• We asked for some to-dos for our new mayor Kaarin Knudson when she takes office. We reported the earlier suggestion we received, that the sidewalks be repaired, especially in high traffic areas. Now we hear folks want to maintain our city’s urban growth boundary and prevent sprawl (some local NIMBYs may not like that). What other suggestions do you have for incoming Mayor Knudson? Let us know in an email to Editor@EugeneWeekly.com — or Letters@EugeneWeekly.com if you want it in print.
• OPB recently broke the news that the two new leaders of Oregon’s Planned Parenthood affiliates are pushing to dissolve the political arm of their organization, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon. Sara Kennedy, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, and Amy Handler, Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon president and CEO, provided this statement:
“Advocacy remains a top priority for Planned Parenthood in Oregon — and there will be no changes to our advocacy efforts prior to the November election. The board of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon has hired a facilitator to lead us through a process that considers the structure and policy agenda of future advocacy efforts. The shared goal is to build and strengthen a Planned Parenthood advocacy organization that aligns with the evolving needs of our patients, the core health care mission of our organizations, and the need to preserve and to expand reproductive rights across the state of Oregon and Southwest Washington.”
• Pacific Northwest baseball fans are jumping on the Mariners’ boat. Seattle’s Mariners are red hot and way ahead of the West division of the American League. Catch Amtrak from Eugene to the stadium and take in a game. It’s fun.
• The November election coverage already has us really freaking stressed. A weird moment of humor was in the recent New York Times article about “Robert F. Kennedy’s Conspiracy of Ravens.” The fringe candidate has tamed a couple ravens but apparently couldn’t take his pet emu that liked to attack his wife. Our favorite line? When setting up an interview over the phone, the reporter writes of hearing a raven caw in the background. “I had many questions, the most pressing of which was: ‘Can I meet the ravens?’ (Another, left unspoken, was: Are they after the brain worm?)”
• The U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field trials are June 21 to 30 — in case you were wondering why hotel rooms are crazy spendy right now. We hear folks are organizing a “No Olympics during a genocide” protest. Interested? Head over to Washburn Park 5 pm Friday, June 21.
• The Black Pioneer Monument Project at Alton Baker Park “seeks to have the foundational pioneering Black families, their lives, legacy and neighborhood’s destruction properly acknowledged by the city of Eugene and Lane County — by erecting a sizable monument in Alton Baker Park. The monument will be a marker of the Black community’s collective history in Eugene and Lane County during the 1940s.” Search “The Black Pioneer Monument Project” on Facebook to take a survey on the project. The People’s Collective writes on the survey that at 2 pm July 21 there will be a ceremony at Alton Baker Park where the “public will be informed more about the monument project, the history behind its creation, provided an opportunity to see a model of the statue, and be in community.”
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