• In a viewpoint column this week, retired Pastor Dan Bryant compares recent politics to the Hitler era, and the comparison warrants emphasis as Donald Trump continues to say bizarre and dangerous things. Historians will remember that before the Nazis began to murder Jewish people, there was the Madagascar Plan to send Europe’s Jews to the island off the southeastern coast of Africa. Sounds a lot like sending immigrants to Guantanamo or removing Gazans and sending them to Jordan and other Arab nations, doesn’t it?
• It’s time to start pondering the May election! The Lane Community College Board of Education already has contenders entering the race. Incumbent Austin Fölnagy will be running to retain his East Lane County seat. And Jesse Maldonado announced his candidacy for at-large seat 7. Maldonado was one of the candidates who applied to fill the seat after Lisa Fragala stepped down to take a seat in the Oregon Legislature. The board was unable to agree on someone to appoint. Eugene Weekly will be doing endorsements in the election — so if you decide to enter the political fray, let us know! Editor@EugeneWeekly.com. Note: Endorsements are indeed biased, that’s the nature of opinions and opinion pages! But here at EW — which is one of just a few newspapers in the state still doing this — we make our endorsement decisions based on research and interviews and seek to help voters make decisions that make Lane County a better place.
• Save the world (or your small piece of it) by planting a native tree. Friends of Trees will be giving away more than 4,000 small native bare root trees and shrubs Saturday, Feb. 15, from 10 am to noon — or until all plants are all gone — in the parking lot of International Paper at 801 North 42nd Street in Springfield. FOT says plants go fast. Species include valley Ponderosa pine, quaking aspen, Douglas-fir, Hooker’s willow and more. Check out what species are available and more at FriendsofTrees.org. FOT staff will be there helping with tree selection, tree planting and care instructions.
• On Feb. 1, the Eugene City Council voted 5-3 approving a fire service fee that the city says “will generate $10 million annually to stabilize and grow Eugene’s fire and emergency medical services.” Mike Clark, Greg Evans and Randy Groves voted against the fee. The city’s press release says that the revenue will only be used to fund existing and new fire and emergency medical services, to administer the fee, and to support the fee-related income-based assistance program. The fee is based upon square footage and so will be about $10 a month for the median single-family home and $38 per month for the median commercial customer. The Eugene Public Library Advocacy Committee had said passing the fee would lead to the fewest cuts to the library. Find out more about the fee at Eugene-or.gov/1872/Fire-Facts.
• Bricks $ Mortar columnist Christian Wihtol is taking a well-earned break this week, but the column will be back at the end of the month with more dives into what’s being built and planned for Eugene. Got any tips? Let him know, Christian@EugeneWeekly.com.
• Eugene Weekly’s next Chow food issue is on the horizon! Got a tidbit of food news? Send it to Chow@EugeneWeekly.com!
• Are you reading Slant on page? Cool, that means the newspaper made it across the icy roads! And it means you’ve picked up one of more than 27,000 print copies around Lane County. See a spot that needs a box or a rack of Weeklys? Call 541-484-0519 or email Circulation@EugeneWeekly.com. You can also check out EugeneWeekly.com for this week’s online extras — the model train swap meet coming to the Lane Events Center this weekend, an update on Planned Parenthood under the Trump administration, what the Rural Organizing Project is doing to support rural human dignity, a discussion with Sen. Jeff Merkley and more.