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Articles by William Sullivan
Our Eugene nonprofit lost a $75,000 grant. What happened next was incredible. | Letter to the editor
Lookout Eugene-Springfield reported in September about Shift Community Cycles’ effort to raise $75,000 to keep our Free Bikes 4 Kidz program going next year. In the weeks since, the community answered in a way we will never forget. We have heard stories from so many about what a bicycle means to the kids, youth and adults in our community. We are pleased and humbled to share that we have raised $70,000 to date, nearly closing the gap.
Welcome to “Oregon Books,” a new feature wherein I’ll review interesting new works by local authors. To kick things off, here are five local authors who will be appearing Dec. 12-13 at the Authors & Artists Fair at the Lane Events Center. Mark your calendar if you want to get autographed copies for the holidays.
Springfield voters should support Callee Ackland because she’s informed and engaged | Letter to the editor
I support Callee Ackland for Springfield City Council Ward 4 because she understands that a healthy community requires compassion, action and investment in people. Ackland supports life-affirming, lifesaving measures that help people thrive, including behavioral health services, truly affordable housing and public libraries. These resources provide stability, connection and access to help when people need it most.
Young Eugeneans are looking to adults for climate solutions. We can’t let them down. | Letter to the editor
I’ve been having discussions with friends about the Eugene Clean Energy Fund. Some asked questions about the structure of the ordinance and accountability for spending the money that will go into the fund. I’ve read the ordinance language, and what I see are feasible possibilities and smart steps to accomplish things I believe so many Eugeneans value. I see a program that is modeled on the work other cities have succeeded in doing, but with stronger language and a more equitable funding mechanism.
A vote for Athena Aguiar is a vote for Eugene’s future | Letter to the editor
In response to a letter to the editor in Lookout Eugene-Springfield supporting Mike Clark for Eugene City Council: Clark has been an insider to big business in this area over his 20 years on the council. How about human issues, and what’s good for the majority of citizens who are not beholden to big business? There is a huge difference in political donors to Clark and his challenger for the Ward 5 council seat, Athena Aguiar.
Shirley Ann Hass
Shirley Ann Hass. Photo courtesy of Smith Lund Mills Funeral Chapel & Crematorium Shirley Ann Hass, 80, of Creswell, died Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. Creswell was her home for more than 50 years, where she taught at a local private school. Smith Lund Mills Funeral Chapel & Crematorium is handling the arrangements.
Pamela Marlene Davis
Skip to content Pamela Marlene Davis, 80, died Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Springfield. Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Crematorium and Cemetery is handling the arrangements. Sign up for Morning Lookout for the latest news and get our weekly news roundup along with every death notice and obituary delivered to your inbox every Saturday. Enter the code sent to your email Email address Enter your password Sign in by entering the code we sent to , or clicking the magic link in the email.
Charmalee Prechtel
Charmalee Prechtel. Photo courtesy of Smith Lund Mills Funeral Chapel & Crematorium Charmalee Prechtel, 85, died Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Services will be held at 2 p.m., Nov. 7, 2026, at Creswell Presbyterian Church, 75 S. 4th St., Creswell. Smith Lund Mills Funeral Chapel & Crematorium is handling the arrangements.
A cherished neighborhood tradition: tallying the trick-or-treaters on Halloween
Do you keep track of how many kids ring your doorbell on Halloween? Janell and I have for years. The tally ranges from a low of six during the COVID pandemic to a high of 35. We live a few blocks from the University of Oregon, so our numbers may be lower than average. When I was growing up in Salem, more than 100 kids would ring our doorbell on Halloween. Janell and I divide trick-or-treaters into two categories: real children and wannabe children.
Set a slower pace in Sardinia, where lines are short at historic sites — and quiet balconies beckon
Last week I took you halfway around the Italian island of Sardinia. We visited beaches, castles and the mysterious Nuraghe towers that can only be found on this one Mediterranean island. Because we are on “island time” for this tour, we’ve rested a while before exploring the sea caves and hiking trails on the second half of my recommended itinerary. In the first week we landed at Olbia, took a ferry to the islet of La Maddalena and visited an archeological museum in Sassari.
QuickTake: Autumn is a fine time to visit Sardinia. And for Oregonians, the water is not too cold for swimming. Janell and I like to travel around islands. It’s sort of like hiking around mountains, something we also enjoy — seeing the Three Sisters from all sides, for example, while we backpack in a big circle. For our island explorations, we generally rent a car and drive around the island’s perimeter, staying at Airbnbs. Over the years we’ve done this in Hawaii, Fiji, Sicily and Crete.
