Michelle Holman

“I thought I’d go to law school,” says Michelle Holman, who grew up in Medford, majored in sociology at the University of Oregon and then worked briefly at Zoozoo’s Restaurant in Eugene, “but then I met Richie.” Richie Gross was a Hoedad tree planter living in Deadwood, an unincorporated community in the Coast Range. The pair got married and purchased a parcel of land six miles up Deadwood Creek in 1979. “We lived in a teepee for one wet winter,” she says, “then in a school bus for two years, and in a funky camping trailer with two kids for eight years, until we finished building our house.” Gross took up cabinet making and fine woodworking, and for 17 years the couple traveled to craft fairs with their renowned Coyote Collections multi-layered wooden puzzles. “At one time we had four workers,” she says. “We were the largest employer in Deadwood.” Holman’s current craftwork can be seen at deadwoodcreekmezuzot.com. She has served 25 years on the board of the Mapleton School District, where her own three children went to school, and she has taken part in several unsuccessful efforts to halt unannounced aerial spraying of herbicides on adjacent industrial timber lands. “The problem is that corporate lobbyists write the laws and government officials enforce the laws,” says Holman, a co-founder of Community Rights Lane County, an organization that aims to empower citizens to enact their own laws through the ballot initiative process. “Six other counties in Oregon have active chapters. We call ourselves the civil rights movement of our times, challenging corporate power and privilege.” Learn about current campaigns and events at communityrightslanecounty.org.

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!