The other day, as my kids and I were at IHOP waiting on our pancakes, a man came in the restaurant with a large-caliber revolver hanging in a holster on his hip and a small child jumping and hugging him around the waist, hand inches away from it.
I got a manager and told her about it, and asked what their firearms policy was. At first she tried to tell me that in Oregon anyone can carry a gun anywhere, but I reminded her that in Oregon companies can set their own rules for their premises, and told her I needed to know what their company’s policy was. She said she would ask her manager, then came back a few minutes later to tell me that concealed guns were not allowed but openly carried guns were.
I told her we were leaving immediately and that we weren’t coming back, then we left. There are plenty of other places to get a pancake without worrying about some yahoo with a gun.
Baldr Odinson
Junction City
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
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