UO E-clips, Feb. 21

Olympic Trials in Eugene will be tobacco-free (Associated Press, appearing on KGW.com, in its entirety): The U.S. Olympic Team Trials this summer at Hayward Field will be tobacco-free. Organizers say tobacco products won't be allowed on the Eugene '08 festival grounds or Hayward Field. The commitment was made by the Eugene '08 Local Organizing Committee, the University of Oregon and community health officials. It's in keeping with the policy of the International Olympic Committee. Laura Hammond of the Lane County Public Health Department says establishing tobacco-free events actually helps accomplish all the goals of the Olympic trials.

Arena finds support in Salem (The Oregonian): The two bills relating to the University of Oregon's basketball arena project appear to have broad support and could be passed by the Legislature as soon as Saturday, according to lawmakers. But in a hearing Wednesday, legislators asked for details about key sources of cash for the project, which Oregon hopes to fund with $200 million in state-backed bonds. Senate Bill 5555, relating to capital construction, and House Bill 5100, relating to bonding authority, soon will be amended to include language about the arena and could be voted out of the Joint Ways and Means Committee by today, Rep. Mary Nolan, D-Portland, said Wednesday.

Neighbors opposing arena testify in Salem (Register-Guard): Neighbors made their case to lawmakers Wednesday against the University of Oregon’s new arena proposal, but were unable to derail the project as it moved forward for a likely committee vote today. Residents of Eugene’s Fairmount neighborhood brought to lawmakers Wednesday their concerns about the basketball arena’s potential to bring traffic, noise, litter and parking problems to their enclave of Craftsman homes and local businesses. Representing the neighborhood association, Carol Heinkel, Mary Ann Holser and her son Tom testified to the Joint Ways & Means Committee. Heinkel also presented a petition signed by 118 residents requesting that the UO be required to fully address the arena’s neighborhood impacts.

UO papers revive subsurface parking (Register-Guard): In another twist in the University of Oregon’s quest to build a $200 million basketball arena, new planning documents submitted on behalf of the UO to the city say the project will include a 500-car underground parking garage, although university officials said Wednesday that they have not yet made a final decision. The documents are the first public disclosure that the UO is again considering underground parking. The university has not released any cost and financing information on the parking structure, although it most likely would cost tens of millions of dollars.

Stadium is a big league opportunity (Register-Guard guest viewpoint): The plan to build a 5,000-seat baseball park in the Autzen Stadium parking lot is shortsighted. If University of Oregon planners and city of Eugene officials opened their eyes to the bigger picture, they would see what has been going on in Portland for the past five years: a concerted effort to bring major league baseball to Oregon. A Google search of “Portland, major leagues” leads to 183,000 results, including the www.portlandbaseballgroup.com and www.oregonstadiumcampaign.com Web sites, and an endorsement article at ESPN.com. It is easy to conclude that Portland will someday land a major league baseball team. When that day comes, the Portland Beavers will be looking for a new home.

Law professor says government obligated to curb climate change (New West, Montana): The government’s failure to protect the atmosphere from climate change is a violation of its “fiduciary duties” as guardian of the nation’s natural resources, distinguished University of Oregon Law Professor Mary Wood said in a Wilderness Issues Lecture Series address to the University of Montana campus Tuesday night. Citing common law and a variety of other statutory frameworks like the Clean Air Act, Wood argued the atmosphere, like all natural resources, belongs to the people as a natural trust administered by the government. The government then has a legal responsibility as trustee to maintain these resources for the benefit of present and future generations.)