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• The Coalition to Reduce Elementary Level Class Size is hosting an organizing meeting from 6:30 to 8 pm Thursday, Feb. 25, at Edison Elementary School, 1328 E. 22nd Ave. Oscar Loureiro, director of research and planning at 4J, and Anne Marie Levis, 4J school board member, will join the meeting for a question and answer session. Find the event on Facebook. Continue reading
• Tsunami Books reports its “Eat Local/ Shop Local” sandwich board sign in front of the store was stolen the night of Feb. 18, the same night the Domino’s Pizza opened next door at 2568 Willamette. Coincidence? A new sign will be up soon. Domino’s now has three stores in the Eugene area. Continue reading
• Eugene Weekly does not condone or encourage acts of violence or destruction in the name of any cause. We were dismayed to find out that someone threw a large rock through the glass door of the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce building in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 13. The perpetrator also placed several copies of the Feb. Continue reading
In Afghanistan • 2,349 U.S. troops killed (2,349 last month) • 20,071 U.S. troops wounded in action (20,071) • 1,629 U.S. contractors killed (1,629) • 16,179 civilians killed (updates NA) • $728.2 billion cost of war ($725.3 billion) • $291.3 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($290.1 million) Against ISIS • $8.3 billion cost of military action ($7.9 billion last month) • $3.3 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($3.1 million) Continue reading
• The League of Women Voters of Lane County meets at 11 am Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Valley River Inn. Joy Marshall, director of Stand for Children for Lane County, will talk on “How Can We Improve Oregon’s High School Graduation Rate?” Open to the public and free. Call 343-7917. • The city of Eugene Public Art Committee will meet at 3:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 18, at the Eugene Public Library, Singer Conference Room. Call 682-2057 or email isaac.r.marquez@ci.eugene.or.us. Continue reading
• Oregon industrial hemp growers will likely be happy with amendments to House Bill 4060 which passed out of the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Feb. 11, has had its third reading and is up for a vote in the full House soon. The new hemp rules are significantly relaxed over existing rules and an earlier version of the bill. Growing or handling hemp will still require an annual state license, record-keeping and random testing for maximum THC levels. Continue reading
• A discussion about Eugene’s Downtown Urban Renewal District (DTURD, to some) at the City Council work session Feb. 8 offered indications of some councilors’ disregard for the public trust. DTURD diverts a portion of property taxes away from city, county and schools for projects intended to improve Eugene’s urban center. In general, the council agrees that DTURD projects, such as upgrading the city’s internet infrastructure, merit further consideration, but only a few questioned the ethics of renewing a program they pledged five years ago not to renew. Continue reading
• The Eugene Police Commission meets at 5:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 11, at EPD Headquarters, 300 Country Club Road. Public comments top the meeting agenda. Contact person is Carter Hawley, 682-5852. Continue reading
• Another report on Oregon’s fast-growing economy has come out of the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP) and the numbers look great, except for the disparity. Sound familiar? Oregon’s economy is a reflection of the national economy, and the unequal sharing of prosperity is a hot topic in the presidential primary debates. Oregon’s steady economic growth since 1997 has outpaced the national economy significantly. Only North Dakota with its oil boom has exceeded Oregon between 2001 and 2014. Continue reading
• As we enter into this election season, it’s time to ponder the question of how much power a non-elected official should have. Appointed City Manager Jon Ruiz appears to be making changes to the new City Hall without keeping the elected City Council in the loop (see News this issue). Maybe the issue of offices seems like no big deal on the surface, but it affects how our government will run in the future and how public money is spent on this project. Continue reading