During the morning hours of Monday, July 15, Eugene Police reported finding a boy lying unconscious in a ditch on the west side of the bicycle path along Randy Papé Beltline, south of Royal Ave.

Officers immediately attempted to awaken the boy and noticed a strong smell of alcohol. Officers were unable to awaken him and requested Eugene Fire Department to come to the scene. The boy was transported to a local hospital, as was his friend who was located by police.

EPD confirmed the two boys had consumed a combination of cough syrup and hard alcohol, which can be deadly. Police warn parents and guardians that this combination of drugs has been recently glamorized by the entertainment industry, which has led some youth to experiment with it.

One of the active ingredients in cough syrup, codeine, is a depressant, and another ingredient common in cough syrup, promethazine, is a sedative. Codeine and other opioids can present a sensation of euphoria and relaxation when consumed in sufficient quantities, but can present a high risk of fatal overdose due to their effects on the central nervous system, as they can slow or stop the heart and lungs. Mixing these drugs with alcohol creates a synergistic effect, as alcohol is also a depressant, which means the effects of the drugs are amplified or exaggerated. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, mixing alcohol with cough syrup greatly increases the risk of fatal overdose, and this combination of drugs has been linked to the deaths of some prominent rap musicians such as D.J. Screw, Pimp C and Big Moe.

The combination was brought to popularity in 2000 by Three 6 Mafia, whose song “Sippin on Some Syrup” brought the concoction known as “Purple Drank” to a nationwide audience. Parents should also be aware of terminology they may hear youth using, as the drink also is known as sizzurp, lean, drank and Texas Tea.

Signs and symptoms of abuse of the combination of cough syrup and alcohol include droopy eyes, slowed speech, cold and clammy skin, shallow respiration, uncontrolled eye movement and loss of coordination.

Eugene has earned a couple of accolades recently in the arena of sustainability, winning the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Excellence Award in the Communications category, and a Silver level award for its entry, the “Love Food Not Waste” commercial composting program.

Eugenians send about 40 million pounds of food waste to the local landfill, of which about half originates from commercial businesses. In an effort to reduce the waste being sent to the landfill, the city collaborated with garbage haulers, businesses and commercial composters to run the “Love Food, Not Waste” (LFNW) program. Over the last year and a half, this effort has led to more than 1,600 tons (32 million pounds) of food waste being diverted from the waste stream by about 115 businesses who participate.

LFNW has been adopted by other cities such as Beaverton and Sacramento.

Photo: City of Eugene

“We are really pleased with the number of businesses that are signing up for the LFNW program each month,” said Stephanie Scafa, the Zero Waste Analyst at the City of Eugene. “It is so rewarding to assist Eugene businesses by providing them with employee trainings knowing we are helping them save money, keep waste out of the landfill, and bring their food waste back full circle.”

Businesses also benefit from the LFNW program, as exemplified by Chris Worrell, Director of Restaurant Services  at SweetWaters on the River at Valley River Inn, who says the restaurant’s trash bill has dropped by $900.

Bagged compost from the scraps is making a complete circle back to the consumer, and is available for sale at Rexius Forest By-Products at 150 Highway 99, Market of Choice at 67 W. 29th Ave and the Atrium Building at 99 W. 10th Ave. All of the aforementioned locations are in Eugene.

On June 9, 2013, a local woman was stopped on River Road by a sedan of unknown color with overhead emergency lights at about 3:15 to 3:30 a.m.

The individual who made the stop was wearing a blue uniform and was not displaying a badge or patches that would identify a police agency. The female driver was asked to submit to a breath test via a portable breathalyzer and then released. Police believe the stop was made by a police impersonator.

The suspect is described as a white male, in his late 40s to early 50s. He had brownish, shorter length hair and was described to have very bushy eyebrows.

Police Impersonation Suspect
Sketch Courtesy of: EPD

Those who impersonate police officers erode the public’s trust in law enforcement and may endanger unsuspecting people. There are several tips you can remember to protect yourself during a traffic stop while helping your police officers do their jobs.

Make sure it is a marked police unit. If it is not a marked unit, the emergency lights should be built in and are usually not a temporary light placed on the vehicle. Try to stop in a well-lit area or a location where there are a lot of people present. Turn on your emergency flashers but don’t turn off your car and do not get out of the vehicle to meet the officer.

Be sure to lock your door. Look for a uniform, official department jacket, and other equipment used by police officers for the performance of their duties. If the officer is in plain clothes, look for identifying clothing and equipment. If you aren’t sure, explain to the “officer” that you are unsure about the situation and ask them to display official department identification and a badge.

Ask where they work and if you can contact their dispatch center to confirm their identity. You may also request a marked patrol unit respond. Pay attention to what they are asking. Most officers will advise you of the reason for the stop and request your driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance.

If they immediately tell you to get out of the car without any preliminary questions, be suspicious and trust your instincts. If they don’t seem to be a real police officer they are probably not.

Laws exist in every state making it illegal to impersonate a police officer. Police officers have a lot of power. Pretending to be a police officer takes advantage of that power.

Safety is also an issue. If a real emergency would occur an impersonator is not trained or equipped to help.

Impersonating a police officer is usually punishable by prison time, a fine, or both. Moreover, people who impersonate police officers for some criminal purposes usually are charged with those underlying crimes as well. Those who impersonate law-enforcement officers undermine the public’s trust in the men and women charged with protecting them.

Anyone with information regarding this or another similar incident can please contact Detective Dave Burroughs at 541-682-5868.

Travellers in the Willamette Valley will have two reasons to celebrate in the coming weeks as the new Whilamut Bridge and two new Amtrak passenger trains go into service.

Rendering of Whilamut Bridge
Source: ODOT

Supporters and leaders will gather for two events in one day.

First a private event will be held at the Whilamut Bridge Friday, July 26. There, Congressman Peter DeFazio and host of other distinguished guests will celebrate the completion of the Interstate 5 Whilamut Passage Bridge across the Willamette River.

The I-5 Whilamut Passage Bridge is the largest project in ODOT’s state-wide OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program. Replacing this critical bridge will enhance the primary north-south commuter and freight corridor for the West Coast.

The OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program is part of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s $3 billion Oregon Transportation Investment Act. OTIA funds are used to repair or replace an ageing inventory of bridges, as well as paving and maintaining city and county roads, and improving and expanding interchanges. This in turn adds new capacity to Oregon’s highway system and removes freight bottlenecks state-wide.

