• Architect Kaarin Knudson finally has some competition in the Eugene mayor’s race. Shanaè Joyce-Stringer filed papers Nov. 14 for the May 24 primary election that will choose a replacement for Mayor Lucy Vinis, who is stepping down. Joyce-Stringer, who is African American, moved here from Florida three years ago; she is an evangelist who runs a life coaching business, according to her website ShanaeJoyceStringer.com. Joyce-Stringer is the only candidate in the race at this point besides Knudson, who has the endorsement of Vinis.
• Here’s an old-time practice that Eugene could adopt right now: Nicholas Kristof writes about it in the Sunday, Dec. 10, New York Times: Modern versions of rooming houses are helping to solve housing shortages. Betty Taylor, retired Eugene city councilor of 20 years, has long been an advocate of rooming houses as an interim solution. We’re in favor of whatever it takes to get people off the streets and into shelter.
• Eugene’s Temple Beth Israel and other Jewish groups have released a statement of position on the war in Gaza. The column, online at EugeneWeekly.com, notes that the war is not a sporting event that should inspire fans on each side. Instead, it’s an international tragedy. “The path to peace lies in creating frameworks for both Israelis and Palestinians to live in security and peace,” the column says. We agree.
• Want a more interesting vision for the city’s future? This week the City Club of Eugene invites 10 community members to imagine they have a magic wand and can conjure up a gift for Eugene that would make it an even better place to live, work and play. Speakers with their unique visions are Ibrahim Coulibaly, Ib Hamide, Slug Queen Jubilee Hedonisto (Jilynn Cherish), Alma Fumiko Hesus, DeLeesa Meashintubby, Ms. Wheelchair Oregon USA 2023 Melinda Preciado, Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein, Nick Sixkiller, drag queen Karess Ann Slaughter (Cornel Hardiman) and Karrie Walters. Dan Bryant will emcee. The City Club meets noon Friday, Dec. 15, in the Maple Room at the Inn at the 5th. Free and available via live stream on the City Club’s YouTube channel.
• The Oregon Ducks volleyball season ended with a tough loss to Wisconsin in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament. The Ducks battled the Badgers until the end and wrapped up a successful season. They finished 29-6 and attracted many fans to Matthew Knight Arena. Despite losing strong seniors, the future looks bright for Duck volleyball!
• And a correction: Last week we celebrated environmental justice nonprofit Cascadia Wildlands’s 25th anniversary by giving readers an inside look into how the group got started and what the future holds for those tree huggers. In the piece we reported that Cascadia Wildlands had stopped “hundreds of thousands” of timber sales. That would be a wildly impressive feat, but Cascadia co-founder Josh Laughlin points out that the nonprofit actually stopped hundreds of thousands of acres of timber sales, not hundreds of thousands of timber sales.
Slant has been updated as Shanaè Joyce-Stringer’s campaign would like to clarify she is an evangelist but not a Christian evangelist. Her campaign website is now up and running at Shanaeforeugene.com.