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Statesman Journal Salem, Oregon Opinion: 2,3G IDEAS Sunday, June 17, 1990 G Books: 5G
Ron Blankenbaker
So who is Independent F Al Mobley? "We ve been trying to There is evidence that the conserva- tive religious splinter that is splitting settle conflicts by alloca- Oregon Republicans is splintering it- self. tions setting aside areas This is contrary to a general percep- for intensive manage- tion that the religious right is unified in backing the Independent candidacy of ment and for natural re- Al Mobley for governor. serves. The victims of Mobley, a retired U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employee residing in Mon- that are biological diver- mouth, is viewed as a serious threat to sity and sustainability of the gubernatorial hopes of Republican the forest." Attorney General Dave Frohnmayer. — Jerry Franklin Photos by Bill Haines/Statesman Journal The point is that statewide races New forestry advocate Jerry Franklin guides students through a new forestry experiment near Eugene. often are decided by margins of less than 10 percent of the vote. Ironically, it was a similar situation in 1984 that made Democrat Barbara Roberts secretary of state. Roberts cap- tured only 43 percent of the vote but e turns in forest practices that was more than her Republican op- ponent, Donna Zajonc. Gannett News Service The spoiler that year was a Eugene SEATTLE — A century of rou- broadcaster, Don Clark, who ran as an tinely clearcutting the Northwest s independent but is thought to have forests is nearing an end. Experts debate old ways, new ideas taken votes away from Zajonc. And the half-century-old practice With Roberts now running for gover- of burning and replanting harvest Gannett News Service we were taught they were 20 to 30 years don t want the AMA (American Medical nor and Mobley switching from a GOP sites, with the sole goal of generating SEATTLE — In the eyes of some ago." They require "ecocentric" think- Association) setting national health pol- registration to Independent, the possi- more wood, is being cut back drasti- new-school foresters, old-school forest- ing — making an effort to maintain or icy. But we are close to doing that" with bilities of history repeating at Frohn- cally. ers can t see the forest for the trees. duplicate the complex characteristics of the forest industry. mayer s expense seem imminent. Taking their place probably will be Under the new way of thinking, the old growth. The absence of such involvement in But the religious right isn t as unified New forestry seeks what nature what is called the new forestry, an forest comes before the trees. the past meant that when timber land- as Mobley s backer, the Oregon Chris- agglomeration of The difference between the old school achieves when left alone: biological di- use disputes arose, people and govern- tian Alliance, might want people to versity. That means focusing on interre- techniques and and the new is in the eyes of the behold- ment responded with an approach that think. er. When the chain saws move through a lationships of what s on and below the Franklin called simplistic. Editorial attitudes aimed at A broadside mailed by lobbyist Craig Page 2G perpetuating the timber stand, traditional foresters look ground in landscapes and timber stands, "We ve been trying to settle conflicts at what comes out; the new pay as much rather than on individual forest re- by allocations setting aside areas for in- DeMo to several thousand Evangelical Touchy biological diver- Christian Church members takes apart sity of old-growth attention to what s left behind. sources, be it wood or northern spotted tensive management and for natural re- experiment According to Jerry Franklin, a profes- owls. serves," he said. "The victims of that are in a one-two-three manner the likeli- forests while cut- hood of Mobley being elected. Page 4G ting as much as 80 sor at the University of Washington, And new forestry involves more than biological diversity and sustainability of percent of the dogmas central to old forestry are: the forests themselves; it has a social the forest." DeMo, a legislative lobbyist from trees in such areas. Old-growth forests ha e no value side as well, from tax policy to educa- Today, he said: "People are lo,king Portland for the Oregon Association of "We re at the end of an era," said Uniform forests are ss good as or tion. But through it all is what practi- for alternative solutions, and new fr,rest- Evangelicals, identifies himself as an Jerry Franklin, a University of better than natural, complex forests. tioners see as a need to bring more citi- ry has elements of win-win — a high Alliance insider, a former member of its Washington-U.S. Forest Service Good forest stewardship simply in- zens into the process of making forest level of ecological resources with a level executive committee. He was finance Want ecologist viewed as the revolu- volves regenerating trees. decisions, and doing so sooner. of commodity production. director of its 1988 ballot measure that trees in such areas. 01 Old-growth forests have no value. side as well, from tax Policy to educa- Today, he said: "People are looking rortiana or tne uregon rissoutaLion "We re at the end of an era," said Uniform forests are Ps good as or tion. But through it all is what practi- for alternative solutions. and new forest- Evangelicals, identifies himself as an Jerry Franklin, a University of better than natural, complex forests. tioners see as a need to bring more citi- ry has elements of win-win — a high Alliance insider, a former member of its Washington-U.S. Forest Service Good forest stewardship simply in- zens into the process of making` forest level of ecological resources with a level executive committee. He was finance plant ecologist viewed as the revolu- volves regenerating trees. decisions, and doing so sooner. of commodity production. director of its 1988 ballot measure that tion s leading light. "For one reason "Foresters grew up with the unstated That s not always popuiar with career "But it s not cost-free. You don t get repealed Neil Goldschmidt s executive or another, we have this incredible understanding Cnat what s good for pro- forsct managers peolovieal integrity and the highest order prohibiting discrimination attack of sanity going on." duction was good for all other forest "Professionals always resist; they al- production. But you do get more respon- against homosexuals. values," Franklin said, calling that kind ways think they know best," Franklin sible stewardship of forest resources, The bulk of new forestry research DeMo dissects the "50-40-30 Theo- of thinking "woodcentric." said. "And professionals are almost al- and society gets a more balanced mix of ry" put forward by Lon Mabon, the ex- has involved lands managed by the Rather, he said, "Forests aren t like ways inappropriate to set policy. We the goods and services it wants." U.S. Forest Service. But in varying ecutive director of the Alliance. degrees, elements of the concept also According to the theory, Mobley is are being used — or at least consid- more than a spoiler and can be elected ered — on other lands. governor because he ll garner 50 per- Doug Decker, a spokesman for the How new forestry timber practices work cent of the independent vote, 40 per- Oregon Forestry Department, said cent of the Republican vote and 30 per- agency officials had discussed the Gannett News Service Cutting areas of trees in predetermined Regulates stream flows. cent of the Democratic vote. patterns. Produces high-quality water runoff. possible effects of using new forestry Among the elements of new forestry: Supposedly, 50 percent of the inde- techniques on state-owned lands. Forest landscape Results: Actions: Individual stands pendent vote is assured because inde- But the state s Forestry Board has Creates an overall landscape design. Retaining a mix of coarse, woody debris pendents usually vote for independents Dispersing clearcuts through the land- Minimizes fragmentation of forests into proposed no changes in the Oregon scape. on a logged site, including downed logs and when they re on the ballot. small pieces. dead standing trees, or snags. The debris Forest Practices Act, which controls Integrating harvest areas with non-harvest Provides more habitat for plants and ani- The 40 percent GOP vote is suppos- logging practices on private land. areas, such as streamsides and land with pieces vary in size, density