• The Eugene Celebration (the official version of it anyway) may be canceled
for this year, but the parade will go on. Kesey Enterprises sent out a press release
announcing that thanks to “overwhelming public input and encouragement,”
there will be a 2014 Eugene Celebration Parade 11 am Aug. 23 thanks to Lane
Community College, the city of Eugene and an all-volunteer steering committee.
That evening there will be a $5 concert at the Cuthbert. Sounds like plans are still
underway by community members for an unofficial, and free, celebration of
Eugene. Now we just need to know when the SLUG queen coronation will take
place.
WHERE TO WATCH
THE WORLD CUP
The 2014 FIFA World Cup may be in prog-
ress a full continent away, but that doesn’t mean
you can’t throw on your USA jersey and expe-
rience a sliver of the camaraderie and sporting
atmosphere here in Eugene. Several local estab-
lishments should have more than enough soccer
— ahem, futbol — on tap in the coming weeks to
be your World Cup proxy.
First up is The Tap and Growler, located at
207 E. 5th Ave., which during the World Cup is
offering $1 off pints for anyone wearing a soccer
jersey — regardless of club affiliation — as well
$1 off pints in general when a cup game is being
played. Next is Sidelines Grill & Sports Bar,
located at 77 W. Broadway downtown (formerly
John Henry’s), which during group play will
open an hour early — at 9 am — for about 75
percent of the matches until Saturday, June 28,
when play progresses to the round of 16, when
it will open an hour early for each matchup. Call
Sidelines at 654-4690 for info about specific
matches.
Just a half block away at 924 Willamette St.,
The Barn Light will show individual games us-
ing a projector and screen; visit The Barn Light’s
Facebook page for a match-viewing schedule.
Also showing cup matches via projector —
and offering occasional food and drink deals and
giveaways — will be The Bier Stein, located at
1524 Willamette St.; call 485-2437 or visit its
Facebook page for more info.
During the afternoons, the Hop Valley Tast-
ing Room, located at 990 W. 1st Ave., will show
matches with sound on its six flat screens, offer-
ing deals on pints and growlers during matches.
And don’t forget Oakshire at 207 Madison
St., where matches airing between the hours of
11 am to 10 pm will play on two 70-inch HD
televisions brought in specifically for broadcast-
ing soccer. — Samuel Wendel
WJ SKATEPARK + PLAZA BRINGS
MORE BUSINESS TO LOCAL SHOPS
• Two “turtles,” both attorneys from opposite ends of the political spectrum,
were applauded June 13 at the City Club of Eugene. Lauren Regan and Cal Smith
won the 2014 Turtle Awards “for sticking their necks out for Eugene.” Founder and
executive director of the Civil Liberties Defense Center, Regan specializes in
environmental law, civil rights and criminal defense, both in Oregon and now
nationally for clients such as tar-sands blockaders. Smith, a business lawyer who
has served on the Eugene 4J school board for more than a decade, has given
hundreds of hours working through the contentious issues of underfunded
schools in a community deeply dedicated to public education. Shout out for
turtles.
• The UO’s reams of color-coded redacted responses to the public requests
by journalists and others have frustrated those investigating the basketball rape
case. Among those who refuse to be stymied by the university’s choice to black
out large blocks of information in emails between UO administrators and others is
the New York Times, which filed an appeal June 12 with Lane County District
Attorney Alex Gardner asking “that the documents be provided in accordance with
the law.” UO Matters blogger Bill Harbaugh has the NYT letter, and plenty of
commentary, at uomatters.com.
• In response to our “Places and Spaces” feature in our Summer Guide May
29, Eugene artist Scott Parker showed us a painting of one of his special views, an
eagle nest above Lamb Cottage in Skinner Butte Park. He says he’s observed bald
eagles nesting there and raising chicks for the past four or five years. The nest can
also be seen at eye level from the trail going up Skinner Butte.
• We’re cutting library hours in Eugene to balance our city budget and
struggling with unworkable teacher-student ratios while the ill-conceived wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan have cost Eugene taxpayers $637 million so far and
counting. The human and financial costs of war are not abstract; they affect all of
us. Kudos to the folks still protesting and lobbying for peace and justice while
most people in our nation, and in Congress, just sigh and shrug.
8
June 19, 2014 • eugeneweekly.com
Kick, push, kick, push; clunk, clunk, clunk. With the official opening
of WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza June 21, those are the noises that Eugene-
ans will be hearing a lot more of. And that is music to the ears of Jeremy
Conant, the marketing director for Tactics, a Eugene-based skate, snow and
surf shop, located just blocks from the new skatepark.
Conant says via email that the park is attracting a lot of attention across
the Northwest, which is good for businesses in Eugene. Whether they are
restaurants or skate shops, Conant says that businesses are feeling the im-
pact of the park, and Tactics will be sure to seize the opportunity. “Once the
park officially opens June 21, Tactics will begin a series [of] skate competi-
tions that should attract skaters and spectators from outside Eugene, some-
times in large numbers,” Conant writes.
Conant says that because the business is private, it won’t release specific
numbers, but business has been positively impacted by the nearby skate-
park. “What’s really been exciting is the number of young people we’ve
seen coming in with friends or a parent to buy their first board.” He adds,
“It’s a great sport for promoting physical, outdoor play and building self-
esteem. I think we can credit the new park and the excitement surrounding
that with encouraging many more kids to give skateboarding a try.” As a
Eugene-born-and-raised individual, Conant hasn’t seen anything like it.
When asked how many more customers he is seeing, Conant wouldn’t
say. But he guarantees that the impact is not negative. “We’re certainly not
disappointed with what we’re seeing so far,” Conant says.
The WJ Skatepark opens June 21 from 1 to 8 pm. Skaters and bikers ride
the LTD for free to the park on opening day. — Kevin Sullivan
PHOTO BY: SAM GEHRKE / OLGEHRKEBASTARD.TUMBLR.COM
SLANT
NEWS