Food Not Bombs
Kudos to Eugene Weekly for continuing to mention Food Not Bombs Eugene in the Activist Alert column. It’s very gratifying to see so much community support which helps us in our mission to provide food and basic necessities to whoever needs it. We’re in this for the long haul and ongoing support is critical. Thanks Eugene Weekly!
Stephanie Emerson
Eugene
Why Reinvent the Wheel?
I want to thank Mick Harty for his powerful piece — “Angry Compassion” — on being a part of the CAHOOTS team (EW, 4/17).
When I was reading Harty’s writing out loud to my partner, I needed to stop often, taking pause for crying. Crying for CAHOOTS workers, crying for those who still need the gentle and compassionate care given by CAHOOTS street heroes as they help those who are in crisis or are freezing on a mid-winter evening. My eyes were so red from all that crying!
This is “the why” that CAHOOTS warrants new-found funding, so it can be returned to the streets of Eugene. I’d like to know deeper about the more shady parts to this loss of CAHOOTS. I don’t want to belittle our county for their plans to operate some sort of alternative. I do have to ask, though, why attempt to re-invent the wheel when our community already had an incredibly useful one ?
Debbi Summers
Eugene
Thank you, Sharon Schuman
Thank you for the piece commemorating the life of Sharon Schuman (EW, 5/1). We at SquareOne Villages fully agree that she was a “fierce advocate” for social causes, and wanted to take a moment to express our profound gratitude for Schuman’s unwavering commitment to our cause.
Schuman was deeply engaged in our mission to create permanently affordable, democratic communities, and contributed significantly to its evolution over her six-plus year tenure on our board. She always spoke vigorously and passionately, was never shy to ask the difficult questions, and often challenged us to consider an issue from a different perspective to reach a better solution. And as a former literature professor, she loved to help us wordsmith our policy and writing and surely would have had feedback on this letter!
It’s humbling to know that Schuman’s selfless contributions to SquareOne was just one small piece of a full life that touched so many through her dedication to various other nonprofits and music groups in our community. Her presence will be sincerely missed, but her contributions will continue to live on as we move forward in our commitment to create more equitable housing opportunities.
Andrew Heben and Isaac Judd
Eugene
Feel the Pride
From one who came out in this city in 1985, I just wanted to take a moment to let you all know, we have been here before. Not so blatantly, as it was pre-wifi and pure insanity in the White House.
As we enter into Pride month, I feel we are in the perfect spot to have a rip roaring good time! Please remember to take the high road, if you happen upon one who thinks it’s their right to judge. Based upon those who’ve protested at Pride in the past, we way out number them and they are easy to ignore. We all deserve to be here. I pray for those that don’t get that.
To be raised in a city that honors its diversity is such a blessing. It’s time to celebrate that honor!
Diane Wall
Eugene
Rec Pays Dividends
I have past experience working with the city of Eugene’s Recreation Division, and it’s disheartening to see that they will be so heavily impacted by the city’s current budget crisis. From firsthand experience, I can say the rec division’s leadership has been exceptionally responsible and budget-conscious. Their decisions have consistently reflected a thoughtful balance between fiscal responsibility and public benefit.
It’s important to understand that free and low-cost recreation programs play a vital role in the health and safety of our community. These services are not just extra. Cutting them may appear cost-saving in the short term, but the long-term consequences could be far more expensive in terms of public health, safety and community cohesion.
Ethan Wing
Eugene
Hiura for Lane ESD Director
I first met Thomas Hiura when he was a young, passionate high school debate student at North Eugene High School. I was a coach at Willamette and our teams often practiced, traveled and competed together. He always stood out to me as a highly intelligent, thoughtful and articulate young person.
Over the last 15-plus years I’ve had the privilege to observe the growth and development of what I believe to be Hiura’s greatest strength — his emotional intelligence. This led me to identify him to co-lead the project team for the ILLUMINATION collection centering the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community for the Springfield History Museum.
Leaders in any role, but especially those in public office and education, face a variety of challenges with sensitive, stressful situations that involve diverse constituents. Hiura is empathic and can appreciate and hold space for a variety of viewpoints and experiences. He centers the development of trust and relationships — seeking to actively listen and learn. He thoughtfully considers all the quantitative and qualitative data and employs his creative problem-solving to imagine new solutions, predict consequences and game out potential outcomes.