Based on recent estimates, about 12.5 family-wage jobs are sustained for every $1 million spent on transportation construction in Oregon. Through 2012, the bridge program has sustained more than 20,000 jobs. Overall, the program creates or sustain approximately 22,000 jobs.

The southbound lanes of the new bridge are already open with the northbound lanes set to open sometime in August.

Later in the day on Friday, passenger rail fans will gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming one of two new Amtrak trains, purchased by the Oregon Department of Transportation last year.

Congressman Peter DeFazio, State Representative Nancy Nathanson, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, and other representatives, volunteers, and partners, will be on-hand for the event which takes place at 2:30 p.m. at the Eugene Amtrak Station located at 433 Willamette St. in Eugene.

The public is invited to attend and enjoy refreshments, give-aways and a sneak peek at one of the trains. Free parking for the event will be available at the Hult Center garage at Seventh and Olive on the second floor and above.

ODOT purchased the two train sets using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The trains were designed by Talgo and manufactured and assembled in Wisconsin, per Buy America requirements. Talgo officials will be at the event, where one of the Series 8 trains will debut.

The new Talgo Series 8 trains seats 286 passengers, incorporates a state of the art tilting system, and includes a cab-car, bistro car, dining car, bicycle storage, business class seating, Wi-Fi and other amenities.

Once both trains are in service additional routes will be scheduled to serve commuters between Eugene and Portland.

The two train sets will join five others in the Amtrak Cascades corridor, three owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation and two owned by Amtrak.

The names of Oregon’s two new trains, in keeping with the protocol of the other five in the corridor, are “Mt. Bachelor” and “Mt. Jefferson” – chosen after a survey more than 1,200 Oregonians participated in earlier this year.

The case of a 1997 fatal DUII traffic crash that claimed the life of Jewel Anderson, 65, of Dexter, took a bizarre twist over the last few months as authorities in Canada and the United States collaborated to locate the suspect, Jean Terese Keating, now 54, sixteen years after she disappeared. However, her family never reported her missing.

Jean Keating, 54
Photo: Oregon State Police

The story started on April 13, 1997, on Interstate 5 north of Albany, when a vehicle driven northbound by Keating, then 38 and residing in Milwaukie, OR, sideswiped a vehicle driven by Anderson. The impact resulted in Anderson losing control of her vehicle, crossing the center median and colliding with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries, and Keating was not injured. Medics pronounced Anderson deceased at the scene.

Almost one year later, in March 1998, Keating was awaiting trial, and her attorney informed Linn County Circuit Court he had lost contact with her and may have “flown the coop.” The court issued a bench warrant for her arrest, and the information was entered into the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) and National Crime Information Center (NCIC) databases.

Over the years, authorities have received dead-end leads in an attempt to locate Keating, and the Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers who investigated the crash have since retired. Keating’s family remained determined to bring Keating to justice, and OSP Sergeant Eric Judah and Detective Howard Greer took on the cold case in 2008.

Earlier this year, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Constable stationed in Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada, a small town of about 2,500 people,  had heard a rumor concerning a local woman who was known as “Jean McPherson.” The rumor reportedly involved McPherson being an American national who had entered Canada illegally, and was a wanted fugitive. The rumor came to the attention of RCMP, as Keating was reported to have been in a bar talking about getting away with a DUII-involved fatal crash in the U.S.

Jean Keating in 1997
Photo: Oregon State Police

Not taking the rumor lightly, the Constable sent an email to an investigator with the RCMP Red River Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), which is a division that works closely with U.S. law enforcement and border agencies. IBET ran a check to verify the status of “Jean McPherson,” and did not find a matching record.

However, law enforcement officials did learn “McPherson” had been arrested several times in Canada, one of which led to a conviction on a charge of impaired driving. Her fingerprints were compared with those of Keating’s, which returned as a confirmed match. Keating was taken into custody by Canadian authorities and a deportation order was issued April 18. Keating was deported June 13 into the custody of U.S. Marshals Service in North Dakota. She has since been lodged in Linn County Jail on Thursday, July 18.

Following is a statement from the family of Jewel Anderson:
“While there is no price to be put on repayment for taking a life, and it certainly won’t bring Jewel back, we are thankful that finally after 16 years of her running, hiding and torment, our families will have some closure; knowing that Teresa Jean Keating is in custody and justice will be served. 

In the past 16 years we have felt hurt, betrayed, confused and most of all a void in our lives. We have missed her not getting to be at all our happy occasions like graduations, weddings, births, birthdays and many more. 

Jewel Oline Anderson
Photo: Oregon State Police

Jewel was the sweetest woman anyone has ever known; a mother, sister, aunt, mother-in-law, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a stranger to no one and loved holidays, family gatherings like picnics and reunions and traveling. Her home was home to anyone, and she would help anyone that needed down to her last dime or the shirt off her back. Above all, she loved her family and God. 

One single action can have a tremendous impact. What happened on April 13, 1997 was a truly devastating event; not only for our family but for the people in the second vehicle involved in the accident, and I’m sure Teresa’s family as well. However to call this an accident would be an outright lie – the act of getting behind the wheel of that car by Teresa Jean Keating was very much intentional. Where she was going, what she was thinking – all that is irrelevant – too drunk to drive, is too drunk to drive. All of our families have suffered a tremendous loss.” 

The University of Oregon Women’s Golf program hired Teresa Puga as an assistant coach, which was announced today by the program’s head coach, Ria Scott.

“I’m extremely excited about this opportunity,” said Puga. “I’m very thrilled about working with Ria and the girls, and it’s great to be a part of this program.”

Puga holds many accomplishments with the Women’s Golf program at the University of Minnesota, including the program record for the low career stroke average (75.51), leading the next best average by almost two strokes. In 2011-12, Puga served as a student assistant coach and international recruiting advisor for the Golden Gophers, and also led the program to an NCAA championship berth.

“We are thrilled to have Teresa join our staff,” said head coach Ria Scott. “She stood out because of her international experience, and she knows firsthand what it’s like to tee it up at the National Championship. She is eager and prepared to help take our team to the next level.”

Puga also holds a degree from the University of Minnesota in business and marketing education.

Lane County announced today, Monday, July 22, it hired John Lively as the county’s Economic Development Specialist.

Lively currently serves on the Oregon House of Representatives representing District 12 (D – Springfield), and was elected to the post November 2012.

