We’re hearing some grumbles about the Glenwood Refinement Project and some residents and businesses that might be affected or even displaced. One drawing of the new Franklin Boulevard Project through Glenwood shows four roundabouts within 1 mile, requiring widening in several places that would take out entire buildings and business frontage. The new Planned Parenthood building could lose part of its setback from the street. One disabled vet, Richard Galyon, wrote to Springfield planners saying, “You need to stop this waste of money and step back and get the needs of the entire community met first. The ridiculous road work and excessive expansion of Franklin Boulevard can wait.” The Springfield Planning Commission is looking at Glenwood options and how to accommodate a planned hotel and convention center. The Candlewood Suites hotel on Franklin near I-5 was completed last year, and I-5 interchange improvements at Franklin are coming.
Tsunami Books on south Willamette is in the middle of an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign and has raised about $6,950 so far with a goal of $40,000. Find a link at the Tsunami Facebook page. Owner Scott Landfield says the independent bookstore has hosted more than 3,000 events over the past 20 years, from music performances to film showings to poetry workshops. The building has a new owner and the rent will be going up. “The immediate object of this campaign,” Landfield says, “is to re-invigorate Tsunami’s activities and events venue, and to aid in the upkeep of this community center in beautiful south Eugene.”
Brown butcher paper has covered the windows of the much-loved Eugene City Bakery at 19th and Agate since it closed on May 3. Some neighbors have been hopeful that Beppe and Gianni’s Trattoria across the street would take it over in some form, with Beppe’s talented daughters doing the baking. Not going to happen, Beppe says, “too early.”
New business in town is Big Slice Pizza on West 13th Avenue, across from the downtown Eugene Fire Station. Owner Glenn Eitelman calls it a “little hole in the wall” on the west side of the Big City Gaming building. He’s a former chef and restaurant consultant who has worked on the East Coast and Caribbean and has trained with world class culinary “stars.” He says his New York style pizza is “different from others in the city by using an Old World pizza dough handling method that I learned from the folks at Pepe’s in New Haven, Connecticut. We use a starter (sourdough like) one day and then make the dough the next day — this is then fermented for 24 to 36 hours.” Call 636-4899 or visit bigpizzaslice.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This business closed shortly after opening in what appears to be a dispute with the building's owner.
Eugene’s Community Center for the Performing Arts, aka WOW Hall, is hosting its annual free historic exhibit and display from 5 to 7 pm Friday, May 15, at WOW Hall, 291 W. 8th Ave., followed by a square dance at 7:30 pm with caller Rosie Sweetman and the Eugene City Barnstormers.
KOCF-Fern Ridge Radio is hoping to begin broadcasting June 16 at 92.5 FM. The low-power station is intended to be a self-sustaining project of the Oregon Country Fair and will serve a 10-mile radius including Veneta, Elmira and Noti. One purpose of the station is to provide emergency broadcasting service to the Fern Ridge area in the event of an earthquake or other disaster. The campaign at kocf.org has raised about $8,500 toward a goal of $20,000. Funds will go for initial broadcasting equipment and a small production studio.