and states of mals. decay. edly his because in 1986, Joe Lutz of unstable soil. , Increases flow of plants, wildlife and other Adherents to what is being dubbed Developing vegetation corridors among Leaving some cut or fallen trees in the religious right captured 43 percent a kinder, gentler forestry include key the zones. organisms through the forest. streams. of the vote against U.S. Sen. Bob Pack- members of Congress. Among them Fuzzing or feathering edges of harvest Reduces rigid borders between forest Allowing green trees in a variety of heights wood in the primary. areas. patches that allows one to affect the climate and species to remain. are most of the Washington and Or- As for the 30 percent Democratic egon delegations. Keeping tree patches large enough to and composition of another. Keeping some surviving trees in groups. allow an appropriate mix of interior forest Regulates temperatures. Harvesting young, even-aged stands support, Mobley supposedly would get "This is the key to an environ- and edge environments to develop. Admits more sunlight to forest floors. early. that because of his anti-abortion stand. mentally sustainable industry," U.S. Not so, DeMo says. Rep. Jolene Unsoeld, D-Wash., said. Turn to Forestry, Page 4G. First, he points out that Mobley is "a no-name candidate." Don Clark got 22 percent of the vote for secretary of state in 1984, but Clark, a TV broadcaster, had a name. Love Canal may get new lease on life As for Mobley picking up 40 percent of the GOP vote because that s what The Washington Post The houses, ranging from 940 to 1,040 square feet, Joe Lutz did against Bob Packwood, NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — The old Love Canal "When I was pregnant . I was are to be resold for an average of $50,000 to $60,000, al- DeMo notes that it is one thing to run neighborhood is an eerie suburban ghost town. though a few choice parcels may bring as much as as a Republican in a Republican prima- On tree-lined streets, rows of shoebox houses stand there a lot. I never had a problem, so I $100,000. James Carr, the planning director at the ry and something else to run a Republi- deserted, windows broken and aluminum siding curling don t see anything to be afraid of." state s Revitalization Agency, said the houses would be can as an Independent. off. Mailboxes are rusted shut, doors padlocked. Dead discounted 20 percent from area market prices for what vines lace a broken trellis. A lost parcel-delivery man On the idea of Mobley getting 30 per- —Donna Baptiste he calls "Love Canal stigma" — 10 percent for the cent of the Democratic vote because of cruises block after block looking for somebody, any- Prospective new resident dump s notoriety and 10 percent for agreement to live body, to ask for directions. the abortion issue, DeMo has this to in a largely vacant neighborhood. say: A close look reveals signs of life. Every porch light is Twelve years ago, Love Canal became a national "We have a very desirable neighborhood, we feel," on, even in daylight, to deter vandals. A gardener mows In 1988, the measure against the gov- symbol of the dangers of toxic-waste dumping and ca- Carr said, smiling and assuming a salesman-like tone. ernor s executive order protecting ho- the lawn of a boarded-up house. Roofers crawl about talyzed establishment of the federal Superfund cleanup "It has a lot of amenities. The trees are green, the laying new tar paper atop an empty ranch-style home. mosexual rights passed with 53 percent program. street pattern is good, a major shopping mall is located of the vote. Love Canal, abandoned by homeowners more than a It began with the discovery that thousands of drums a couple hundred yards away. decade ago when it became the nation s most infamous containing 21,800 tons of toxic chemicals were leaking "I would live here. I wouldn t be working here — "But what OCA fails to remember is toxic dump, is about to experience a rebirth. Within from a 10-block pit in Love Canal into backyards and there s the canal right out there," Carr said, pointing that 53 percent of Oregon s voters also weeks, 70 of these empty houses north of the dump site basements, through cinderblock walls and a schoolyard. out the agency s large picture window, "if I felt like I cast their ballots for Democratic presi- are to be auctioned. The pit was left from a canal dug in the 1890s by was lopping years off my life." dential candidate Michael Dukakis, a Remarkable as it may seem, people seem willing to William T. Love, who planned a model city down- Donna Baptiste grew up in the neighborhood and liberal, card-carrying lawyer and gover- move their families into a neighborhood whose very stream. It was abandoned in the 1940s and became a wants to move back. Her parents, Mary and Cecil Lit- nor who signed an executive order simi- name is synonymous with chemical contamination. waste dump for Hooker Chemical and Plastics Corp. ten, remained in the family s blue-shingled two-bed- lar to the one that Measure 8 repealed. More than 200 families have applied for the houses, Among the leaking chemicals were PCBs and dioxin, room house on the east side of the dump. It is now "The fact is, voting for issues and attracted by bargain prices and the suburban setting. which has been linked to cancer and until recently con- scheduled for evacuation. voting for candidates are two complete- Many said they consider Love Canal no particular risk sidered highly toxic. Some scientists are re-evaluating "When I was pregnant . . . I was there a lot," Bap- ly different things," DeMo concludes. because they already live in Niagara Falls, the state s its risk. State surveys in Love Canal found above-aver- tiste, a supermarket meat clerk, said. "I never had a dumping capital, or labor in its myriad chemical plants. age rates of miscarriages, birth defects and other health problem, so I don t see anything to be afraid of. My sis- DeMo s feelings on the Mobley can- "Anywhere here in Niagara Falls is dumps, just problems in houses nearest the pit. ter s daughter has asthma, but you can t say it was didacy are shared by a number of con- about anywhere you go," Delford Rowh, a prospective Families in these houses were evacuated, their homes caused by Love Canal. A lot of kids have asthma." servative and moderate Republican of- homeowner, said. "You ve got the Forest Glenn, the razed, and the dump covered with clay and planted Baptiste s husband, Levi, is a furnace operator in a ficials including Tim Nashif, the chair- Bloody Run, the S Dump — we don t know what the `S with grass. Residents in neighboring blocks asserted factory where workers have been warned not to drink man of the Multnomah County stands for — and now where the mall s going to go in, that chemicals had seeped into their houses and yards, from the tap. Across the street is an enormous pyra- Republican Committee. there s a dump in there. Either way you go, doesn t too, and fought to have the government buy them out. mid-shaped dump fortified by a continuous caravan of trucks arriving from throughout the Northeast. Nashif says: "The question no one matter. Niagara Falls is chemicals." Within two years, 1,030 families sold residences to the has answered: Who is Al Mobley?" Na- Not everyone is moving in. government for an average of $35,000. About 60 fami- "They have to dump it somewhere," said a tour guide at the Gray Line information station across the street shif is right. It is high time to find out Unless environmentalists, including former Love lies remained. exactly who Mobley is. Canal residents, obtain a court injunction to halt re- The studies, cleanup and buyout cost the govern- from the pyramid dump and not far from the mag- settlement, families may be moving in late next month. ment about $275 million, part of which is to be borne nificent, roaring American Falls. "But does it have to New residents technically will not live in Love Canal, by Occidental Chemical Corp., corporate successor to be at the site of the eighth wonder of the world?" 11 Ron Blankenbaker is a Statesman Jour- however. The area has been renamed "Black Creek Vil- Hooker Chemical, which buried 22,000 tons of toxins at Delford and Banda Rowh were the seventh family to nal writer. His column appears regularly. lage." Love Canal. Turn to Love Canal, Pace 6G. Page 2G Statesman Journal Salem, Oregon OPINION Sunday, June 17, 1990
