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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EUGENEWEEKLY.COM • DECEMBER 24, 2015
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