“Having spent most of my life working in or serving on boards related to jobs and economic development, I feel I have much to offer Lane County and the communities,” says Lively. “I enjoy working with businesses, individuals and government to find solutions and long-term economic opportunities.”

Lively brings to the county a wide range of experience in economic development such as recruitment, fundraising, local business development, budget management, communication and interactions with leaders at local, regional and state levels.

“At this stage of my career, I really wanted to do something that I feel passionate about. I’m extremely passionate about economic development in Lane County,” says Lively. “I’m thrilled to be joining such an amazing team.”

Lively is currently involved with local organizations such as Friends of Willamalane, Lane Regional Workforce Council and Success by Six through United Way of Lane County.

In front of an audience at Murphy Plywood in North Eugene, Oregon State Representative Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) announced his candidacy for the 2014 Gubernatorial race. Richardson is the first person to announce candidacy for the 2014 race, and current Gov. John Kitzhaber has not yet announced whether or not he will seek re-election.

During his opening speech, the candidate said, “It’s not about Republicans or Democrats, this is not about which party someone belongs to, this is about what works and what doesn’t work for Oregon.”

Richardson is well-known for his efforts to reform PERS, which is the retirement system for most public employees in the state of Oregon. In his July 12, 2013 newsletter, Richardson says state leaders failed to pass legislation that would have provided economic opportunity and created an environment that would bring about good jobs for unemployed and underemployed Oregonians. In the same newsletter, he adds the Legislature failed to fix the PERS crisis, failed to provide a forest management plan that would save insolvent counties and reduce the risk of catastrophic forest fires, and says of the entire 2013 Legislative session: “My blood boils when I think of how we just wasted six months of precious time and millions of taxpayers’ dollars on the 2013 Session.”

“Oregon needs more family-wage jobs, and we need them now.”

Richardson says the state needs to make responsible use of the natural resources available, and in a way that is reasonable, rational and respectful for the quality of life of the state’s citizens and for the environment.

Dennis Richardson Candidate for Governor of Oregon
Photo by: Mike Weber

“We also need to have the determination to fix the PERS problem.”

During his speech, Richardson said the state is liable for $14 billion in PERS obligations. He said as Governor, he intends to honor the PERS contract to current retirees, but reform the plan where it can be reformed and where it is legal to do so. Richardson said the system is taking hundreds of millions of dollars out of school, libraries and other state programs. In Richardson’s March 15, 2013 newsletter, Richardson attributes the layoffs of 5,000 teachers, the state having one of the shortest school years in the nation and the fact that nearly $2,000 of a college student’s annual tuition goes directly towards PERS obligations as directly related to the retirement obligations public entities are required to pay into.

“Today I felt an energy and had that feeling deep down inside saying ‘this guy is going to win’,” said Creswell city councilor Jacob Daniels.

“Dennis is the right man at the right time. I consider myself blessed to have been part of today’s event and intend to do whatever I can to make sure that we wins,” said Daniels.

This Monday, three local state legislators will host a town hall meeting Monday, Aug. 1 at Prairie Mountain School in Eugene.

The three legislators hosting the meeting are Sen. Chris Edwards (D – Eugene/Junction City), House Majority Leader Val Hoyle (D – Eugene) and Representative Nancy Nathanson (D – Eugene).

Community members are invited to use the meeting as an opportunity to ask questions about the recently adjourned legislative session, and share thoughts and concerns they may have.

The meeting is Monday, Aug. 1 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Prairie Mountain School, which is located at 5305 Royal Ave. in Eugene.

Over one hundred people gathered Friday afternoon to hail one of Oregon’s latest transportation achievements.

The first Oregon-owned passenger train to ride the rails made its official debut today at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Eugene. Elected officials, dignitaries from local, state, regional and national organizations joined with passionate passenger rail fans to welcome the new 13-car trainsets to the Amtrak Cascades service with speeches, refreshments and “sneak peeks” at one of the new trains.

Amtrak Talgo Passenger Train
“Mt. Bachelor”
Photo: Elizabeth Cully Prociw

Each of Oregon’s new Talgo Series 8 trains seats 286 passengers and includes a cab car, a bistro car, dining car, bicycle storage, business class seating, Wi-Fi and other amenities.

The two trainsets will join five others in the Amtrak Cascades corridor. Oregon’s trains, in keeping with the style of the other five, are named “Mt. Bachelor” and “Mt. Jefferson.” The names of the trains were chosen by voters in an online poll. Over one thousand people participated in the poll.

Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett praised the efforts of those who helped make the project a success.

“It took an amazing amount of teamwork to make this dream of having our own trains come true. Now, we’re taking the next big step in Oregon passenger rail travel with our own state-owned trains,” said Garrett.

Congressman Peter DeFazio sounds the horn from the locomotive of the new Mt. Bachelor
Talgo passenger train.”
Photo: Elizabeth Cully Prociw

To the delight of the gathered crowd, Congressman Peter Defazio sounded the horn from the new Mt. Bachelor locomotive.

In remarks later, DeFazio reflected on efforts in the early 90′s to make the Eugene to VanCouver B.C. route one of the first six high-speed rail routes in America, a designation it did receive about twenty years ago. While progress has been admittedly slow, DeFazio said that acquiring the trains was a “big step forward.”

Nancy Nathanson speaks about the new trains
Photo: Elizabeth Cully Prociw

State Representative Nancy Nathanson and Eugene Mayor Kitty, long-time champions of passenger rail, also made remarks at the ceremony. Nathanson, citing the growth in passenger rail ridership, felt that the writing was on the wall for the need to purchase the trains.

“The state of Washington has a much larger population. Seattle and Portland are much larger population centers – stiff competition for us down here in the Eugene-Springfield area. Competition for resources and for trains,” said Nathanson.

Of the five trains that service the Cascades corridor, three are owned by the state of Washington and two are owned by Amtrak.

Adding Oregon-owned trains to the corridor will ensure passenger train service from Eugene to Portland, and give Oregonians more options now and in the future, according to ODOT.

While a definitive date has not been set, the new trains are expected to go into service sometime near the end of August.

Mayor Piercy, co-chair of the Oregon Passenger Rail Leadership Council, feels that passenger rail is the key to the future for mobility and for the economic future of the state.

Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and Congressman Peter DeFazio but the ribbon on the new Mt. Bachelor Amtrak locomotive.
Photo: Elizabeth Cully Prociw

“Thank you to all of the partners that made this possible. We honor you and thank you and look forward to the journey ahead,” said Piercy.

