Bags and Ballots!

Want to weigh in on the city fee, the Lane County tax levy or the 4J funding issue? Then be sure you are registered to vote here in Lane County, and if you are not registered, get er’ done by 4 pm Tuesday, April 30.

To check if you are registered with your current address go to this link at the Oregon secretary of state’s website.

Not registered? If you have a valid DMV number from an Oregon driver’s license, learners permit or ID card, then you can register here.

Otherwise go fill out this online registration card, print it out and either mail it (postmarked by 4 pm April 30) or drop it off at the Lane County Elections office, or go to the office and fill out a card there. The Lane County Elections office is located at 275 W.10th Avenue, on the corner of 10th and Lincoln in downtown Eugene. Public office hours are 9 am to noon, and 1 pm to 4 pm, Monday through Friday. On Election Day, May 21, 2013 the Lane County Elections Office will be open from 7 am to 8 pm. It’s conveniently located about two blocks from the Weekly, so feel free to stop by and pick up a paper or wave at the baby birds (starlings?) nesting and pooping over the employee entrance.

In other news, it’s bag ban time. April 3o is also notable in that it’s the last day that stores in Eugene can give you a single-use plastic grocery bag with your purchase. That’s why everywhere you’ve shopped in Eugene this past week from the liquor store to the Kiva has been cheerfully offering you (or forcing upon you) the last of their plastic bags. As of May 1 plastic bags (not including produce or bulk food bags) are verboten and it’s 5 cents to get a paper bag.

First time I ever wrote an article for Eugene Weekly about banning plastic bags, the ban was barely a gleam in the Eugene City Council’s eye. And I got my first grumpy letter. Awww.

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!