Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 3, 2016)
LET TERS VOTE FOR FAHEY If you live in House District 14, chanc- es are Julie Fahey has knocked on your door. Why? Because by going door to door, she starts a dialogue with the people she will represent and gets to know your concerns and issues. This way she can better represent you when she gets to Sa- lem. Fahey will take her obligation to serve her district seriously. She is no late arrival to District 14. She has lived in her district for eight years, with her home in the Churchill area. Infor- mation to the contrary is just plain wrong. Fahey is supported by many organi- zations, from Oregon State Firefighters Council to Working Families. She values education, children and families. Vote for Julie Fahey and you will be sending a hard- working advocate who cares enough about District 14 to get to your door and she will represent you that same way in Salem. Mary Lou Vignola Eugene SKOV CALLS FOR PROCESS Brian Weaver is entitled to his own opinions but not his own facts. I’m writing to correct some of the egregious misrep- resentations in his recent hit piece against me and my campaign (“Rezoning and the Ward 1 Election”), in particular, regarding South Willamette planning. Contrary to Weaver’s undocumented VIEWPOINT claims, I have called repeatedly for “a pro- cess that truly engages residents,” includ- ing either a refinement plan or the equiv- alent. I support a process that upholds all “Seven Pillars of Envision Eugene,” including to “protect, repair and enhance neighborhood livability.” I urge a fact-based quantitative ap- proach that will allow our community to decide how to plan for growth realistically. See my detailed comments from the Sept. 19 Mayor’s Forum: joshuaskov.com/pub- lic_comment_on_south_willamette_sep- tember_19_2016. More broadly, Weaver or anyone else can see my positions on issues: joshuas- kov.com/issues. It is disappointing that so many indi- viduals backing my opponent have chosen to put more energy into attacking me with misleading and untrue statements than into real discussion of the positions I have actu- ally taken. I am proud to be running a positive campaign focused on the issues, and I ask for your vote. Joshua Skov Candidate for Eugene City Council Ward 1 SATURDAY MARKET What about the downtown future for Eugene Saturday Market? The organiza- tion itself is a community of generations and is almost a tiny town that comes to life every Saturday like a magical Brigadoon. About half of its active membership de- pends on the market for primary income, while the other half depends on it for sup- plementary income. The market is a group of about 500 local artisan members who set up booths in two park blocks every Saturday from April through mid-November. Then, every weekend up to Dec. 24, the group sets up inside the county fairgrounds building for its Holiday Market. There are professional local potters, jewelers, painters, weavers and photogra- phers. There are skilled tailors, hand drum makers, glass blowers and metal sculptors. There is soap, make-up, doll clothes, felt hats, brooms, tie-died T-shirts and novelty items. There are licensed kitchen booths that cook hot international meals right on the spot, coffee that is always ready and many delicious delights. Plus, hundreds of well-run shows of pop, folk, rock, hip hop and all genres of competitive local musicians and dancers are featured on the small outdoor stage ev- ery year. All of the shows are offered free to the public as cultural gifts to the city from the Saturday Market. So, what might help? It would help to remove the illegal, ominous yard sale that squats in the adjacent Free Speech Plaza on Saturdays and pretends to be part of the Saturday Market. This year their uninvit- ed presence even blocks out the political booths that have always been there for na- tional and state elections! Other than that, real bathrooms would be nice. But wherever the city’s buildings are finally built, please preserve the iconic Eugene Saturday Market downtown set- ting for another four and a half decades, at least. Deb Huntley Saturday Market member Eugene YES ON 98 As parent of two girls at South Eugene High School, I am passionate about Mea- sure 98, because it targets money directly where it is most needed: programs to im- prove our abysmal high school graduation rate and better prepare all of our students for the 21st century workforce. Thirty-two percent of all Oregon high school students don’t graduate on time — that’s 10,000 students a year — and high school dropouts suffer double the rate of poverty of high school graduates. While I fully expect my daughters to graduate, I also want all of their fellow stu- dents to graduate, too, so that their genera- tion has the best chance of succeeding. We all know they will face many challenges! So please join my family and vote yes on Measure 98 to improve Oregon high BY LISA GA RDNER Planned Parenthood Turns 100 CELEBRATING #100YEARSSTRONG F or the past century, Planned Parenthood has transformed sexual and reproductive health and empowered millions of people worldwide to make informed health decisions — forever changing the way they live, love, learn and work. To commemorate our centennial, we are kicking off #100YearsStrong, a yearlong effort of acting, sharing and celebrating the progress Planned Parenthood has championed for women and families over the past 100 years. We’ve made incredible gains during our first century. Birth control, once out of reach, is widely available. Abortion, once driven into back alleys, is safe and legal, and we continue to fight to make it accessible for women. Planned Parent- hood, once a single brownstone in Brooklyn, has approximately 650 health cen- ters across the country. We are proud to serve millions of people, and are inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations. Our doors are open to everyone. The history of Planned Parenthood and the reproductive rights movement is as complicated as our nation’s. There have been moments of great progress and triumph — along with moments of great struggles and missteps. And through all of this, we have learned, grown and emerged a stronger movement. Oregon is a leader in protecting reproductive rights and access to health care. It is the only state with no restrictions to abortion access, and it supports robust fam- ily planning services and access to family planning health centers. Oregon was the first state to adopt a statewide youth sexual health plan inclusive of all young people. The holistic action plan focuses on all aspects of youth sexual health and development, aiming to ensure young people have access to information and re- sources to make informed, responsible decisions. This year also marks Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon’s (PPSO) 50th anniversary. 4 November 3, 2016 • eugeneweekly.com PPSO is dedicated to helping young people develop healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors that serve them well throughout their lives. For more 50 years, we have been committed to providing comprehensive sex education to all ages, and training for those who work with and care about young people. As the largest and most respected provider of sex education in Oregon, our programs reach more than 8,000 youth and adults each year. We provide pro- grams that include workshops and trainings for parents, faith leaders, educators and others who work with families and youth. Our goal is to expand the network of supportive adults who are prepared and available to teach young people about sexual health. In Planned Parenthood’s second century, our mission is to build a country where all people have access to the care they need and the ability to raise children safely. That means channeling resources where they are most needed and building equity into a healthcare system that has left many communities behind. In the past 10 years Planned Parenthood has nearly doubled the number of male patients we see nationally. Planned Parenthood believes that reproductive rights are deeply connected to LGBTQ rights and is proud to be a critical health care provider for many in LGBTQ communities. And we’re just getting started. We will not rest until access to health care and reproductive justice is a reality for all people. We will build on our proud legacy to launch our second century with as much passion, courage and conviction as our first. Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon is looking forward to serving the diverse members of our community for the next 100 years. Lisa Gardner is the president and CEO for Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon.