It’s About Time – April 2014

The romantic song of chickadees cheering up the morning is living proof of the arrival of spring. When the sun comes out after a heavy rain shower, all the birds sing joyfully. There will be more and more vegetable starts in racks outside the local market while the neighborhood gardens are dominated by spring blooming flowers. It is really too early to plant much besides peas and onions. It is not too early to clean up the beds to stay ahead of the weeds.

For the next couple of weeks the windshield of my pickup will be dusted with a yellow powder; is pollen. Incense cedar sheds pollen in January, the dawn redwood in February and Douglas fir in March. All these cone-bearing trees use the “success in numbers” method of pollen dispersal. Their tiny, dry pollen grains weigh practically nothing. Tossed on whirling winds like Ping Pong balls in the ocean, it is only against formidable odds that a pollen grain gets blown into the protective bracts of the seed cones and perform their dance of birds and bees.

Without either birds or bees, the wind-pollinated trees stick to the old reliable strategy: Make enough pollen grains to fill the air. After the pollen are shed, pollen cones descend from Douglas fir trees by the millions. Living under a Douglas fir canopy, I have to scoop them out of my gutters by the bucket load. Studied under a lens, they are stalks of golden brown lilies in extreme miniature.

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!