• A local politico raises the old question of the city of Eugene buying the EWEB building on the river for the new Eugene City Hall instead of proceeding with the itty-bitty city hall on the former site with all its problems of money, space, seismic safety and so on. Back in the day Councilor Mike Clark (now mayoral candidate) favored buying the EWEB building.
Councilor Betty Taylor (unopposed for re-election to the council) strongly opposed EWEB because of the location. She preferred the present site with architect Otto Poticha’s suggested rebuild. Maybe that decision is history? Maybe a new council and mayor will want to take another look?
• No surprises here: The Eugene Chamber of Commerce endorsed Mike Clark for mayor, Josh Skov for the City Council seat vacated by George Brown and Pat Farr for the Lane County Board of Commissioners. The chamber committee was so generous in praise of Lucy Vinis for mayor that it makes us wonder why they didn’t take the leap and endorse her.
• Every candidate running for office, statewide and locally, that EW has talked to tells us that solving homelessness is a key issue for the voters they meet while knocking on doors. Yet Eugene has put fencing under bridges that effectively denies shelter to the unhoused and on April 4, Springfield voted to ban panhandling. Are our city governments losing their compassion even as concern grows among their constituents? Under the changes to Springfield city code, motorists who transfer money, food or property to a pedestrian while on a street or highway in the city can be fined up to $50. The move was justified, just as the fencing under bridges was, as a safety issue.
According to a presentation by lawyer Chad Jacobs at the 2015 League of Oregon Cities meeting, “Panhandling is a form of free speech protected by both the Oregon and United States Constitutions. Regulations of panhandling are therefore often challenged and found to be unconstitutional by state and federal courts.” Jacobs said there is “very little chance of a federal or state court upholding a prohibition on panhandling.” We should spend money on helping those in need, but instead, someone needs to take this to court.
• We were saddened to hear last week that the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife killed four wolves in northeastern Oregon’s Imnaha pack, including OR-4, father of famous wolf wanderer OR-7. The ODFW claimed the wolves were “involved in chronic livestock depredation” and authorized “lethal control,” taking out OR-4, his mate and two yearling pups. This killing was a particularly hard blow to wolf advocates after Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill into law that legislatively removed wolves from Oregon’s endangered species list and blocked pending litigation from environmental groups.
The ODFW estimates 110 wolves live in Oregon, and it’s laughable to think that so few wolves constitute a stable population. Now that number has dropped by four. Shame on the ODFW and state officials for instating a plan that does not require nonlethal conflict prevention measures, and shame on Gov. Brown for trading away the protected status of wolves.
• It’s good news that more young people are coming into the political arena, both as activists and candidates. We have been watching that in Lane County from school board to city council to county commission races. Nationally, young voters have been fueling the Sanders candidacy, prompting concerns about where they will go if Bernie is not the nominee. Will Berners support Hillary if she wins the nomination? Or Joe Biden? Or Elizabeth Warren? We hope so.
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!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519