Carlos Barrera

A native of Mission, Texas, Carlos Barrera traces his family history back to Spanish colonial times in the mid-1600s. “Half the town is related to me,” he says. “The Rio Grande River is three miles away.” After earning a bachelor’s in fine arts from Pan American University in nearby Edinburg, Barrera became an electrician and an electrical contractor. He worked three years in Austin, then 21 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. “I was the go-to person for historical renovation,” he says. “I replaced old wiring in historic houses.” Tired of the big-city rat race, he moved to Eugene in 1999. “I essentially retired and got involved in social issues,” says Barrera, who joined the successful effort to block a proposed National Guard Armory near wetlands close to LCC. “They moved to Springfield instead.” He also joined his local neighborhood association, Friendly Area Neighbors (FAN), and has now served eight years as its co-chair. “We had a long battle with EWEB to keep the College Hill Reservoir open to the public,” he says. Barrera represents FAN on the Neighborhood Leaders Council. He is a board member of Beyond Toxics and attends meetings of activist groups LandWatch Lane County and Friends of Civic Stadium. “In California, I was working full-time,” he notes. “Now, I take a major interest in social equity. I sometimes have 15 hours of meetings in a week.”

Know anyone whose good work deserves attention in this space? Call the editor at 484-0519 or editor@eugeneweekly.com

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!