• Ever been lost hiking around at Howard Buford Park (or as everyone calls it, Mount Pisgah?) Trust us, it’s possible! Local cartographer and avid hiker Dave Imus tells us he’s been longing to make “a proper topographic map of Mount Pisgah,” and now he has — and is providing it free on his website, ImusGeographics.com. The sighting pedestal, swing hill, it’s all there. You can buy a print or download it for free on your phone. Imus is a renowned map maker, and his Pisgah map, like his “Essential Geography of the United States of America” map, addresses not just landforms but culture.
• The government is still shut down — thanks to the “Radical Left,” the Trump administration says. We beg to differ. Every day a new headline about the federal government that we wish was not real. Deploying the National Guard to Portland is still in the courts. We can’t turn off the news — we’re a damn newspaper — so how do you cope? Protests are one way, and the No Kings 2.0 march is Oct. 18. Vote, run for office, postcard and support good candidates in other states. Fight for decency and transparency. Cuddle a cat; pet a dog; ride a horse! Support trans, LGBTQIA+ people, support immigrants and people of color. Read a book, watch a movie, support a small business. Got ideas? Send a letter to Letters@EugeneWeekly.com.
• For a while, some folks were calling Eugene-Springfield a “news desert,” to the consternation of the many news sources in town. We like to say, in this day and age with the media under fire, that our area is more of a news dessert with much to choose from. Here’s your reminder — Eugene Weekly (ahem, your locally owned news source!) is an alternative weekly — and we know, your go-to for what to do because we are “What’s Happening,” after all! Being an alt weekly means we try to cover what other media misses, have a different angle, or even just be first — not faster, better! So, yes, we are quirky, fun, snarky, investigative and not the same news you get everywhere else! Got a story? Cool, let us know! Editor@EugeneWeekly.com.
• We recently found a hurt possum at the Weekly office, and it was a reminder that there are few places to take an injured wild animal. Before we go any further — under Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife regulations, licensed rehabilitators are only permitted to rehabilitate native Oregon wildlife, so a hurt Virginia possum can’t be taken to a wildlife rehabber. Locally, we have the Cascades Raptor Center for birds, but what if you find a hurt native Western gray squirrel? The go-to in the Willamette Valley has been Chintimini Wildlife Center, but CWC has put out a call for help with a budget shortfall and says it may be “forced to severely cut services or even close its doors without immediate and sustainable donations.” Go to ChintiminiWildlife.org to donate or find out more, and, of course, check out CascadesRaptorCenter.org.
• The Civil Liberties Defense Center’s fundraiser for its activist defense fund is postponed after headlining artist Carsie Blanton was detained by Israeli authorities Oct. 1. The activist defense fund provides critical legal defense funds to activists accused of committing crimes — and is something sorely needed in these crazy times. Blanton, a Jewish anti-zionist folk singer, was aboard the Global Ṣumūd Flotilla, which sought to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza and break the Israeli naval blockade. The CLDC says in a press release that Blanton was released Oct. 7 and the event was postponed until early spring 2026 to allow Blanton to recover from “harsh conditions.” WOW Hall, which was hosting the fundraiser, will retain purchased tickets until a new date is determined.
• Some of us here at the Weekly have been taking advantage of the good weather androcking Walktober 2025 — walking and biking in to work, getting our groceries, running errands, going out to lunch and more. Walktober was created in 2023 by the Lane Council of Governments with a goal to get people out and exploring their community through walking. Now in its third year, Walktober offers a variety of ways to connect with neighbors (or just go solo) and enjoy the fresh fall air. Check out Walktober 2025 website, WeWalkLane.org, for ways to participate and win prizes!