Activist Alert 4.19.18

• St. Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County’s Metamorphose: Upcycle Fashion Show is Saturday April 21. The day of environmental competitions, activities for adults and kids, seminars, entertainment, vendors and more, begins at noon and ends at 9 pm. Organizers say, “The Metamorphose competition, along with the BRING and MECCA events, raises public awareness of the potential for creative reuse of salvaged materials.” The fashion show itself and awards ceremony begins at 6 pm. Former TV anchor and seemingly obsessive self-videographer Rick Dancer will judge along with Mitra DeMirza, SVdP’s resident artist, designer of its signature ENVIA fashion line and founder of Metamorphose. All events are free from noon to 5 pm. Admission to the fashion show is $6 for adults and $4 for children and seniors.

• Local author and harpist Mary DeMocker celebrates the release of her new book, The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep with a foreword by Bill McKibben at 6:30 pm Thursday, April 19, at Tsunami Books, 2585 Willamette. Democker says, “I’ve lived in Eugene 30 years, am an alum of the UO music school, have a kid in the local high school, co-founded a thriving climate recovery organization (350 Eugene) and am releasing a book on the eve of Earth Week that has been endorsed by some of the top climate champions on the planet.”

• Also on Saturday, April 21, is the Eugene Family YMCA Healthy Kids Day offering “pickleball, an obstacle course, swimming, educational activities, healthy food booths, give-a-ways, raffle prizes and valet bike parking to motivate and inspire families to develop healthy routines throughout the year.” The Y says, “This year’s event, which falls on Earth Day, will promote bike safety and awareness with bike registration, helmet fittings and more. The event runs 10 am to noon at 2055 Patterson Street; parking is available across the street at South Eugene High School.

• 350 Eugene and Community Rights Lane County are offering Decolonizing Our Activism 6 pm, Thursday, April 26, at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street. The workshop will “explore how to be a good ally and form partnerships with the traditional stewards of this land. We must break the chain of colonial oppression of Native Americans,” according to 350 Eugene. It will be presented by Sweetwater Nannauck of Idle No More Washington. Registration and details at world.350.org/eugene.

• Local sustainability efforts will be highlighted at the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition’s quarterly gathering noon to 1:30 pm Friday, April 27, at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library. The gathering features presentations by Brad Attig of Corvallis Foundry, Kerstin Colón of Corvallis Multicultural Literacy Center and Erik Swartzendruber of the Willamette Valley Regenerative Landscaping Coalition, highlighting what their organizations are doing to help create a sustainable community. There will also be a presentation by David Eckert, leader of the Sustainability Coalition’s Water Action Team, about the team’s current projects, including the upcoming Lamprey Creek Tour.

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!