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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 2015)
Kari Johnson WHITEAKER ARTIST AND Lucas. I dream that Eugene will be the one good-looking, popular athlete willing to stop the awkward nerd from getting bullied. Not just because it’s the right thing to do, but also because Lucas is special! Because the world needs Lucas just the way he is. Eugene needs the Whiteaker. And not just as a late-night hangout or a stop on the “Isn’t Eugene cool!?!” driving tour. We need it to inspire us; to remind many of us why we moved here or stayed here in the fi rst place. Landlords, patrons of the businesses, city offi cials all have the opportunity to be (1980s) Charlie Sheen. Hopefully what is left of the neighborhood we love so much can get a slow clap before the credits roll! FUTURE BACCHANALIAN CELEBRANT Pete Sorenson keeping chain establishments out of the area and showing everyone what Eugene is really all about. I would love to see more help and programs directed towards local small-business owners making their dreams come true and using the Whiteaker as a springboard to build unique brands that mirror the amazing community we have built. Ninkasi, Oakshire, Papa’s, Sandwich League, Izakaya Meiji, Tacovore, The Guild, Red Barn and many others have built amazing businesses and I would love to see the trend continue. I dream of Whiteaker Past, wild and unruly, crawling with anarchists, forest defenders, artists, musicians, old storytellers, organizers, Latinos, the working poor, all sheltered and connected by webs of relationships spun for a hundred years in Eugene’s oldest neighborhood. Out of relationships comes art, poetry, social justice, creative extravaganzas by and for the people. Whiteaker — a creative destination, funneling the best off of I-5 … Riiiinnnnng! Wake up to Whiteaker Present: an alcohol destination. Aside from turning the whole neighborhood into the East Blair (low-income) Housing Co-op, there’s no saving it. But, unlike a bigger city where gentrifi cation pushes the poor to fi nd another village, Eugene has no other village. You need pedestrians, a center, a park … cheap rent. Whiteaker is dispersing to Portland, Springfi eld, Bethel. Whiteaker — “We Are Bethel!” Ooooo … getting sleepy … I see … Future Whiteaker becoming, in the moment before Starbucks, a drunken bacchanalia! Tourists pedal the drunk wagon past the mayor’s house to arenas where they pay to fi ght and wrestle in beer, spectators screaming. On platforms, drunk college students and middle-class suburbanites cavort in orgiastic public sex. Fucking and fi ghting! Realizing the full cultural potential of alcohol! Proceeds go to helping Whiteaker residents relocate. Sam Hahn PRESIDENT OF WHITEAKER COMMUNITY COUNCIL, CO-OWNER BLAIRALLY My dream for Eugene is that the general population of the city and city offi cials start to protect the Whiteaker like the treasure that it is. Sorta picturing Charlie Sheen protecting Corey Haim in LANE COUNTY COMMISSIONER As the Lane County Commissioner for the Whiteaker neighborhood, it’s my privilege to represent this vibrant and exciting area of Eugene. This was Eugene Skinner’s neighborhood and had its very beginning when Eugene and Mary Skinner located their log cabin on the banks of the Willamette River. Later in 1890, Oregon’s fi rst governor, John Whiteaker, bought 10 blocks in the neighborhood. Whiteaker, also known increasingly as “the Whit,” is the home of a vibrant group of people, kids, elders and businesses. My hope for the future is that there will be a range of housing types, so that the poor aren’t pushed out of the neighborhood, and that local businesses can stay local. The Whit is home of Eugene’s mayor, Kitty Piercy, home of Ninkasi Brewing Company, home of Arcimoto and literally thousands of creative artists and businesses. Some of the most famous places and things in Eugene are found in the Whit. In my work, I’ve enjoyed the unique celebrations in the neighborhood, spoken to the Whiteaker Community Council (WCC is Eugene’s fi rst neighborhood organization), toured businesses small and large and knocked on hundreds of doors as a part of my campaign. Whiteaker is a neighborhood with promise. One specifi c problem I’ve learned about is parking. There are more people coming down to the neighborhood in the evenings and nights, and the public transportation is lacking. Working with the WCC, I’m hoping for improved transportation options — so that other Eugeneans and tourists can enjoy the neighborhood without the complications and problems of cars being illegally parked in the neighbor’s front lawns. Whiteaker also needs social services because the homeless there need a better place to live. Many people in Eugene have heard of the Egan Warming Centers. These centers are named for Major Thomas Egan, a homeless veteran who died on Blair Avenue near the railroad tracks. It’s my hope that we will be able to make a dent in the homeless problem over the coming year. Oprah Winfrey said, about the concept of a “New Year” that she’d send “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” On housing and transportation, it’s my hope that that thought applies to the Whit. Trudy Bauchery BURLESQUE PRODUCER, PERFORMER My creativity was nurtured as a child in the Midwest, but it has come into its own in the Whiteaker. The Whiteaker is a safe haven for the freaks and misfi ts. And I’m proud and honored to be one of them. There are many fi ne establishments in the neighborhood that keep this mojo pumping, but I want to see more spaces that focus energy towards communal artistic expression. Get it out into the streets, onto the stages and under the lights. Emily Nyman WHITEAKER COMMUNITY COUNCIL, CO-OWNER OF OLD NICK’S My dream for the Whiteaker neighborhood is that we have a communal, all-ages, drug- and-alcohol free space for artists and musicians. Our neighborhood is made unique by all the artwork on display. From the hostel to the G-Spot, The Porch of Distinction to the Whiteaker Tattoo Collective, murals and art installations are on display in the yards and on the homes of residents. Many of these artists live on an extremely low income, and as the Whiteaker gains popularity as a Eugene nightlife destination, there is growing concern they will be gentrifi ed and priced out of the very places they have helped turn into unique and special art installations. We need a gathering space for these artists, a housing project where artists can live in-residence and display art, promote live music and share ideas or visions for our neighborhood. This kind of space is already somewhat in place with The Boreal. It’s a fi nancial struggle, however, to fi nd the right support to keep this kind of project going. We need a better location for The Boreal in the Whit, where artists can support a space by paying rent, with a large communal area to also serve as a spot for music, art classes, art display and meetings. With donations, hard work and city-wide support, this kind of artists’ town hall will be the springboard to keep the groovy art vibe alive and thriving in our community! 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