Activist Alert

• A community meeting about the 4J School District’s proposed common high school schedule is planned for 7 pm Thursday, April 25, at the Unitarian Church at 13th and Chambers. The meeting is in anticipation of the school board meeting at 7 pm May 1. “4J parents and students have grave concerns about implementation of the 3×5 schedule,” says David Zupan of Parents for Learning Effectiveness and Accountability (PLEA). Comments on the 4J 3X5 schedule can be emailed to board@4j.lane.edu and Zupan can be reached at zupandavid@gmail.com.

• A Palestinian Cultural Festival to benefit peace and justice for the Palestinian people will begin this week and run through June 6 in Corvallis. The festival begins with a film showing of 5 Broken Cameras at 7 pm Friday, April 26, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2945 NW Circle Blvd. in Corvallis. See mecaforpeace.org for upcoming dinners, auctions, films and other events throughout May.

• Karen Coulter, director of the Blue Mountain Biodiversity Project (bmbp.org), will speak on the triumphs and tragedies of the last three decades of radical environmental activism at noon Friday, April 26, at Lawrence 166 on the UO campus. Coulter has been involved in Earth First! since 1984 and has been arrested 13 times for civil disobedience.

• Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, will speak at 5 pm Friday, April 26, at the UO Law School. Free. Tough has also been an editor at The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s Magazine and a reporter for NPR’s This American Life. See paultough.com.

• The Oregon League of Conservation Voters 16th annual Celebration for the Environment will begin at 5:30 pm Friday, April 26, at the
Oregon Convention Center
in Portland. Sen. Jeff Merkley will be among the speakers. See olcv.org for tickets.

• The documentary The Healthcare Movie about the health care system in Canada will be shown at 7 pm Monday, April 29, at Temple Beth Israel, 1175 E. 29th Ave., followed by discussion. See hcao.org for more information.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!