Who, What, Where and Y

A beginner’s guide to working out at the Y

The latest trends in workout equipment are an uptick in ellipticals and amts and a decline in stairmasters

When a fellow EW staffer and I decided to take advantage of our YMCA memberships last December, we experienced the smug satisfaction of being ahead of the New Year’s resolution crowd; however, neither of us were particularly familiar with gym etiquette or protocol, and on our first day we hopped onto a few elliptical machines, pressing buttons and uncertainly moving the pedals as the panel instructed us.  Continue reading 

The Arts Advocate

Hope Pressman continues her lifelong fight for the arts in Eugene

Hope Pressman

On a dark wintry day in 1942, Hope Pressman crossed Prince Lucien Campbell Memorial Courtyard in the rain toward a lone light shining from the otherwise shadowy UO art museum. The museum, which later became the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, was only open to serious researchers for one hour a week due to a lack of funds. But as a senior studying Chinese history, Pressman needed a book. She made her way to that lone light hanging above the desk of Gertrude Bass Warner, whose library of Asian history and art was housed in the museum. Continue reading 

Get Your Drink On

16 Tons taphouse & 16 tons Cafe 265 E. 13th Ave & 2864 Willamette St. 345-2003 & 485-2700. sixteentons.biz & 16tonscafe.com. [BOTTLESHOP, BAR; CAFE] Taphouse features more than 700 beers, wines and ciders, with growler fills and rotating list of draft beers. Noon-10 pm Su-W, noon-midnight Th-Sa. Cafe offers growler fills, beer and wine menus, Best of Eugene trivia night. 9 am-10pm daily. Continue reading 

Warming Wines

Mainly just to scare the shit outta myself, I spent most of a Saturday afternoon in one of the UO’s new science lecture halls, listening to three paleontologists describing the effects of climate change — warming — in Oregon, over the next century. The room was half-filled, mostly with very serious people, furiously taking notes. I looked for wild-eyed, barking-mad deniers but saw none. Continue reading 

Unexpected Flavors

House-made liqueurs inspired by the Willamette Valley

Green Walnut Nocino. Photo by Trask Bedortha

The people behind popular Eugene restaurant Party Downtown, located at 55 W. Broadway, apply a “make-it-in-house” ethic to everything they do, from curing meats to baking bread. Bartender James West is particularly passionate about house-made liqueurs — distilled spirits infused with the flavors of fruit, berries, herbs or even flowers.  “I want to make things that are for sale in the liquor store,” West says. “But if we have as good or better ingredients in the valley, I will forgo buying something and make it myself.” Continue reading