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June 26, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels May 7, 2004 Vandals hit SOU By Myles Murphy Ashland Daily Tidings Vandals struck Southern Oregon University this morning on the final day of the Society of American Foresters' annual meeting, gluing the locks of all the doors of the Stevenson Union. An SOU custodian discovered one gummed-up door at 4:30 a.m. and reported it to campus security, which then discovered the locks of all of the doors, front and back, had been packed with glue and toothpicks, according to Joey Ngan, head of campus security. "It's conjecture, but I believe that it is related to the conference," Ngan said this morning. "We're not against protesting, but they need to do it peacefully without being destructive. Our university is open to both sides of the issue, and we hold many environmental Satsuki Doi | Ashland Daily Tidings Protesters, including Lucky Ranca (center, drumming), gathered in the basement of Stevenson Union at Southern Oregon University today in opposition of a foresters' conference. Sometime during the night, vandals glued the locks shut on the Union building's doors. conferences." Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer had been invited to a breakfast at the conference this morning, where he found out about the vandalism. "I'm concerned that just a few people create a bad image for our city," DeBoer said. "Activists and protesters should have the responsibility to step up and say, 'I did this.'" Despite the destruction, DeBoer said he saw no sign that the action had disrupted the event. "You wouldn't have noticed there was any problem, except for the university maintenance crews who have to repair the damage," DeBoer said. Also this morning, an unidentified man was arrested after he barged into one of the conference talks and began yelling in protest and refused to leave, according to Ngan. Members of the environmental activist community have been promising protests of the event for weeks, and two tree sitters perched outside Stevenson Union on Thursday. Domenick DellaSala of the World Wildlife Fund - who participated Thursday in a debate on logging practices at SOU - was disappointed by the tactics, but not surprised. "The fact is [the Bush] administration has polarized the local community," DellaSala said. "I do not support any acts of vandalism or illegal activity - there are other ways for people to express their dissatisfaction. We need to be focused on solutions. We are heading for another showdown here and nobody wants to be in that position." Ashland activist Stuart O'Neill, who issued the press release Thursday announcing the presence of the tree sitters, said this morning he had no knowledge of the vandalism and no comment. Also out of the loop was SOU spokesperson Christina Dunlap, who said she was unaware of the vandalism and that university had no comment yet. Dunlap also said that President Elizabeth Zinser was out of town and would have no comment on the vandalism. On Thursday, SOU issued a release on its policy on protests: "University policy states that persons have the right to dissent, protest, or demonstrate on University-owned property provided such behavior does not infringe on the rights of others." The statement contained a quote from Blair Moody, a forester and SOU Foundation member who has stated that he appreciates the University as an educational venue. "The facilities are excellent and we have received wonderful cooperation from the University staff in planning and coordinating this event." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams