Dunlap, Educational Leadership Program the campus area, Eugene Police Department THEFTS, page 7A newly recovered car assessing the damages. CIP, page 4A CommentaryCommentary Wednesday, February 8, 2006 NEWS STAFF (541) 346-5511 I In my opinion I Editorial PARKER HOWELL EDITOR IN CHIEF SHADRA BEESLEY MANAGING EDITOR Bush’s priorities perform poorly STEVEN NEUMAN Pupils need JARED PABEN During his State of the Union day’s vote on the extension of the NEWS EDITORS NICHOLAS WILBUR address (which I know is a week old Patriot Act. The Patriot Act didn’t get the SENIOR NEWS REPORTERS now, but something that only comes votes it needed. Bush’s secret program OSSIE BLADINE once a year should have a longer shelf ended up working against him. Also, better access BRYAN GAMROTH CALVIN HALL life, like Girl Scout cookies) President many of his fellow Republicans are split RYAN KNUTSON Bush called for several things to hap- on the issue.