Everyone Must Be On Campus

It took us a minute to realize why it was so empty everywhere. The Safeway parking lot, the streets, Brails … oh, wait! Everyone must be on campus. Right? We thought about biking down there, but that would have meant forgoing our delicious containers of leftovers (bi bim bob for him, pork bulgogi for me), and that simply wasn’t an option. We’d wolfed down all the side dishes â€” how I love small pickled/fermented things â€” but each Brails entrÃ©e was definitely enough for two meals. And they serve beer and wine with dinner! As if you needed more reasons to eat there. (Though the mellow evening hours are quite a change from the long lines on weekends â€” not that lines will ever keep me away from a plate of hash browns and bacon.)

It’s quiet in Eugene tonight. At least so far. At least around Willamette Street. I hear the Lakers game is good. How was Obama? Report in, folks!

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!