He is someone who authentically lives his value to serve and represent every student and every educator, with the goal of providing a quality education environment where every student has the chance to thrive.
Mindy Linder
Eugene
Experience Needed
The last four years have been a challenge for 4J leadership. With a fourth superintendent in as many years scheduled to take the reins of the district, the school board needs a steady hand who has the experience, wisdom and energy to provide the kind of leadership to maintain stability for the sake of the district and the community.
Judy Newman, who is running for her third term on the board, has proven to have the skills necessary for the task ahead. She is a former local educator who has demonstrated she has the energy and desire to do what is best for 4J.
When the district needed a steady hand to guide the district after the “departure” of Superintendent Andy Dey, Colt Gill stepped forward after his retirement as deputy superintendent of the Oregon Department of Education. His abilities and experience helped get 4J back on the right track. But his commitment to serve as interim superintendent ends in June, when Miriam Mickelson will take the helm.
Former board chair Newman is the right person at this time to help guide the district through this transition period. She deserves the support of the community she has served with honor for decades.
Pat Albright
Eugene
Easton for Position 3
I enthusiastically support Don Easton’s candidacy for Position 3 on the 4J School Board.
Easton is a 4J parent and has volunteered his talents to help support the education for his children and their peers in 4J by providing grade-level digital media literacy education to his children’s elementary classrooms.
He has served at Sheldon High School as a CTE teacher in computer science. He is able to connect with students from all walks of life, abilities and interests. When I checked in with students about how they liked the new classes we were able to offer, the responses were that Easton’s classes were their favorite! Many of his students from Sheldon have continued their journey at LCC in Easton’s cybersecurity program.
I have witnessed Easton offer viable options when solutions are needed. He is the consummate professional, demonstrating respect and honor in all aspects of his life with thoughtfulness, being a good listener and taking a deliberate approach to policy management.
As the lead instructor of cybersecurity at LCC, Easton’s expertise is in demand and his experience working for organizations such as the city of Eugene, OCCU and Symantec cemented his expertise in both public and private sector policy and operations.
Easton’s unique skill set would serve 4J students, parents and staff well by supporting community partnerships and creating bridges for 4J students to access LCC. Through his unique lens and experience, he brings relevant experience to support student engagement at a time when they need it most.
Kay Graham
Eugene
A Quarter Century Later
A quarter century ago, when I got involved in stopping the West Eugene Parkway, government staff cautioned me to stay out of the contaminated Amazon tributary that flows from the Baxter property. I was showing the “wrong of way” to groups to see for themselves what was at risk.
It’s great that Baxter’s toxic sludge factory is closed, but how were they able to create poisons for so long? A sad truth is environmental laws facilitate continued poisoning with permits to pollute. They merely require mitigation such as creating a mud pit to supposedly offset destroying wetlands (proposed for WEP).
The federal law that prevented the parkway — Section 4(f) of the Transportation Act of 1966 — prohibits federal aid highways through parks (such as the West Eugene Wetlands). Crucially, it requires avoidance over mitigation, unlike the Clean Water, Clean Air, Endangered Species Acts, et al. which merely regulate destruction. 4(f) was one of the earliest environmental laws, prioritizing pollution prevention. The Federal Highway Administration quietly admitted 4(f)’s application when they selected No Build in 2007. Unfortunately, it’s narrowly focused on paving parks and doesn’t even apply to recent federal approvals of widening Beltline across the river (between 10 and 16 lanes) and widening Highway 126 to Veneta. SustainEugene.org has details.
Mark Robinowitz
Eugene
Online Extra Letters
A Handy Dystopian Guide
Here are the top dystopian deplorables that function as the musclemen, guides and inspiration of this cruel administration. They unite and work to change a free society into a police state. As individual men they are each hollow and distorted, but they do a lot of damage working in tandem. Their apparent destructive victories are now obvious, yet they might not even know that they are entirely dependent on each other.
• Russell Vought is the main author of Project 2025, the step-by-step plan to gut our nation’s Democracy to reestablish it as an authoritarian “Christian Nationalism” nation. He is currently a cabinet member and advisor.
• Elon Musk is the money man and also the mythological technology “genius” who buys positions for himself and government welfare for his projects. He also guts the nation’s intricately organized departments while frequently benefiting his own companies simultaneously.
