Oregon women’s soccer did the impossible Friday, Feb. 26. In their first conference game of the season, Oregon beat the No. 3 ranked Stanford for the first time in program history. Playing at home, Oregon scored their first goal at the 26-minute mark and again in the 66th minute. Oregon kept Stanford from scoring until the final minutes of the game. If you’re new to Oregon soccer, this might be the year to have “fever pitch.” Their next game is Friday, March 5, against UCLA.
• The Springfield City Council voted unanimously on Monday, March 1, to appoint Damien Pitts to fill the Ward 1 vacancy left by Sean VanGordon’s move up to interim mayor. Pitts is one of the few persons of color ever to serve as a city councilor in Springfield. We look forward to seeing the leadership he offers as the city addresses the community’s call for police reform, addresses COVID-19 recovery and finds solutions for its unique homelessness issues.
• What we’re reading next: This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends: The Cyber-Weapons Arms Race by Nicole Perlroth, a cybersecurity reporter at The New York Times. The Feb. 21 book review section of the Sunday Times gave her book a full page, a signal that we should read it, even if we dread it.
• Are you ready for St. Patrick’s Day COVID-style? Oregon’s Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle is working with Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, known for his environmentalism. Their event, “An Irish Toast from Coast to Coast,” is set for 5 pm March 17, with tickets costing $100, $250 for hosts. A special $25 rate is available for students and volunteers. For info or to RSVP to the Zoom fundraiser, email Marcus@ValHoyle.com. We’ll take any pairing of labor and greens in Oregon and across the country.
• Three speakers take the podium for the City Club of Eugene’s virtual program “Strides for Social Justice” at noon March 5. Eric Richardson, executive director of the NAACP, Eugene-Springfield chapter; DeLeesa Meashintubby, executive director of Volunteers in Medicine; and Becky Radliff, events director for the Eugene marathon, will talk about how Peace Health and the Eugene Marathon are collaborating on a new initiative that highlights the contributions, milestones and achievements of local Black residents, as well as injustices they have faced. Sign up to take part at CityClubOfEugene.org.
• The chair of the Oregon Republican Party just suggested that some pieces of eastern Oregon should leave this blue state and go to Idaho. What makes him think that Idaho wants a bunch of Oregonians?