In December 2021, I discovered hundreds of pounds of homeless camp garbage, including TVs and couches, immersed in the Willamette River just west of the I-5 bridge which is owned by Union Pacific Railroad. Subsequently, we discovered dozens of abandoned homeless camps in this half-mile stretch of river amounting to several tons of garbage. Union Pacific refuses to remove the tons of garbage along the river banks, which has likely doubled since December. The city of Eugene says their hands are tied. The Willamette River Keepers requested that Oregon DEQ initiate an action. DEQ replied by stating they refuse to take any action.
In another agency debacle since 2018 myself and neighbors have attempted to prevent our neighborhood of Glenwood from becoming a druggy criminal base camp. Within a block of my home two houses became druggy squats when the owner died and unknown persons occupied. Lane County refuses to address the deteriorating situation except to complain that copies of emails were going to our commissioner. The Lane County Sheriff virtually ignores all illegal activities there.
Since 2017, I’ve requested many actions from ODOT, LRAPA, DEQ, state police and U.S. Forest Service to address public safety issues, but nearly all refuse by stating they don’t have the resources to mitigate ongoing and future harms. Why? I’ve concluded Oregon’s Democratic politicians and agency personnel have been completely captured by the wealthy good old boys and are expending all resources appeasing the real estate, timber, paving and trucking industries.
Shannon Wilson
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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