Biz Beat 9-24-2015

Local businesses can benefit from a collection of useful web links regarding surveys, zoning, planning, building permits, flood hazard, wetlands, restaurant inspections and more at lanecounty.org. Lane County’s Geographic Information System and property records online have been updated into a new system that can be accessed by computer or cell phone. Look for “Maps and Property Info” under “Quick Links” on the county website’s home page.

TJ’s Organic Provisions has a newly built marijuana dispensary at 1910 Empire Park Drive in Eugene, just west of Hwy. 99 between Dove Lane and Barger Drive. The business describes itself as “boutique purveyor of organic cannabis” with the purpose to “help others find health and happiness naturally.” Owners are Jim Murphey, Travis Mackenzie and James Orpeza, who have a background in growing medical marijuana and electrical contracting. The business donates free cannabidiol (CBD) oil to children with seizure disorder who have an OMMP card. See tjsprovisions.com.

Sweaty Ganesh Yoga will reopen and expand next month at 8th and Charnelton downtown, offering both hot and unheated classes in the same building, according to owner Jessica Eldridge. A celebration is planned all day Friday, Oct. 2, with free classes, demonstrations and discounts on yoga packages and retail items. See sweatyganeshyoga.com.

The board of the nonprofit Cascadia Wildlands has hired Josh Laughlin as executive director in a permanent capacity. Laughlin has been interim executive director since January 2015 when ED Bob Ferris stepped down to take a consultant role. The organization was founded in 1998 by students, forest workers, scientists, concerned community members, activists and business owners in response to the rampant clearcutting of old-growth forests on public lands in western Oregon. Today, the organization has five staff members and is active in numerous conservation campaigns throughout the Pacific bioregion from Oregon to Alaska. See cascwild.org.

Garlic Jim’s opened earlier this month at 2766 W. 11th Ave., a former Subway store. Owner of the franchise is Brittany Banna and the store offers a gluten-free pizza option on its gourmet pizza menu. Call 344-1093.

We hear MECCA, the Eugene-based Materials Exchange for the Community Arts, has a large inventory of school and art supplies to donate to local teachers or sell. In 2014, the nonprofit MECCA diverted more than 44,500 pounds of usable materials from the waste stream and 12,000 pounds were donated to teachers. See materials-exchange.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.

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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.

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