U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, the Democrat from California, came to Eugene recently to raise money for Val Hoyle’s campaign to succeed Peter DeFazio in Congress. A brilliant and tough congressman, Schiff will be even more important if the Republicans take the House. His visit here was so welcome — and like President Joe Biden’s weekend visit to Portland to support his fellow Dems, it reminds us what it takes to keep our democracy afloat.

• On Oct. 18, local political strategist Rachel Bitecofer noted on Twitter that “Donald Trump threatened American Jews yesterday. Today, this is on the park sign.” She posted a photo of the Bethel Community Park sign, previously tagged with the words “BLM” and “stop rape.” Those words were crossed out and the words “Fuck Jews” were added. WTF Eugene? 

• Sister Helen Prejean, the Catholic nun known for her anti-death penalty work as well as advocacy for restorative justice, gives a talk at the University of Oregon 7 pm Thursday, Oct. 27. “The death penalty, which involves the torture, at least mental torture of human beings, you know, of conscious imaginative human beings. You wait in a tiny cell for 15 to 20 years, and they take you out and kill you,” Prejean tells Eugene Weekly. “The U.N.’s definition of torture is extreme mental or physical assualt on someone who’s been rendered defenseless.” Head to EugeneWeekly.com to read an interview with Prejean. 

• Juliet Schor, 2022-23 Wayne Morse chair at the University of Oregon, will speak on the four-day 32-hour work week Friday, Oct. 21, for the City Club of Eugene. Starting at noon, the meeting will be held in the First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St. It will be rebroadcast on a YouTube channel and also available on KLCC Monday at 7 pm.

• The Kroger’s chain, which owns Fred Meyer, is trying to buy out and merge with Albertsons and Safeway in a $24.6 billion deal. This will mean that one company controls the major food market in 48 states. We are with Sen. Bernie Sanders on this one — it would be an absolute disaster. 

•  Did you miss the fall migration? Mark your calendar for late April to mid May, when the Vaux’s swifts return to the old Agate Hall chimney at 18th and Agate, as they migrate back north in the spring. Many of us watched as the swifts recently swooped into the chimney for the night in one of nature’s great shows in this area in the fall and the spring. We always wonder how thousands of the tiny birds know exactly when to dive into the chimney and when to come out and fly away.