Wow. In Slant (10/14), you support 4J Interim Superintendent Cydney Vandercar in directing the staff to stay away from board meetings, making the charge that board members “insult them publicly.” You further talk about “spilling blood.” Really? Did EW even cover those 4J board meetings or review the transcripts? You are leading the public to think that one or more board members said or did something completely egregious.
Why is EW choosing to escalate allegations that were already over the top? Vandercar’s charges were broad and serious but totally vague. To me, they also were puzzling, I’ve been listening to board meetings for months. I’ve heard board members asking questions. I haven’t heard any board member being at all disrespectful to district personnel.
I think Interim Superintendent Vandercar should either substantiate her remarks with specifics or retract them. I think EW should refrain from attacking and discrediting school board members just doing their jobs. They are unpaid volunteers, responsible to the community that elected them. They give generously of their time because they care about the students, their families, the staff and the school district. As a supporter of public education, I want board members to persist in asking questions. I do not appreciate what appear to be efforts to silence them.
Marion Malcolm
Eugene
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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