• Climate change isn’t real, right? Tell that to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which is contemplating building a retractable dome over its outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre, according to a story in the Medford Mail Tribune. OSF lost $5.4 million during its 2017 and 2018 seasons, largely because smoke from persistent southern Oregon wildfires forced cancelations of late-summer outdoor shows in the iconic 1,200-seat theater. As Hamlet might say, OSF’s “majestical roof fretted with golden fire” — that’s perhaps an allusion to the cost of such a dome — will protect theatergoers from “a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours.”
• Oregon’s Sen. Jeff Merkley kicked off his re-election campaign July 27 in Eugene. So far, he has no opponent. What about Congressman Greg Walden from eastern Oregon? He’s the leading Republican politician in Oregon, but it’s unlikely he will take on the popular progressive Merkley. It will be good news if Merkley has only token opposition because that will free him to help other Democrats try to take back the Senate from Mitch McConnell and his wrecking crew. November 2020 is not that far away.
• Is this area a draw for homeless people because of good social services? The final City Club of Eugene meeting of the summer was a depressing one on the grim challenge of homelessness in the Eugene-Springfield area. The 2019 Point in Time count showed an increase of 32 percent in the number of unsheltered people from 2018. Speakers at the meeting were Lise Stuart from the county, Shannon Smyth from Eugene Mission and Kris McAllister, a leader from Carry It Forward, a grassroots organization supporting unhoused individuals. The recurring question about drawing people here was addressed by Stuart, a management analyst, who said we have no data to support that view. Dan Bryant said he has been invited to speak in countless Oregon communities, all seeking help with the same problems. What about prevention? What about more help from the state and the federal government? This was a meeting with more questions than answers.
• We’re all animal lovers at EW, so it was with sadness we read this week of the death of Chaser, said to be the smartest dog in the world. The enthusiastic border collie was owned by the late John W. Pilley, a psychology professor who taught her to understand more than 1,000 English words and then published an academic paper in 2013 showing that she could understand not just words but simple syntax as well. His work with Chaser — he trained her for up to five hours a day — confirms that many animals have a deeper ability to communicate than we give them credit for. Chaser, who was 15, died July 23 of natural causes; Pilley died last year at 89.
• The UO womens’ soccer team opens its season Aug. 17 against the University of British Columbia right here in Eugene. We hope good crowds will gather, playing off the smashing success of the U.S. team in the World Cup.
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
Comments are closed.