Editorials Compromise may be possible ME be a politicianie New forestry promising ran into a burnir A sloppy, messy through fire. But house and save clearcut that tries fires do not level to imitate nature the forest. The might be the flames leave answer to the scattered trees Northwest s untouched, and search for a way they deposit logs to preserve forests and other organic and jobs. debris on the The fact that ground. the so-called "new From this scar forestry" has will rise a forest of critics from both trees of mixed major players in File photo ages and species the timber dispute Clear cutting forests may be on the way out. that thrives on — the industry and the environmentalists — the nutrients provided by the decaying logs means that it might be what we need. and that depends on birds and parasites to Mostly, it s just natural suspicion of kill harmful insects and on animals to spread untested techniques that has some worried. the vital micorrhizae fungi that help tree We think that the new theory — espoused by roots absorb nutrients. Jerry Franklin, a University of Washington In new forestry, loggers cut a patch of professor and a respected expert in timber forest, but they leave behind 20 percent or ecology — has a sound foundation and needs more of the standing timber and some of the to be given an extensive tryout to prove its logs and do not burn all of the slash. case and to dispel fears on both sides. This means a cluttered forest for a time, New forestry already has proved itself in a but certainly it will be no worse than the Letters test forest near Eugene. Supervisors in the mountainside gashes that we see today. Willamette and Siskiyou National Forests Franklin thinks that it s close to the On owls vs. timber have begun experimenting with it. Foresters ecologically sound way that nature follows. Just imagine crowds About the spotted owl vs. timber cutting. Surely there must be in Deschutes National Forest already If he s right — and most experts agree with gazing at construction an effective compromise. Surely some of the environmentalists practice something similar. him — it means that we could have a While reading the May 25 arti- can work it out that we live in a country where many people are Rep. Jolene Unsoeld, D-Wash., wants to continued, although reduced, timber harvest cle about construction of a park- already unemployed and homeless. make it official with a law that would require without upsetting the balance of nature. ing facility in front of the State Many worthwhile workers in this country do not wish to be, nor trials in three or four spotted owl areas. She Many in the timber industry criticize new Capitol, several reflections came are they qualified to be, doctors, lawyers, or school teachers. They wants to see whether new forestry will save forestry as a scientific-sounding excuse for to mind. therefore have to survive by working in jobs such as tree-cutting, the owl — and the ecosystem that it is an reducing the timber harvest. The Department of General woodcutting and lumber mill work. Unless all of us choose to live indicator for — and provide enough timber Many in the environmental movement Services plans to assemble a in plastic houses, we still will need wood for houses and furniture. for Northwest jobs and the nation s lumber worry that it is a ploy to allow the industry to bleacher for spectators. Forgetting It is very difficult for me to understand how people who use demands. continue cutting but in a new guise. any frivolous feelings I might have wood can truly be committed to stopping its harvest. Maybe the That s a tall order but one that deserves a In truth, new forestry appears to be a on the location and cost of this way it works is that after you have everything you require in the project, I could visualize the Ore- way of wood products, then it s time to stop using wood and try. sound way to manage those forests that must gon State Police being responsible protect the spotted owl. Nature has done a good job of preserving be made available for producing lumber and for ticket sales and crowd control. Mrs. Lewis Hanke and perpetuating our forests for thousands of plywood. It should not be an excuse to The Department of Human Re- Otis years. Franklin s idea is to imitate nature. destroy the last traces of our ancient forests. sources could "man the conces- ■ This means abolishing two other harvesting We are at a turning point in the sions," and the Oregon State Li- What s more important, owls or people? I ve seen this question techniques, clearcutting and selective management of our forests. We must look at brary could prepare the daily pro- asked in several letters to the editor lately. In all cases, the myopic cutting, and switching to a modified any idea that shows promise for maintaining grams schedule and highlights. point of view of these letter writers was that we should continue to clearcutting. the forest ecosystem without depriving us of During the lunch hour, the De- destroy the last of our old-growth forests even if it results in the Nature regenerates partly by destroying the timber we need. partment of Insurance and Fi- extinction of the northern spotted owl. nance and the Department of I don t really know how important the spotted owl is in the whole Transportation could handle scheme of things, but I do know how important it is that the "half-time" entertainment, and at Endangered Species Act not be circumvented. What is the next Workplace must accept individuals the end of each day the Executive animal or plant that would be deemed "not important" because Department and the, • Department it stands in the way of the lunge for the dollar? nance and the Department of 1 don t really know how important the spotted owl is in the whole Transportation could handle scheme of things, but I do know how important it is that the "half-time" entertainment, and at Endangered Species Act not be circumvented. What is the next Workplace must accept individuals the end of each day the Executive animal or plant that would be deemed "not important" because Department and the Department it stands in the way of the lunge for the dollar? of Agriculture could handle clean- Herbert Preuitt up sterilization. Dallas I was perplexed about how to ■ Hiring minorities a beginning handle parking, when it dawned We recently drove around the Olympic Peninsula and came There is an apparent dilemma in the Bush But numbers alone aren t the only measure upon me that parking was the home to the front-page article stating that 75 percent of the old problem being solved, and that growth there had been cut. administration s stand regarding bias in the for nondiscriminatory hiring. spectators would not be able to It s true, folks, and I wish everybody would go take a look at workplace. Felix Gutierrez, a vice president for the drive to the big show. what 75 percent looks like. It is ugly. It left me with a sick, President Bush says he will not tolerate Gannett Foundation, recently warned against As my thought began to fade, I frightened, disconsolate feeling. It reminded me in a strange way discrimination in hiring. Yet he refuses to becoming complacent about minority hiring. saw the Department of Economic of the women in the Nazi concentration camps whose beautiful accept any minority hiring quota system. He said it was important to respect the rights Development and the Legislature hair was shaved from their heads to make wigs for the officers Without some yardstick, such as quotas, it of those workers to be different once they agonizing about how to protect wives. may be difficult to measure how well were on the job. users from "Oregon Sunshine" as It is not the owl alone for which I grieve; it is for our whole employers are complying with the spirit of Gutierrez attacked what he called the they rush to the appropriate state lovely Earth that is being raped and stripped of its beauty in so civil rights laws. building. many ways and so many places. "melting pot myth" of our society. Women Please, leave us the little that remains of our ancient forests. Minority workers were hurt by a series of employees must not be made to emulate men, My thoughts end watching large 1989 Supreme Court decisions that made it numbers of governmental employ- K. Carlson and blacks must not be forced to model ees and interested citizens "gazing Scio harder for them to prove that they were themselves after white employees, he said. victims of job discrimination. in awe" at this magnificent facility U.S. society has changed and grown more — which is precluded from their The White House and Congress are use, by cost or restrictions. deadlocked on new legislation to soften the pluralistic, Gutierrez said. The change means of us would vote for a sales tax. change but didn t like B through that people should be accepted into the Glen W. Knickerbocker Of course, these legislators don t E? effects of those high court decisions. Salem seem to realize that the entire ad- The advisory vote was set up so An amendment drafted by Sens. Edward workplace with their individual strengths and weaknesses. visory vote is inaccurate, because that somehow the results could be Kennedy, D-Mass., and John Danforth, School finance vote each person, on the average, voted distorted to look as if we wanted a R-Mo., was criticized by White House aides. It is clear from the debate in Congress, the favored new sales tax "yes" 1.2 times and "no" 2.7 times sales tax. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh said the White House, and in the workplace that to the four options on ballot Mea- So get ready Oregon. When plan set such tough standards on hiring that there still is much to be done before we can If Sen. Jane Cease and Rep. sure 5. They also fail to consider Jane and company get through employers would be forced to set their own claim to have arrived at the kind of society, Carl Hosticka learned mathemat- that 23 percent of us want no patting themselves on the back, quota system to avoid lawsuits. free of discrimination, that we seek. ics in Oregon s schools, then we change in the finance system. they re going to waste their time need more than just a refinancing Isn t it strange that there was and our money one more time. of our educational system. no option 5F, "none of the above," Reed K. Mulder Video wilderness According to them, 54 percent for those of us who wanted a Independence `Tooth fairy column on school taxes was off base Nature is best in person Normally I agree with Ron in more money, where does it think that if people were told There may be some truth to the view that environmental filmmakers in Vancouver, Blankenbaker s Sunday column go? First, to the administration. how this would affect their and enjoy it, but May 20 he was Then, if there s any left, to the property taxes, renters also we are becoming a nation of couch potatoes. British Columbia, to share their way off base. teachers (who are the educa- would probably vote for a sales One sign is that while concern about made-for-television films about whales, No, Oregonians don t want tion s backbone and who I feel tax, because each time property preservation of our natural environment forests, and other aspects of the the "tooth fairy" to pay for our are underpaid). owners get an increase in prop- appears to be growing, the proportion of our environment. schools. All we want is for those No, the only solution we want erty taxes, rents go up. population that has any direct experience Their concern is that if people lose touch in charge to spend money wise- to hear is that our money is It also is vividly clear that we with it is declining. with nature, they also will lose interest in ly, the way we have to run our being spent more conservatively must curtail spending in some We have become a nation of city dwellers, preserving it. households. and wisely. Jo-Ann Gum manner. dependent on others to provide our Most people agree that the best way to stir I cannot believe that they Salem Earl McDonald s letter, which information and to help organize our public interest in nature and in preserving think that we Oregonians are • was printed the same day as the recreation — even here in the Northwest. wilderness areas is to take people into the stupid enough to vote in a sales This is in reference to the Blankenbaker commentary, tax or any other added tax, for May 20 commentary by Ron noted that the position of the A declining share of our society is taking wilds for firsthand experience. But the that matter. Blankenbaker. I thought his ar- president of Portland State Uni- part in hunting and fishing, two of the second best way to maintain that interest is I, as a voter, have every inten- ticle was rather demeaning. To versity had been filled by an traditional modes of outdoor recreation. And with films and videos. tion of voting down every new me, it implied that the taxpay- out-of-state candidate after only a small segment of our society has any Perhaps these filmmakers are continuing tax package until those we voted ers (I being one of them) were being vacant. It would appear first-hand experience with wilderness areas an honorable tradition set by Jacques for, because we were told they stupid for the way we voted in that the vice president had been or wild rivers. Cousteau and others. would do the best job for us, get the primary election. filling the duties of the presi- Responding to this, there is an expanding Those who capture the images of nature their heads on straight. To quote Blankenbaker, "We dent as well as his own job. Why industry of environmental filmmakers. If the for us deserve our thanks. But it is worth What s wrong with the lottery want the tooth fairy to pay for then hire someone from out of public won t go to the wilds, these people will remembering that their images are a money going for schools? No, us." Well, as a parent and a tax- state at a salary of $105,000 a carry the wilds to the public via television or second-hand look at our world. The best they seem to have a better place payer, I, along with all other year? for that. taxpayers, have been and are If our state management peo- the theaters. experiences are those that we get by going Have you ever walked in a the "tooth fairy." ple were to really look, there A recent festival brought together out and looking for ourselves. school and seen the number of These tooth fairies have would be many, many other people working there? Why does reached a point where automat- places in which the state could Editorial board members each school need such a large ic, excessive increases in proper- cut spending. Statesman Journal Sara M. Bentley staff? Is it because that way we ty taxes must stop. If something isn t done soon, President and Publisher are assured that the job will get Yes, we said we wanted to perhaps the taxpayers should William Florence Don Scarborough done — even though it could be take a close look Oregon adopt- The Statesman Journal strives to publish accurate, unbiased information Executive Editor Editorial Page Editor change the way we pay for on its news pages. On this page, and where noted by the words opinion, John Ericksen Marvin Callaway accomplished with far fewer schools, but all four choices we ing a measure similar to Califor- commentary, or analysis, the newspaper s editorial board, along with read- Administrative Editor Editorial Page Writer people? were given were not definitive nia s property tax limitation ers and columnists, offers opinions on events and people. The objective of Paula Fitch Margaret Sizemore I m sorry, but I am so sick of about how, when, and what Proposition 13. the opinion page is to promote discussion of issues affecting our communi- Office Manager Special Editions Editor ty. The Statesman Journal is the successor to the Oregon Statesman, Alyce Yoshikai Roger Gertenrich hearing about taxes and school would take place. Dan Gatti, Sr. founded March 28, 1851, and the Capital Journal, founded March 1, 1888. Community Representative Community Representative support. Then when we do vote I voted for the sales tax. I Salem Page 3G Statesman Journal Salem, Oregon OPINION Sunday, June 17, 1990 Stunning Opal Creek area is a natural treasure I sat on a rock in the river look- the lower end of the creek, per- around it through the brush, we stream as it gathered momentum. Nothing in Silver Falls Park can ing up at the most spectacular wa- haps six miles below the waterfall. were treated to a fine array of At a rocky outcropping, we caught compare with it. terfall in this part of Oregon. The Our primary destination last wildflowers, including trillium, our first view of the chasm into Like many other Oregonians, force of the deluge created up- weekend was Opal Lake, from lamb s tongue, marsh marigold which Opal Creek Falls drops 300 I m torn between the need to sup- drafts carrying spray aloft in Commentary which Opal Creek descends past and shooting star. In the moss feet. ply logs to our sawmills and the white, wispy trails. The sun set Jawbone Flat to the Little North among the rocks later on we saw A backpack tent sat atop