Activist Alert 11-1-2012

• Opportunity Village Eugene is looking for warehouse space to store building materials and “construct pieces of tiny houses to be assembled on the site when we get one.” Email Finn Po at finnpo@efn.org

• Theologian Gary Dorrien will speak on economic democracy as an alternative to global capitalism at 11:50 am Friday, Nov. 2, at the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St. Hosted by City Club of Eugene and cosponsored by Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, the Lane Institute of Faith and Education, and Wayne Morse Law Center for Law and Politics. Tickets are available at First Christian or Central Presbyterian in Eugene or at www.laneinstitute.org

• Labor groups and postal workers are planning a major rally and picketing Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Gateway Processing Center on Postal Way in Springfield, a postal facility threatened with closure in 2014. Picketing will begin at noon, the rally will be at 12:30 pm, followed by speakers at 1 pm. Invited speakers include Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Peter DeFazio, Secretary of State Kate Brown and Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian. Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will emcee. Organizers are expecting 500 to 1,000 people to join the rally, and will be collecting ballots for those who would like them hand-delivered. See essn.weebly.com for more information.

• The next Occupy Inter-Faith meeting will be at 1:30 pm Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Unitarian Church, 13th & Chambers. Fergus McLean will speak on the Occupy Eugene Foreclosures Committee and Sue Sierralupe from Occupy Medical will talk about the Occupy Medical tent which has been open every Sunday since last winter.

• Jim Baker is retiring from the Oregon Wild Board of Directors after nearly 40 years of involvement, and a celebration is planned for noon to 3 pm Sunday, Nov. 4, at Mt. Pisgah Arboretum. Call 344-0675 or see oregonwild.org

• The monthly Conversations On the Forest series will continue at 6 pm Monday, Nov. 5, at Cozmic, on “What’s the Deal with Gov. Kitzhaber’s Timber Panel?” Kitzhaber has appointed a 14-person advisory panel in response to the proposed timber trust. Guest presenter will be Doug Heiken of Oregon Wild, along with Commissioner Rob Handy, forester Roy Keene and Kevin Matthews. Email rob@robhandy.com

• A free election night party Nov. 6 will be at the Willamalane Center, 250 S. 32nd St. in Springfield, in cooperation with the Lane County Elections Office, beginning at 7 pm. All statewide and county election results will be announced immediately as results are released. Large-screen televisions located throughout the facility will be tuned in to local, statewide and national election night news coverage. Food and beverages catered by a local restaurant will be available for purchase. The countywide gathering was held previously at the Fairgrounds.

• An EWEB public hearing on proposed 2013 rate hikes will be at 7:30 pm Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the EWEB Board Room. A final public hearing and vote is scheduled for Dec. 4. More information and written testimony can be made by email through the EWEB website.

• Health Care for All-Eugene meets at 7 pm Wednesday, Nov. 7, at EWEB to talk about the results of the election. To get on the mailing list, email ruthduemler@comcast.net

• A post-election briefing and discussion about what’s next is planned for 7 to 9 pm Thursday, Nov. 8, at Washington Park Community Center, 2025 Washington St. in Eugene. Speakers will include Mayor Kitty Piercy, Dan HoSang and Sharon Gary-Smith. Sponsored by the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation. To RSVP or for more information, email sheryl@mrgfoundation.org or call (503) 289-1517.

• UO psychology professor Paul Slovic, Ph.D. will speak on “What Motivates People to Help Others in Need?” at 6 pm Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Eugene Public Library downtown. Free. Call 682-5450 for more information.

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!