To a cheering crowd, DeFazio and Piercy then cut the large red ribbon adorning the new locomotive with a pair of over-sized scissors.

ODOT purchased the two trainsets using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The trains were manufactured and assembled in Wisconsin, per Buy America requirements.

Almost all of the trains materials and parts are made in America with the exception of some foreign components not available in America. The goal is that in the future that one hundred percent of the train is manufactured in the United States.

Talgo officials were on hand at the event, where the Series 8 train debuted.

“Talgo is very proud to be ODOT’s partner in delivering their two newly manufactured state-of-the art trainsets.” Antonio Perez, CEO and president, said.

Information from the arrests of the following people is selected from the websites of Lane County Jail (LCJ) and Springfield Municipal Jail (SMJ). Pictures used in this article were taken from those websites and are public record. All those arrested are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty.

For an archive of all past mugshots articles, click here.

A list of criminal charges against persons and definitions of each one can be found here.

A list of criminal charges pertaining to property and definitions of each one can be found here.

Douglas Whaley, 54 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on two counts of fourth-degree assault and charges of possession of methamphetamine and fourth-degree assault APA.

Francisco Garcia, 21 – Lodged in SMJ 7/21/13 on a charge of third-degree theft.

Fred Knispel, 46 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 as a fugitive from justice.

Jake Hicks, 21 – Lodged in SMJ 7/21/13 on two counts of disorderly conduct. Read more here.

Jeffrey Nikkel, 35 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on three counts of first-degree theft, three counts of identity theft and a charge of criminal trespass.

Jordon Chappell, 22 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on a warrant for third-degree robbery.

Kalei Mahoe, 18 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on a charge of contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor.

Kristin Hawk, 34 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on a probation violation for first-degree theft.

Mandy Espy, 33 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on a charge of criminal trespass.

Megan Jacob, 21 – Lodged in LCJ 7/21/13 on a warrant for failure to appear; failure to appear on charges of false information to police, criminal mischief, second- and third-degree theft.

On Friday, July 26, U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, ODOT Director Matthew Garrett, and other dignitaries celebrated the completion of the new I-5 Whilamut Passage Bridge over the Willamette River.

(Slide show below)

The bridge-side ceremony, held in the Whilamut Natural Area of Alton Baker Park, celebrated the upcoming opening of the largest bridge replacement project in ODOT’s $1.3 billion OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program.  The bridge, which came in under budget, was completed four months ahead of schedule.

Noting that the Whilamut Passage Bridge is a model for similar projects around the country, Garrett told the crowd of about 150 that the new bridge will serve as a symbol to the community for decades to come.

“Bridges are the art of connection,” said Garrett. He called the graceful arched bridge “a distinguished landmark that enhances the surrounding landscape and adds value to the communities it connects.”

“Innovative ideas for the nation are coming out of Oregon” for highway and bridge design, said Mendez.

Mendez noted that while construction on this bridge is complete, workers will be able to move on to other projects in the state.

DeFazio emphasized the efforts to keep the local economy stimulated during the constructing. The project produced 884 direct jobs, saving fuel and saving time according to DeFazio. In addition, 1,247 indirect or induced jobs were created and 104 of the 121 companies involved in the project were Oregon companies.

“That money was recycled right here inside our state,” said DeFazio to a cheering crowd.

The Whilamut bridge is just one of many bridges in a list of ailing bridges in Oregon. Incidents like the Skagit River Bridge collapse in Washington state, prompt concern about the safety of bridges in Oregon. During the ceremony, Oregon Senator Lee Beyer revealed that the old bridge was, “actually worse off than we thought it was.”

“One of the things people don’t know is that when they started taking down the old bridge, it almost fell in on people,” said Beyer.

Garrett remained confident and assured that Oregon’s bridges are safe for travel saying that a single unit of skilled inspectors inspects every bridge in Oregon on a regular two year basis.

“Sometimes you don’t know how bad the patient is until you open them up,” said Garrett.

Many other challenges were also overcome on the project according to Jeff Firth, Project manager at Hamilton Construction.

“We used equipment that we’ve never really used before. It was either really going to work or it really wasn’t going to work, but it actually panned out very well for us,” said Firth.

Also among the invited guests were Esther Stutzman, Kalapuya elder, who led a traditional Native American dedication ceremony of the new bridge. The new bridge takes its name — Whilamut Passage Bridge [pronounced WHEEL-a-moot] — from the Kalapuya name for the area, meaning “where the river riffles and runs fast.”

The Kalapuya are a Native American group whose members include the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. The bridge was named to pay tribute to the Kalypuyan people who were the first to settle in the Willamette Valley.

The Kalpuya Treaty of 1855 ceded nearly the entire Willamette Valley to the United States government in return for a permanent reservation, annuities, supplies, educational, vocational, and health services, and protection from violence by American settlers.

“It means that people are recognizing the presence of the Kalapuyan people. We’ve not disappeared. This is a legacy that has been going on since the world began and when people see the beautiful sculptures and references to the people, that will remind them that we’re still here,” said Stuzman.

John George, a member of the tribal council said that Kalapuyan people were very honored by the naming of the bridge.

“We look forward to further partnerships with ODOT to do other bridges in our ceded lands,” said George.

The new bridge features a graceful deck-arch design, whose arches touch down only once in the river. It serves as a gateway to and from the Willamette Valley and southwestern Oregon and is an important interstate link that is expected to serve I‑5 drivers for the next 100 years.

ODOT will host another celebration and bridgewalk on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Alton Baker Park. Visitors can take a self-guided walking tour of the project, including design enhancements, park improvements and the new northbound bridge. They are also invited to attend the ceremony, which starts at 11:30 a.m.  With final construction in progress, access to the bridge is limited to visitors age 16 and older. For safety reasons, no sandals or open-toe shoes are allowed on the bridge tour, which begins with a six-story climb of a temporary staircase tower.

“This isn’t an ODOT bridge, it’s a community bridge,” said ODOT public information manager Dave Thompson.

Visitors are encouraged to walk, ride their bikes or take Lane Transit to the Aug. 3 event. Free, secure bicycle parking will be provided at the event center near the Knickerbocker footbridge.

A new southbound bridge currently carries I-5 traffic in both directions across the Willamette River; the new northbound span will open next month, restoring the four lanes of freeway traffic to normal.

“On August 8th, weather permitting, we will shift northbound traffic over to the northbound lanes,” said Hamilton Construction Project Manager Con O’connor.

