Morning Lookout: Using art to help unhoused, Johnny Ocean’s Grille

Good morning, Lookout Eugene-Springfield,

It was a busy weekend — between an atmospheric river that moved through (good news if you missed it: another one is set to come through this weekend), the Ducks’ surviving against Wisconsin and the Eugene Halloween event, lots was going on.

And speaking of the Halloween event, Lookout Eugene-Springfield opened our offices for trick-or-treaters to get candy, stickers and a portrait in our studio. Click here to see the pictures taken by Craig Strobeck.

Halloween portraits Credit: Craig Strobeck

New this morning:

Six people recently graduated from a new course on arts entrepreneurship run by Community Supported Shelters. As Annie Aguiar describes, the class is designed to teach unhoused people business skills to sell their creative work.

Bob Welch tells the story of Johnny Ocean’s Grille in Oakway Center, a favorite for him and his wife. The restaurant, which has operated for nearly 40 years, was owned by Shawn Rahimian until he sold it to one of his servers, Windy Barnes, last year. It’s a touching story of overcoming multiple obstacles to remain a local institution.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration sent the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education to nine institutions offering “substantial and meaningful federal grants” to those that sign. The University of Oregon was not among the nine, and it has not issued a statement in support of or against the compact.

Finally, Tyson Alger takes a look back at the Ducks’ win over Wisconsin and while the style points might have been lacking, the end result was what counts and that’s a win going into a bye week.

Here are some other stories posted this weekend you might have missed:

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Class aims to help unhoused people learn to make and sell their own art

By Annie Aguiar

A small cohort of six people graduated from a new course on arts entrepreneurship, teaching people who found housing through Community Supported Shelters business skills to sell their creative work.

Not just a place to eat: This restaurant is the heart of a community

By Bob Welch

Local restaurants and pubs are ports in the storm: Touches of realness amid the online pomp and posturing. Places to escape the political madness. Steady points in a changing world. Establishments where everybody might not know your name, but a waiter or two might. And sometimes that’s all you need. But they are fragile, given […]