My wife and I were going out for dinner last night, but changed our minds due to concerns about exposing ourselves to COVID-19.
So we talked about going to a movie. We scrapped that for the same reason. Multiply these decisions times 150,000 and you begin to see how this is going to affect many of the businesses in Lane County. It’s going to be staggering for many that rely on daily customer visits like restaurants, movie theaters, sandwich shops, possibly health clubs, etc.
No customer traffic means jobs will be lost and the effect will spiral. Many businesses may close, more jobs will be lost and so on.
If each of us bought a ticket or season pass to the movies, even if we decided not to use it, that could help. If we bought meals to go or to be delivered, or a gift card to a restaurant for use later on, that could help, too. You get the idea.
If each of us who has the financial ability would help out a little now, it may ease some of the problems down the road.
And if you can spare it, put an extra dollar in the tip jar. That person behind the counter is probably struggling to buy essentials, since they may not be working as many hours now.
Fred Ledgard
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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