the need to protect our watersheds the white foam glistening as it ca- Fork of the Santiam a few miles the delicate purple calipso orchid. rocks with clothes spread out on and the forests surrounding our scaded over black basalt on the J. Wesley above Elkhorn. To get to the lake, Surrounding the lake itself is an nearby brush drying in the sun. natural scenic wonders. way down. we turned off at French Creek old-growth forest with its great Their owner was nowhere to be I went on the Opal Creek hike I, along with 20 others from the Sullivan Road, just before the town of De- variety of trees and plants. I saw seen. The solitary backpacker for exercise. I certainly got it. But Chemeketans Hiking club, bush- troit. huge Alaskan cedar and towering probably believes he spent an iso- I came away with more than tired wacked nearly a mile last weekend Service completes its plan for that At about 10 miles, after crossing silver fir. It s a true wilderness, but lated weekend in the wilds, not muscles, with the conviction that through brush and swamp and section of the Willamette National a pass, we saw the little jewel of a we kept finding jarring evidence of realizing that 21 people spent 15 the lake, the waterfalls and the down a precipitous slope to get Forest. lake down below us. A trail leads humanity, from the ditched mo- minutes resting at his campsite. creek are an important part of our this view that few people see, of I first saw Opal Creek many to the lake — actually it runs torcycle alongside the trail to a Opal Creek Falls is in three natural heritage. We owe it not Opal Creek Falls. years ago when some of us got per- down an old skid road used to drag golfball, discovered while we were parts. We had lunch at the upper only to ourselves but to future As I sat there, I tried to put in mission from the people who oper- mammoth trees out in the early bushwacking through dense falls, on the lip of the giant second generations to protect them and perspective what little I know ate the mines at Jawbone Flat to days. At the bottom of this eroded, ground cover. drop. At lunch we nerved our- their environs. about the Opal Creek controversy. hike up the bottom end of the rocky slide, the so-called trail The trees crowd up to the shore selves for the steep descent, while The fate of that area is still in creek to Blue Pool and to walk turns into a swampy morass at of Opal Lake, which is clear and our leader, Wally Eubanks, scout- 1=1 J. Wesley Sullivan, retired chair- doubt, with the next chapter to be along where the creek runs deep this time of year. cold. We followed a fisherman s ed the route. It was worth all the man of the Statesman Journal Editorial written this fall when the Forest down in a rock crevasse. This is on But while fighting our way trail to the outlet and down the effort. Board, writes a weekly column.
More Letters About letters Lesson in government The Statesman Journal welcomes letters of general interest from read- still hasn t caught on ers. All letters are subject to editing and abridgement. Because of the Twenty years ago, I had a job large volume received, we cannot re- distributing Republican literature turn or acknowledge letters that are door-to-door and gathering cam- not used. Letters must be signed and include a street address or post office paign contribution. I was among a box number, and a telephone number idealistic bunch of empty-headed (not for publication, but for verifica- activists who wanted to revolu- tion). They should be sent to Letters tionize America to the radical to the Editor, Statesman Journal, P.O. right. Box 13009, Salem, Ore. 97309-1036. A few of this pack of political ig- norants were progressively condi- tioned into being the same kind of hoax, it was a cruel one because I ravid ideologues that we were love my husband very much and being paid by, to set their variety I m constantly concerned about of arch conservatism in the him. American mindscape in stone for- Helen Lorentz ever. Salem These young people became gung-ho cheerleaders who pushed getting that one more leaflet out, Behind issue of bad art that one more dollar collected, is stifled expression that one more naive recruit gath- ered. They were the individuals In his May 26 guest opinion who took as gospel the arch con- about the Mapplethorpe flap, Glen servative Republican harangue L. Bledsoe states that Robert that the U.S. voter was a worth- Mapplethorpe s seven controver- less slob. sial photos are "bad art." He con- In theory, we all live in a free tinues: open democracy. In reality, the "No culture, however free, is ob- operating authority of the Repub- liged to exhibit bad art. Bad art is lic is vested in the hands of a small bad art and nothing to do with cross-section of political mentors Jesse Helms or any political per- suasion." who call the shots for everyone . WHO Cf33ET TO THE UNIFICATION OF THESE IUD tA.EAL-1 g. IN TKO HOLY for the benefit of the inner few. I Bledsoe s premise is question- " IF THE;QE P:6 ANOIE F24T .1‘i INPURZIALIST PPWE thought that was wrong then. And able and misses the point. He pre- 130c5 OF gAlt,, 9 EAK Nowcg...." I said so at the time. sumes that there is a generally ac- cross-section of political mentors Jesse Helms or any political per- 1 V /I A — ", -- 1- ■ bi4lt, WM. who call the shots for everyone . suasion." for the benefit of the inner few. I Bledsoe s premise is question- " IF TI-I6gE gE ANIcal RVA,IT 111N0 Cf3lEci To 114E UNF1CATION OF THESE 11,to tkEA1-14‘1 INDUSTRIALIST PoWER5 IN THE I-101-? thought that was wrong then. And able and misses the point. He pre- BOND; OF War), I.Er OAK Ncw cg I said so at the time. sumes that there is a generally ac- Recently, I was asked again to cepted definition of good and bad pass out political campaign litera- art. In fact, that determination is ture, gathering money this time subjective and changes with the for conservative Democratic can- times. But victim set caller straight didates. But now it would be a Bledsoe s conclusion that "no straight cash deal per 100 leaflets culture is obliged to exhibit bad certified distributed and a rake off art" is 180 degrees from the real the top of all money gullible citi- issue, which is: Should a culture, zens handed me a cold business through restrictions in federal Cruel hoaxers prey on women s fears arrangement to purchase the elec- funding, be prevented from exhi- Angels don t use the telephone tim, or perhaps a relative, friend to a telephone threat. torate. biting bad art? not good angels, anyway. or neighbor, police said. A telephone threat is a cheap I realized that in 27 years, the Such censorship cannot help Somewhere on Salem s streets is What the caller probably wants shot. It allows the caller to work political office seeker types have but chill artistic expression. Art a man — maybe more than one — most is to know that he is disturb- out his aggressions or frustrations not learned the crucial lesson the has always been advanced by ar- who delights in frightening elderly ing his victim. And, of course, he without risking being identified. conservative Republicans taught: tists such as Mapplethorpe who women with crank calls. Commentary is. But police advise that the best The caller probably is someone Political office seekers must con- have been willing to challenge con- One of these callers identified response is to not let him know too timid to make threats in per- vince the citizens to take personal ventional forms and themes. As himself as the angel Gabriel and that by hanging up. If the calls son, according to Salem detective charge of their own public deci- Bledsoe notes, not all of these at- told a woman — badly crippled Marvin persist, police should be called. Sgt. Roger Vinyard. sions, rather than let some stuffed tempts are successful. And those with arthritis — that he was com- Callaway There are ways to track down and Incidentally, the would-be angel shirt buy that authority. that are successful frequently do ing to kill her in her home that prosecute the repeat caller. got a disrespectful reception from No one can say or do for you not achieve initial critical or pub- night. In both of the cases reported to his victim. and me what we need to do for lic acceptance. In another incident, a similar- knew that they were not the only the Statesman Journal, the caller ourselves. In the representative A healthy culture demands that sounding caller said he had heard ones getting such calls. did not call back. She told him that he behaved