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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Herb Rothschild Jr.: Respecting limits ... A Q & A with Schneider interim director Scott Malbaurn ... Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery takes flight to new roost ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Respecting limits ... A Q & A with Schneider interim director Scott Malbaurn ... Four & Twenty Blackbirds Bakery takes flight to new roost ... OUR VIEW Our View: Shoring up Britt Hall Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 22, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jul. 22, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Toward the end of every legislative budget session, Oregon lawmakers dole out bond financing for capital improvement projects. There is never enough bonding capacity available to meet all the needs — debt service is prudently capped at 5 percent of the state General Fund. As a result, even the most deserving projects often must wait their turn. That was the case in the matter of $4.7 million in bonds awarded to Southern Oregon University in the most recent session. The money will allow SOU to do long-overdue seismic upgrades to Britt Hall. Anyone who read the recent New Yorker magazine story, "The Really Big One," knows the earthquake that geologists say will happen, possibly within the next 50 years, will cause tremendous destruction, especially to older buildings that have not been seismically retrofitted. Britt Hall, built in 1937, is one of those. Drew Gilliland, SOU director of facilities management, says Britt's design and its curved roof make it especially vulnerable to ground movement. The magazine article contained no new information; the facts of the Cascadia Subduction Zone have been well-known here for a number of years. But the national attention the piece will bring will serve to raise awareness of the risks beyond the Pacific Northwest. Britt Hall is only one of many buildings in need of seismic upgrades, not least among them the state Capitol building in Salem. Financing for that much larger project did not emerge from this year's session. The Capitol upgrade will continue to wait in line.     DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jul. 22, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501