Springfield Police Blotter for July 23-24, 2013. This is a sampling of police activity that occurred in Springfield during that time period, and not representative of all activity that occurred.

Tuesday, July 23

3:22 a.m. – A female subject sitting in a chair outside of Chevron in the 300 block of 42^nd St. said her eyes were popping out and her skin was burning. She said she was somewhere, went to sleep and woke up with her skin on fire and her whole body hurting. She was rendered assistance.

6:40 a.m. – Clothing and other items were found behind a tree at the fire station in the 1200 block of 28^th St.

7:49 a.m. – A vehicle parked in the 5600 block of High Banks Rd. was egged.

8:04 a.m. – A caller reported a female subject in her 60s or 70s was walking near 36^th and Main Streets with no shirt on, talking to herself. She was not located in a check of the area. She was wearing grey sweatpants and no shoes.

8:55 a.m. – A caller in the 1900 block of L St. reported a disoriented elderly female wearing a blue jacket and blue pants, carrying a phone book. The caller said she walked up the driveway of all the houses she passes, and picked her phone book up from one of the houses.

9:39 a.m. – Timothy Steury, 19, was cited for driving while suspended at 28^th and Olympic Streets.

10:40 a.m. – Three syringes were found at Fast Track Pizza in the 3100 block of Gateway St.

1:20 p.m. – A bicycle was stolen from a residence in the 1400 block of Parker St.

1:50 p.m. – A caller from a business in the 3600 block of Game Farm Rd. reported a female subject was carrying a paper bag with what was likely an open container of alcohol. She vomited and urinated in front of the business.

3:24 p.m. – An employee of a business in the 1400 block of Mohawk Blvd. reported a male subject had been wandering around the parking lot, appearing intoxicated and asking people for money. The subject tried to enter the business the caller was in, but the caller locked the door.

3:43 p.m. – A report was taken concerning a silver minivan parked on Pheasant Blvd. near the Crossland Hotel on Harlow Rd. The van was reported to have been there for three days, had pink bed sheets in the windows and was occupied by two females. The vehicle was not registered to any rooms at the Crossland.

4:57 p.m. – A male subject was sleeping behind a dumpster located behind Big Town Hero in the 1900 block of Marcola Rd. He was advised by police.

5:30 p.m. – A male subject stole two packs of cigarettes from Safeway in the 1800 block of Pioneer Parkway E.

6:10 p.m. – A caller in the 400 block of Q St. reported receiving a disturbing and highly suggestive phone call of a sexual nature. The caller was unsure if the person who called was trying to call her, as her co-worker has received calls at the same time each day, but no one speaks during those calls.

David Thomas, 21
Photo: Lane County Jail

6:36 p.m. – A male and a female were screaming and cussing at each other in the parking lot of Taco Bell in the 3200 block of Gateway St. The female’s chest was exposed, and her dog kept running into traffic. The female then pushed the male, who fell over a rock and landed on the ground. The female then continued screaming at the male, not letting him get up. She then started ripping his shirt off and began punching him in the stomach. The male was able to escape, and walked south on Gateway St.

7:05 p.m. – David Thomas, 21, was arrested on warrant at S. 52^nd and Main Streets.

9:11 p.m. – A customer at Wal-Mart in the 2600 block of Olympic St. finished his shopping and arrived at his vehicle to find it surrounded completely by shopping carts. His vehicle had a note on the windshield expressing disdain for the manner the customer parked his vehicle. No damage was done to the vehicle.

9:47 p.m. – A resident in the 300 block of 39^th St. reported a very strong smell of ammonia coming from a neighboring home, and saw that home’s resident hosing off his roof. The caller was given a number for an anonymous tip line to report the suspicious activity.

Wednesday, July 24

1:43 a.m. – An intoxicated man was reportedly walking in the eastbound lane of Olympic St. near 28^th St. and jumped in front of a vehicle.

3:33 a.m. – The alarm at Rite-Aid in the 2100 block of Marcola Rd. sounded. The building was secure when police checked a few minutes later.

9:01 a.m. – A resident in the 800 block of S. 37^th St. reported four pit bulls between three and six months old were running around at large. The resident held the dogs in her backyard until animal control was able to retrieve them.

11:13 a.m. – A resident in the 4900 block of Bluebelle Way reported a male subject in the home was punching walls, yelling and having a meltdown because he was upset over a break-up with his girlfriend.

12:58 p.m. – A resident in the 200 block of 22^nd St. reported finding syringes next to the fence. A medical waste products disposal company was called to pick up the syringes.

Joseph Reilly-Chase, 26
Photo: Lane County Jail

1:47 p.m. – A woman in the 300 block of S. 48^th St. reported her ex-boyfriend was at the location banging on the door and upset about not being able to see his children. She reported her ex-boyfriend was suicidal and made statements about wanting “the cops to shoot him.” After leaving on bicycle, police caught up to Joseph Reilly-Chase, 26, and arrested him on a parole violation and a charge of criminal mischief.

2:43 p.m. – A male subject at Hometown Buffet reported being intoxicated and asked to be taken to Buckley House in Eugene for detoxification.

4:45 p.m. – A resident in the area of Diamond St. and Rainbow Dr. reported male subjects have been in the neighborhood several times recently going door-to-door asking to paint address numbers on curbs. The resident was concerned they may have been involved in thefts or other mischief.

6:48 p.m. – A female in a wheelchair reportedly drove in front of a passing vehicle on Main St. near 62^nd Pl.

8:41 p.m. – Daniel Lilly, 34, was arrested in the 4200 block of Franklin Blvd. on a warrant from Deschutes County.

8:54 p.m. – Nathan Hunt, 41, was cited for driving while suspended at Wal-Mart in the 2600 block of Olympic St.

The University of Oregon is No. 3 in the USA Today preseason poll, the first major poll to be released this preseason. Oregon ended last season at the No. 2 spot in the polls but with Chip Kelly leaving for the NFL, the Ducks took a slight hit and moved down just one spot.

After winning the last two national championships, Alabama holds the No. 1 spot as they look to win their third-straight title and fourth title in five years. Ohio State, who went undefeated last season but was not able to compete in the postseason due to NCAA sanctions, is at the No. 2 spot.

Oregon’s biggest game of the upcoming season, a road trip down to Palo Alto to face Stanford, will be the most high profile match-up of this upcoming season in college football, based on the preseason polls, with Stanford coming in at the No. 4 spot.

