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• The NAACP national convention was earlier in July, and City Club of Eugene will have a report at noon Friday, July 24, at the Downtown Athletic Club, 999 Willamette Street. Speakers will include Eric Richardson, president of the local NAACP, and members of the Eugene-Springfield faith and social justice communities. $5 for non-members. Continue reading
• ODOT is currently spraying roadsides. Call Tony Kilmer at ODOT District 5 at 744-8080 or call (888) 996-8080 for often inaccurate herbicide application information. Highways recently sprayed include I-5, 36, 99 and Beltline. • Weyerhaeuser, 744-4600, plans to helicopter and backpack spray 5.8 acres near Taylor Butte south of Cottage Grove with glyphosate, imazapyr, triclopyr, metsulfuron methyl, sulfometuron methyl, MSO Concentrate, Crosshair and/or No Foam. See ODF notification 2015-771-10308, call Tim Meehan at 726-3588 with questions. Continue reading
• Looks like Eugene’s urban growth boundary will be expanding onto farmland in order to accommodate future industrial growth, along with some parkland and school land. The majority on the City Council this week gave a nod to the expansion, and it goes now to city and county planning commissions and public hearings. Why do we continue to develop and pave over prime farmland when such lands will become more valuable, even critically so, in the future? Continue reading
Many Eugene downtown businesses will be open for the first Sunday Streets celebration from noon to 4 pm July 26. Streets will be blocked off from car traffic from the Park Blocks to Kesey Square and all the way down Broadway to Monroe Park. Participants can enjoy a relaxing bike ride, skate or stroll through a cornucopia of food, music, fitness classes and bike demos. Continue reading
• As we predicted, the Eugene City Council this week revived the Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption program, aka “tax breaks for the rich,” but at least it has some redeeming qualities. The council was under threat from Brian Obie and other developers that they would abandon their downtown housing plans without the tax breaks, but we’re not convinced they wouldn’t build anyway. Think about it. If you were a developer, wouldn’t you try to leverage every advantage possible to maximize your return on investment? Continue reading
In Afghanistan • 2,355 U.S. troops killed (2,355 last month) • 20,071 U.S. troops wounded in action (20,071) • 1,599 U.S. contractors killed (1,592) • 16,179 civilians killed (updates NA) • $707.3 billion cost of war ($704.7 billion) • $282.9 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($281.9 million) Against ISIS • $5.1 billion cost of military action ($4.7 billion) • $2 million cost to Eugene taxpayers ($1.9 million) Continue reading
• Eugene 350’s Summer Meetup will be from 7 to 8:30 pm Thursday, July 16, at First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street. On the agenda is campaign organizing and arts projects, including giant banners and “Puppets for Climate Change.” Actions are being planned leading up to the U.N. climate talks in Paris. Email 350eugene@riseup.net or call 343-5091. Continue reading
Last week we wrote about Barnhart Associates selling its historic building on East 14th Avenue to Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide and moving out. We’ve since learned from Jim Barnhart, one of the real estate agency’s founders, that the business has dissolved and the agents have scattered, nine going to Equinox Real Estate, and owner David Holland is now a commercial broker with Evans, Elder & Brown. Continue reading
• MUPTE may be going to the voters if the Eugene City Council votes to revive it this week just after we go to press. Opponents of the controversial Multi-Unit Property Tax Exemption program were planning to submit initial paperwork to the city clerk this week for two citizen initiatives. Chief petitioner is Paul Conte. Continue reading
What’s going on with Barnhart Associates Real Estate? We hear the Barnhart office building at 186 E. 14th Ave. has been sold to Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) and will be vacated soon, but the office phone goes unanswered and email queries are not being returned. The agency still has listings and is still advertising. Owners are Jim and Nancy Barnhart and David Holland, who became a full partner in 2004. The historic building, called the Soults-Westfall Duplex, is an elaborate bungalow dating to around 1915. Continue reading