• Rick Wright, who took his family business, Market of Choice, from the ordinary Pricechopper grocery to the hybrid store it is, died June 29, at home of natural causes, according to MoC. Wright once told KLCC that it was his innovation to bring together local products, “a lot of organics and naturals, but having some of them side-by-side with conventional products.” In addition to Market of Choice, Wright was known for his philanthropy. The Market of Choice Field at Civic Park reflects Wright’s early financial involvement and energy in developing Civic Park after Civic Stadium burned down in an arson 10 years ago, on June 29. Wright’s initial support and expertise in building big projects was valuable to the Civic team’s success. According to the MoC website, a celebration of life will be announced later.
• If you’re interested in dynamic sports stories that break away from what is traditional sports coverage, check out this new local sports magazine: Ascend. From students and faculty at the University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication, Ascend’s first issue is just out. With 124 glossy pages, Ascend tells stories such as deaf hikers vying to summit the world’s tallest peaks, a female champion weightlifter who’s working to make her sport more inclusive and a winter sport that combines horses and skiing. But the magazine still has plenty of traditional sports coverage, including an interview with WNBA player and former Oregon Duck Sabrina Ionescu. To check it out, go to AscendOregon.com. The climb never ends.
• Letters to the editor about opinion columnist Doyle Srader’s piece on why he disagrees with protesting the Trump administration are pouring in. We are putting all we can in print this week, more next week and will probably have to put some online. We love how much our readers care about the state of the world and the community and are pretty damn glad to put all your responses in print!
• Speaking of online, we are chock full of online extras this week — from a review of Considering Matthew Shepard by Dan Buckwalter to his interview with an up-and-coming young local accordionist who’s getting a lighter instrument than the 40 pounder she’s been lugging around. We love to give you our ink-stained pages on Thursdays as well as online extras along the way!
• Embezzlement update anyone? Elisha Young, charged with five felony counts of theft in EW’s recent embezzlement, was finally extradited from Ohio to Oregon and is now residing in Lane County jail, according to the Lane County jail viewer. Continuing the saga, EW editor Camilla Mortensen recently appeared on an installment of a podcast called The Opportunist. Give it a listen — some of the details are off but it’s interesting. This little newspaper didn’t have “appear on a true crime podcast” on its BINGO card, but we go with the flow!
• Whoops, last week in Slant we mentioned folks batting around NYC Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s name as a force in the 2028 election. Duly noted, since he wasn’t born in the U.S., that’s currently beyond a long shot. Then again the Cheeto-in-chief thinks he can bully his way into a third term, so when it comes to who can run, we’re just gonna sit over here and eat popcorn till it’s endorsement time!
• Esther Tishman and her organization Liberty Walks is embarking on a cross country walk 10 am July 4 in an effort to bring people together and “meet them where they’re at.” Tishman and other Liberty Walk participants will be walking almost 3,000 miles across the U.S. “I’ve been feeling a little brokenhearted about what’s been happening in this country,” Tishman says. “I suddenly felt like something else has to happen.” Tishman describes herself as a Zen Buddhist teacher and spiritualist. “My goal for this is to be part of a kind of moment of spiritual opening for this country, where it becomes possible for us to really open our hearts to a future that we haven’t maybe envisioned yet,” Tishman says.
• Around 40 to 50 protesters gathered outside the Federal Building in downtown Eugene July 1 to try and stop ICE from taking five immigrants who were detained without contact with their legal counsel. Protesters stood in front of the vehicle entrance gate of the facility and waited for a car containing the detainees to leave. Protesters say that the detainees were walked out of a side entrance and placed into a vehicle parked along East 7th Avenue to circumvent them. One individual, wearing a flannel shirt, a green American flag gaiter mask and blue jeans, exited the front of the building and approached Eugene Weekly’s Eve Weston who was covering the protest. Weston asked, “What’s your job?” He said, “No, ask what’s my specialty.” Weston asked him what his speciality was, and he responded, “child exploitation,” appearing to smile under his mask, then walked away and refused to answer further questions. Weston beckoned him to come back outside and speak more, but he stood just inside the building making gestures and waving.