Opal Creek, closed since 2020 fire, will reopen next summer, thanks to latest in line of fierce protectors
Until a 2020 wildfire burned most of the trees and closed trails, 50,000 people a year hiked to see the Opal Creek Wilderness, once ranked by Audubon magazine with the Grand Canyon as one of the nation’s top 10 “paradises preserved” in the 20th century. The fabled old-growth forest east of Salem is set to reopen to the public next summer, but what will you find there?
The 2026 Lookout List: Activities and Outdoors
QuickTake: Anyone who has stepped foot in Lane County for a second knows what a beautiful place this is. We are spoiled with the great outdoors starting at our doorsteps, from woodland walks to Oregon Coast gems. We asked you for your must-sees when you step outside; you didn't disappoint, sharing hiking spots, favorite stores and more. Anyone who has stepped foot in Lane County for a second knows what a beautiful place this is.
QuickTake: The Salmonberry Trail project is still a work in progress. But the Banks-Vernonia State Trail and Crown Z Trails go for miles and are well worth exploring. Last week I suggested hiking a 13-mile railroad grade near Cottage Grove, the setting for Buster Keaton’s classic movie “The General.” This week we’re aiming higher. How about a 43-mile rails-to-trails project from Hillsboro to the Columbia River? Or a proposed 82-mile bike path from Hillsboro to the beach at Tillamook?
The Row River Trail, now popular for running and cycling, was once a Hollywood hot spot
For the 100th anniversary of Buster Keaton’s 1926 classic, “The General,” let’s take a trip on the railroad line east of Cottage Grove where the movie was filmed. One of Oregon’s prettiest train routes follows the Row River from Cottage Grove past covered bridges and rustic farms to a reservoir hidden in the Cascades’ wooded foothills. Today the trains are gone, but as part of the “Rails to Trails” movement, the abandoned track has been paved as a 13-mile path for hikers, bikers and equestrians.
At remote Summer Lake, find the birdiest bird spot around — and amazing views
QuickTake: The journey to the lake takes you down Highway 31, one of loneliest and most spectacular paved roads in Oregon. Escape to an oasis in Oregon’s high desert. Summer Lake is a three-hour drive from Eugene, but it’s a different world — a plausible backdrop for a movie set in the Old West, the Sahara or even Mars. I’m going to recommend a three-day trip that includes a world-class birding oasis, a stay at Summer Lake Hot Springs, and a hike on Winter Ridge.
Today people play disc golf in Milo McIver State Park, southeast of Portland. It’s a great place for a woodsy hike along the Clackamas River. But in 1970 this sleepy park was the site of the nation’s first and only state-sponsored rock concert, when 35,000 young people came here to party while state police looked the other way. First let me tell you about “Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life.” Then I’ll try to lure you to the park itself for an easy hike or a bit of disc golf.
Rayna Fae Bunce
Rayna Fae Bunce. Photo courtesy of Musgrove Family Mortuary Rayna Fae Bunce, 103, died Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. She worked for the 4J schools in food service and was a cook at EWEB. Musgrove Family Mortuary is handling the arrangements.
Remembering August 1933 and Oregon’s most famous wildfire: The Tillamook Burn
QuickTake: The Labor Day weekend, traditionally the last great carefree celebration of summer, has become a time to reflect and to worry. Labor Day weekend has always been a time for kids to worry about the return of school, but lately it’s become a time to worry about smoky skies, too. On this weekend in 2020, forest fires destroyed the cities of Blue River and Detroit. Each year as the climate warms the fire season seems worse.
Hike the Pacific Crest Trail? No thanks. I’d rather dawdle and take in the scenery.
QuickTake: Ask me about any wilderness in Oregon, and I will be able to suggest several prettier, quieter routes than the overtrodden PCT. On a recent backpacking trip into the Diamond Peak Wilderness, Janell and I stopped for lunch in a lovely alpine meadow near the Pacific Crest Trail. While she sketched in her journal and I wrote for an hour or more, a solitary PCT hiker would trudge past every 15 minutes or so. All of them had two hiking poles.
Hop a free trolley to escape crowds, explore around the edges of bustling Yachats
With just a few weekends left in summer, it’s time to hit the beach — and ride a free trolley to free hiking trails near Yachats. Did I use the word “free” twice in that opening sentence? Yes, because scenic trolley rides aren’t usually free. Neither are most of the hiking trails at Cape Perpetua, where parking your car usually requires a $5 permit. Already have an account? Sign In Gain unlimited access to all of Lookout on web and app. Create your account and sign in to read THREE more free articles.
Easy hike near Mount Jefferson is perfect for the huckleberry hunter
QuickTake: Most of us who love the high Cascades have our own secret huckleberry hunting ground. Some of the best huckleberry picking I’ve found in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness is at one of the few swimmable lakes near the mountain that doesn’t require an advance permit to visit. Bring berry buckets on the easy 1.9-mile hike to Cabot Lake, on the side of Mount Jefferson toward the Metolius River. For a longer hike, continue up to deep, rock-rimmed Carl Lake.
