
Bees, those wonderful pollinators who play an integral role in the larger picture of global health and nutrition, take a bow Thursday, Oct. 21, with the 7th Annual Bee Jazzy benefit for Beyond Toxics.
This year’s event, live streamed and featuring Eugene’s own jazz musician Halie Loren, is especially poignant for Beyond Toxics.
The Eugene-based nonprofit is marking 20 years of work statewide on behalf of environmental justice at the grassroots level for vulnerable communities that live and toil at the margins and who are disproportionately harmed by pollution and climate change.
Beyond Toxics also is working to overhaul the Oregon Forest Practices Act and to reduce the contribution of chemical pollution.
The playful focus on Oct. 21, though, is on the bees, who do serious work on the front lines in the ecosystem. By pollinating, bees are critical to the food chain for other animals and birds, be it for berries, seeds or fruits. They are much needed.
So pull up a chair with Halie Loren for two hours of great music benefiting a good cause. We can use the break.
The live streamed 7th Annual Bee Jazzy with the Halie Loren Jazz Trio, part of Beyond Toxics’ 20-year anniversary celebration, is 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 21. Tickets for the livestream by itself are $10. Tickets ranging from $60 to $100 include the live stream as well as commemorative Bee Jazzy wine glasses and bottles of wine from Silvan Ridge Winery, and they can be purchased at BeyondToxics.org. A link to the concert and a virtual silent auction will be emailed after the purchase.
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