• Has anyone been to the war zone lately? By which, of course, we mean Portland. President Donald Trump is doubling down on the idea that the City of Roses is somehow comparable to places like Kyiv or Gaza and says he’s sending in troops. Officials from Mayor Kaarin Knudson to Gov. Tina Kotek and more have made clear that the notion is ridiculous. The official statement from the White House starts off “The Radical Left’s reign of terror in Portland ends now, with President Donald J. Trump mobilizing federal resources to stop Antifa-led hellfire in its tracks.” It also links to a story that erroneously claims concrete milkshakes were thrown at conservatives in 2019. Easy there, tiger, those milkshakes were vegan, but they were not concrete!
• To the reader who wasn’t sure if we were joking when we called ourselves a “commie rag” in this column: If we were serious we would have said “communist newspaper.” Commie rag is what certain folks with an issue with journalism with sometimes spicy Slant columns and provocative articles call us!
• The Eugene BRiGHT Parade was an absolute blast! Thanks to those who stopped by our table, said “Hi,” picked up a sticker, a copy of the paper or a glow-in-the-dark bracelet! Come find us at the annual Associated Students of the University of Oregon Street Faire Oct. 15-17 and noon to 4 pm at the Oct. 25 Downtown Eugene Halloween celebration (complete with a pet parade)!
• Our arts writer, Will Kennedy, is wondering if folks are going to write angry letters in response to his piece at EugeneWeekly.com on New Wave singer-songwriter Morrissey, formerly of The Smiths. He was hoping to interview the man himself — who canceled two U.S. shows in December after receiving credible death threats — but alas, Morrissey, who the BBC refers to as being “outspoken on issues such as animal welfare and politics,” was not available. Morrissey, who has made racist comments, criticized #MeToo and allied with the right-wing in Britain, could probably use a couple angry letters. He plays The Hult Center Oct. 9.
• Around 50 protesters gathered outside of the downtown federal building Sept. 30 to tell ICE to “get out.” Organized on the last Tuesday of each month by the Eugene Chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, along with the Immigrant Defense Network, the protest went from 10 am to 4 pm. Protesters held signs saying “ICE can SMD” and “billionaires are the real enemy, not immigrants.” Organizer Rob Fisette says the Immigrant Defense Network invited local representatives to the protest, but only Commissioner Laurie Trieger stood with the crowd for a short while.
• First Friday ArtWalk in downtown Eugene is nigh! Oct. 3 you can wander through The New Zone Gallery’s nonjuried Zone 4 All’s opening reception at 5:30 pm, check out Rebirth: Art by Survivors of Domestic Violence at Radiant Community Arts as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Curated by Elizabeth Foley, it features “emotional pieces that tell real stories of survival and transformation. Beyond just displaying art, we’re creating community healing and driving social change right here in Eugene.” A portion of sales go to the Hope & Safety Alliance. Feeling the arts? Read about Delgani’s String Quartet’s newest player, Amanda Grimm, and performances Oct. 5 and 6 at EugeneWeekly.com.
• Springfield and Eugene city clubs have teamed up on a two-part program “exploring the future of riverfront development in our region.” Springfield City Club kicks off the series noon, Oct. 2, at Roaring Rapids Pizza, 4006 Franklin Boulevard in Glenwood.