Activist Alert 9-15-2016

• David Oaks, founder of Mind Freedom International, tells us there will be a “family-friendly gathering and unscripted show at Kesey Square” 4 to 7 pm Saturday, Sept. 17, to celebrate Ken Kesey’s birthday and 5th anniversary of the start of Occupy. Bring drums. Open mic. Sponsored by the International Association for the Advancement of Creative Maladjustment. FREE.

• Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein of Temple Beth Israel in Eugene will speak on the topic “Living Gracefully in a Burning World” at the 12th Annual Interfaith Community Breakfast 7:30 am Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Downtown Athletic Club, corner of 10th and Willamette. Sponsored by Lane Institute of Faith & Education (LIFE). $20-$30 sliding scale. Deadline for purchasing breakfast tickets is Friday, Sept. 16, at First Christian Church, 1166 Oak Street or laneinstitute.org. Or $5 at the door for coffee/tea. More info at 541-344-1425.

• Commemorating the International Day of Peace, the film Paying the Price for Peace: The Story of S. Brian Willson will be shown 6 pm Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Campbell Center, 155 High Street. The film will be followed by Q&A with Willson. Organizers say that “horrified by his experiences during the Vietnam War, Brian became an activist during Reagan’s proxy wars in Central America, and while attempting to block U.S. arms shipments to the Contras from the Concord Naval Weapons Station in California in 1987 his lower legs were severed by a munitions train that refused to stop.” The feature-length documentary is narrated by Peter Coyote and includes archival footage. Sponsored by Al-Nakba Awareness Project, Women’s Action for New Directions (WAND) and Veterans for Peace. Copies of the DVD and Willson’s book, Blood on the Tracks, will be available. Find the event, Paying the Price for Peace, on Facebook and see a viewpoint on the topic by Jack Dresser of Al-Nakba at eugeneweekly.com. FREE.

• Lane Community College says it is “working to ensure that there is good access to gender non-specific restrooms on all of our campuses.” During the weeks of Sept. 12 and 19, LCC will be removing “Men’s” and “Women’s” signage from all single-use restrooms and replacing those signs with a sign that says, “Single-Use Restroom. This restroom is for everyone.” One multi-stall restroom will be converted into a gender non-specific restroom. A list of Lane’s single-stall and multi-stall gender non-specific restrooms is available at lanecc.edu/facilities.

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!