substitution of your and my will, artists be allowed to express new that the woman s husband had Salem Police report getting What bothered the women a most un-angel-like way. And she something is lost of our mutual ideas without fear of censorship, died, asked how to spell the last complaints about four or five such most, however, was that the caller knew that he had his angels mixed freedoms. either directly or by loss of critical name, and hung up. harrassing calls a month. seemed to know something per- up when he said he was the angel We become less able to distin- financial support. The husband is alive but recent- It is seldom easy to discern the sonal about them. of death and called himself Ga- guish what are freedoms and be- Jeffrey G. Condit ly had been in the hospital. motives of the callers. They may How much real danger do crank briel. come more kept children of the Salem Both women wrote to the be insane, as was the Oregon man callers represent to their victims? Anyway, the victim said, no state. Statesman Journal to complain who made 400 or 500 calls from Probably not much, according self-respecting angel would need Don Baarstad Stories about Francke to someone, at least — about rented motel rooms last year be- to Sgt. Larry Stephens of the to use the telephone. Corvallis incomplete, one-sided cruel treatment by the callers. fore being caught and committed Salem Police Department s The bogus angel hung up in dis- The would-be angel s victim for treatment. Crimes Against Persons Division, gust — we hope for the final time. After following your coverage of said she thought that other people Sometime, the caller may want which investigates such cases. He Why is `icky book OK the Francke case, I have come to perhaps old, sick, alone like to get even for some real or ima- said that in his 22 years in Salem, Marvin Callaway is a Statesman if Bart Simpson is bad? the conclusion that your newspa- herself — would feel better if they gined complaint against the vic- he knew of no violent crime linked Journal editorial writer. per should change its name to the Your headline May 23 read Enquirer. "Bart back talk — Educators say A good reporter would get both smart-aleck misleads kids." The sides of a story before going to United States needs to focus accompanying article made it press. clear that this cartoon character For instance, Shelley Thomas was not promoting good values for violated her parole and was arrest- kids to emulate. ed. She was let out of jail in the If educators can see that rela- early morning hours when the tionship, how come the Salem- space was needed for a more dan- Flag burning seems least of our worries Keizer school board can t? gerous offender. The other side of In years to come, if any histori- would pass through their entire of real importance to be distracted In the same paper is an article that is that the state has no obli- ans look back at the United lives without having that offensive by such a question. State and fed- that states, "Salem-Keizer school gation to provide a return-home- States entry into the 1990s, I ex- spectacle inflicted on them. eral laws protecting the flag go board keeps icky book in school li- limo-service. You stated that she pect they will be very puzzled. These are events which U.S. so- back more than a century, doing braries." If the only word about was given several lie detector At a time when the world was Commentary ciety would have dismissed or ig- no visible damage to the First this book about "corpse-filled cof- tests. What were the results of being reshaped by the collapse of nored in times past, because we Amendment or the exercise of free fins and blood-covered feet dan- those tests? If you can t report the the Soviet empire and the emer- had far more important fish to fry: speech. Violations were rare and gling from a chimney" is "icky" — results, then don t lead us to be- gence of powerful new economic David a frontier to settle and civilize; in- occasioned little controversy. what s it doing in our schools? lieve she s a victim of police inept- blocs in Europe and Asia, they will dustries, homes and schools to A year ago, when the Supreme Marie Chinn ness. surely wonder why Americans Broder build; a world to save. Court first ruled, 5-4, that the gov- Salem Detective Glover probably was were preoccupied by such topics as These cultural disputes preoc- ernment could not punish a physi- right when he said that Jeanne flag-burning, dirty records and But the incidents that provoked cupy us now, because we are floun- cal abuse of the flag, I thought the Phone call was cruel, Schwartz was a liar, if in fact he government funding of offensive the headlined cultural controver- dering. No U.S. leader in 25 years decision wrong. The reaffirmation be it hoax or mistake said that. You didn t report how art. sies of recent days occurred on the has discovered or articulated a last week is no more persuasive. many years Jeanne has been in My friend and former colleague, fringes of American society. The 2 popular goal to focus the nation s Speech is speech, and should be On May 14, a few minutes after prison and why. Michael Barone, has written a Live Crew recording, As Nasty as energy and attention. protected, no matter how offen- 5 p.m., I answered the phone and a You reported that those close to weighty history of the past 60 They Wanna Be, was commercial- As we drift in our debt-financed, sive to majority opinion. male voice said he d heard the day the case wonder why Glover is still years, Our Country, which argues ly dying — until a judge in Florida synthetic prosperity, we are losing before that Lyle Lorentz had on the case. Isn t Glover the guy that cultural issues often have gave it a huge shot of free publici- confidence in our future. So we let But Chief Justice Rehnquist passed away. I asked how to spell who discovered where Diane played a larger role in our politics ty by ruling it obscene. ourselves be upset by fringe char- made the obvious point when he the last name and he hung up. Downs was hiding after she than most scholars have recog- The paintings, sculptures and acters whose goal is simply to said that "flag burning is the My husband, Lyle, is 88 years escaped? Why do the editors ac- nized. performances that have enmeshed shake us up. equivalent of an inarticulate grunt old, with heart problems. With the cuse Glover of bias toward sup- If one thinks of race, religion, the National Endowment for the How do you suppose we man- or roar that . . . is most likely to be help of good doctors I still have posed friends and professional as- social status and moral values as Arts in controversy represent a aged to survive for more than 200 indulged in not to express any par- him with me and he is able to be sociated in corrections? Didn t he the sources of cultural conflict, tiny sliver of its grants — and years in this country before forc- ticular idea but to antagonize on the tractor mowing and tilling, arrest a captain of corrections in Barone certainly has a point. De have a comparably small audience. ing the Supreme Court to decide, others." the jobs that he enjoys very much. that 1986 investigation that you so -bates on civil rights, abortion, for- As for flag burning, if the televi- twice in 12 months, the constitu- If the call was a mistake, I wish monotonously refer to? eign interventions and many other sion cameras did not compulsively tionality of statutes protecting the David Broder is a Washington Post he d stayed on so I could have James and Shirley Leiper issues were driven by the cultural cover these attention-seeking pro- flag from physical abuse? columnist. He won the 1973 Pulitzer found out more. If the call was a Salem divisio Ns in this republic. testors, most in the United States We were too busy with matters Prize for commentary.
