The war in Ukraine drags tragically on with no reasonable end in sight. The city of Eugene sent $10,000 to relief efforts, as well as some stiff words to Eugene’s Russian sister city Irkutsk. The University of Oregon also condemned the “unprovoked violence” in an email to students, staff and faculty and included an important reminder that the action of governments does not reflect the actions of individuals (don’t believe us? Just remember Donald Trump was the U.S. president).
• If you’ve been escaping into Duck basketball like some of us, that reverie ended March 19. University of Oregon men lost in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament, and the women lost in double overtime in the first round of the Big Dance. Oh well, there’s always next year. Now we can watch softball, baseball, tennis, or maybe just go play pickleball.
• “Barriers to Latino Engagement in Lane County” is the City Club of Eugene topic at noon Friday, March 25. Speakers will be Jose W. Melendez, assistant professor of planning at University of Oregon, and Ashley Espinoza, executive director of Lane Workforce Partnership; the Q&A panel will be Emma Avalos and Davis Wenzell Nieto. Watch a livestream or attend the Friday forum at the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street.
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• Lane Community College has selected its next president. Next to Mary Spilde’s 22 years, Marge Hamiliton’s tenure seemed brief — but five years and a pandemic is nothing to sneeze at! LCC’s incoming leader, Dr. Stephanie Bulger, was announced at the March 16 LCC board meeting. She comes to Eugene from her position as vice chancellor for Instructional Services at the San Diego Community College District California. Bulger will be coming into a school with reduced enrollment and budget cuts, but also one beloved and supported by the community.
• Speaking of education, The Register-Guard is losing its education beat reporter Jordyn Brown. For more than three years, Brown has kept an eye on Lane County’s education system, telling stories about the issues that K-12 and higher education students face. Although we’ll miss her reporting, we wish her the best as she moves on with her career.
• Spring has sprung and the daffodils are blooming. Sometimes in the middle of chaos, it’s good to note those things. And take your allergy meds.
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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