More notable spots are the Texas A&M Aggies with their Heisman-winning quarterback at No. 6, Notre Dame, who lost to Alabama in the national championship game last season, came in at No. 11, and Boise State at No. 19 being the only non-power conference team to be ranked in the Top 25.

Our neighbors to the north in Linn County, the Oregon State Beavers, came in at the No. 25 spot. The southern California schools are the last remaining Pac-12 schools to make the Top 25 with UCLA coming in at No. 21 and USC coming in at No. 24.

Coming from someone that was standing in the student section during the De’Anthony Thomas kick-off return at the beginning of the Fiesta Bowl, that was pretty sweet.

The De’Anthony Thomas kick-off return against the Kansas State Wildcats was the pinnacle of the Oregon Ducks football team and their 2012 season. Much like every season, the Ducks had many questions to answer going into the season. Oregon lost star running back LaMichael James to the NFL Draft. Darron Thomas, the starting quarterback, surprisingly declared for the NFL Draft early and ended up going undrafted and landed on the practice squad of the Calgary Stampeders, a member of the Canadian Football League. Chip Kelly had a late-night flirt with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL before deciding to return to the Willamette Valley for another season.

Kenjon Barner in the Fiesta Bowl.
Photo: GoDucks.com

Going into the season, the Ducks were among the teams in the discussion for a national championship run. The two games that were circled on every calendar belonging to a Duck fan were the visit to the L.A. Coliseum to face the USC Trojans, a team that had a returning Heisman candidate Matt Barkley at quarterback, and the home game against Stanford, a team that lost Andrew Luck, who ended up being the first overall pick in the NFL draft and the heir to Peyton Manning’s throne in Indianapolis.

Oregon’s loss at the quarterback was quickly forgotten when a kid by the name of Marcus Mariota stepped into the role and took it by the horns. Mariota first came into the spotlight at the Oregon Spring Game when the battle between redshirted freshman Mariota and returning Ducks backup QB Bryan Bennett. Kelly eventually went with Mariota during summer practices and stuck with him through the season. Kenjon Barner, the senior Ducks running back, stepped into the shoes that James left when he headed for NFL Draft. Barner wasn’t all alone though and was aided by the rising star De’Anthony Thomas, who plays the running back and wide receiver position for the Ducks offense.

The first true test of the season for the Ducks was an absolute offensive slugfest between Oregon and USC down in Los Angeles. Teams were trading touchdown after touchdown early in the ballgame and neither team let down. When USC had to punt in the game, the Ducks took that chance and capitalized on it and ended up winning by a score of 62-51. The Ducks were both praised on the national landscape for defeating the Trojans in the Coliseum and subjected to criticism by allowing 51 points in the game.

The last true hurdle for the Ducks on the path to the national championship was a tough home game against Stanford. The Cardinals had a loss prior in the season to the Huskies in Seattle which gave Oregon fans a heaping of confidence that the Ducks could prevail against a nonetheless stout Stanford team. Oregon’s game against Stanford turned out to be the polar opposite to the USC game, both because each team scored less than 20 points, and Oregon was on the losing end.

Oregon’s loss against Stanford ended up being the one game the Ducks could not have lost. The Ducks were unable to play for the Pac-12 Championship due to the tie-breaking loss against Stanford which led to them being ranked outside the top two when the chips fell at the end of the regular season. Oregon was rewarded though with a BCS invitation to the Fiesta Bowl to face the Kansas State Wildcats. Both teams, going into the week the Ducks played Stanford, held the first and second overall places in the poll and was presumed to be the two teams that would face off in the national championship game but, as we know, Oregon lost to Stanford and KSU lost to a Baylor team that had lost Robert Griffin III in the off-season. In the end, Ducks prevailed over the Wildcats and landed in the second overall spot in the polls at the conclusion of the bowl games.

If only the college football playoff was implemented in the 2012 season, then the Ducks of Oregon might have had another shot to take down a school from the state of Alabama for the school’s first ever national championship.

Tomorrow, Lane Today looks at the Ducks that departed the program over the off-season.

Chip, I think it’s safe to say we hardly knew ye. That being said, Ducks Nation is glad we knew ye at all.

After the past four seasons, it is hard to imagine an Oregon Duck football team without Chip Kelly at the helm. Brought in from unknown University of New Hampshire to lead the Ducks in place of beloved Mike Bellotti was a shock to many, but looking back at the decision now, it was a shock that the University of Oregon football program needed.

Chip Kelly after winning the Fiesta Bowl, his last game as the Ducks head coach.
Photo: GoDucks.com

In the early 2000s, the Oregon Ducks football was starting to turn things around from the past that, with the exception of Dan Fouts and The Pick, was regarded much like Voldemort is in the Harry Potter universe. Autzen Stadium was known more for hosting massive Grateful Dead concerts than hosting great football teams. With teams led by future NFL quarterbacks Joey Harrington, Kellen Clemens, and Dennis Dixon, the Ducks were starting to put consistently successful teams on the field, but were missing that X-factor. That all changed when the man with the visor came to town.

Chip led the Ducks to four consecutive BCS bowl games. Chip led the Ducks to the school’s first Rose Bowl visit since 1995 in his first season in 2010 and to the program’s first Rose Bowl victory in 2012 since their lone victory back in 1917. More importantly though, Chip led the Oregon Ducks to their first ever national championship game in only his second season as head coach and lost the game by a mere three points. Chip finished his bowl run with the Ducks this last January when he led them to the Fiesta Bowl for the first time since 2002 and defeated the Kansas State Wildcats by a score of 35-17.

It wasn’t just the postseason berths that Chip brought to Oregon, he changed the identity of Ducks football and with a little help from Uncle Phil, put them on the national map. While the SEC over the past decade has progressed to a hard-hitting and smash mouth football style that focuses on defenses rather than trying to score the most points you can in a game, Chip decided to bring the same speed we see at Hayward Field, where the Ducks played football before Autzen was built, to the gridiron. With the help of dual-threat quarterbacks like Darron Thomas and Marcus Mariota, and speedster running backs LaMichael James and De’Anthony Thomas, Chip decided that outrunning the opponent was the key to victory and the team’s record shows that. In four years as the Oregon head coach, Chip’s teams had a win-loss record of 46-7.

The relationship between Chip and the University had to end though, and the writing was on the wall. Chip was that beautiful girl your senior year of high school that you can’t believe said yes to you taking her to Prom. Prom began back in 2009 but sooner or later Prom has to end and that day was January, 16, 2013.