Page 4G IDEAS Statesman Journal, Salem, Ore., Sunday, June 17, 1990 Experiment runs risk of too much, too little Gannett News Service they may have been on their way Take new forestry and mix it "Forestry scientists tell us that spotted owls out anyway, he said. with northern spotted owls in a Instead, experiments must be large, old-growth forest and voila! have been found in second growth that has rem- undertaken across large stretches a recipe for saving hundreds of nants of old growth. That could be new forestry of habitat, where owl populations owls and thousands of jobs. are strong. Only then could new But there s a catch: No one working by accident. forestry be fairly blamed for owl knows the proportions. That risks — Rep. Jolene Unsoeld deaths or disappearances, or de- a recipe for disaster. Experiment Proponent of experiment monstrated as a viable method to with too much new forestry, and use near the creatures. owls as well as ancient trees will be viewed as owl terrain, and kept fragmentation. U.S. Rep. Jolene Unsoeld, a die. Try too little new forestry, or free of chain saws. Forty percent Their goal is to retain enough Washington Democrat, has writ- none at all, and the jobs may dis- of that is in wilderness or parks, characteristics of the bird s natu- ten a bill for discussion purposes appear, without giving the new where logging is already banned. ral environment to allow its sur- that would allow new forestry ex- ways of working the woods a Setting aside the remainder as vival there, while still taking out periments on no fewer than three chance to coexist with the birds. Habitat Conservation Areas, or up to 80 percent of the timber in habitat conservation areas in each That s the dilemma facing the HCAs, would cut Northwest tim- such areas. If that works, many of affected state, and on an equiva- Northwest s congressional delega- ber harvests by 30 percent, the the estimated 28,000 timber-relat- lent amount of federally managed tions as they plan for the show- Thomas committee indicated. The ed jobs in jeopardy might be forest destined for intensive tim- down on what they ve all come to U.S. Fish Wildlife Service prob- saved. ber harvest. They would serve as call simply "Jack Ward Thomas." ably will modify the recommended For openers, lawmakers are control areas. Thomas is the U.S. Forest Ser- set-asides. scratching their heads about how "Forestry scientists tell us that vice wildlife biologist who led an In the meantime, Interior Sec- to get permission for the experi- spotted owls have been found in inter-agency scientific committee retary Manuel Lujan is expected ments without challenging the law second growth that has remnants that studied what it would take to to list the owl as a threatened spe- that protects threatened species. of old growth," Unsoeld said. spare the owl, considered an indi- cies. Even if a way is found, can "That could be new forestry work- cator species, from extinction. Among other things, that would enough terrain be opened to pro- ing by accident. Spotted owls can t survive out- outlaw endangering the birds or duce conclusive results? "I want to lay the groundwork side old growth, or habitat with their habitat. Trying out new forestry on the for proving that. To do so, you old-growth characteristics. There At the same time, the North- fringes of owl habitat, or where have to have real owl territory to are 1,692 known or suspected owl west s Congressional delegations the birds are struggling to survive, prove it in. If you see evidence pairs in Washington, Oregon and are working on a plan designed to could be worse than no experi- that something s going haywire, Northern California, only 40 per- protect the bird while trying new ments at all, said Jerry Franklin, a you can stop and change direct- cent of the birds that scientists forestry methods. University of Washington profes- ion." said existed 200 years ago. The harvest and regeneration sor and new forestry champion — However the debate resolves it- To save half of them, the com- techniques include leaving behind and the Forest Service s chief self, Franklin said, one thing was File photo mittee concluded last month, 8 live and dead trees and debris, fos- plant ecologist. If the birds die or certain: "There s going to be pain Experts hope to save the northern spotted owl yet continue tim- million acres in Washington, Ore- tering multi-species, multi-storied disappear, there s no assurance for people, pain for trees and pain ber harvests. gon and Northern California must mixes of trees and reducing forest that new forestry was responsible; for owls." Forestry/Tide soon may turn on Northwest s traditional timber practices Continued from Page 1G. role in coal mines. Miners knew New school foresters say high giants have been toppled. Single Society s Adopt-a-Forest program, variety at specific forest sites, but "We should have done it 10 years that if the canary keeled over, ev- yield reduces the complexity of species are planted to achieve said: "We fail to grasp the signifi- managing far larger chunks of the ago. Twenty would have been bet- eryone was at risk. natural forest systems. They pre- stands of identical ages, shapes cance of the soil in the growing landscape for far longer periods. ter. But we didn t know enough to Next Saturday, if not sooner, fer less artificial actions, such as and heights, forming virtually un- process. It s a very delicate orga- do it. The crisis allows that now." Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan leaving behind scrap wood instead broken canopies over sunless for- nism, and it needs to be treated "One patch over five years The crisis is the projected loss Jr. is expected to declare the owl a of burning it, and promoting a mix est floors. very delicately." won t do," Franklin said. "We of cutting rights on half of the threatened species, triggering of tree species, ages and shapes. But natural forests have a mix: Clearcutting, Williams said, must think in thousands, not just Northwest s federal lands in the steps to seal off vast stands of an- Some environmentalists greet There are young, rich-foliaged liv- "drastically alters the community hundreds, of acres." Otherwise, he next decade, wiping out an esti- cient trees from chainsaws. new forestry with enthusiasm, al- ing trees; the centuries-old, still- of organisms in the ground. We said, humans will perpetuate for- mated 28,000 jobs in the logging, The crisis is giving the new for- though few want its methods ap- living giants; and the dead but bio- don t understand that process." est fragmentation and fail to deal lumber and paper industries of esters and their congressional and plied in remaining old-growth for- logically rich ones standing, on the with, or even recognize, cumula- Ignorance notwithstanding, tive degradation of the landscape. Washington, Oregon and North- administration allies the glue to ests. A new and powerful coali- ground and in streams. There are "we re trying to use agricultural ern California, according to the bind two decades of research into tion, the Ancient Forest Alliance, the once-hated hardwoods, as well techniques on our forests," Wil- As European and Mediterran- federal government. law and public policy. wants those stands left untouched, as marketable softwoods. There liams said. "What s missing in the ean countries know already, the The jobs would be casualties of That effort is driven by two whether owls are thought to live are the healthy and the sick. equation is how nature grows capacity of soil to grow trees even- a logging ban on as much as 8 mil- major forces: rampant conflict there or not. Their structures vary, as do the those trees." tually disappears, Williams said, lion acres to protect the old- about traditional harvest practices It s a fundamental change from densities of their foliage and and no one knows how much life is growth habitat of the northern and shrinkage of the Pacific a management philosophy that stands. And so do their purposes. Franklin said, "Our practice has left in Northwest soils. spotted owl. Coast s old-growth stands to less plant ecologist Franklin calls Among other things, the giants been to simplify forests; now our The spotted owl is one of many than 10 percent of the 70,000 "woodcentric," whose only pur- serve as sky combs, raking mil- purpose is to diversify them." Even though sustained-yield species whose survival depends on square miles that once stretched pose is to grow and cut as much lions of gallons of moisture from That diversity includes a place for timber practices have been re- the kind of biological diversity as- from southeast Alaska to North- marketable wood on a tract as cloud banks. Sunlit growth be- both high-yield practices such as quired by Congress for decades, sociated with old-growth forests. ern California. possible, to one that is "ecocen- neath them shades and nourishes clearcutting and high-preservation "we don t know whether high- As a result, the owl was designated Under growing fire is the system tric," considering the presence and complex soils that grow seemingly actions such as wilderness set- yield forestry is sustainable," as the indicator