Activist Alert 2-6-2014

• City Club of Eugene will look at “Working Together on the BEST Outcomes for Kids” at its luncheon at noon Friday, Feb. 7, at the Downtown Athletic Club third floor ballroom, 999 Willamette. Speakers include Raquel Gwynn, Sharon Tabor and Randy Bernstein from School District 4J and Peter Chavannes of the city. $5 for nonmembers.

• Bike sharing in Eugene? An open house to review and discuss a recent bike share feasibility study will be at 6 pm Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the LCC Downtown Center, Room 112. LTD and the city contracted the study by the Toole Design Group. See Eugene-or.gov/bikeshare or call 682-5727 for more information.

• The 13th annual Worst Day of the Year Ride will begin gathering at 8 am Sunday, Feb. 9, outside 915 SE Hawthorne in Portland. Thousands of cyclists are expected to show up, many in costume, for this zany ride through the streets of Portland. Eugene always sends a flock of riders to this event, but we don’t have anything quite like it at home — yet. See orbike.com to register. In related news, Cycle Oregon will be Sept. 6-13 this year and the “secret” route was to be announced just after we go to press this week.

• The Trans-Pacific Partnership is the topic of a free Sierra Club forum at 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 13th and Chambers. Main speaker will be Jesse Swanhuyser, chair of the national Sierra Club’s Committee on International Trade, Human Rights and the Environment. Also speaking will be Linda Peterson of the Oregon Fair Trade Coalition and AFSCME Local 3214. Contact Bill Rogers at 654-0405.

• A free meeting on “Marijuana Re-Legalization” will be from 5:30 to 7 pm Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Eugene Public Library downtown. Facilitator will be Dan Koozer, director of Willamette Valley chapter of National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and co-founder of the Cannabis Liberation Front and the Emerald Empire HempFest. Sponsored by the Lane County ACLU. Email lanechapter@aclu-or.org 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!