Activist Alert

• The group City Accountability says it has less than two weeks to complete signature gathering to put a Charter Amendment on the ballot amending Eugene’s Charter to establish an office of an independent elected city auditor. To sign the petition, look for their volunteers in turquoise T-shirts at Sundance, Kiva, the downtown library, the Saturday Market and also at LCC center building Oct 3-6. For more info: cityaccountability.org

• Willamette Valley Sustainable Foods Alliance’s Fun with Fermentation is 11 am- 4 pm Sunday, Oct. 1, Lane Community College’s Downtown Campus. The one-day festival is “devoted to the education of fermentation and other forms of food preservation,” organizers say. It is a fundraiser for WVSFA and a canned food drive for FOOD For Lane County. There will be a raffle whose proceeds will benefit Willamette Farm and Food Coalitions Double Up Food Bucks program that assists SNAP shoppers in procuring more fresh produce at farmers market. Suggested donation of $5 with 2 cans of food, $10 without food. Kids 12 and under get in free.

• Church Women United of Lane County, “United for Peace and Justice,” invites you to an October forum presented by Diana Janz, founder and president of Hope Ranch, who has been working with survivors of sex trafficking since 2010. The organization concentrates on prevention and education as well as helping survivors. Church Women says that Janz will be talking about what is happening worldwide, what is happening in Lane County, what is being done and how we can all help. United Way will also discuss the relationship between poverty/hunger and sex trafficking. Join them at Friends Meeting 9 am, Oct. 6, and you can also join a small group discussion on the topic 7:30 am Tuesday, Oct. 10, at Brails.

• The Springfield Arts Commission, which promotes visual and performance arts to enrich cultural awareness in Springfield, is seeking applicants with strong interest in the arts who are willing to help the commission promote arts activities in our city. Both of the upcoming vacancies are held by current commissioners who are eligible to reapply, the city of Springfield says in a press release. The deadline to submit applications is 5 pm Friday, Oct. 6. Application packets are available at the Springfield City Manager’s Office, 225 Fifth Street, during regular business hours and online at springfield-or.gov/bcc.htm. Applicants must attend the Springfield Arts Commission meeting 6:30 pm, Tuesday, Oct. 10, at City Hall in the Library Conference Room, to meet the commission and may be asked to attend the City Council meeting Monday, Nov. 13.

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!