Lookout PM: Italian food

Good evening,

It’s Wednesday, which means: let’s talk about Italian food. Why not?

Vanessa Salvia profiles longtime Eugene chef Rocky Maselli and his two current ventures: the mobile food truck Pizzaria DOP and the sit-down Osteria DOP, both of which are products of a long career dedicated to authentic Italian cuisine.

Remember that transportation bill the Oregon Legislature passed a few weeks ago? It raises the gas tax and increases various vehicle fees. Republican state lawmakers are waiting for Gov. Tina Kotek to sign it into law, so they can start collecting signatures to refer it to the ballot and let voters weigh in.

If you go through security at the Eugene Airport, you may see Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem onscreen telling you she hopes you have a “pleasant” experience at the airport — before she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown. Some airports have refused to play the video, calling it overly political. Eugene officials say TSA owns the screen, and the city has no control over what plays on it.

If your travels are more of the automotive variety, know that the city is going to be working tomorrow and Friday on traffic signals on Sixth, Seventh, 11th and 13th avenues, as well as River Road and Highway 99. Traffic lights may be flashing red at times. In case you don’t remember your Oregon Drivers Manual, that means: (1) behave like it is a four-way stop; (2) behave nicely, so everyone has a pleasant experience.

The debate continues over Flock Safety license-plate reader cameras, with a letter today in support of the crime-fighting potential of the technology.

Send us a letter of your own. (350 words or less, please): lte@lookoutlocal.com

Or if you have a news tip on something we should cover: newsroom@lookoutlocal.com

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DAILY DIGEST

Italian authenticity has been the quest of Rocky Maselli’s winding culinary journey

By Vanessa Salvia

His newest ventures in Eugene are Pizzeria DOP and Osteria DOP, one a simple food truck that belies its authentic wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, and the other a sit-down family-style experience with pizza, pasta, cocktails and a lot more.

As GOP plans to put gas tax hike to voters, Kotek waits to sign bill

By Mia Maldonado / Oregon Capital Chronicle

Republicans cannot start gathering signatures until the transportation legislation that passed during a recent special session is signed into law. Despite the governor’s delay the leader of “No Tax Oregon” says he is confident the group will have enough time to get the issue on the ballot.

Eugene says it has no control over Kristi Noem video at airport’s security checkpoint

By Michael Zhang

Airports throughout the country — including in Portland — have refused to show a public service announcement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in which she blames Democrats for the federal government shutdown. However, the video is playing at the Eugene Airport, at a single monitor tucked into the airport’s Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. “It is […]

Traffic signal work will mean blinking red lights, delays on major Eugene streets

By Jaime Adame

Drivers in Eugene should expect delays on several crosstown and other major streets with traffic signals blinking red on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 16 and 17, the city announced Wednesday.