Take in the sights of Eugene

Years of grueling work have gone into shaving seconds off track times and adding inches to field events — including Ryan Crouser’s world record June 18 in the shot put — all for the shot at Olympic glory next month in Tokyo. Now, with most of the U.S. Olympic track and field team set after two weeks of competition at Hayward Field, it’s time for out-of-town folks to cut loose a little and take in the sights of Eugene. The larger music venues won’t open until later this summer, but the wineries, such as Pfeiffer (PfeifferWinery.com), Silvan Ridge (SilvanRidge.com) and Territorial (TerritorialVineyards.com), offer soothing music and good ambience. If you’re a baseball fan, the Eugene Emeralds will be at PK Park (2800 Martin Luther King Blvd.) throughout the weekend, and if you want to begin to understand Eugene, go to Eugene Saturday Market on the Park Blocks at E. 8th Avenue and Oak Street. Food carts and craft vendors are lined up to serve your tastes. It is colorful; it is us. If you’re driving home, stock up on fruits and vegetables at the Lane County Farmers Market this Saturday on 5th Avenue between High and Oak streets. Or just walk or run the many paths along the Willamette River, including, of course, Pre’s Trail at Alton Baker Park. Everyone, it seems, must stop there and pay homage to Steve Prefontaine.

To all the track and field athletes who qualified for the U.S. Olympic track and field team, EW congratulates you and wishes you well in Tokyo. Stay healthy!

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!