Governor Signs Wolf Bill Blocking Enviro Lawsuit

On March 15, Gov. Kate Brown signed HB 4040 into law and effectively shut down a lawsuit that seeks to protect Oregon’s wolves. Wolf advocates at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference (PIELC) earlier this month lamented the Oregon Legislature’s decision to pass HB 4040, a bill that both ratifies the decision to delist wolves from the state’s endangered species list and prevents environmental groups from pursuing their lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), which voted to delist wolves last November. Continue reading 

Celebrating Veteran’s Life One Year After He’s Killed By Police

March 30 marks one year from the day Brian Babb was shot and killed

Brian Babb’s family

March 30 marks one year from the day Brian Babb was shot and killed by a Eugene police officer while having a mental health crisis. His family is celebrating his life and reminding the public that they are still working to create a federal bill that would prevent similar deaths in the future in a March 30 event at the Vet’s Club.  Continue reading 

Slant 3-17-2016

• As online comments, personal conversations and the letters in this issue tell us, some of the leaders and residents of Springfield are upset with our illustrated tour of Springfield nightlife in the back of the Swizzle section March 10. We like the suggestion from Fey Egan to send an EW staffer to “hang with the cool kids in Springfield, don’t be an ass, and we’ll show you the city, the real city. The one that is creative, alive and unpretentious.” Good idea! Continue reading 

Stages of Grief

VLT's excellent production of The Quality of Life makes meaning of senseless death

Storm Kennedy and John White in VLT's the quality of life

Two couples, one reeling from the horrific murder of their only daughter, the other coping with a terminal illness that is reaching its late stage, come together and confront their demons: This is the thumbiest of thumbnail sketches of The Quality of Life, a play by Jane Anderson that explores the specter of death, the lash of loss, the cycles of grief and how people make meaning amid chaos and crisis — in short, it’s about life itself. Continue reading 

Prize in the Bottle

Wine: It's not just sour grapes

Wine is just fermented grape juice. So what’s all the fuss and chatter? There’s a prize in every bottle of good wine. And the prize can be very special, one that connects to memory, one that draws friends closer, one that opens experience. There’s often synergy with food: Wine makes food taste better, food makes wine taste better.  Now, add time in the bottle. A minor miracle ensues. Horizons expand. Sweet tastes sweeter. Continue reading 

Lane County Propagation Fair

Come learn about propagating plants

The 2016 Lane County Propagation Fair will take place from 11 am to 4 pm Saturday and Sunday, March 26-27, at the old Whiteaker School, now the Whiteaker Head Start Building, 21 N. Grand Street. There will be outdoor workshops on a variety of topics on Sunday, March 27. This free annual event aims to promote local food security by supporting home orchardists, vegetable gardeners and native plant enthusiasts in and around the southern Willamette Valley.  Continue reading 

Eugene says yes to Indigenous Peoples’ Day

The UO Native American Student Union (NASU) led the charge at last night’s City Council Public Forum, making a final plea for the city of Eugene to pass a resolution to declare the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The council voted yes, joining other PNW cities Seattle, Portland and Corvallis. Hear! Hear! It’s about time, and we hope to see cities around the country follow suit. Continue reading 

Former Basketball Players Who Faced Rape Allegations File Suit Against UO

Dominic Artis and Damyean Dotson are following in the footsteps of fellow former Oregon basketball player Brandon Austin by suing the University of Oregon over rape allegations, according to a press release from Eugene attorney Brian Michaels who says he is local counsel for a New York firm. Artis and Dotson are alleging they faced discrimination as males and are suing for more than $9 million each, making the lawsuit come to more than $20 million. Continue reading