Well, That’s Nifty

Three things to brighten a certain kind of person’s Thursday:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be made into two movies. OK, yes, this is yesterday’s news. But it’s still fantastic news; if only they’d taken that path around, say, the last film (Order of the Phoenix). Lots of talk about how it serves the story and not the bottom line is floating about, which raises my bullshit flags a little bit, but frankly, I don’t care; I just want the movie(s) not to suck.

2. The possibility of the sequels to The Golden Compass getting made is … still a possibility. As Variety reports, the film “is on course to make box office history as the first film to gross $300 million in foreign while failing to reach $100 million in North America.” The film’s producer, Deborah Forte, “won’t give up the fight,” and is quoted as saying, “I will make ‘The Subtle Knife’ and ‘The Amber Spyglass.'”

As disappointed as I was in Compass, I still hope the sequels get made. And not just because it’s more exposure for the fantastic Philip Pullman.

3. From USA Today comes this story: “Rapier Wit: Western Martial Arts tradition enjoys a renaissance.” Why is it relevant locally? Because Northwest Academy of Arms‘ Maestro Sean Hayes is quoted in the story. (I admit to thinking this is extra cool because I take Maestro Hayes’ fencing class, as does my colleague Chuck Adams.)

And with that, I have just one thing left to say for the day: Go Ducks!

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!