By EW editorial staff
• Eugene Weekly is joining with newspapers across the state to call on Gov. Tina Kotak to veto House Bill 4177, an ill-advised bill passed in the Oregon Legislature that undermines Oregon’s Public Meetings Law — the law that ensures government officials openly meet and discuss the decisions they make. HB 4177 allows full-quorum gatherings of governing bodies with “no meeting notice, no minutes or recordings, and no news media observers.” Also, no citizen observers and therefore no opportunity for public comment. This would let school boards, city councils and other governing bodies get together and discuss actions they plan to take — actions on things like the Amazon warehouse or an AI camera program to replace Flock Safety’s — without notice to or participation from citizens like you. Read a full op-ed about the bill at EugeneWeekly.com, and let Kotek know what you think: 503-378-4582 or at the “contact us” link at Oregon.gov/gov.
• What we are reading: Looking for a different way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Forget about green beer, green milkshakes, green socks or cookies shaped as four-leaf clovers. Instead, get a copy of a gripping new Irish historical novel by Eugene author Anne Dean. The retired psychoanalyst spent years researching and writing Far Side of Revenge: Prince Brian Boru, Future King of Ireland. Boru was a real figure in Irish history: high king of Ireland 1002-1014. Dean’s novel imagines Boru’s early years, his romances, battles, family conflicts and interminable setbacks, all set to southwest Ireland’s rugged, rain-drenched landscape. Not only is Dean a local, but so is her book’s publisher, Springfield’s Gladeye Press. For more info on buying Dean’s book, visit AnneDeanAuthor.com.
• It’s one of those weeks where we can’t fit all the news fit to print … into our newsprint! So head to EugeneWeekly.com and check out our Q&A with University of Oregon grad Jill Christman’s latest memoir, The Heart Folds Early, dealing with reproductive justice, as well as a some photo-galleries of recent ICE and other protests and last but not least, an update on the Trauma Intervention Program, which works closely with people affected by traumatic events. TIP will have a volunteer training academy starting March 12. And as always, surf on over to the online extra letters to the editor! Prefer us in print? Tell your fav business to take out an ad or ask your mom to remember us in her will (hopefully you read last week’s issue with Savannah Brown’s helpful story on how to bury your relatives in your backyard).
• Some snippets of news: Lane Community College’s faculty union, LCC Education Association, reached an agreement with the school’s administration and called off a possible strike. LCCEA says it got clear class size maximums and progress toward pay parity for part-timers. (Full disclosure: EW Editor Camilla Mortensen teaches part-time at LCC and advises The Torch newspaper.) The union has ratified it and it goes to the LCC board for a vote March 19. Lane County is entering a purchase agreement to buy the former Wells Fargo building in downtown Eugene from Eugene 4J School District. Christian Wihtol, in his Bricks $ Mortar column, reported back in May that the $2.95 million sale might happen. He also reported on the fact that 4J, which paid $3 million, probably overpaid by about $600,000 because when the school board voted on Feb. 7, 2024, to buy it, the Portland LLC NMDM exercised its option to buy and bought the building from Wells Fargo for $2,225,000 and then flipped it to 4J. Former Springfield city councilor and former Lane Community College Board of Education candidate Bob Brew was appointed March 10 to the currently contentious Springfield School Board. He replaces Heather Quaas-Annsa who resigned Feb. 5 during a recall attempt and while alleging harassment and threats against her.
• This week’s City Club of Eugene will focus on the Lane County District Attorney’s office and feature DA Chris Parosa. City Club says, “Overworked, Underpaid. Understaffed. That is the day-to-day reality faced by the 24 lawyers working to bring criminals to justice in Lane County. The case numbers are staggering. In 2025, the office filed 4,840 criminal cases involving 3,525 victims.” EW’s own case involving the paper’s embezzlement is being handled by the DA’s office, so we’re invested. A jury trial is scheduled for May, but we are hoping our former business manager takes a plea deal before then. EW staff and our readers were traumatized by the embezzlement that almost closed this paper for good and we’d love closure. City Club is noon, Fridays at WOW Hall, 291 West 8th Avenue. The event is free, but lunch can be purchased for $15.