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In Afghanistan • 2,262 U.S. troops killed (2,258 last week) • 19,181 U.S. troops wounded in action (19,141) • 1,389 U.S. contractors killed (1,389) • 16,179 civilians killed (updates NA) • $653.1 billion cost of war ($651.1 billion) • $195.9 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($195.3 million) In Iraq • 4,422 U.S. troops killed, 31,928 wounded • 1,599 U.S. contractors killed (1,599) • 125,296 to 1.2 million civilians killed* (125,049) Continue reading
• The Eugene Celebration showed off a revitalized downtown this year, and we heard lots of positive comments from people walking along Broadway who hadn’t been to our city center for a while. In between dancing, snacking and socializing, we also heard some grumbles about the LCC Downtown Center’s interior courtyard walled off from easy public access (“It could have been a mini-park,” said one observer) and we heard lots of complaints about the nearby concrete parking garage wall on the Capstone project along Olive. Continue reading
RIDE (Rides for Intoxicated Drivers of Eugene) is a nonprofit hoping to begin local service this winter. “It is our mission to keep our community’s children safe by reducing drunk driving on our streets,” says CEO Jonathan Russell. RIDE will provide sober drivers to chauffeur intoxicated patrons home in their own vehicles. Chase drivers will follow behind and pick up the RIDE driver once the patron has arrived safely home. Russell says RIDE is “still in the funding stages” using Indiegogo. Perks are available for those who donate at various levels. Continue reading
• Lane County Central Labor Council will hold its Labor Day Picnic from noon to 4 pm Monday, Sept. 2, at Jack B. Lively Memorial Park in Springfield, 6100 Thurston Rd., behind SPLASH. Show up for good food and to support the working class. Email essn@efn.org for more information. Continue reading
• The biggest, wildest weekend of the year is about to hit with the Eugene Celebration starting at 5 pm Friday, the big parade Saturday morning, all the activities and music downtown and more. Our Next Big Thing music contest finalists will perform for the judges at 1 pm Saturday at the Eugene Weekly/KRVM Broadway Stage. The Eugene Women’s Half Marathon will be Sunday, along with the ever-popular Pet Parade. Continue reading
Whither Civic Stadium? After a two-year moratorium, the site’s future is once more a live question, and Eugeneans might wonder what part the public can play in answering it — and whether they prefer a big box store or a soccer team. According to Eugene 4J School Board Chairperson Mary Walston, the board is soliciting comments at its 7 pm Aug. 28 meeting at César E. Chávez Elementary School. The board welcomes both oral and written testimony, and the public comment period is early on the meeting’s agenda. Continue reading
• Occupy Medical will not be downtown during the Eugene Celebration Sunday, Aug. 25, but instead the mobile clinic will roll out to Cottage Grove to offer free medical care, foot care, nutrition guidance and even haircuts, with no appointment needed. Prescriptions will be written as needed, but the clinic does not dispense drugs. The clinic with two volunteer doctors and their trained assistants will be available from noon to 4 pm Sunday in the parking lot at South Lane Mental Health, 1245 Birch Ave. Call 316-5743 or 942-3939. Continue reading
The American Institute of Architects Southwest Oregon Chapter is hosting the People’s Choice Awards for Architecture again this year at the Eugene Celebration, and as in recent years the display will also include landscape projects. Find the display at the corner of Broadway and Willamette in the Broadway Commerce Center. This year the designs (and voting) are also online at aiaswo.com, according to Scott Stolarczyk, co-chair of the awards committee (sstolarczyk@robertsonsherwood.com). Winners of the competition will be announced at City Club of Eugene Sept. 13. Continue reading
• Mobility International USA in Eugene will launch its new Brilliant & Resilient Photography Book, featuring profiles of 50 disabled women activists from 41 countries, at 6 pm Thursday, Aug. 15, at the Ford Alumni Center, 1720 E. 13th Ave. Email sdunn@miusa.org or call 343-1284 for more information. • Groundbreaking for Opportunity Village Eugene will be at 10 am Friday, Aug. 16, at 2nd Avenue and Garfield. Councilor Claire Syrett will be one of the speakers. Continue reading
Too many cohousing projects in the works? Oakleigh Meadow, a cohousing community planned along the Willamette River in north Eugene, is making progress on city approvals and hopes to break ground soon, but home sites are still available. Until Oakleigh sells out, we probably won’t see much happen at an earlier cohousing site — the big empty lot at the corner of Lincoln and 11th Avenue. Martin Henner owns the Lincoln property and actually had a groundbreaking ceremony for cohousing apartments in October 2007, and then the economy tanked. Continue reading