The Eugene 4J school board made a huge mistake last week when they chose to appoint Jim Torrey back to the board after the people had recently voted him off.
The community spoke loud and clear about who it wanted to see on the board. The comments given were representative of huge numbers of 4J constituents. It was undeniably clear through the interviews (listen to them from the district website) that Maya Rabasa has the best perspective and background to be on the board.
Despite all of this, four members disregarded everything and everyone to appoint Torrey. Anne Marie Levis, Judy Newman, Alicia Hays, Mary Walston — how can you justify what you’ve done?
In a time when the board has asked for public trust, has counted on public trust to pass a bond measure and a levy, then completely disregarded the public wishes for representation on the board: What does this say for future board decisions? How can we trust the board to do what’s right for our children?
I want everyone in this community to pay close attention to the school board process and decisions. Torrey has a shady track record when it comes to being a board member and spending public funds. The school district will be receiving a lot of extra money in the next two years.
I have a feeling that Torrey will be instrumental in blocking the programs that we the people want to see in our schools.
Niki 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.
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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