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In a press release that kicks off with sentences like " Religious freedom upholds stability in a diverse society," the Protect Religious Freedom Initiative has kicked off its petition campaign to get a measure on the Oregon ballot that would "exempt a person from supporting same-sex ceremonies in violation of deeply held religious beliefs." The release says: Continue reading
A growing trend in Eugene, gift circles, allows people to enter a space where people share items, ideas or resources with no expectation of receiving anything in return. Tree Bressen and Kim Krichbaum are community members who have been organizing gift circles for over a year. Bressen says that what she does is just a part of the larger gift economy. Continue reading
• Grupo Latino de Acción Directa is planning a community meeting with Springfield Police Chief Timothy Doney and Lane County Sheriff Tom Turner from 5:30 to 7:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 27, at St. Alice Catholic Church, 1520 F St. in Springfield. Topics may include “engaging and working with underrepresented communities” and “goal setting for cultural proficiency.” Contact Phil Carrasco, 337-6391. Continue reading
Cascade Raptor Center on Fox Hollow Road took a big hit in the recent snow and ice storm, says Louise Shimmel of the center. She says volunteers wore hard hats as they were feeding the birds and checking on them amid crashing branches and even falling trees. The birds survived despite damage to their aviaries, though a couple of traumatized owls and a kite needed to come inside for the weekend. A supply shed was damaged, along with the mouse barn and a car. The center was closed for two weeks and is now fundraising to help pay for the damage and lost revenue. Continue reading
After high school on Long Island and a year at Brooklyn College, Marc Friedman hitchhiked west in 1971. “When I was in Banff,” he says, “I was recruited to fight forest fires.” Inspired by the experience, Friedman left New York for Alaska the following summer. He worked at many jobs, from building log houses to the construction of the Alaska Pipeline. He also returned to school at University of Alaska Fairbanks, completed a degree in geography and regional development in 1978 and worked in land management for the university. Continue reading
Dozens of people were turned away from the Bascom-Tykeson room at the Eugene Public Library Feb. 23. The room had reached its full capacity of 106 people well before Walidah Imarisha’s 2 pm talk “Why Aren’t There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History.” Several people watched through the windows from Broadway. Imarisha, a professor in Portland State University’s Black Studies department, has been touring Oregon for three years giving the talk, with 12 stops this February in honor of Black History Month. Continue reading
The city of Eugene’s Revenue Team is sifting through potential strategies to suggest revenue increases to the Budget Committee for the city’s General Fund, in light of the $3 million deficit the city faces for fiscal year (FY) 2015. Their goal is to recommend revenue strategies that will generate significant revenue, be acceptable to the community and can be implemented by FY16. City Councilor and Revenue Team member Claire Syrett says the team aims for its recommendations to equally affect businesses, property owners and people using city services. Continue reading
The fate of the Beverly property and the Amazon Creek headwaters it contains is still up in the air, thanks to the Eugene City Council’s motion to table the issue in a Feb. 19 work session. The property is near Spencer Butte in the south hills. Continue reading
While other states, such as California, have introduced bee protection bills, Lisa Arkin of Beyond Toxics says she thinks Oregon is the first state to take some kind of decisive action at the state level. The city of Eugene is also looking to take further action on bee-killing pesticides. House Bill 4139 passed in the Oregon House earlier in February, and on Feb. 24 it passed in the Senate, “showing amazing bipartisan support for protecting the bees,” according to Arkin. Continue reading
Former presidential candidate Jill Stein will visit Eugene to talk about a new campaign she is helping create. The “Global Climate Convergence” campaign will kick off this spring from Earth Day until May Day. Stein, who is a medical doctor, will speak at the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference held at the UO on both Friday and Sunday. Continue reading