Happy Sunday, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

Community Voices was a bit of a mixed bag last week: Letters and guest columns came in, but no clear theme. So let’s just jump right in.

Warner Creek and a legacy of protest

My favorite op-ed last week came from Eugene writer Tom Derungs. He reflected on the upcoming 30th anniversary of local eco-activists’ blockade of Forest Service Road 2408 at Warner Creek, east of Oakridge, which led to the successful blocking of a salvage logging operation there.

Three Eugene activists, all named Tim, were instrumental in the protests, and they’re still active around town today.

“The activists won. Salvage logging was blocked. And that time and place has been documented, forever becoming inspiration for grassroots activists the world over,” Derungs wrote.

State support for local news

Another guest column touched on a subject near and dear to me and hopefully you: supporting local journalism.

Tim Gleason, a Eugene resident and University of Oregon professor emeritus who served as dean of the School of Journalism and Communication for more than 15 years, wrote that the time is ripe for Oregon lawmakers to invest in the future of local newsrooms, through state funding for fellowships, tax credits for news organizations and mandates for government agencies to advertise in local news organizations.

“These and other initiatives being considered in state legislatures should be high on the agenda in the next session. The civic culture of our communities — indeed, the future of democracy — demands that we find ways to revive journalism in the public interest,” Gleason wrote.

Business thoughts

A pair of letter-writers weighed in on some recent Eugene business news. Zac Baz, a Leaburg resident, read the news of a third vehicle crash into Bar Purlieu’s in-street seating patio on Willamette Street, and wrote that it’s high time for Eugene to pull the plug on street dining altogether.

“There are many areas in downtown Eugene with extremely limited space for parking. The restaurants doing this don’t need to really be doing it anymore regardless,” Baz wrote.

And in response to the news of an unidentified client asking the city of Eugene if the former Hynix factory in west Eugene can be used as a data center, Eugene letter-writer Jean Cottel wrote that city zoning codes need an update to address the environmental threats data centers pose.

“I suspect (city) code was written well before the existence of data centers. The number and description of ‘offensive external impacts’ needs to be updated to have water and power consumption included,” Cottel wrote.

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recent Letters TO THE EDITOR

No, America was not founded on Christian nationalism | Letter to the editor

A data center in the Hynix building? Eugene code needs an update to prevent it. | Letter to the editor

It’s time to pump the brakes on in-street dining patios | Letter to the editor

Trump is working hard to destroy the American experiment | Letter to the editor

Oregon needs a statewide fireworks ban | Letter to the editor

Column on religion’s role in America’s story missed the point | Letter to the editor

Don’t let politics break a lifesaving partnership | Letter to the editor

Litigation is not the best way to protect animals or watersheds | Letter to the editor

Should Eugene and Springfield merge? It’s worth considering. | Letter to the editor

Critics of EPD would benefit from some nuance | Letter to the editor

recent guest opinions

A new business model for local news is emerging. Oregon lawmakers should support it.

Three Tims and a forest: Remembering the Warner Creek blockade, 30 years later

Sensible policy in Oregon: Tax the wealthy more, and middle-, lower-class folks less

Send us your Letter to the Editor — lte@lookoutlocal.com

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For more than a decade, Elon Glucklich covered business, government and health care for several dailies and online news organizations across Oregon. His reporting and commentary has been recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists and the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.