News

May 9, 2012 – Economy is voters’ number one issue

OPB reporter April Baer reports on the May primary elections in Eugene. The number one issue on voters’s minds? Jobs and the economy.

 

May 7, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on our mayor’s respect for POWs

Judy Greig Lawson writes about the mayor’s, council’s, and city’s williness to fly the POW/MIA flag seven days a week – starting May 1.

 

May 3, 2012 – Kitty’s opponents come out swinging… but offer few plans of their own

Ed Russo reports on the candidates forum held at Harris Hall on May 2. All three mayoral candidates were in attendance and took questions on a wide range of topics. Kitty’s opponents were quick to criticize her, but offered little in the way of alternative ideas.

 

April 30, 2012 – Kitty Piercy takes her election seriously

Despite her opponents’ lack of leadership experience, Mayor Piercy is taking this election seriously and making an effort to reach as many voters as she can this May.

 

April 15, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on Kitty Piercy’s leadership

Marilyn Milne’s letter highlights some examples of Mayor Piercy’s ability to bring people together. This is part of her leadership style and a very valuable trait in a public servant.

 

April 14, 2012 – The Register-Guard endorses Kitty Piercy

The Register-Guard writes a very good editorial endorsing Kitty Piercy for a third term as mayor. They provide a good account of her accomplishments and personal strengths. Help us out by sharing this with your friends!

 

April 11, 2012 – “This isn’t a Eugene issue – it’s a national issue.”

KVAL reports on the progress of the Opportunity Eugene task force. The task force has proposed several ideas and the city council will consider them.

 

April 10, 2012 – The Eugene City Council debates Capstone project

Many members of the community weigh in on the Capstone development project downtown. The project would bring an influx of students and could bring new businesses to the area to cater to the apartment residents. Some neighbors are concerned about noise and Capstone’s request for a tax break.

 

April 7, 2012 – Woolworth pit filled, and new building opened

The new Woolworth Building has opened near the corner of Broadway and Willamette. It was built by Chambers Construction of Eugene and came in within its budget. Mayor Piercy looks forward to continued prosperity downtown as more and more projects reach completion.

 

April 7, 2012 – Kitty Piercy kicks off Arbor Day tree planting

Eugene was recognized with a “Tree City USA” award from the Oregon Department of Forestry. Mayor Piercy kicked off a day of tree planting in Jefferson Park.

 

March 31, 2012 – The Opportunity Eugene task force has completed its work

The Opportunity Eugene task force has completed work and will make recommendation to the city council. Some of their goals are very ambitious and the path forward is unclear. Next, the city council will receive the recommendations and vote on whether or not to adopt them.

 

March 26, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on the strengths and values of Mayor Kitty Piercy

Lindi Endicott’s letter on the leadership qualities of Kitty Piercy reminds us why our mayor is so respected among those who know her

 

March 22, 2012 – 82% of Eugenians agree that a robust transit system must serve all community members

LTD released some polling data for the EmX expansion. A majority of people are supportive of the new project, and 82% of people agree that “we have a responsibility to ensure that Eugene has a robust public transportation system for all people regardless of income, age or disability so they are able to move throughout the community.”

 

March 15, 2012 – As the price of gas increases, so does AmTrak ridership

AmTrak is planning a new rail schedule between Eugene an Portland. Passenger train timing is tricky because they use the same tracks as freight trains. Also, Mayor Piercy is presiding over a meeting of the Oregon Passenger Rail Leadership Council today.

 

March 15, 2012 – City Manager Ruiz proposed a plan for Westward growth in the next 20 years

The mayor and city council have expressed a strong desire for increasingly dense urban growth. The city manager says that most of Eugene’s growth in the future will stay within the urban growth boundary, but the boundary may need to be expanded somewhat.

 

March 14, 2012 – KEZI reports on the opening of the Oregon Research Institute

The construction project on Millrace Drive is breaking ground. Most of the work will be done by subcontractors in Eugene or in the Willamette Valley. The University of Oregon, EPIC, ORI, and the developer were present for the event on March 14.

 

March 13, 2012 – The Register-Guard reports on the opportunities and concerns associated with the Capstone project downtown

The Register-Guard reports on the City Council’s opinion of the Capstone project. Mayor Piercy and councilors look forward to working on some concerns brought up by neighbors and then looking at next steps.

 

March 2, 2012 – ESPN reports on Kitty’s Rose Bowl bet with the mayor of Madison, WI

“Ducks Rose Bowl Win Keep Giving” – this time to Habitat for Humanity. Mayor Piercy bet Mayor Soglin of Madison a $500 donation to the local Habitat for Humanity. She announced the donation today at the Jacqua Center on campus.

 

March 2, 2012 – Ed Russo reports on the local Eugene races after the Feb. 29th filing deadline

Kitty Piercy has two opponents now: Kevin Prociw and Jon Walrod. Councilor Taylor also has two opponents, but the other councilors up for re-election this year (Brown, Pryor, and Ortiz) are unopposed.

