Slant — Is it summer yet?

Slant by EW-staffPosted on

• Is Donald Trump going to send in the troops to every city that protests ICE raids? Because Eugene-Springfield isn’t going to take it lying down. WTF sending troops into ICE protests when he didn’t lift a finger during the Jan. 6 insurrection? We’re watching the events in Los Angeles with anger and skepticism.

• According to Oregon Worker Relief, “Immigration officials are blocking attorneys from accessing clients at the Eugene ICE office, and arresting immigrants during what should be routine check-ins, according to immigration attorneys and community observers.” OWR quotes Katrina Kilgren, an immigration attorney in Eugene, who says, “What should be routine appointments are becoming detention traps. ICE is denying people access to legal representation at the exact moment when it matters most. That’s a fundamental violation of due process.” 

• Congratulations graduates! Lane Community College commencement is 10 am Saturday, June 14, in the LCC gymnasium. The University of Oregon holds ceremonies all day Monday, June 16, but the big one is 9 am at Autzen Stadium. Oregon State’s big commencement gates open at 9 am at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. Many area high schools’ grad weekend was June 6, which caused consternation for all the folks bucking and baling hay around Lane County, who often rely on high school kids for their muscle.

• Check out Scott Landfield’s viewpoint this week on the economy (and supporting local businesses) and note that the Community Veterinary Center serving low-income families in Lane County is closing due to the loss of its sustaining donor base. Want to help? Go to CommunityVet.org. OG Corner Market, a grocery store on River Road selling organic products from farmers within a 100-mile radius of Eugene, is in danger of closing as the property is being sold to a chain convenience store. There’s a GoFundMe (search OG Corner Market) to fundraise for the property. And finally, Viking Brewing has announced it’s closing its Southtowne Pub on Willamette Street on June 21. 

• We are disappointed that the public records we requested from the Governor’s Office in regard to objective criteria over extraditions and other information were denied, as this community deserves transparency on reasons why the extraditions in the Weekly’s embezzlement case and the burglaries targeting Asian American families in town were originally denied. We are happy that Gov. Tina Kotek and staff changed their mind, and that our case — and The Register-Guard’s reporting back in December 2024 — made a difference in what was happening in those burglaries.

• Juneteenth — a federal holiday since 2021 (and something Donald Trump probably hates) — is fast approaching. There will be a celebration June 14 (see our What’s Happening calendar) and for a celebration the day of, visit the Farmers Market Pavilion from 3 pm to 8 pm Thursday, June 19, for BLAQ Youth Inc.’s second annual Juneteenth Gathering, which lead organizer Shanaè Joyce-Stringer calls a celebration of “Black joy and Black excellence and Black liberation.” This year commemorates the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day when the last slaves of African descent were freed in Texas. “I don’t believe that it represents the end of racism in our country, of bias or hate,” Joyce-Stringer says, “but it’s so important to commemorate the sacrifice that our ancestors, people of African descent, have made so that we have the freedom to celebrate their freedom.” The family-friendly event features 36 vendors from Black-owned businesses, four musical acts and a Juneteenth history lesson from Royce Daniels, who is “new to our local community” from Texas, Joyce-Stringer says. “He grew up celebrating Juneteenth, so he just seemed like a great addition to our team.” To Joyce-Stringer, a family-friendly event is a multi-generational event, so this year’s Juneteenth Gathering has both a Kid Zone — with games, crafts and entertainment — and an Elders’ Space. The elder space honors “those who have paved the way for my generation and the generations thereafter,” Joyce-Stringer says. 

• Corrections/Clarifications: Whoops! Contrary to the dates in our recent Summer Guide issue — Roving Park Players’ The Importance of Being Earnest… in Spaaace is at Petersen Barn Community Center June 13, and at the Owen Rose Garden June 14 and June 15. The Roving Park Players’ August 9 and August 10 showings of Peter Pan are at 5 pm. The dates are updated online, too!

• City Club of Eugene meets noon Friday at WOW Hall, and the subject for June 13 is “Telling our Collective Story: A Spotlight on Lane County History Museums,” featuring Keith Lohse, executive director of the Lane County Historical Museum and Madeline McGraw, curator of the Springfield Museum. Drop by 291 West 8th Avenue and hear about why history is so important.

• A crack of the bat of good news — the Oregon State University baseball team (those plucky Beavers) advanced to the College World Series June 8 with a 14-10 win over Florida State in the Corvallis Super Regional. The 64-team field has now been whittled down to eight for the World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Beavers begin play 4 pm Friday, June 13, against Louisville. OSU, 47-14-1 on the year, is making its eighth appearance in the World Series, and is aiming for their fourth national title, having won it all in 2006, 2007 and 2018.