Activist Alert 10-22-2015

• Activist and sociologist Gwyn Kirk, Ph.D., will speak at 7 pm Thursday, Oct. 22, at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street. Kirk is a widely published writer and founding member of Women for Genuine Security. Her presentation will include discussion of her visit to North Korea on a peace mission. Sponsored by Oregon WAND.

• Lehigh University scholar James Braxton Peterson, Ph.D. will speak on the Black Lives Matter movement at 7:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Erb Memorial Union Ballroom on the UO campus. Peterson is director of Africana Studies at Lehigh and blogs for The Huffington Post on pop culture, youth and politics.

• “Digital Disruption of Media: Learning to Embrace the Change” will be the topic at City Club of Eugene at noon Friday, Oct. 23, at the Downtown Athletic club, 999 Willamette Street. Speakers will be John Stark of KLCC, Associate Editor Camilla Mortensen of Eugene Weekly and Mark Blaine of the UO School of Journalism and Communication. $5 for non-members. The program the following week, Oct. 30, will be on the future of the Elliott State Forest. See cityclubofeugene.org to get on the club’s email list.

• A fundraiser for County Commissioner Pete Sorenson in support of his re-election bid is planned from 7 to 8:30 pm Friday, Oct. 23, at a private residence near 13th and Lincoln. Call Steve Coatsworth at 606-8829 to RSVP. Sorenson is also taking a hike around Mount Pisgah Saturday morning, Oct. 24, with the Sierra Club and others. Meet at South Eugene High School parking lot at 10:30 am.

• The city’s Willamette to Willamette (W2W) project seeks to make a better connection between Eugene’s downtown and the Willamette River along a “great street” of 8th Avenue. “By integrating public art and local history, 8th Avenue can become an inviting, beautiful and walkable promenade to the river,” according to the city. A survey is now on the project’s website, Eugene-or.gov/w2w, and staff members will be on hand to talk about the options from 10 am to 2 pm Oct. 24 at Saturday Market. The survey will close Nov. 16 and results will be posted in early December.

• A fundraiser chili dinner for Community Supported Shelters will be from 6 to 7:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 25, at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 1300 Pearl Street. Doors open at 5:30 pm, presentation about CSS programs at 6:45 pm.

• Advocates for the homeless are planning another demonstration at 6 pm Monday, Oct. 26, outside Harris Hall before the Eugene City Council meeting. Some information can be found on the OURS homeless camp’s public Facebook page.

• Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy will be available to meet between 5 and 6 pm Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Albertson’s at 4740 Royal Ave. The Mayor’s One-on-One meetings are usually held on the fourth Tuesday at different locations around town. Call 682-8340 for more information.

• Willamalane Park and Recreation District is holding a public meeting at 6 pm Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Willamalane, 250 S. 32nd Street, to gauge opinion on the use of hundreds of acres of natural area set aside for public use in the Thurston Hills area of Springfield. The district purchased the 80-acre Thurston Hills Natural Area in 2014. Find a public survey at bit.ly/WPRDThurstonHillsSurvey.

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!