UO E-clips, Sept. 30

Paintings could be by Jackson Pollock, or not (Los Angeles Times): As executive vice president of Azusa Pacific University, David Bixby fields lots of calls. But one that came through last March was a stunner. Howard Kazanjian, a film producer and university trustee, had come across a trove of paintings by a giant of 20th century art that might be donated to the evangelical Christian university. ... He proudly shares a 2004 report from University of Oregon physics professor Richard Taylor, who is an expert in analyzing complex patterns, or fractals, in Pollock's paintings.

‘Green' city issue surfaces (Register-Guard): Kitty Piercy embarked on a mission when she became Eugene mayor in 2005: make the city known for its environmentally friendly companies and practices. She and her advisers seized on the idea for an environmentally progressive Eugene. "We are a community that is interested in the environment, building green and being responsible, but we have not yet grabbed onto that niche," Piercy said before taking office. ... "If it had smacked of environmentalism, many of the business owners would have dismissed it, and we would not have gotten as far as we did," said Bob Doppelt, director of Resource Innovations and the Climate Leadership Initiative at the University of Oregon. "Kitty's process provided the opportunity for many business leaders to learn about these practices in a nonthreatening setting."

White Stag Block earns 'gold' (Portland Business Journal): Venerable Group Inc. has earned "gold" level certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its multimillion dollar renovation of the White Stag Block in Old Town China Town. The council awarded the three-building project the second-highest honor in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program. Venerable remodeled the historic buildings for two primary tenants. It is the new Portland home for the University of Oregon's local architecture and journalism program as well as United Fund Advisors. The renovations included an extensive rainwater harvesting system that reduces water demand by 86 percent. The project recycled 99 percent of construction waste and included installation of a new climate control system that is 30 percent more efficient than industry standards.