• Fireworks celebrations are a blast, and between Art and the Vineyard, the Creswell Fourth of July Parade and Springfield’s Light of Liberty, there will be no shortage of places to celebrate Independence Day and to watch bright explosions in the sky this weekend. That said, remember for some folks the loud bangs can trigger PTSD, and for dogs and other animal life they’re terrifying. July 5 is said to be packed at animal shelters from all the creatures who get scared and run away. That said, enjoy the day, but be mindful of the effects of loud noises and of the fire danger around us.  

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• The Oregon Legislature has wrapped, but the drama is not over. There’s still hope Oregon can do its part for the climate. Gov. Kate Brown announced July 1 that she’s prepared to use her executive order power to lower carbon emissions. If lawmakers can’t work it out — including the Republicans who fled the state to prevent a quorum for a vote on HB 2020 — then Brown says she wants to move forward on a statewide cap and trade plan to address climate change. 

• A bigger crowd should have been at the City Club of Eugene meeting on “Combatting Commercial Sexual Exploitation” June 28, but the subject probably is too dark and distant for most of us. Sex trafficking is a form of slavery in which victims are induced to engage in sex through force or fraud, according to the City Club of Eugene program. The two powerful speakers were Tamara LeRoy from the Lane County Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Multidisciplinary Team and Detective Curtis Newell of the Eugene Police Department. LeRoy said Lane County needs more money in a support system, and Newell called this “one of the fastest growing areas of law enforcement.” Social media has enabled an increase in sex trafficking which Newell says “is occurring in our community on an everyday basis.” The national hotline to report sex trafficking is 888-373-7888 and LeRoy’s local numbers are 541-484-9791 and 541-343-7277.

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• Who’s the best ambassador for America out in the world today? Win or lose the soccer World Cup, it’s the lavender-haired 34-year-old lesbian soccer star who refuses to go to the White House because of the orange-haired president who lives there and doesn’t share her values. Megan Rapinoe speaks for us.

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

Support Eugene Weekly Today!

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