It’s About Time – January 2016

Kind of like in summer, the winter Solstice just slipped by with nary a wink or a nod. The approach is so gradual in both ways that only a calendar watcher (or member of a pagan community) knows for sure what day to celebrate Solstice. The extra rainy December meant that it was cloudy most nights. Night sky changes were hard to follow despite regular bedtime walks. I have seen Orion less than five times since he first returned to the night sky. The same goes for seeing the Pleiades, a little distressing as I have always thought getting a glimpse of this seven-sister cluster brought good fortune.

Star viewing may be limited these overcast days while whale watching at the Oregon Coast is at the year’s best. In the four weeks spanning the New Year, southward migration of gray whales moves through faster than the northward migration with cows and newborn calves. The males will follow soon, more slowly. My favorite whale-watching lookout is the shelter at the top of the Cape Perpetua trail. Shelter is the critical word here. There are volunteers offering whale information at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center as well as the overlook along Hwy. 101 at Cape Perpetua.

The next year will certainly be different from the last. We begin with a snow pack in the mountains that last year’s winter never came close to accumulating. The mountain meadows will have lots more flowers to watch. Hopefully, the stressed trees will recover.

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!