Jim Torrey is running for re-election to the Eugene 4J school board in May 2019, and I enthusiastically support him in that effort. I served with Torrey on the board for eight years before my retirement in 2015 (after 20 years of service on the board). During that time, I had numerous opportunities to observe Jim’s commitment to the district and its students.
The role of the board includes outreach to the community, establishing and monitoring board policy, and the selection and evaluation of the superintendent. In all of those areas of responsibility Torrey has performed admirably. His particular focus is on students who need additional support to achieve their potential. He always approaches those needs in the broader context of state and local financial support and requirements.
In addition to his service on the school board and related committees, Torrey has been actively involved in the district’s request to its voters to support students by approving bond and local option requests. That voter support has been essential to student success. Currently he is very active in the committee supporting the local option measure, which will be on the May ballot.
Craig A. Smith
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.
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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.
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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