Kevin Cronin (“BANANAs and Poisonous Mushrooms,” EW 4/7) is quoted saying, “Our city needs to grow…”
Why? Where is it written that population growth is an imperative? A cancer grows, that is its imperative, but is that a good thing or a bad thing for the host? For Eugene, where does it end? When does growth become enough?
Just because people possess a desire to move to a location should not make it a necessity for that city’s existing residents to bend over backwards, destroying livability to accommodate them. Eugene, despite the wishes of some, is not a lifeboat. To expect it to be so is simply foolish and will wreck that which made it a nice place to live in to begin with.
Growth at all costs, à la cancer: Why would anyone think that is a good thing for a city? That defies logic and good sense.
Steve Jenson
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