Activist Alert 8-6-2015

• Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration events continue this week. An annual gathering calling for action “to help ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again” will be from 6:30 pm until dusk Thursday, Aug. 6, near the Alton Baker duck pond. The free event begins with a pot luck and will include speakers, drumming by Eugene Taiko, traditional Japanese Obon dancing and music by the Yujin Gakuen Children’s Peace Choir. Call CALC at 485-1755. A related event will be “Bike Around the Bomb” with Global Zero and the UO Bike Program at 10:30 am Sunday, Aug. 9, beginning at 8th and Oak in Eugene. Participants will bike around a 12-mile route representing the blast area of a “small” nuclear weapon.

• “The Really Big One,” a free public forum on earthquake hazards and preparedness in the Northwest will be from 7 to 9 pm Thursday, Aug. 6, in Straub Hall, 1451 Onyx Street on the UO campus. Panelists will include UO geologists Rebecca Dorsey and Douglas Toomey, along with other academics Amanda Thomas, Ray Weldon and Chris Goldfinger, and Josh Bruce of the Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience. See earthquake.uoregon.edu or the EW blog this week for more information.

• A back-to-school “Swap Don’t Shop” event will be from 2 to 4 pm Saturday, Aug. 8, at Thurston Park, 6329 F Street in Springfield. “It’s like a yard sale, but no money,” organizers say.

• 15 Now, the group working to raise the minimum wage to $15, meets at 3 pm Sunday, Aug. 9, at the AFSCME Hall, 7th and Charnelton. Email contact is eugene@15noworegon.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.

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!