The city of 'Eugene' is the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about 60 miles (100 km) east of the Oregon Coast. Eugene is the third largest city (estimated population 148,595 as of 2006) and has the third largest metropolitan population in the state of Oregon.[1] Eugene had long been the state's second largest city after Portland, but was overtaken by Salem in terms of population around 2004.[2]
Eugene is home to the University of Oregon. The city is also noted for its natural beauty, activist political leanings, alternative lifestyles, recreation opportunities (especially bicycling, rafting, and kayaking), and arts focus. Eugene's motto is "The World's Greatest City of the Arts and Outdoors." It is also referred to as "The Emerald Empire," "The Emerald City," "The People's Republic of Eugene," and "Track Town, USA" or "The Track Capital of the World." The Nike corporation had its beginnings in Eugene.
Eugene is named after its founder, Eugene Franklin Skinner. In 1846, Skinner erected the first cabin in the area. It was used as a trading post and was dubbed as a post office in 1850. At this time it was known as Skinner's Mudhole.[3] Skinner founded Eugene in 1862 and later ran a ferry service across the Willamette River where the Ferry Street Bridge now stands.
Columbia College was founded around the same area as the University of Oregon, a few years earlier, but fell victim to two different major fires over four years, and it was decided not to rebuild it again. Even today, people commonly refer to a part of south Eugene as "College Hill," because it was the former location of Columbia College (there is no college there today).
The town raised the initial funding to start a public University, which later became the University of Oregon, with the hope of turning the small town into a cultural center of learning. In 1872, the Legislative Assembly passed a bill ratifying the University. The nearby town of Albany was Eugene's biggest competitor to provide a home for this institute. In 1873, community member J. H. D. Henderson donated the hilltop land for the campus, overlooking the city. The University first opened in 1876 with regents electing first faculty and naming John Wesley Johnson as president with the first students registering on 16 October, 1876. It would not be until 1877 that the first building would be completed; it would be later known as Deady Hall (for the first Board of Regents President and community leader Judge Matthew P. Deady.) The University of Oregon has been a leader in diversity since its very beginning; its inaugural class included two Japanese students. However, today less than 400 of the approximate 16,000 undergrads are African-American.
Eugene is the home of Oregon's largest publicly owned electric utility, the Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB), which got its start in the first decade of the 20th century after a typhoid epidemic was traced to the groundwater supply. Eugene condemned the private utility and began treating river water (first the Willamette, but now the McKenzie) for domestic use. EWEB got into the electric business when power was needed for the water pumps and excess electricity was used for street lighting.
Geography and climate
Geography
Eugene is located at (44.057663, -123.110345) (see Geographic references) at an elevation of 426 feet.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 105.0 km² (40.6 mi²). 104.9 km² (40.5 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi² or 0.10%) of it is water.
To the north of downtown is Skinner Butte park. Hendricks Park, situated upon a knoll to the east of downtown, is known for its Rhododendron Garden and nearby memorial to Steve Prefontaine, known as Pre's Rock, where the legendary University of Oregon runner was killed in an auto accident. Alton Baker Park, along the Willamette river contains Pre's Trail and Owens Rose Garden. A climb up Spencer Butte, south of the city, offers a look at Eugene and the headwaters of the Willamette. Mount Pisgah Arboretum, to the east, is another large and special park, and host to the annual mushroom festival.
Eugene contains urban forest. The University of Oregon campus is itself an arboretum, with over 500 species of trees. The city operates and maintains scenic hiking trails that pass through and across the ridges of a cluster of hills in the southern portion of the city, on the fringe of residential neighborhoods. Some trails allow biking and others are for hikers and runners only.
The Willamette and McKenzie rivers run through Eugene and its neighboring city, Springfield.
Climate
Eugene's mean annual temperature is 52.1 °F (11.2 °C);The National Climatic Data Center its annual rainfall is 50.9 inches (1293 mm). Eugene is actually colder on average than Portland, despite being located about 100 miles (approx. 160 km) south and having only a marginally higher elevation. Eugene's average July low temperature is 52.7 °F (11.5 °C),[4] while Portland's average July low is 56.5 °F (13.6 °C).[5] Average winter temperatures (and summer high temperatures) are similar for the two cities. This disparity may be largely caused by Portland's urban heat island, where the combination of black pavement and urban energy use can actually raise the temperature. A lesser heat island may also exist in downtown Eugene.
Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
As of the census of 2000, there were 137,893 people, 58,110 households, and 31,321 families residing in the city. As of July 1, 2003, the US Census Bureau estimated the population of Eugene to be 142,185. The city's population is expected to further grow to 228,400 within the next 10 years. The population density was 1,313.9/km² (3,403.2/mi²). There were 61,444 housing units at an average density of 585.5/km² (1,516.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.15% White, 3.57% Asian, 1.25% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 0.21% Pacific Islander, 2.18% from other races, and 3.72% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 58,110 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.1% were non-families. 31.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the city, the population was spread out with 20.3% under the age of 18, 17.3% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,850, and the median income for a family was $48,527. Males had a median income of $35,549 versus $26,721 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,315. About 8.7% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
In 1944, Eugene adopted a council-manager form of government, replacing the day-to-day management of city affairs by the part-time mayor and volunteer city council with a full-time professional city manager. The subsequent history of Eugene city government has largely been one of the dynamics—often contentious—between the city manager, the mayor and city council.
Nine people have held the city manager position. These include Deane Seeger (1945-49), Oren King (1949-53), Robert Finlayson (1953-59), Hugh McKinley (1959-75), Charles Henry (1975-80), Mike Gleason (1981-96), Vicki Elmer (1996-98), Jim Johnson (1998-2002), Dennis Taylor (2002-2007), and Angel Jones (2007-present).
Recent mayors include Edwin Cone (1958-69), Les Anderson (1969-77) Gus Keller (1977-84), Brian Obie (1985-88), Jeff Miller (1989-92), Ruth Bascom (1993-96), Jim Torrey (1997-2004), and Kitty Piercy (2005-present).
Eugene City Council:
Mayor: Kitty Piercy
Eugene has a significant population of people in pursuit of alternative ideas, and a large, though aging, hippie population.[6] There is also a significant population of outdoor enthusiasts and young retirees from California, the Northeast and elsewhere.
Beginning in the 1960s, the countercultural ideas and viewpoints espoused by Ken Kesey became established as the seminal elements of the vibrant social tapestry that continue to define Eugene.Remembering Ken Kesey - Eugene, Oregon, USA The Merry Prankster, as Kesey was known, has arguably left the most indelible imprint of any cultural icon in his hometown. He is best known as the author of ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' and as the male protagonist in Tom Wolfe's ''The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test''.
Eugene museums include the University of Oregon's Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History; the Oregon Air and Space Museum at the airport, Conger Street Clock Museum in West Eugene, the Lane County Historical Museum, Maude Kerns Art Museum, Shelton McMurphy House, the Cascades Raptor Center, and the Science Factory Children's Museum & Planetarium.
The new Eugene Public Library
The largest library in Oregon is the Knight Library, at the University of Oregon with collections totaling more than 2 million volumes and approximately 17,000 journals.[7] The Eugene Public Library moved into a new, larger building downtown in 2002. The new four-story library is an increase from 38,000 square feet to 130,000 square feet.[8]
The annual non-profit Oregon Country Fair, which takes place in nearby Veneta, is one of the largest volunteer events in the U.S. Perhaps the single event in the U.S. that most resembles the World Social Forum is the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, an annual gathering of environmental advocates from around the world. Other local events include: Eugene Celebration, Lane County Fair, and Asian Celebration.
Eugene's Saturday Market, founded in 1970, was the first "Saturday Market" in the United States. Only farmers and craftspeople themselves can sell there.
In 2006 and 2007, "Road to Eugene '08", a jogging-oriented event in preparation for Eugene's hosting the Olympic Trials in 2008, brought many joggers to the paths lining the river north of Skinner Butte.
