The prevailing of democracy, the shattering of a glass ceiling, the calls for unity from the same stage where the last president called for, and later incited, carnage — in so many ways the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris was a balm to the wounds of the nation. Biden is a leader who is remarkable in his capacity for emotion, and his tone and speech reflected that, as well as his focus on uniting a divided people during racial unrest and a global pandemic. The words of Amanda Gorman, the 22-year-old national youth poet laureate, who recited her poem “The Hill We Climb” — updated after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol — reminded us: “But while democracy can be periodically delayed / It can never be permanently defeated.”
• From shutting down the Legislature for security reasons to hastening the distribution of the COVID vaccine for life and death reasons, Gov. Kate Brown is doing a fine job. The angrier the right-wing anti-maskers and extremists get about her, the more it’s clear she’s trying to make good choices for the well-being of all, not just a few. We applaud her and continue to wonder where she will go in 2022 when her term ends. Hopefully, to the Biden administration, if that is what she wants to do.
• What we’re eating: country loaf from the Camas Mill Bakery north of Eugene off Highway 99. This is so good that a friend ate nearly a whole loaf for his dinner. Is it better than Hideaway Bakery’s or Metropol’s best dark loaf? Those are fighting words! You decide and let us know.
• He was, of course, the worst of us, and we may never outlive the cruelty and angst that former President Donald Trump spread throughout this country these past four years. The ooze has seeped down to ordinary citizens and forced neighbors and friends to turn their backs on each other. Now he’s gone, and we can take a breath. The coming years will not be easy, but the competence and empathy that President Joe Biden demonstrates by the day at least offers hope.
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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