• Thank you! Thank you to our readers who are still picking Eugene Weekly up on your brief forays out for groceries and essentials (the World Health Organization says newsprint is safe, but wash your hands); we are printing fewer papers because we are all staying safe at home, but you can still find us in print and online. And thank you to those of you who have taken out ads, given online contributions and written checks to keep us going and producing our news and arts coverage — we know money is tight for everyone right now, and it’s heartwarming to feel your much-needed support. Thank you to the hardworking writers, graphics and sales folks who are getting this paper out and thank you to our delivery drivers and the bicyclists of Pedalers Express who are wearing gloves, wiping things down and getting the paper to our readers as safely as they can!
• Leaders of the City Club of Eugene did a terrific public service on March 27 in their first of a series of virtual candidate forums. Former interim UO President Scott Coltrane interviewed the four candidates for Pete Sorenson’s Lane County Commission seat, bringing out enough of their qualifications and policy positions so you could rationally decide who gets your vote in May. The forums are broadcast at noon Fridays on the City Club Facebook page, later on the YouTube page and as always on KLCC at 7 pm Mondays. City Council Ward 1 candidates will be interviewed April 3, City Council Ward 8 and County Commission District 4 candidates on April 10. We missed the questions from the City Club audience, often the best part of the programs, but it’s tough to do that virtually.
• File under COVID-19 WTF: The federal Environmental Protection Agency is “temporarily” easing its air pollution standards, so watch out for your lungs; Oregon is allowing gas stations to let people pump their own fuel, so bring some cleaning wipes with you to the pump just in case; and President Donald Trump’s nonsense-filled brief conferences are so full of lies that even some NPR stations won’t air them live anymore.
• Lots of chatter out there about New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo entering the presidential race. He’s doing such a masterful job of steering his state through this terrible virus crisis and calling out President Donald Trump on his foot-dragging. Wonder whom our Sen. Jeff Merkley will choose if the nomination turns into a fight between Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vice President Joe Biden and Cuomo? A recent mailing from Merkley talks about a series of Zoom meetings he’s going to have on “where we go from here and how we shape the 2020 election to bring the leadership we need to Washington.” Merkley was the only senator to support Sanders in the 2016 primary.
• Our print paper is on a coronavirus diet, but we have some extra stories you can read on EugeneWeekly.com: “A Marathon and a Sprint” — how nonprofits are preparing to help the homeless during COVID-19. In addition to homelessness, you can also read about our interview with Sen. Ron Wyden on the new stimulus package, unemployment benefits and how it helps Oregonians. For local developments on coronavirus, read our daily updates on COVID-19 in Lane County. We are also continuing to update our local restaurant take out and delivery guide, so businesses please continue to submit entries and let us know about changes!
• Our source in Grants Pass tells us that blue signs are blooming all over that conservative Southern Oregon city. They say “Trump 2020” of course. All those Trumpers should be required to read A Very Stable Genius by the Pulitzer-prize winning Washington Post reporters Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig. Sadly, it wouldn’t even matter if they did.
Comments are closed.