• The Phildo sagged a bit this week after the March 24 announcement that the 2020 Olympics have been canceled, perhaps to return in 2021. No wonder the tower is feeling dysfunctional: The Tokyo cancellation means the U.S. Olympic track and field trials, once optimistically scheduled for our slick new corporate Hayward Field in June, are now pushed back too.
• We’re looking for good news in this upside-down existence. Evictions have been stopped for now in Oregon; with reduced traffic, carbon emissions and air pollution are dropping; families and friends and dogs are out walking in the world and singing on their lawns; loyal and loving patrons are raising money for restaurants like Beppe and Gianni’s and other local stalwarts to help the staff through this. What good things are you seeing?
• Speaking of good news, thanks go to the advertisers still taking out ads and the generous folks who have contributed money to keep Eugene Weekly running. Everyone is feeling the effects of the novel coronovirus pandemic, and we appreciate the help we’ve gotten getting the paper out in these crazy times!
• What we’re reading: The Collector of Leftover Souls: Field Notes on Brazil’s Everyday Insurrections by Eliane Brum. Published in fall 2019. Recommended by Killian Doherty, an attorney with the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide working on issues in the Brazilian rainforest. Doherty, who sometimes writes about soccer for Eugene Weekly, says this book reminds him of EW “and good humanistic journalism.”
• The world is crazy but you can still participate in democracy. As the City Club of Eugene points out, “The May 19 primary election will go on, despite current coronavirus restrictions.” On Fridays, City Club will present taped, moderated candidate forums with each candidate interviewed separately. You can catch the programs on City Club’s Facebook page, on YouTube and, as always, Mondays at 7 pm on KLCC. March 27 is the south Eugene county commission seat and April 3 is City Council Ward 1. Down the road will be Wards 7 and 8 and the mayoral race. Remember, if a candidate for a nonpartisan office during the primary gets 50 percent of the vote plus one, they are the only name to appear on the November ballot — essentially the primary can determine the election.
• A clarification for “All Quiet on the Coronavirus” (EW, 3/19): The Eugene Symphony says it hasn’t yet canceled any of its ticketed productions and rather has rescheduled or is in the process of rescheduling.
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