Morning Lookout: Planning for a weekend of demonstrations

Good morning, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

Welcome to the weekend, which will be a busy one. If you didn’t see the story from our Dean Rea Intern, Lucas Hellberg, there are two planned protests, the No Kings rally (which is moving to Springfield after the first two were in Eugene) and a Palm Sunday demonstration led by local clergy and congregations.

Lookout will be at both with reports through the weekend.

Annie Aguiar has a favorite tree. It sits inside Springfield’s Island Park. She describes it as a “tall, leafy tree, a natural boundary between the park itself and the river.” Earlier this week, she asked if I had a favorite tree. I said I didn’t.

But then I started thinking about the tree that stands at my aunt’s — now cousin’s — farmhouse in Berkshire, New York. The home sits behind a cemetery, and the gigantic maple was a magnet for gathering. Almost every summer around Independence Day, the extended family would head to Berkshire to sit and eat under that tree. It’s been decades since I visited, but my little brother shared a photo from a recent gathering. The tree still stands. It’s bigger now, and like so many in the photo, it has aged. But it still anchors the land, provides refuge from the sun, and provides a perfect place to celebrate — family, as much as a holiday.

I guess I do have a favorite tree. Annie wants to know what yours is.

Details on the building that is planned for the lot north of the Farmers Market Pavilion are starting to come into focus. Grace Chinowsky was at a meeting this week where Paradigm Properties President Dan Neal shared some details about what he wants to build.

One of my favorite “I need to take someone to lunch” destinations is Bao Bao House. Steamed buns and dumplings are some of my favorite foods. That’s why I was excited to read Taylor Goebel’s feature on a new dumpling place on Coburg Road, Steam & Soul Dumplings. It’s now on my “must try” list.

Stories you might have missed Thursday:

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Details emerge for multistory building coming to downtown Eugene’s ‘North Butterfly’ lot

By Grace Chinowsky

The project’s price tag has grown to roughly $60 million, with the funding gap still to be determined, and it will break ground in about a year and half.

New in Eugene: Try handmade dumplings at Steam & Soul

By Taylor Goebel

Steam & Soul Dumplings serves up a variety of Chinese dumplings, comforting Taiwanese noodle soups, stir fry straight from the wok, along with classic takeout fare. The restaurant opened mid-March off Coburg Road in Eugene.