What we’re reading: Jill Lepore’s piece called “Root and Branch” in the May 29 New Yorker magazine.  Short by New Yorker standards, only four pages, this is one of her wonderful deep dives into a subject — trees.

• Did you argue with your family about politics over the holiday weekend? You aren’t alone. The City Club of Eugene topic June 2 is “Back to Basics: Engaging in Conversation in a Diverse, Polarized America.” It features Luke Grossmiller of Braver Angels, Vipul Lakhani, MD, of Eugene Baha’i and hannah white of the University of Oregon Holden Center. City Club meets at noon Friday at the Maple Room, Inn at the 5th.

• We didn’t hear the word “peace” mentioned too much over Memorial Day Weekend. Even the Memorial Day Concert on Oregon Public Broadcasting really was all about war and the terrible damage it does. Next year let’s add peace to the Memorial Day vocabulary. Sometimes you need to point out the possibility of good as often as you point out the immorality of what is bad to make a change in the world. 

• This weekend, the Eugene/Springfield community will honor the lives of those affected by gun violence and elevate “the voices of survivors and all who demand an end to this crisis.” The “Wear Orange” event will include speakers, performances by John Shipe, The Raging Grannies and Eugene Bhangra as well as community partner tables, craft activities for kids and two food trucks. There will be an interactive Wall of Remembrance, on which event attendees can add names of loved ones and messages of support for survivors. Wear Orange is 11 am to 3 pm Saturday, June 3, at Island Park in Springfield. Find Eugene/Springfield and Corvallis Wear Orange events at WearOrange.org.

• We hear that June 5 kicks off Eugene Beer Week, which wraps up June 11. Ninkasi’s Better Living Room, 155 Blair Boulevard, hosts the Sasquatch Brewers Festival noon to 5 pm June 10. Breweries from across the Northwest come to town and raise money for the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, which seeks to contribute to the “Northwest craft brewing community by providing opportunities for professional and aspiring brewers to further their knowledge and expertise.” Tickets at SasquatchBrewfest.squarespace.com.

Comments are closed.