Downtown Eugene has three major dedicated partner-dance venues. The largest is The Tango Center, a collectively-run non-profit dedicated to Argentine Tango, which also hosts the ELLA Swing Dance Club. Studio B is the oldest of the group, hosting Ballroom, Salsa, and Argentine Tango events and classes. Staver Dancesport, the newest facility, hosts Ballroom and Salsa, in a street-level dancehall like the Tango Center's. The University of Oregon teaches a full range of partner dancing classes as well as hosting the Oregon Ballroom Dance Club and student-run Swing and Argentine Tango events. Approximately 10 other venues in town host partner-dances. The oldest social dance group in town is the Eugene Folkore Society, which currently hosts Contra and Zydeco dances at various venues.
Media
The local NPR affiliate is KLCC. The Pacifica Radio affiliate (airing Democracy Now! and FreeSpeech Radio News) is the University of Oregon student-run radio station, KWVA. Additionally, the community supports two other radio stations: KWAX (classical) and KRVM (alternative).
The largest newspaper serving the area is ''The Register-Guard'', a daily newspaper with a circulation of about 70,000, published independently by the Baker family of Eugene.[9] Other newspapers serving the area include the ''Eugene Weekly'' and the ''Oregon Daily Emerald'', the student-run independent newspaper at the University of Oregon. Eugene Magazine also serves the area. Local television stations include KMTR (NBC), KVAL (CBS), KLSR-TV (FOX), KEVU, and KEZI (ABC).
Community
Eugene is perhaps most noted for its "community inventiveness." Many U.S. trends in community development originated here. The University of Oregon's participatory planning process, known as The Oregon Experiment, was the result of student protests in the early 1970s. The book of the same name is a major document in modern enlightenment thinking in planning and architectural circles, even though the process is no longer used at the University. The process was created by Christopher Alexander, whose works also directly inspired the creation of the Wiki. Much of the research for the book ''A Pattern Language'', which inspired the Design Patterns movement and Extreme Programming, was done by Alexander in Eugene. Not coincidentally, those engineering movements also had origins here. ''A Pattern Language'' is the best-selling book on architecture and planning of all time.
Eugene was the birthplace of the earliest incarnation of a psychoeducational model now known as Health Realization which has received accolades for its contributions to community mental health in low income communities around the United States. Started by Roger C. Mills and George Pransky working under a National Institute of Mental Health grant through the University of Oregon, Health Realization arose from these psychologists' attempts--beginning circa 1976--to turn the teachings of Sydney Banks, theosopher, into a new psychology focusing on what makes mentally healthy people healthy.
In the 1970s, Eugene was packed with co-operative and community projects. It still has small natural food stores in almost every neighborhood, some of the oldest student cooperatives in the country, and alternative schools have been part of the school district for years. The old Grower's Market, downtown near the train depot, is the only food co-operative in the U.S. with no employees. It is possible to see Eugene's trend-setting non-profit tendencies in much newer projects, such as the Tango Center and the Center for Appropriate Transport. In 2006, an initiative began to create a tenant-run development process for Downtown Eugene.
Anarchism
During the late 1990s Eugene contained a community of anarchists situated in the Whiteaker neighborhood west of downtown, which gained international notoriety in 1999 due to its perceived role in the battle of Seattle.[10] The Eugene anarchist movement grew out of the treesits and forest defense camps of the 1990s and soon began staging demonstrations and riots in Eugene, notably during a Reclaim the Streets event on June 18, 1999, when protestors blocked downtown streets and smashed the windows of three stores, and a few threw stones and bottles at police.Anarchist In Prison on Eugene Riot Anniversary: Counterculture Demonstrators Will Turn Out Today To Mark Last Year's Demonstration and Sentencing That Divided the City Bryan Denson
Some of the anarchist activity could be said to have had its start in a "mud people's" protest.[11] On that day, the participants noticed two blocks of trees, in a parking lot near the downtown area, were slated for removal the Sunday following. The ensuing "treesit" protest a week later, on June 1, 1997 was reported widely as it involved a several-hours-long action that was forcibly ended by police using copious amounts of pepper spray. A lawsuit by protestors against police response to that protest was settled five years later.[12]
The Eugene anarchists gained international attention in 1999 when they were mistakenly labeled as the sole members of the so-called Black bloc during the anti-WTO protests in Seattle.[13] Anarchist activity in Eugene has declined since 2001.Local unrest followed cycle of social movements Bill Bishop
'Track Town, USA', a popular nickname for Eugene, Oregon, is widely known as the mecca for the sport of track and field in the United States. The home of the University of Oregon (UO), Eugene is considered by some to be the capital of the running world. Eugene's Track Town moniker derives from the dynastic track and field legacy established by the university's long time track coach, Bill Bowerman, beginning in 1949, and to the many legendary UO track athletes of the Bowerman era, most notably Steve Prefontaine.
