Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson has stood out as an excellent progressive representative of his south Eugene district since 1997, winning election six times for a total of 24 years of service. Whenever there was a land use battle defending the people against business interests, Sorenson was leading the fight. The environment, racial justice, LGBTQ issues, social services, education, labor and budgeting of government resources are just a few of the areas in which he challenged the status quo. Those who wanted to clearcut Oregon forests and degrade our environment made it their (unsuccessful) mission to defeat Sorenson. And he was questioning police and jail funding levels years before it became a national issue.
Sorenson was an Oregon state senator from 1993-97 and also served on the Lane Community College Board. He helped elect and then worked for Congressman Jim Weaver and also was a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
Sorenson is finishing out his final days in office. Like anyone who serves in such a role for many years, there will be some who love him, and a few who have found fault. But for many, Pete Sorenson was a great representative for one of the most progressive areas in our state. Every day he went out to fight for the common person, seeking justice and fairness and to make the world a better place. He did it with compassion, honesty, integrity and great humor. He took to heart the motto of “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable.”
Joe Daunt and Karen Kennedy
Portland
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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