Improvements to Amazon Creek underway

Here’s the news, both good and bad: The bad news is that construction will temporarily close a portion of the Fern Ridge Path, but the good news is that it’s in the name of Amazon Creek restoration.

Between Chambers and Garfield streets, the city of Eugene will take up its $975,000 project to stabilize the erosion on Amazon Creek’s banks, as well as add more than 13,000 native plants to restore some nature to the area.

In the 1950s, the Army Corps of Engineers rerouted and paved much of the creek to mitigate flooding, but the result left Amazon Creek a shadow of its former self and stopped wildlife from using it as a corridor to travel.

Organizations like the Be Noble Foundation and the Long Tom Watershed Council are hopeful that the creek can someday be restored to its former corridor status and serve as habitat to local wildlife, from otters to cutthroat trout. To follow these efforts, see the LTWC’s website.

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!