Biz Beat

• Heritage Distilling Co. (HDC) is celebrating the grand opening of its brand new Eugene facility 5 pm Friday, Oct. 7, at 110 Madison Street with a ribbon cutting, pipes and drums, blessing of the stills and samples of HDC’s products.

• Community LendingWorks, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) based in Springfield, Salem and Oregon City, was awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s CDFI Fund. “The award will enable Community LendingWorks to increase lending and investment activity in low-income and economically distressed communities across Oregon,” the nonprofit says.

• October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “To promote awareness and prevention efforts, and to foster widespread collaboration in creating safe relationships and communities,” Womenspace says it will be partnering with several local businesses throughout the month, including Oct. 11 at The Bier Stein, with 100 percent of the proceeds of a keg donated by Falling Sky going to the Womenspace; Pints for a Cause Oct. 13 at Ninkasi; Sweet Life Petite donates 20 percent of daily sales Oct. 24; and Plank Town will donate 10 percent of daily sales Oct. 25. For additional information about Domestic Violence Awareness Month 2016, please contact Womenspace at 541-485-8232 or visit womenspaceinc.org or womenspace/facebook.

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!