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Campus prepares for first lady’s visit

Parking is a concern for Chemeketa officials

SARAH EVANS
Statesman Journal
September 25, 2004

First lady Laura Bush’s visit Tuesday to Chemeketa Community College could lead to alternate class meeting sites and increased parking hassles for students trying to start their fall term.

It also is invigorating local Republicans who are pleased that Bush’s rally will be one of three western Victory ’04 rallies the first lady will attend next week.

“It is an honor to have the first lady visit our fair city,” state Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, said.

The rally will begin at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the gym of Building 7 on the Chemeketa campus. The building also houses classrooms mainly used for health and physical education courses.

Chemeketa officials were scurrying Friday to hash out details of when campaign organizers and security would need access to the building, how much of the building may be closed and how classes would need to be adjusted to accommodate the visit.

“We’re doing everything we can to avoid cancelling (classes),” said John Hawkins, executive director of the Chemeketa Foundation and college advancement.

The rally will not be open to all; attendees must pick up advance tickets or receive invitations. Yier Shi, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said the purpose of the event is to energize supporters of President Bush.

“These events are for supporters and those who are interested and open-minded to hear our message,” Shi said.

Lisa Sohn, an Oregon spokeswoman for the Kerry-Edwards campaign, criticized the rally for not being more accessible to the public.

“It’s typical when their campaign has come to Oregon, rather than wanting to talk to real Oregonians about the things they’re concerned about, they’re setting the tone that if you don’t agree with them, it’s not OK,” Sohn said.

Several local Republicans said they received recorded phone messages from U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith’s office, inviting them to the event and telling them where to pick up tickets.

State Rep. Vicki Berger, R-Salem, said she got one of these messages but cannot attend because of a prior out-of-town engagement. Aumsville resident Karen McConnell also received a phone invitation and picked up her ticket Friday.

McConnell, who is a registered Republican but has not worked for or donated to Bush’s campaign, was so excited that she also asked her friend, her teenage son and his two friends to go with her.

“I’m excited because she’s the first lady, and how many times is someone from Aumsville going to get the chance to see the first lady?” McConnell said.

Laura Bush has spoken at a series of Victory ’04 rallies across the country and will head to a rally in Henderson, Nev., on Tuesday after she leaves Salem. On Wednesday, she will visit Clovis, N.M.

Chemeketa President Gretchen Schuette said one of the biggest campus concerns for Tuesday will be parking, with Laura Bush visiting on the second day of the fall term. The rally is expected to accommodate up to 3,000 people.

“The first two days of fall term are the busiest days of the year,” Schuette said.

That is why Chemeketa officials asked the Republican National Committee to have rally visitors park somewhere off campus and ride buses to the event. Hawkins said the school is working with the committee on finding off-campus parking sites to use.

School officials met Friday evening with national committee and security representatives to determine how much of Building 7 would be closed for the rally. The committee paid $1,080 to rent the gym for three days: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Hawkins said it was possible that other parts of Building 7 could be closed on Monday and especially Tuesday.

If that happens, Hawkins said officials will look for alternate places to hold classes. Students and instructors will be notified on the school’s Web site, by phone if possible, and through notices posted on campus.

Chemeketa officials said they will not interfere with protesters who might come to the event, as long as the protesters remain peaceful and orderly and stay outside the gymnasium.

Hawkins said the Secret Service will make the official determination of where protesters are allowed, but that the college’s position was that anywhere on campus outside Building 7 was acceptable.

Schuette said she received two e-mails Thursday from concerned faculty members who had heard of the visit and wondered what would happen to students. She sent out an e-mail Friday morning to all staff members giving details of the event and how it may impact the campus.

“People in our campus community disagree on political issues and candidates, yet, regardless of political concerns, it is a distinction for Chemeketa to host the first lady and to welcome hundreds of visitors who may have never set foot on our campus before,” she wrote in the email.

Schuette said Chemeketa agreed to allow the rally to meet on campus because the school is meant to be a place for the public to use.

“I think it’s an honor for the college to be asked,” she said. “We do not get into partisan politics. This is about being a place for a public candidate to speak, not about supporting a candidate.”

Tickets

Free tickets to Tuesday’s rally featuring first lady Laura Bush are available at the following locations:

Oregon Republican Party Headquarters, 2720 Commercial Street SE, Salem; (503) 587-9233

Bush-Cheney ’04 office, 10250 SW Greenburg Road, Building 1, Suite 112, Portland; (503) 293-4142

Clackamas County Headquarters, 16074 106th Ave., Clackamas; (503) 635-2705

The offices will be staffed during these hours:

Today: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday: Noon to 6 p.m.

Monday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.