The US Olympic track and field trials, after a 28 year hiatus, will return to Track Town in 2008, from June 27 to July 6. The trials will be held at the University of Oregon’s venerable Hayward Field -- a venue that has long been associated with Eugene’s reputation for track and field excellence.
In 2010, the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will also return to Hayward Field, for the tenth time. Numerous premier track and running events also take place in Track Town, ranging from the Prefontaine Classic to the upstart Eugene Marathon.
Athletics venues
Hayward Field
The University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field has hosted three Olympic track and field trials, nine NCAA track championships and six USA Track and Field Championships, the most of any venue in recent history in each category. Hayward Field is the most famous and storied track and field facility in the country, and it's knowledgeable, attentive and loud track fans are hailed as among the finest anywhere in the world.
Each spring the UO Ducks track team hosts some of the nation's most popular meets at Hayward Field, including the Oregon Preview in March, the Pepsi Team Invitational and Oregon Invitational in April, and the Oregon Twilight meet in May.
Hayward Field was built in 1919 as the home venue for the University of Oregon football team, joined by the track and field squad in the early 1920s. The football team left Hayward Field after the 1966 season, and moved across the Willamette River to the new Autzen Stadium.
Running trails
European-style wood chip trails can be found throughout Track Town. Most well known among these is Pre's Trail, situated along the Willamette River in Alton Baker Park just north of downtown Eugene. Upon returning to Eugene from competition in Europe, Pre lobbied for creation of such trails in and around town; the day after his premature demise in an auto accident, Eugene city officials voted to make his wish come true. In addition to the many miles of soft, wood chip trails in Eugene, there are many more miles of concrete and asphalt trails providing recreation to walkers, runners, roller-bladers and bicyclists.
The running boom
The American 'running boom' emerged in Eugene during the 1960s when University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman introduced jogging to the local populace after a trip to New Zealand, where the concept was introduced to him by Arthur Lydiard. Bowerman's Ducks served as coaches and mentors to local running neophytes, who flocked to Hayward Field by the thousands to emulate their role models. The explosion of popularity led Bowerman to write a short book, ''Jogging'', which sold over a million copies.
Legends and stars
University of Oregon coach Bill Bowerman set the stage for Eugene's historic status as America's running mecca. His teams regularly competed before sold out crowds at Hayward Field. Over the course of Bowerman's 24 years as the UO Ducks head coach, his teams won four NCAA men's track titles between 1962 and 1970, which subsequently led to Hayward Field's regular selection as the site for numerous national championship and Olympic Trials. His athletes won 24 individual NCAA titles, along the way recording sixteen sub-4 minute miles, and setting thirteen world and 22 American records. The 1962 team is considered one of the best collegiate teams ever assembled.
Steve Prefontaine, a native of Coos Bay, has remained Oregon's favorite track son for over three decades since his ascent to the highest level of long distance running competition. Prefontaine captivated fans in Eugene, and across Oregon and the entire US with his pursuit of greatness. Pre won three NCAA titles in cross country between 1970 and 1973, and four NCAA track titles during the same time span. He also held every American record from the two-mile up through the 10K at once, before his tragic death in an auto accident at the age of 25 on May 30, 1975.
Other track stars and Olympians who came out of coach Bill Bowerman's UO stable include Alberto Salazar, Mary Decker Slaney, Lance Deal and Bill McChesney. One of the Olympians produced by UO, Bill Dellinger, succeeded Bowerman as the Ducks' head coach.