species for the of high-yield forestry, a package of future of natural elements. everything, from exotic mush- asides. "But the dominant prac- Franklin said. "We haven t devot- _hcAno of trpp at-writ-ha thni- Woodeentrie foresters are oar- rooms tc ordinary shrubs. tice would be integrated manage- ed a whole lot of attention to this. AAAAA .0 1,11.1., %/AA.. 0 VA the kind of biological diversity as- from southeast Alaska to North- marketable wood on a tract as cloud banks. Sunlit growth be- both high-yield practices such as quired by Congress for decades, sociated with old-growth forests. ern California. possible, to one that is "ecocen- neath them shades and nourishes clearcutting and high-preservation "we don t know whether high- As a result, the owl was designated Under growing fire is the system tric," considering the presence and complex soils that grow seemingly actions such as wilderness set- yield forestry is sustainable," as the indicator species for the of high-yield forestry, a package of future of natural elements. everything, from exotic mush- asides. "But the dominant prac- Franklin said. "We haven t devot- well-being of tree stands that rooms to ordinary shrubs. tice would be integrated manage- ed a whole lot of attention to this. practices, including clearcutting, Woodcentric foresters are par- It s like global change; it s some- never have been cut. used by foresters to obtain the tial to biologically uniform tree Larry Williams, a landscape ment." gardener and the former chairman To the new foresters, that thing that happens over a long pe- The owl s role in virgin timber is greatest amount of wood off tim- plantations, the most wood-prod- means not only more options and riod of time ." comparable to the canary s former ber lands. uctive approach once the ancient of the North Cascades Audubon w 0.:Women bridge race gap Enjoy your Vacation, .South AfricansAfricans, black and white meet one-on-one daughter-in-law and a grand- ,":The Los Angeles Times bonane" for a crowd. Meals on Wheels will enjoy ,,-- TEMBISA, South Africa — Sue daughter. The women squeezed into one - Ingram felt sick with fear. She Their home stands in a barren of the private taxi vans that carry didn t know where she would sleep tract with thousands of look-alike millions of blacks to work each . or what she would eat. She ima- concrete houses known as day. Ingram was nervous, but she your Statesman Journal • .-,gined bugs crawling on her feet "matchboxes," each with four tried not to let it show. ;-and throngs of black people who rooms and an outdoor toilet. But "You re in this black taxi with the Mkuwanes have used their ■.might resent her, even kill her. all these black people, and I guess Her bags stood beside the door money and carpentry skills to ex- you re a bit scared that they might of her warm, secure home. She pand their matchbox to 10 rooms turn on you or something," In- had packed carefully, nothing too that cover their small plot of land. gram said. fancy but nothing too casual. When Sue Ingram stepped Walking the streets of Tembisa She took a last look at herself in through the front door, she found and riding taxis turned out to be the mirror: She was 55 years old, a Thomas watching television in a "much safer than I thought," she descendant of the first white set- living room overstuffed with soft said, adding: "But there are still tlers in South Africa, the product furniture, plants and paintings. It some blacks who look at you with of a life of white privilege. And she was "nice and warm, clean-smell- eyes of hate. They hate white peo- was about to take her first step ing," Ingram remembers. ple because of apartheid." Ingram lives 10 miles away on a . into a black township. Women saw similarities ; Half an hour later she was in quiet, middle-class street in Ger- miston, an industrial suburb of As Ingram and Mkuwane -,, Tembisa, her throat burning from talked, they discovered that they -the haze of coal smoke. Crowded Johannesburg. The road in front of her house is paved, and no two shared many of the same values taxi-vans sped past. Thousands of and concerns about life, but differ- blacks walked the dirt paths. houses are alike. The manicured lawns and lush shade trees are ences in their background and ex- ; - Down a rutted dirt road, past an perience were apparent, too. They overflowing trash bin and houses protected by short fences and pri- This year when you If you want to make I. -;, vate security company signs that didn t talk much about those. - with only candles for light, she Joyce Mkuwane had spent most vacation think about sure you don t miss out found Joyce Mkuwane s house. promise a quick armed response to reports of prowlers. of her life as a nurse, working in on any local news, "Thank you, Sue, for coming to whites-only hospitals and white donating your „:-my home," Mkuwane said. "And Church exchange homes, seeing the inequities of subscription to Meals on simply ask for Vacation - thank you for not thinking we re Ingram decided to visit Tembisa apartheid up close. Pak and your carrier will animals." when she saw an item in the "Our blacks know about Wheels through our - Ordinary women church program one Sunday whites," she said. "But whites Newsshare program. It save all your morning about a weekend "Chris- i; • So began an emotional and eye- don t know blacks at all." simply switches delivery newspapers and opening voyage for two ordinary tian encounter" between whites Sue Ingram, on the other hand, .women, one white and one black, and blacks in the township. had seen little of the effects of from your home to Meals deliver them Soon after she had signed up, across generations of fear and dis- apartheid. She grew up on a farm on Wheels which delivers when you return trust in South Africa. though, Ingram began to have near Johannesburg. Black and white leaders are doubts. Concerned friends asked She married and raised her chil- meals (and donated from vacation. talking to each other as equals her again and again: Was she sure dren in an environment of white Share your sub- these days about the country s fu- it was the right thing to do? Could schools, white hospitals, white newspapers) to people in ture. But deal-making alone can- the actions of one person really neighborhoods, even white parks. need. When you return, scription with not bridge the divide carved by 42 make any difference in South Although she supported racial years of legal racial segregation Africa? reform in South Africa, the only your dependable home Newsshare or and centuries of master-servant Most of her worries began to blacks Ingram knew were her delivery service resumes save it with relationships. fade the first night, when she sat maid, her neighbors maids and Closing that gap begins not with down for dinner in Tembisa. the black customers at the phar- automatically. Vacation Pak, news conferences and formal Thomas covered the table with macy where she worked for a time. it s your choice! agreements but with people like chicken and mealie pap, a thick On Sunday afternoon, Ingram Sue Ingram and Joyce Mkuwane, maize-meal porridge that is the and Mkuwane said goodbye to in places like Tembisa. staple of most African meals. each other with a hug in the rain. Tembisa is a sprawling ghetto of "It was amazing, really," she re- "I love Sue," Mkuwane said. "I Call 399-6622 or toll free, 1-800-452-2511, 450,000 people, one of the satel- called. "They were chatting to me only wish there were more whites lites created by South African so- as if I was one of them." like her." and have a terrific vacation! cial engineers as a repository of Life in a township Ingram was more hopeful. "At cheap black labor for the white- The Mkuwanes own a car, but least there were a few pink faces in run factories and homes of Johan- the purpose of the encounter was Tembisa," she said. "And we have nesburg. Like most townships, to introduce their visitor to life in something to tell our friends Tembisa is hidden from the main a township, so Joyce and Ingram about." thoroughfares and the eyes of walked two blocks to the taxi A day later, Sue Ingram picked up the phone in her white neigh- Statesman Journal white motorists. It is not on the stand. Black strangers waved, and way to anywhere. Ingram, with her host s tutoring, borhood and placed a call to her Joyce Mkuwane lives here with began greeting people in Zulu — new friend, Joyce Mkuwane. Just her husband, Thoms,,, a son and "Sabona" for one persca and "Sa- to say hello.