• Those of you who head to Tractor Supply to pick up what you need for your urban chickens may want to start heading over to more local — and hopefully more open-minded — feed and farm stores. On June 27, Tractor Supply walked back its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and said it will stop sponsoring celebrations like Pride festivals. The store also said in its statement to investors that it will “withdraw our carbon emission goals and focus on our land and water conservation efforts.”
• Back in May, we ran a viewpoint by our intern Melvin Bravo about his experiences with Peace Village housing co-op. Bravo, a first generation immigrant, wrote about how Peace Village operates and his family’s experience there. New York Times columnist and attempted Oregon gubernatorial candidate Nick Kristof reached Bravo to compliment his writing on a difficult topic.
• On June 28 and 29, neighborhoods around the Lane Events Center (or as everybody calls it, the Fairgrounds) were filled with the sounds of revving engines and the smell of burning rubber tires. The Lockdown Performance Shredfest — billed as Lane County’s first “drift event” — took place noon to 8 pm Saturday at the events center, and as soon as drivers began practicing Friday evening, complaints came in to Lane County commissioners, the Fair Board and Eugene Weekly‘s letters to the editor. You can read our story online at EugeneWeekly.com.
• It’s almost time to be royalty! The annual Eugene SLUG queen coronation is on the horizon! Have you ever wanted to be slimy? Applications are open until July 26 at SlugQueen.com to be the next raining figure of the Society for Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod. And if you just want to watch talent and see fabulous costumes, the SLUG queen competition and coronation is 6 pm Friday, August 9, at the downtown Park Blocks.
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