After flirting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL last season before deciding to return to Oregon, Chip eventually accepted the head coaching position for the Philadelphia Eagles after former head coach Andy Reid was fired before later signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. Much like the morning after Prom, the Ducks fans did not want this relationship to end and emotions came out of every orifice. Eventually the Ducks community settled down when the offensive coordinator under Chip, Mark Helfrich, was promoted to the head coaching position and other key coordinators such as defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti and wide receivers coach Scott Frost decided to stay and coach for Oregon (Frost was promoted to the offensive coordinator position by Helfrich).

All-in-all, the University of Oregon will probably be wishing Chip well this fall as he undertakes his first season as a head football coach in the NFL. We will always have the good memories Chip gave us and hopefully the foundation he put in at Oregon will provide continual success under the Helfrich helm. You’ve got to admit, that kiss was pretty special.

Springfield Police Blotter for July 27-28, 2013. This is a sampling of police activity that occurred in Springfield during that time period, and not representative of all activity that occurred.

Saturday, July 27

12:01 a.m. – Two callers near 52^nd St. reported hearing shots fired. It turned out to be someone setting off large, airborne fireworks.

12:20 a.m. – Devin Johnson, 26, was arrested in the 3100 block of Gateway St. was arrested on a warrant out of Washington County.

1:10 a.m. – A male subject who had previously been trespassed from Wal-Mart in the 2600 block of Olympic St. was inside the store. The subject was escorted out of the store and re-advised by police concerning his being banned from the location.

1:13 a.m. – Michael Robinson, 38, was arrested on a warrant for contempt of court at 42^nd and Main Streets.

2:31 a.m. – A woman called police concerned about a male friend who left in her vehicle from Shari’s in the 1800 block of Pioneer Parkway E. She said the friend had left in a huff, and said he is vulnerable due to age, a lack of food and sleep recently. She said she needs to be contacted to be informed as to where her friend left her vehicle.

4:28 a.m. – Wires were reported to have been pulled from a phone box in the 2100 block of Olympic St.

6:19 a.m. – A caller reported a suspicious male subject in the area of 28^th and J Streets who ducked into the bushes when he saw the caller pass by.

9:16 a.m. – A caller reported a female subject who appeared disoriented, as though she may fall into traffic near Olympic St. and Mohawk Blvd.

12:38 p.m. – Michael Riley, 43, was arrested on a warrant in the 1200 block of Mohawk Blvd.

1:35 p.m. – Michael Washington, 29, was cited for driving while suspended at milepost 1 on Beltline Hwy.

Jeffrey Braden, 23
Photo: Lane County Jail

1:48 p.m. – A male and female were engaged in a verbal argument in a vehicle in the parking lot of US Bank in the 1600 block of Mohawk Blvd. The female was yelling “Get out” to the male, then she got out and walked off. Police made contact with Kristen Perpinan, 26, a few minutes later at 17^th St. and Mohawk Blvd., and arrested her on a warrant for burglary.

2:53 p.m. – Jeffrey Braden, 23, was arrested in the 1700 block of Centennial Blvd. for multiple warrants.

4:03 p.m. – A woman in the 1000 block of T St. reported her 16-year-old son pulled a knife on her husband, who is her son’s stepfather. Her son left on foot carrying a skateboard and a duffle bag.

4:46 p.m. – Nikole Lefever, 32, was arrested at 12^th and A Streets on multiple warrants.

5:31 p.m. – A caller reported that a pot-bellied pig had been abandoned at a recently vacated residence in the 600 block of S. 42^nd St. He had not been left with any water, and the caller had been giving him water.

5:38 p.m. – Rodolfo Reyes, 45, was arrested at 12^th and Main Streets on a warrant for assault.

7:51 p.m. – A caller reported a black Honda had been speeding back and forth in the 500 block of W. D St. at about 80 mph.

10:27 p.m. – A resident in the 100 block of T St. reported an unknown suspect was banging on her door.

10:55 p.m. – Thongsone Savath, 46, was arrested on warrants at Pheasant Blvd. and Mallard Ave.

Sunday, July 28

12:54 a.m. – A resident in the 2300 block of Erma Ct. reported one of her neighbors was loudly revving his race car. She attempted to speak to him about the noise but he was confrontational when she approached him. Police arrived a few minutes later, and everything was quiet.

Annette Cole, 45
Photo: Lane County Jail

1:23 a.m. – An intoxicated woman in the 700 block of Mill St. reported her ex-husband, who also lives there, was refusing to leave. One of the roommates also called police concerning this dispute, saying the ex-husband was causing problems. Police arrived and determined no crime had occurred, and all of the involved parties agreed to go to their rooms and cool it for the night.

2:27 a.m. – A woman in the McKenzie Meadow Apartments in the 700 block of Oakdale Ave. reported she was in her vehicle, bleeding from the head. She said her sister, Annette Cole, 45, was beating her in the head with an unknown object. Police arrested Cole on a charge of fourth-degree assault APA.

2:50 a.m. – A caller reported hearing a verbal dispute between four to six subjects in the 900 block of Cloverleaf Loop.

2:59 a.m. – Shobna Prasad, 26, was arrested on a charge of DUII in the 3200 block of Gateway St.

6:17 a.m. – A guest at the McKenzie Motel in the 1700 block of Main St. said she had a murderer in her room. A male subject was yelling in the background about not being a murderer and needing his medications.

10:24 a.m. – A male subject attempted to steal a cake from Dairy Queen in the 4700 block of Main St.

11:44 a.m. – A male subject was going door-to-door asking residents in the area of Oksanna  and Aspen Streets if they need their address numbers painted on the curb. He was not carrying the necessary equipment to do the job, and asked for a Band-Aid because his finger was bleeding.

2:23 p.m. – Kenneth Dreibelbis, 62, was cited for driving while suspended at 51^st and Main Streets.

Kenneth Parker
Photo: Springfield Municipal Jail

5:17 p.m. – A male subject took off his shoes inside Kohl’s in the 2900 block of Gateway St., put on some stolen Vans shoes, and ran off.

6:04 p.m. – Kenneth Parker, 30, was arrested on a charge of second-degree theft in the 3000 block of Gateway St.

8:24 p.m. – Two females who occupy a minivan with windows covered by sheets parked near the Crossland Hotel in the 500 block of Harlow Rd. were sitting out on the sidewalk on lawn chairs waving at passing motorists.