The most recent ascent of a new track star in Eugene has been the rise of Nick Symmonds, of Oregon Track Club Elite, who was victorious at the 2007 US Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 800 meters, in a time of 1:48.73.
Events
Eugene hosts numerous track and running events, ranging from high school and college cross country running meets, to world class track meets and local fun runs that take place at a variety of quality venues.
Olympic Track and Field Trials
In June and July 2008, Eugene will host the US Olympic Track & Field Trials, the fourth time Eugene has hosted the event. Eugene previously hosted the event in 1972, 1976 and 1980. The trials determine which American track athletes will participate at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.
Eugene won the bid to host the upcoming trials in October, 2005, after the competition was narrowed down to Eugene and Sacramento, California, which hosted the two most recent trials in 2000 and 2004.
In preparation for the Trials, Hayward Field will have new lights, a video scoreboard and expanded seating capacity.
The Trials are expected to attract about 17,000 people per day while injecting $16 to $18 million into the local economy.
Prefontaine Classic
As an International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Level 1 meet, the Prefontaine Classic brings the world's best track talent to Hayward Field. The first annual Prefontaine Classic took place in 1974 . Nike has been the title sponsor since 1978 .
The Pre Classic is sometimes held on the same weekend as the Oregon State High School Championships and NCAA Championships, creating a triple header sometimes referred to as the best eight days of track and field in the US.
★ UOregon.edu - '2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials', University of Oregon
: ★ UOregon.edu - 'About Track Town USA—Where Your Soul Meets the Track Program, 2007 Program Dates: June 5-June 11', University of Oregon
Most of Eugene's interest in sports surrounds the Oregon Ducks, part of the Pacific 10 Conference (Pac 10). American football is especially popular, with intense rivalries between the Ducks and both the Oregon State UniversityBeavers and the University of WashingtonHuskies. Autzen Stadium is home to Duck football, with a seating capacity of 59,000. It is often considered one of the toughest places to play in all of college football: “Autzen’s 59,000 strong make the Big House [Michigan] collectively sound like a pathetic whimper. It’s louder than ‘The Swamp’ at Florida, ‘The Shoe’ in Columbus and ‘Death Valley’ at Louisiana State. Autzen Stadium is where great teams go to die.” — Michigan Daily, September 2003.
For nearly 40 years, Eugene has been the "Track Capital of the World." Oregon's most famous track alumnus is Steve Prefontaine, who was killed in a car crash in 1975. He has become a legendary figure among Eugene runners for his guts and lack of fear in races. Eugene's excellent jogging trails include Pre's Trail in Alton Baker Park, Rexius Trail, the Adidas Oregon Trail, and the Ridgeline Trail. Jogging was introduced to the U.S. through Eugene, brought from New Zealand by Bill Bowerman, who wrote the best-selling book "Jogging", and coached the champion University of Oregon track and cross country teams. In 16 of 24 years at Oregon, his track teams finished in the top ten at the NCAA Championships, with a dual meet record of 114-20. They won four times and finished second twice.
Bowerman also invented the waffle sole for running shoes in Eugene (legend has it that he made the first soles with his wife's waffle iron), and with U of O alumni Phil Knight founded shoe giant Nike, Inc. The Nike Store in Eugene includes a museum of this slice of track history. Eugene's miles of running trails, through its unusually large park system, are the most extensive in the US. The city has dozens of running clubs. The climate is cool and temperate, good both for jogging and record-setting. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon's Hayward Field track, which hosts numerous collegiate and amateur track and field meets throughout the year, most notably the Prefontaine Classic. It was host to the 2004 Junior Olympics, and the 1972, 1976, and 1980 U.S. Olympic Track and Field trials, and will be host to the 2008 trials. Hayward Field will also be home of the 2006 Pacific-10 track and field championships. A few feet from Hayward Field, the earth's oldest pairs of running shoes are on display, at the Museum of Natural History.
In November of 2005, Eugene was chosen by USA Track & Field to host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials, to be held at Hayward Field June 27-July 6, 2008. Finalists of this competition of more than 1,000 athletes will go on to attend the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The event is expected to be attended by around 350,000 spectators and reported by more than 1,000 members of the media.[14]
Eugene is also home to the Eugene Emeralds, a Class A minor-league baseball team that plays home games in Civic Stadium, and the Eugene Generals, a semi-pro hockey team.
The Nationwide Tour's golfing event Oregon Classic takes place at Shadow Hills Country Club, just north of Eugene. The event has been played every year since 1998, except in 2001 when it was slated to begin the day after the 9/11terrorist attacks. Oregon Classic alumni have well over 100 wins on the PGA Tour. The $450,000 dollar purse and attendance make it the second largest-sporting event in Eugene behind Duck football. The top 20 players from the Nationwide Tour are promoted to the PGA Tour for the following year.
Lane Transit District (LTD), a public transportation agency formed in 1970, covers 240 square miles (620 km²) of Lane County, including Creswell, Cottage Grove, Junction City and Veneta. Operating more than 90 buses during peak hours, LTD carries riders on 3.7 million trips every year. LTD's Eugene Station, downtown, covers nearly a city block, and is easily the busiest public plaza outside of the University. LTD recently opened a Bus Rapid Transit line between Eugene and Springfield, much of which runs in its own lane. The Emerald Express, as it is called, started running in January 2007. Cycling is popular in Eugene. Summertime events and festivals frequently have bike parking "corrals" that many times are filled to capacity by three hundred or more bikes. Many people commute to work by bicycle every month of the year. Numerous bike shops provide the finest rain gear products, running lights and everything a biker needs to ride and stay comfortable in heavy rain. Bike trails take commuting and recreational bikers along the Willamette River past a scenic rose garden, along Amazon Creek, through the downtown, and through the University of Oregon campus.
The 1908 Amtrak depot downtown was restored in 2004; it is the southern terminus for two daily runs of the Amtrak ''Cascades'', and a stop along the route in each direction for the daily ''Coast Starlight''. Air traffic is served by the Eugene Airport, also known as Mahlon Sweet Field, which is the fifth largest airport in the Northwest.[15]
Highways traveling within and through Eugene include:
★ Interstate 5: Interstate 5 forms much of the eastern city limits, forming a boundary between Eugene and Springfield. To the north, I-5 leads to the Willamette Valley and Portland. To the south, I-5 leads to Roseburg and the southwestern portion of the state.
★ Interstate 105/Oregon Highway 126: Oregon Highway 126 is routed along the Eugene-Springfield Highway, a limited access freeway. The Eugene portion of this highway begins at an interchange with Interstate 5 and ends two miles (3 km) west at a freeway terminus. This portion of Oregon Highway 126 is also signed Interstate 105, a spur route of Interstate 5. Oregon Highway 126 continues west, a portion shared with Oregon Highway 99, and continues west to Florence. Eastward, Oregon Highway 126 crosses the Cascades and leads to central and eastern Oregon.
★ Belt Line Highway: Beltline Road is a limited-access freeway which runs along the northern and western edges of incorporated Eugene.
★ Delta Highway: The Delta Highway forms a connector of less than 2 miles (3 km) between Interstate 105 and Beltline Highway.
★ Oregon Highway 99: Oregon Highway 99 forks off Interstate 5 south of Eugene, and forms a major surface artery in Eugene. It continues north into the Willamette valley, parallel to I-5.
Hospitals
The Springfield area is home to two major hospitals, McKenzie-Willamette (approximately 145 beds) and Sacred Heart Medical Center (362 Licensed beds), a hospital owned by PeaceHealth that is located in Springfield. Construction of Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend continues to move forward on budget and on time for an August 2008 opening. Eugene's Sacred Heart Medical Center will no longer be a hospital, but rather become an area for students to practice.
McKenzie-Willamette filed a lawsuit against PeaceHealth in 2002, claiming anti-trust violations on the part of the latter. PeaceHealth, lost the lawsuit.
