My father is a veteran. Although Oregon State Representative candidate Marty Wilde is a couple decades younger, he and my dad have a lot in common. They both grew up on public assistance and turned that public generosity into a lifelong passion for community service.
In the coming months, you’re going to hear a lot about Wilde: prosecuting sexual assault cases in the military, advocating in Salem for education and health care, serving on the police commission and as the executive director of Lane County Medical Society. But that’s not why I’m voting for him.
I’m voting for Wilde because of his quiet service at Egan Warming Center, keeping watch overnight or cooking breakfast in the morning.
I’m voting for him because he consistently uses his voice to empower folks who have less privilege than he does.
I’m voting for him because I’ve seen first-hand the empathy, intelligence and experience he brings to everything he does. And I know that when he gets to Salem, he’ll cast his vote for us.
This May, House District 11 will be choosing Phil Barnhart’s replacement and I urge you to vote for Marty Wilde. And go to wildefororegon.com and volunteer your time or money. That’s what I’m doing.
Sean Shivers
Eugene
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