10:55 p.m. – A caller reported a one or two year old child had been sitting alone in a silver Honda hatchback parked in the 300 block of 37th St. for about ten minutes.

11:39 p.m. – A taxi driver reported a male subject took off in the 1900 block of H St. without paying his fare. Police located Joshua Derrick, 24, just three minutes later and arrested him on a charge of theft of services.

At about 4:40 p.m. Sunday afternoon, three vehicles were involved in a chain reaction crash on Highway 58 at the intersection with Westfir Rd., about two miles west of Oakridge.

Photo: Oregon State Police

All of the vehicles were traveling eastbound on the highway, and one of them, a pickup with a camper, veered into the westbound lane of traffic after being impacted by a secondary crash with a commercial truck pulling a semi-trailer.

The driver of the pickup was extricated from the vehicle and taken by ambulance to RiverBend Hospital in Springfield with serious, but non-life threatening injuries. No other injuries were reported. The highway was completely blocked, and is partially blocked at the time of this writing.

Oregon State Police troopers are continuing to investigate the accident.

One of the major questions asked after the departure of Chip Kelly was what affect it would have on the Ducks recruiting class. Oregon, being located in the Pacific Northwest, does not have the luxury of other major universities such as Alabama and Texas when it comes to having high-quality talent in your backyard. That being said, the Ducks were able to weather the storm and brought in a Top-25 rated draft class without losing any major commitments.

It was an above-average talent year in terms of the state of Oregon, and the Ducks took advantage with their top two recruits coming from the Beaver state. The most notable recruit in the entire class for Oregon was running back Thomas Tyner out of Aloha, OR. Tyner is ranked the sixth best running back in the class of 2013, according to ESPN. As well, Tyner is one of the few recruits that could have significant playing time in his first year on campus and have a De’Anthony Thomas breakout true freshman season this season. The other Oregon recruit is offensive guard Evan Voeller out of West Linn, OR. Voeller, ranked the ninth best offensive guard according to ESPN, will be the future of the offensive line, and more than likely become good friends with Tyner over the next few years.

Oregon once again stole another highly-rated recruit that had already committed to USC on signing day, much like they did with De’Anthony Thomas a few years ago. This time, Oregon grabbed the 19th best defensive end Torrodney Prevot out of Houston, TX. Prevot will look to fill the void Dion Jordan left after graduating in the off-season and moving on to the NFL.

The Ducks followed up last year’s recruitment of the Amoako brothers from Arlington, TX last year by recruiting the Robinson brothers out of San Diego, CA this year. Tyree is slotted as a wide receiver, but much like brother Tyrell, each brother is an athlete that could end up playing either at the wide receiver, defensive back, or kick/punt returner position. Oregon also found another highly-rated recruit from California by the name of Cameron Hunt who is the 15th best offensive guard in the class of 2013. Hunt and Voeller will shore up the interior of the Ducks O-Line for years to come.

Oregon has apparently found their kicker for the future with the recruitment of Matt Wogan out of Indian Trail, NC, who is the fourth ranked kicker in the class of 2013. The Ducks also traveled out east to sign athlete Juwaan Williams from Tucker, GA and offensive guard Jake Pisarcik from Medford, NJ.

With the loss of Michael Clay and Kiko Alonso to the NFL, Oregon went out and recruited a pair of linebackers. The Ducks signed athlete Danny Mattingly from Spokane, WA, who will more than likely play at the linebacker position and junior college transfer Joe Walker from Los Angeles Harbor College, who is slated to get playing time in his first season as a Duck.

Oregon also went out and got plenty of potential targets for Mariota in the future. Oregon got Darren Carrington (#55 WR) out of San Diego, CA, John Mundt (#10 TE-Y) from Modesto, CA, and Devon Allen (#166 WR) from Phoenix, AZ.

To round out the recruiting class, the Ducks landed Chris Seisay (#91 ATH) from American Canyon, CA, Damion Hobbs (#48 QB-PP) from Cedar Hills, TX, Elijah George (#139 OT) out of Las Vegas, NV, Doug Brenner (#165 ATH) from Portland, OR, and lastly Kani Benoit (RB) from Phoenix, AZ.

The Oregon Ducks football team kicks off the start of 2013 fall camp by hosting Oregon Media Day at Autzen Stadium. Members of the press had their first chance of interviewing Duck football players as they get done with the first day of practice. Most popular were Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich who will be taking the reins as the Ducks head coach for the first time, and starting quarterback Marcus Mariota who is getting plenty of hype in the preseason by being named on multiple award watch lists and is in the early discussion for a Heisman candidate.

Marcus Mariota taking questions from the press.
Photo: Mark Lavis – Lane Today

Coach Helfrich was first to address the media. Helfrich first addressed giving the play calling abilities to offensive coordinator Scott Frost. “He’s a guy players follow quickly…I want to be able to look at any player in the eye at any given moment…Still going to be intimately involved in game planning and I’ll take all the blame for the bad [play calls].”

When asked about what he’s thinking as he takes over the Oregon football program as head coach, Helfrich responded “Right now our biggest priority is getting from point A to point B, from the practice field to the meeting rooms…”

In terms of his attire for game day, Helfrich has given “zero amount of thought. I’ll consult my stylist who does not exist.” Coach Helfrich is also apparently in the need of basic stationary equipment when asked how he’s put his stamp on the football program so far. “I do not own a stamp, I don’t even have a pen on me…” Helfrich also stated “If I can be known as the guy that kept winning after Chip Kelly, I’m good with that.”

Marcus Mariota followed Helfrich in the press conference. With Johnny Manziel in the news with regards to allegedly selling his autograph, Mariota was frank about what it’s like for a student-athlete to deal with the pressure of not committing any NCAA violations. “My hat goes off to the staff around here. We’re really aware of what can potentially hurt us. There are a lot of times where you do feel sort of overwhelmed with that.”

With regards to the brand new Oregon Football Center, Mariota was speechless. “It’s unreal. The moment I stepped in there and you see those 60 50-inch TVs in the lobby, it’s pretty unreal. It’s hard to put into words just because we are so thankful for it.” Mariota was also frank about what the Football Center would’ve done to him as a recruit, which he was not too long ago. “As a recruit, to be able to step in there I mean…if I had to do it all over again, I would’ve told Coach Kelly and signed the paper right then and there”

Lane Today will be keeping you up to date as the fall practices progress in the lead up to the start of the 2013 season against Nicholls State.