• We note with sadness the death on Jan. 20 of Edwin Coleman, jazz musician, professor of English and outspoken civil rights advocate in Eugene. He died at age 84 from complications of flu. As a jazz guitarist, Coleman backed up such musicians as Ella Fitzgerald, Vince Guaraldi and Peter, Paul and Mary. As a civil rights advocate he met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. As a professor at the University of Oregon, he stood for equality and tolerance, bringing his love of African-American literature, folklore and drama to generations of Oregon students. As professor emeritus, he argued against the renaming of the UO’s Deady Hall, saying that to erase Deady’s checkered history would be to throw out the good with the bad. The memorial begins at 2 pm, Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Willamette Christian Center, 2500 W. 18th Avenue.
• No matter your politics, or for whom you voted, telling blatant lies is simply unacceptable. And gaslighting the media, or anyone for that matter, is also unacceptable. Alternative viewpoints are a thing; alternative facts simply are not. Is the media sometimes biased? Yes, here at EW we have a progressive slant. Does the media make mistakes? Sometimes, and we own up to them. But real news sources don’t lie. And real presidents shouldn’t lie either.
• Here’s a theory about David Reaves. He was the offensive coordinator brought to the Ducks from South Florida by new football coach Willie Taggart. Reaves lasted less than a week in Eugene before being arrested by the Eugene Police Department early on Sunday morning, Jan. 21, charged with DUII and several other things, and then fired for cause by the UO. The theory: This guy was out celebrating his great good fortune. A job with a football program and lush facilities backed by a benevolent billionaire whose blood runs green and yellow; a salary of $300,000 a year (the Oregon governor makes $98,600); a lively little city, albeit somewhat sunless, that loves Duck football and brews great beer. What’s not to celebrate? But the next celebration, if there is one for this young new football coach, might include a designated driver.
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