• The future belongs to the youth, so they ought to have a say on what it should look like. If you have a child aged 3 to 16, we want to hear from them for our Dec. 24 issue. Have them write 50-150 words envisioning the future regarding topics like systemic racism, climate change or the arts. And if they’re artistic (let’s face it, all children are) we’d love to see some illustrations. Send us your submissions to Editor@EugeneWeekly.com by noon Friday, Dec. 17.
• On Nov. 30, Eugene police shot Muhsin Sharif, a person of color who is a mental health patient, according to what his sisters told KEZI. Sharif is charged with domestic violence and was allegedly holding a knife. Sharif was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, and Black Unity and others have been protesting this latest police shooting. While we get that there needs to be an investigation whenever the police use deadly force, there also needs to be more transparency, especially when it comes to situations with populations who face adversity in their mere daily existence, let alone when interacting with law enforcement.
• Apparently Seneca wasn’t feeling the love for Rep. Peter DeFazio that the voters who re-elected him were. Back in October, the timber company and sawmill sent a letter to its employees with recommendations on who to vote for in the November election, and it wasn’t DeFazio. Seneca called him “a vocal opponent of our industry” and urged a vote for Alek “Dancing with the Stars” Skarlatos instead. Guess the $9.9 million the congressman secured for repairs to the Coos Bay Rail line — that Seneca’s Noti mill uses — wasn’t good enough. Seneca also gave Rep. Marty Wilde a thumbs down, calling him “one of the most aggressive legislators seeking to harm Oregon’s forest products industry.”
• The end is near — of 2020, that is — and that means it’s time to start thinking about giving to good causes before tax season. Look for some of those local causes in next week’s Eugene Weekly Give Guide. And if you want to support a good cause and don’t need a tax break, please head on over to EW’s online store, where you can buy an EW T-shirt, a subscription to this fine publication or just contribute funds to keep us printing our soy-based ink on recycled paper. Go to Support.EugeneWeekly.com. We thank you, and our readers thank you!
• Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise against clearing homeless camps during this out-of-control pandemic, the city of Eugene continues to do it. The most recent area was cleared out from a small strip of green grass on Dec. 2 near Jefferson Street and 2nd Avenue. The city heartlessly brought out a bulldozer to gather trash mixed with the people’s few belongings. Then, on Dec. 5, several people staying at the Eugene Mission tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the shelter to close its doors to new guests. Now unhoused individuals have one less place where they can find respite, in a city that didn’t offer much to begin with.
• If you only have time to seriously follow one Duck team this winter season, may we suggest the women’s basketball team? Sabrina Ionescu and last year’s stars are no longer here, but Sedona Prince and a new flock has arrived. The team is ranked in the top 10 nationally and is undefeated as we write on Dec. 7. Coach Kelly Graves has again recruited a fine group of young women who seem to enjoy playing together and are so much fun to watch at games, and on TikTok. The big test will come when they play Stanford, ranked No. 1 as of Dec. 7.
• What a surprise to open the Sunday Dec. 6 New York Times and find a full-page University of Oregon ad. The topic was “Science Advancing Society” and “The Knight campus — speeding the pace of scientific discovery, starting today.” The ad included stunning pictures of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact. Hopefully, this ad and the money spent will bring students, faculty, more money and, of course, prestige to the UO.
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