News Articles

This summer’s “animal scramble” at the Cottage Grove Rodeo appalled animal lovers, who say the rabbits used in the event can be hurt or even killed. The Cottage Grove Riding Club, which puts on the scramble, said at a Sept. 10 board meeting that the event prevents the rabbits from being slaughtered for meat.

Those trees lining the streets of Eugene are more than just urban decoration. They could help the city deal with climate change. Friends of Trees (FOT) is an organization that brings people together to plant and care for trees and green spaces. The group hopes to begin a community-wide conversation about creating a resilient urban canopy to help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change.

• The Latin America Solidarity Committee will host a benefit concert from 6:30 to 9:30 pm Friday, Sept. 14, at New Day Bakery, 449 Blair Blvd. Call 485-8633 or email lasc@efn.org for more information.

Canola (aka rapeseed) opponents are celebrating the announcement that canola will not be planted in the Willamette Valley this year. The Oregon Court of Appeals has put a stay on a temporary rule that would have allowed the controversial crop to be planted in an expanded area this fall on about 480,000 acres in the valley.

It’s almost fall, blackberries are ripening, and it’s harvest season. But for the rural communities around Triangle Lake, that also means it’s pesticide spray season. Eron King, a mother and farmer, says while an Oregon Health Authority (OHA) investigation into the toxic sprays by the timber industry appears to be on hold, the fight against them sprays is not. 

• Western Environmental Law Center’s Eugene headquarters is planning a fundraising “Garden Workshop for Every Type of Gardener” from 10 am to 1 pm Saturday, Sept. 8, at Northwest Garden Nursery. Cost is $50 and includes lunch. To register or for directions, visit westernlaw.org or email marlette@westernlaw.org or call 359-3240.

Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (PPSO) is busy moving into its new regional Health & Education Center at 3579 Franklin Blvd., in Glenwood, and will open its doors to the public at 10:30 am Tuesday, Sept. 4. The long-awaited new facility consolidates the Eugene High Street center, the Eugene administrative offices and the Springfield Q Street center, but other sites, including the Bethel Express Health Clinic, will remain open.

When Susan Lynette Hughes felt a sting on her buttocks while she stood near East 11th and Mill July 10, at first she thought it was a bee sting. Then the men she was talking to started feeling stings, and she realized they were being shot with BBs.

Hughes, who is unhoused, says she had heard of college students shooting homeless people with BB guns, but she and the men standing with her were still shocked and angry. The men and the shooter exchanged shouts, and Hughes says she wanted to prevent the situation from escalating.

Saturday Market serves as Eugene’s street-level business barometer and we hear that one indicator, booth fees, are up slightly over last season at this time. “We’ve also been averaging about five brand new Market artisans every Saturday for the past couple of months, which is business as usual,” says Kim Still of the Market. “Also, we’re proud to report that our sustainability team has sent 13,700 lbs.

The “war on drugs” — particularly on marijuana — has already played a big role in Oregon politics this year, garnering national attention during the Oregon attorney general race. Despite that attention, Libertarian vice presidential candidate James P. Gray, former presiding judge of the Superior Court of Orange County, Calif., said during a visit to EW that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans are rolling out any new ideas when it comes to the failed drug war.

In the historic Mabel Schoolhouse lies an all-but-forgotten organization of farmers and community, the Mohawk Valley Community Grange in Marcola. While the history of these community buildings is long, this grange is taking on a new role as one of the community’s oldest backbones. 

“The spirit of the grange is opening up the community,” Grangemaster Tom Baratta says. “We try to open the doors through volunteerism, planning community events, fundraising and renting out the facility.” 

Three Lane County Young Democrats, Andrew Becker, Steven Coatsworth and Celine Swenson-Harris, are embarking on a “Great American Adventure” Aug. 24 in a well-worn 1989 Honda Civic freshly painted with stars and stripes. The three are traveling cross-country to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.