• Stephen Miller is guiding all of the sadistic treatment of immigrants.
• Donald Trump is, of course, notably despicable and deplorable himself. These days he takes credit for everything his awful team does, while he gloats as chief figurehead and global despot.
Fight back, everyone! We outnumber them by far, not only in crowd sizes but mentally and morally. Our solidarity, brave voices and relentless protest will stop them. This is the showdown of our lives, and we will win!
Deb Huntley
Eugene
Focus on the Now
Gary Farbstein is absolutely correct (EW, 4/17). To get our country back, we’re going to have to let go of these Joe Biden criticisms. I don’t want to hear anyone’s lame excuse for why they didn’t vote in 2024. The Oct. 7 attack seemed almost perfectly contrived to fragment the American left. The big picture: the Russians observed us during the Civil War and so have a special insight on how to manipulate us with our own opinions.
Ben Anderson
Eugene
For the Love of Humanity
When will the leaders of the world call out the genocide in Gaza? How can that be allowed to continue? Benjamin Netanyahu must be removed from office and prosecuted for all his crimes. He is as cruel and self-serving as Donald Trump, just more measured when he speaks. This is an opportunity for world leaders to stand together and earn the respect of their people. Stand up for the families in Gaza, for humanity, and against the wholesale slaughter, the genocide that Netanyahu denies as he continues the destruction.
Marilyn Robert
Eugene
Participate in Democracy
In an April 24 letter — “We Already Have Gun Controls” — Azria Raventhorn quotes Frederick Douglass: “A man’s rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box.” While historically powerful, that phrase must be viewed in context.
Raventhorn uses it to oppose Measure 114, which would raise permit fees, ban high-capacity magazines, license gun dealers, require a 72-hour waiting period and prohibit devices that increase firing speed. She claims these measures give law enforcement too much power.
But I worry more about what happens if the ultra-right’s Project 2025 — an authoritarian blueprint — takes hold under Donald Trump. If martial law were used to crush protests, would I be jailed for speaking out? Monitored and arrested for dissent?
That’s a future I think about — not because of gun control laws, but because of the growing acceptance of authoritarianism dressed in patriotic language.
Instead of relying on 19th-century slogans, let’s follow Martin Luther King Jr., who said, “World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point.” I agree. I don’t want anyone shooting at the police. Armed resistance only “justifies” greater state violence and repression.
Organization and participation in our democracy by the many, is the only way to rid ourselves of the fascist few. Democracy is not a spectator’s sport! Get out there!
Darin Henry
Eugene
Fund Head Start
Death by a thousand cuts is the MO of the Republican administration to long standing and successful New Deal and War on Poverty programs. Take Head Start, for example. For every dollar spent on Head Start, seven are saved.
Why? This program is not day care. It is science based early childhood education with the added critical layer of support for parents and caregivers. The most vulnerable families in our community are given access to parenting, financial literacy, housing services and more.
Each child receives early intervention screenings for medical, dental, nutrition and developmental needs. Head Start of Lane County is facing severe federal budget cuts. It is hard to understand why the current government does not believe in the education of our youngest. How does that make us, ahem, great? Please contact your legislators and ask for full funding of Head Start programs here and across the country.
Chava Kronen
Eugene
Snark and Truth
As a long-time supporter of the Eugene Weekly, who worried about your possible demise when you didn’t keep more than one eye on your finances, I was very surprised to read the “most snarky” of comments by your editor in my weekly “preview” email.
Your comments were aimed toward the new county wide digital daily newspaper, LookOut. While an opinion comment about Bob Welch’s article might have been helpful, your general approach of criticizing and attempting to make fun of a new newspaper (one with a variety of articles by experienced journalists) is misplaced and seems beneath you. Continuing to call it “LOL” seems immature.
This was the second time you took a shot at LookOut, mentioning a “paywall” each time. I receive twice daily email digests from LookOut, with links to their articles and have not yet become a paid member. I find the writing interesting and relevant. It is a different newspaper from the Weekly which, frankly, is only weekly and has its limitations. LookOut shows promise of becoming the daily paper we all have been missing since ditching the corroded Register-Guard. These days, any journalist trying their best to bring us balanced and factual news needs our support, not our derision.