Peacehealth is building a new hospital in the neighboring city of Springfield, "Riverbend".[16]
The PeaceHealth Riverbend campus under construction will be a regional medical center serving to the California border, southern Oregon Coast and the southern Willamette Valley. It will be called SHMC - Riverbend. The existing Hilyard campus, with its plan for major reconstruction, will be called SHMC - University District. The PeaceHealth University District will include the newly established medical school branch for OHSU in Portland.
★ Jordan Kent, Churchill High School, University of Oregon football, basketball and track star; son of UO coach Ernie Kent; wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks
★ Casey Martin, professional golfer, University of Oregon golf coach
★ Chris Miller, Sheldon High School (1983), University of Oregon (1983-86), NFL quarterback
★ Kenny Moore, North Eugene High School (1962), University of Oregon (1963-66), runner, Olympic marathoner, sportswriter (Sports Illustrated), screenwriter ("Without Limits"), author ("Bowerman and the Men of Oregon"). Also appeared in track movie "Personal Best," filmed in Eugene in 1980.
★ The "Chicken Salad on Toast" scene in the Jack Nicholson movie ''Five Easy Pieces'' was filmed at the Denny's restaurant at the southern I-5 freeway interchange (Glenwood exit). Nicholson directed the movie ''Drive, He Said'', in Eugene.
★ Eugene has been the recipient of sly digs on two of Matt Groening's television shows. On ''The Simpsons'' episode "Margical History Tour", explorers Lewis and Clark christen the rainiest spot they find Eugene, Oregon. On the ''Futurama'' episode "The 30% Iron Chef", Bender the robot confuses his memory of Eugene with "Bum Base Alpha (The biggest hobo jungle in the quadrant)".
★ In addition to having been directly mentioned in Groening's work, Eugene is widely suspected by its citizens to be the basis for the Simpsons' fictional town of Springfield. Eugene's real-life neighboring city, which is actually called Springfield and is often looked down upon by residents of Eugene, is likewise suspected as the inspiration for the town of Shelbyville featured on several episodes of The Simpsons. Many Eugene landmarks, such as Skinner's Butte (namesake for the show's "Principal Skinner"), a local tavern (inspiration for "Moe's,"), and the "The Founder" statue on the University of Oregon campus (statue of "Jebediah Springfield"), appear in some form or another in the show. Groening is a native of Portland, Oregon, and his comic strip, "Life in Hell", is featured in the local newspaper Eugene Weekly.
★ Eugene, Oregon is mentioned in the 2nd episode of HBO's mini-series ''Band of Brothers'' (based on the real-life exploits of the 101st Airborne, 506th parachute infantry regiment, 2nd battalion, Easy company during World War II) as the home of a German-American who left America for Germany to join the German army.
★ In the film ''Without a Paddle'', there is a road sign that states the distance to Eugene and Portland.
★ ''Getting Straight'', starring Elliott Gould and Candice Bergen, was filmed at Lane Community College in 1969. As the campus was still under construction at the time, the "occupation scenes" were easier to shoot.[17]
★ ''How to Beat the High Co$t of Living'', starring Jane Curtin, Jessica Lange and Susan St. James, was filmed in Eugene in the fall of 1979. Locations included Valley River Mall, Skinner Butte, the Willamette River and River Road Hardware. The film, released in the summer of 1980, bombed at the box office.
★ Eugene is the desired destination of a troubled young homeless woman in the video game, Deus Ex.
★ In the Coen brothers' movie ''The Man Who Wasn't There'', Eugene was mentioned in a dialogue between Ed (Billy Bob Thornton) and Ann (Katherine Borowitz) describing the location of a past camping trip that Ann and her husband had taken.
★ ''Stealing Time'', a 2003 independent film, was partially filmed in Eugene. When the film premiered in June 2001 at the Seattle International Film Festival, it was titled ''Rennie's Landing'' after a popular bar on the University of Oregon campus. The title was changed for its DVD release. The opening credits were filmed on the UO campus, and the facade of Rennie's is used when the characters enter the bar. Although the script uses the bar's name in the film, the interior shots of the bar were filmed at another location.
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