We are recharging the Opinion section at Lookout Eugene-Springfield: Welcome Elon Glucklich

The opinion section of a newspaper is essentially its town square.

It is where you all share viewpoints and urge your community and elected officials to do better. 

It’s where we all come up with solutions to make Lane County better, to do what we all can in this vital democracy.

When we spoke with many of you in planning and forming Lookout Eugene-Springfield, you told us how fundamental a robust opinion section would be — one flowing with passionate ideas, good arguments to and fro, op-eds, letters to the editor and editorials. Now, five months into our launch, all these efforts are about to get a shot in the arm with the addition of Elon Glucklich as our new Lookout Eugene-Springfield opinion editor.

Elon is a local; a political science, journalism and MBA graduate from UO; and an alum of The Register-Guard. He spent more than a decade in Oregon newsrooms, covering business and healthcare, among other topics.

He knows Lane County and brings a passion to making it better. He’s already been in touch with those who had built the R-G’s impressive opinion presence over the years, before corporate ownership dismantled it.

“I’m thrilled to join a team that’s part of reinvigorating journalism in Lane County, at a time when local stories feel so important but often get drowned out by national and global news,” Elon said. “I’m looking forward to turning Lookout’s Community Voices section into a public forum, where residents across Eugene, Springfield and the rest of Lane County debate issues passionately but respectfully.”

You’ve already seen Elon’s impressive work in Lookout, given his good and well-read contributions since we launched. 

He’ll be expanding what we’ve done so far with numerous guest columnists — including Duane Noriyuki — and the growth in our Letters to the Editor section. You’ll also see a steady flow of editorials, such as the one we published on the LCC board mess recently, as we aim to help lead community discussion.

Elon starts Sept. 17, and I cannot wait to have him join us, bringing his passion for Eugene, Springfield and journalism to Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Want to be a part of this town square? Click here to see our guidelines for Letters to the Editor and Guest Columns.

We want to hear what you think, and we periodically host Lookout Listens sessions where we invite members of the community to talk with us about what’s important to you. If you want to attend a Lookout Listens session let us know.

What’s the best way to stay in touch

There are multiple ways to keep up with the news from Lookout Eugene-Springfield. The best way is to download our free app.  Having our app on your phone or tablet ensures that you have quick access to the latest news from Lane County’s largest newsroom, including push notifications to ensure you see what’s important without having to wait. You can download our free app for Apple devices and Android devices.

ICYMI: What we have been working on

We are in the midst of the five-year anniversary of the Holiday Farm Fire that devastated a large swath of the McKenzie River valley. Mike McInally has been working with our team to not just look back on the fire, but see how the area has recovered in the five years since. 

Ben Botkin kicked off our coverage with a look at roadblocks that have stood in the way of residents being able to rebuild and the creation of the McKenzie Community Land Trust, a nonprofit aimed at making recovery easier.

Wednesday, Annie Aguiar re-introduced us to Christiana Rainbow Plews, who was fire chief of the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District five years ago. Plews was thrust into the national spotlight as the fire quickly raged out of control.

Vanessa Salvia takes you to the Vida Cafe to meet Brian and Kellie Cline, who lost their home in the fire, but continue to serve the community at their restaurant, which was spared.

And today, Lillian Schrock-Clevenger talks with Daisy Cruz and Kelly Shaw. Cruz is a community health worker in Blue River who connects patients to community resources. Shaw is a school-based counselor who helps students process the grief that the fire left in its ashes.

The Holiday Farm Fire destroyed homes and acres of forests. But it was people – friends, family, neighbors – that were most affected and changed. Keeping people at the center of our coverage is important to the Lookout newsroom and is key to telling the story of the aftermath of this fire.

We have more coverage of how the area is recovering from the fire, so keep checking back with Lookout Eugene-Springfield.

Tyson Alger, our Ducks correspondent, continues to offer his unique spin on University of Oregon athletics including a weekly video series, The Inside Look, alongside former UO player and college coach Ken Woody, and his weekly Lookout Lookback which analyzes the previous game and looks forward to what’s next for the Ducks. If you haven’t signed up for The Ducks Report, his weekly newsletter, you are missing out on even more of his great work.

Earlier this year, the property that housed the J.H. Baxter plant was declared a Superfund site. Ashli Blow, environmental and health correspondent, has been following the story and earlier this week took a deep dive into how what happened there might have impacted the popular Pre’s Trail, which sits atop a former dump used by J.H. Baxter.

Journalism like this is possible only because of our members. If you are already a member, thank you. If you have not yet joined, now is a good time to become a Lookout Eugene-Springfield member.

We just made your job hunt easier

We recently launched the Lookout Job Board – your place to find great jobs in Lane County.

If you are looking for your first job or are thinking about a career change or just need a second job to make ends meet, our job board shows you local opportunities from local employers.

Our Job Board is also a great place for local businesses and organizations with positions to find local talent.

Check out the latest job openings here. Click here to get your job listed on our job board.

Come meet us

We had a great time at the Springfield Block Party last week talking with residents about Lookout Eugene-Springfield. It was the first of several community events we will be at in the coming weeks.

Others include the Eugene Bright Parade and AfterParty on Sept. 27 at the Farmers Market Pavilion and the Fall Lane County Home Improvement Show, to be held Oct. 17-19 at the Lane Events Center. And we are usually set up next to the Eugene Saturday Market, which happens to be right outside our back door on the west side of the Farmers Market Pavilion.

We will be there to meet and talk with you about Lookout and what is happening in your community that we should know about.

If you are there, come by and say hi.

Thank you for supporting Lookout Eugene-Springfield.