 

February 23, 2012 – An update from the Eugene Weekly on the Keystone XL pipeline

Kitty Piercy stood up to fight the Keystone XL pipeline project. She was one of the first mayors from around the country to oppose the project and she helped bring other mayors on board, as well.

 

February 11, 2012 – Students benefit from Eugene and Springfield’s public transit

Associated Students of the University of Oregon (ASUO) President Ben Eckstein writes about the many benfits that LTD provides to university students in our area.

 

January 31, 2012 – New downtown student housing construction project

A new student housing project is starting up at 13th and Olive downtown. This is another one of many development projects that contributes to Eugene’s downtown revitalization.

 

January 28, 2012 – Front page Register-Guard article about our opponent

Ed Russo from the Register-Guard writes about Kitty’s opponent, Kevin Prociw in this morning’s paper.

 

January 28, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on the accomplishments of the last few years

Professor McLauchlan’s letter describes Piercy’s accomplishments downtown and her superb partnership with the University of Oregon. The city and university have collaborated recently on the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials and research projects around Eugene.

 

January 27, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on Kitty Piercy’s opposition to the Keystone pipeline

Shelley Kath, an advisor to the Natural Resource Defense Council, says that Kitty Piercy’s leadership in her opposition to the Keystone pipeline project played into President Obama’s decision to stand up for the environment.

 

January 26, 2012 – Extension of the downtown exclusion zone

It looks likely that the downtown exclusion zone will be extended on a temporary basis. It seems to have achieved its desired effect in some ways.

 

January 22, 2012 – Letter to the Editor on Piercy’s many accomplishments

Dave Funk writes a letter about Kitty Piercy’s “dogged determination” to revitalize downtown and he highlights some of her major accomplishments as mayor.

 

January 20, 2012 – Op-ed in the Register Guard about Peter Ferris

Jerry Harden writes about Peter Ferris’s and Mayor Piercy’s efforts to help manufactured home owners

 

January 14, 20012 – Letter to the Editor on Kitty’s work for the community

There’s more to being mayor that balancing a budget. Eugene does that and Kitty has helped cut $20 million from that budget. But, as the writer puts it, “The real test of leadership lies in working with the community to agree on crucial priorities, given limited resources. Piercy has done that.”

 

January 13, 2012 – LTD Ridership Surges

The Register-Guard reports that the number of Lane Transit District riders is growing rapidly. This shows the success of Eugene’s public transit system.

 

January 12, 2012 – Eugene’s surprising good news amid the Great Recession

Eugene’s 10.5 unemployment rate is slightly better than the national 10.8 percent and it’s also better than Oregon’s average of 12.7%. This is in part because of Eugene’s downtown construction and recent road repairs. Read more at the Eugene Weekly’s page.

 

January 10, 2012 – UO Appreciation Day

At the May 9, 2012 city council meeting, Mayor Piercy announced UO Apprecation Day to honorof the university’s academic successes, partnership with the city, and victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl.

 

January 9, 2012 – Our opponent makes it “official”

Our opponent has completed his candidacy filing and is jumping in the race.

 

January 6, 2012 – State of the City address: “Jobs, jobs, jobs”

Mayor Piercy gave her annual State of the City address and she outlined her goals for the city in the coming year. It’s all about “jobs, jobs, jobs”, she said.

 

January 6, 2012 – Watch the State of the City on YouTube or read the text of the speech

This article has a link to the video of Mayor Piercy’s State of the City address and links to a copy of the speech text.

 

December 7, 2011 – A city employee files a prospective petition to run for mayor

Kevin Prociw, a former-candidate for State House District 14 and a city employee, looks to enter the race. It yet to be seen if anyone else will file to run.

 

November 23, 2011 – Mayor Piercy takes a stand to oppose the Keystone XL Pipeline

Kitty Piercy is one of more than 100 mayors who have told President Obama that the Keystone proposal’s environmental impact needs to be re-examined.

 

November 10, 2011 – Daily Emerald article about the campaign and the mayor’s plans for the future of Eugene

The Daily Emerald, the campus newspaper at the University of Oregon, published a great article about Kitty’s re-election plans and her goals for the future. It also talks about the importance of winning decisively in May to avoid a drawn out campaign lasting into the fall of 2012.

 

October 30, 2011 – Register Guard editorial on the prospects for a conservative challenger

The Register Guard writes that Mayor Piercy’s impressive résumé would make her difficult to challenge. Nonetheless, there are those who are considering it and we can’t take a win for granted.

 

October 26, 2011 – The Register Guard’s Edward Russo looking forward to 2012

Edward Russo writes about the mayor’s and others’ races in the 2012 primary election. He writes about the history of mayors in Eugene and campaign issues.

 

October 25, 2011 – Mayor Piercy’s re-election announcement

Mayor Kitty Piercy announced her re-election plans for 2012. She highlighted the recent development downtown and spoke about her new campaign theme: “Better Together”. Click the link above to read the full statement.