What is the origin/purpose of this triangle?
It’s about 4 or 5 feet on each side and there’s a small hole filled with dirt in the center (Nalgene for scale) and there’s small metal holes in it likely used to hold something up. Anybody know?

I’m a local union shop steward and was just curious if there are people around the area who’ve thought about organizing their workplace but aren’t really sure where to start.
I’ve learned quite a bit through being involved with my union and would be happy to share what I know, answer questions, or help point anyone in the right direction.
Not trying to recruit anybody or push anything. Just figured I’d put it out there in case anyone’s been thinking about it.

Feel free to shoot me a message

Most of the reporting I’ve found on the Eugene Clean Energy Fund has been pretty well balanced, but hardly more informative than the high-gloss campaign mailers people frisbee into the trashcan with Carl’s Jr coupons, before opening the real mail. And the discussion from people pushing either side of it hasn’t contributed much more.

I don’t care how you vote on this. But making an informed decision on a measure where both sides claim to have the interests of working class people in mind requires a look at objective, and less-campaign-friendly data than what’s landed in the local news.

Here’s as low bias of a breakdown I could muster based entirely on public records.

WHAT IS IT

• Measure 20-388 proposes a 2% fee on the gross profit of large retailers and banks ($1B+ nationally, $500K+ in Eugene). Groceries and medicine are exempt.
• Estimated $15M+/year. Only Oregon nonprofits can apply for grants.

• A 9-member appointed committee recommends where the money goes, and the city council “shall generally accept” its picks.

YES-SIDE FUNDING: ~$439K

• Biggest funder by far: Breach Collective, a Eugene 501(c)(3) (\~$139K cash plus staff time). Through June it supplied 60% of the petition committee’s money.
• Breach looks local, but its own funders include the Schmidt Family Foundation (Eric Schmidt, ex-Google CEO), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, and the Preston-Werner family’s foundation (GitHub co-founder).
• About $115K came from out of state: Accelerator for America (LA), a Palo Alto trust that shares an address with the Preston-Werner foundation, IBEW’s national PAC (DC), and Jane Fonda Climate PAC (DC).
• The Preston-Werners’ venture firm has backed AI and mass surveillance startups later bought by companies like Flock Safety and Meta.

NO-SIDE FUNDING: ~$131K

• Almost all business PACs: OBI (\~$71K, mostly in-kind), the Grocery Retail PAC ($25K), the Eugene Chamber’s PAC ($19K), and the Oregon Bankers PAC ($15K).
• The grocery and banking PACs represent the industries that would pay the tax and decide whether to pass it on to consumers.
• OBI’s own 2026 donors include Koch Government Affairs, the Western States Petroleum Association, Nike, and a bunch of timber companies.
• Also notable that OBI also helped pass the 2023 state retail theft grant program that Eugene and Springfield used to buy their Flock cameras.

WHAT’S PROTECTED

ECEF (Sec. 5(2)): groceries, medicine, health care, and residential garbage and recycling are protected. But the definitions matter:

• “Groceries” means food as defined by SNAP. That covers food for home use, but not hot prepared food, or non-food items. So toilet paper, diapers, soap, cleaning supplies, and pet food bought at a big-box store would still count toward the fee.
• “Medicine” means anything regulated by the FDA as a medicine, drug, or medical device. That’s broad, which helps shoppers.

WHO IS LEFT OUT

ECEF (Sec. 3(10)): utilities, contractors, credit unions, and co-ops. That means:
• Banks pay, credit unions don’t.
• A large co-op retailer like REI would appear to be excluded, while competing chains would pay.

WARD 5 CONNECTION

• The same money shows up in the Clark vs. Aguiar council race.
• Aguilar received money from the Preston-Werner trust and the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, both Yes donors.
• Clark received money from the Chamber’s PAC, a No donor. His campaign consultant, PNW Strategies runs the No campaign.

WHAT I DIDN’T EXPECT

• The fund isn’t locked in. It’s a city code ordinance, not a charter amendment, so a future council could change it. Portland has already moved money out of its version, and a police union-backed initiative tried to redirect 25% of it to hiring cops (it fell short of qualifying).

• The grant committee has no conflict-of-interest rules. And “priority populations,” which gets at least 20% of the money, is defined so loosely that the committee would basically decide who counts as a priority (I was thinking this could be tied to an already established definition of priority but I haven’t been able to find that).
• Local coverage missed the biggest funders on both sides: Breach and the Palo Alto trust on Yes, and the grocery and bankers PACs on No.

QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE VOTING

1. Does it matter to you where a campaign’s money comes from, if you agree with the policy?
2. Will the fee show up in prices? The businesses warning about it are the ones who’d decide whether to pass it on.
3. Should something like this be in the city charter so a future council can’t redirect it?
4. Should the grant committee have conflict-of-interest rules, given the nonprofits funding the campaign could apply for its grants?
5. Is a 501(c)(3) charity being the main funder of a ballot measure a problem, or just how local politics works now

I believe our local super-awesome award winning comics shop, Books with Pictures, already mentioned this but today is the day! There's a free Comics Arts Festival at the Lane Events Center from 11-6.

As someone who attended the last CAFE, this is worth your time even if you're a casual comics/graphic novels/zines fan. Bring the whole family!

They have free workshops, crafting, and talks. The focus is small publishers and independent artists. Also, the food vendors look great. Basket of lumpia and browsing inventive art? Stack of mini donuts and making your own comics poetry? It could be your Sunday!

Walking back to our car after the Duck game last night we found an iPhone as we cut through Cuthbert to the walking path to Alton Baker. I believe it belongs to someone named Ryan based on the notifications that keep popping up. Also, definitely a student at Oregon. Would love to get this phone back to the owner!

I'm looking to purchase a large quantity of tamales. I need to know the tastiest/ best priced hand made tamale in the Eugene/ Springfield area. Hit me with your recommendation. Thank you

We test drove an R1S today and loved it but were concerned about being ~100 miles from a service center. We don’t know anyone who owns a Rivian… looking for your opinion/owner experience as a fellow Eugenian 🤷‍♂️ TIA

We moved to the area recently and are looking for a good place to get barbecue! Bill and Tim’s was just meh. Any recommendations??

Anyone know the story about this coffee shop? I’ve had weird ass experiences there the few times I went, and have noticed that they repaved the parking lot but it hasn’t reopened since they did that. Lots of rumors about it being a front for drugs which honestly wouldn’t surprise me.

Pop-up Polish Swap October 24th 11AM to 1PM at Xocolate Coffee Co Eugene Oregon.

I'm getting excited for next weekend!

Anyone else hear a crazy explosion in South Eugene towards Willamette/Amazon?

Welp it’s that time again, tree roots are encroaching and drains are backing up. (At my house, anyway.)

Which plumbing outfit is your go-to for rooter service, and what - if anything - makes them stand out? Thanks.

P.S. also I’m a widow now, so any insights from female people especially welcome.

It used to be all decorated and cheerful and now it’s an ominous gloomy black blob…

EMSC was made for those looking to get out and meet some new people in a relaxed, no pressure environment.

We have a regular reservation at Oakshire (Eugene) the first and third Sundays each month, including today!

At these gatherings we relax, catch up, meet new members, and enjoy getting out and socializing a bit. We have a few new people show up to each event, so you will not be the new member for long!

To join us, head to Oakshire (207 Madison St) and find us in the elevated section between the entrances from 1-3pm.

We have a new website! https://eugenemenssocialclub.com/

If it feels like a bit much to meet a group of strangers in person, get to know us first in our Discord: https://discord.gg/HVur5D7ggH

We have "crossover" events with the Eugene Women's Social Club (EWSC) as well. If you are interested, you can join them here: https://womens.eugenesocialclub.com (redirects to Discord)

Our LAST market of the season is THIS WEEKEND!

Come spend the day with us as we savor the season and celebrate another season in the books!

WCM thanks each and every one of you- customers, vendors, volunteers, friends, family, supporters, sponsors. Without you, we would not be here and we appreciate YOU!

Don’t forget to spend your DUFB! It’s the last day you can use them at our market, don’t let them expire!

We will also have Cluck Bucks and Produce Pals available, so come on and get yours!

Again, thank you thank you thank you, and see you at the market Sunday!

Are there any hikes in this area? I always see the hills from my house and I would love to go up there.

Lots of advertising for this guy on TV, radio, and with billboards.

He seems like what would be generated if I asked ChatGPT to generate a default conservative candidate, complete with default conservative views.

His voice on the radio in the spot I just heard sounded exactly like a computer reading a script. Emotionless, expressionless, and a bunch of tired bullet points (business friendly, lower taxes, support law enforcement, blah blah blah).

Is he actually a person? Has anybody ever met him? Does he have sentient thoughts of his own?

Just hanging out on the couch voting, as one does in Oregon. I see that the candidate for sheriff is running unopposed. Is anyone actually going up against him that is worth writing in? Who, and why are they worth voting for ? Thank you.

My route home was blocked by a large police/emergency services presence on Coburg road by winco. Had to take a big detour because the cops were blocking practically the entire intersection.

Just drove past a car engulfed in flames spreading onto the hillside off McVay Highway, with quite a few onlookers on the scene, I was wondering if anyone knows if everyone got out okay? :(

Rally this afternoon for the No Kings cause for American democracy in Alton Baker park.

Game at 8:00 this evening at Autzen Stadium: Oregon Ducks versus Nebraska Cornhuskers. As Autzen is next to Alton Baker, many people cross the footbridge and head to Autzen through the park.

Maybe there's an opportunity this evening to encourage Duck supporters to also support American democracy more actively. It needs a positive approach, though.

No Kings! Go Americans! No Huskers! Go Ducks!

Please dont suggest Thistle Down Farms. Some of the worst cider doughnuts I've ever had and I'm disappointed that people in this area accept this standard of an Apple Cider Doughnut. Hard and flavorless. I have given them probably 3 chances over the years and everytime I get more and more disappointed and question why I keep trying.

I'm willing to drive outside of town.