Taylor Perse’s “poor farm” story was an insightful and interesting look into the past (“The Poor Among Us,” 1/9). While the “poor farm” concept is extremely outdated, the willingness of local people to come together to solve the problems of today is stronger than ever.
As Terry McDonald states, “Homelessness isn’t static.”
Yet it feels like Eugene City Council, some of the more conservative members of the Lane County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and the executive director (Jacob Fox) of Homes for Good (HFG) are paralyzed by a static and outdated “business-as-usual” approach to the issues of homelessness and environmental protections necessary to curb climate change.
Greenway Guardians and the people of Eugene and Lane County are working to change the future of homelessness while protecting the Willamette Greenway.
The open-space located on River Road and the Willamette Greenway was purchased with public funding to build affordable housing. HFG and their BCC directing board have since decided to sell it to an out-of-state developer who plans to cut down all of the trees on the lot, pave the greenspace with concrete and build 93 market-rate (expensive) units.
Meanwhile, neighbors hold a higher vision in which the Greenway is protected and an appropriate development of affordable housing (similar to Emerald Village) can be implemented to help those who are unhoused.
You cannot solve the dynamic problems of today by using unsuccessful and unimaginative techniques of the past. Why does the community understand this, but our leadership has yet to evolve?
Jacqueline L. McClure
Eugene
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!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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