Activist Alert 7-3-2013

• Civil libertarian Raymond Brown, a recently retired educator with the Bethel School District, will be celebrating Independence Day in period costume, reciting the Declaration of Independence by heart at 1, 3 and 5 pm July 4 at the top of Skinner Butte. He will also be flying 25 full-sized flags atop the butte. “After teaching for 36 years, I can guarantee you that the best guardian of freedoms is education,” he says, adding he is inviting people to “put down their beer and hot dogs for a moment and appreciate the true meaning of the day.” He says he is not associated with the Tea Party or other conservative causes. He can be contacted at sonoflibertywalk@gmail.com.

• More big events at Buford Park? A survey asking for public opinions about the adjacent Emerald Meadows, formerly called the “North Bottomlands,” can be found at wkly.ws/1i9, put online by Friends of Buford Park & Mt. Pisgah, 344-8350.

• No City Club of Eugene this Friday, but Chuck Sheketoff of the Oregon Center for Public Policy will be the speaker July 12 and we hear Sen. Jeff Merkley has been booked for Aug. 9.

• A free dance party and day of political action for human rights will be from 5 to 9:30 pm Monday, July 8, at Kesey Square downtown. The event is part of Creative Maladjustment Week, and is sponsored by MindFreedom International. Call 345-9106 or visit mindfreedom.org.

• The next Conversations on the Forest free public forum is 7 pm Monday, July 8, at Cozmic, 199 W. 8th Ave. Organizers says the focus will be on “burning forest biomass for energy, timely as we are in the public comment period of Seneca’s application to be a major source and get grandfathered in under the current, weaker regulations than the regs we think will be enacted in 2014.” Speakers will be former county commissioner Rob Handy, forester Roy Keene and County Commission candidate Kevin Matthews. Email rob@robhandy.com or visit conversationsontheforest.org

• Industrial Workers of the World will meet at 7 pm Tuesday, July 9, at New Day Bakery, 449 Blair Blvd. Contact iconoclasmo.scott@gmail.com.

• The Lane County Fair Board meets from 7:30 to 9:30 am Tuesday, July 9, at the Lane Events Center, 796 W. 13th Ave. Contact is Marsha Miller at 682-6910.

• Lane Area Commission on Transportation meets from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Wednesday, July 10, at the ODOT McLane Room, 644 A St. in Springfield. Contact is Stacy Clauson, 682-3177 or sclauson@lcog.org.

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.

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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!