Our View: A senseless deportation
How can you look away? Misael Garcia Lopez’s story forces us to stop and pay attention. No matter one’s views on immigration, understanding how our “fire first, aim second” deportation policies shattered the lives of a family is vital. The changes coming out of Washington, D.C. can be numbing to even the most dedicated news readers. Sometimes, it’s just too much.
Raging wildfires, Smokey Bear and the lessons we’ve failed to heed
In a hot summer when headlines are aflame with reports of wildfires, it’s easy to think that fires are all bad. For years, that’s what Smokey Bear told us. As the climate warms, the fire season seems to get longer and more devastating. The history of forest fire research tells a more complicated story. Allow me to explain. Indigenous peoples and pioneers alike set fires on purpose to manage the land.
Building a log cabin requires cutting down trees. Easier said than done.
There is an art to cutting down a tree. Unfortunately, when Janell and I set out to build a log cabin, it was an art we did not have. It was 1977, in the back-to-nature era when hippies dreamed of living lightly off the grid. We were college kids with a long summer vacation and access to a patch of roadless timberland my parents had bought in a survivalist panic during the Cold War.
Backpacking gear has come a long way. Backpackers, though, are still a rare breed.
I’m generally not a fan of California-style ultralight backpacking, where tents consist of a 37-gram hammock. It rains in Oregon. Hypothermia is a real danger. You need gear that will keep you warm and dry. Still, when Janell and I assembled our packs for a three-day backpacking trip recently, I was dumbfounded to discover that my pack weighed just 20 pounds. Janell’s pack weighed a mere 13 pounds. This is half the weight of packs we carried a few decades ago.
A gem near Sisters, Little Three Creek Lake is free, easy to access, virtually unknown
QuickTake: It's a great choice for a spur-of-the-moment hike or overnight backpack. One of the prettiest lakes at the Three Sisters, tucked against the snowy cliffs of Tam McArthur Rim, is also one of the least known. And unlike most trails in the area, you can hike to Little Three Creek Lake at the spur of the moment for free. The easy 1.6-mile trail doesn’t require advance permits and doesn’t charge a parking fee. The lake isn’t even that little.
Resort at Clear Lake is newly improved — and the hike around the lake never gets old
Surely you’ve been to Clear Lake, the glass-clear pool at the headwaters of the McKenzie River. Now that Linn County Parks has rebuilt the lodge, added yurts and restocked the rental boats, it’s time to go back. And this time, let’s hike the entire 5.4-mile loop around the lake. Clear Lake is a geologically recent addition to the McKenzie River valley. Three thousand years ago a lava flow from Sand Mountain, near Santiam Pass, dammed the river here. The lake it created gently drowned a forest.
A restored 1932 fire lookout in the Cascades has spectacular views — and it’s free
QuickTake: The stone Pechuck Lookout is accessed via a trail through the Table Rock Wilderness and is open to stay in, first-come, first served. Only about 80 of Oregon’s original 849 fire lookout buildings have survived. Two dozen of these are available for rent — but the idea of spending a night on a lofty mountaintop has become so popular that it’s hard to book a spot. What if I told you there’s a nicely restored 1932 stone lookout cabin available for free?
July hike to Iron Mountain fire lookout offers brilliant wildflowers and 17 types of trees
Iron Mountain’s fire-lookout site in the Cascades is a favorite hiking goal in early July, when the wildflowers bloom. Most people hike to it the hard way, from the bottom of the mountain. To cut the work in half, you might drive instead to the shortcut once used by those who staffed the lookout — a gravel trailhead halfway to the top. Red paintbrush, purple penstemon and yellow composites spangle the rocky slopes at Iron Mountain.
Off the beaten path in Europe, four small towns that are worth the journey
QuickTake: Slow down. Think small. Travel Europe as you would travel Oregon, stopping at towns where you can relax. I’m not going to criticize Rick Steves, the Edmonds, Washington, tripmeister who sends people to Europe. Online, people complain that Steves has ruined their favorite destinations — or worse yet, ignored them. Most admit that he has opened doors to those who want to discover the Old World. My gripe is that travel guides often lure people from small-town America to big-city Europe.
Bandon, a picturesque coastal town with a history of rising from ashes, is worth a visit
QuickTake: Bandon’s “Old Town” — three blocks of shops, boutiques and galleries — is actually the most recent of four cities built on this site. Bandon is not only the most picturesque town on the southern Oregon Coast, but it’s also the most stubborn. I’m going to suggest that you stroll a scenic 4.8-mile loop from Old Town to Face Rock. Meanwhile, allow me to recount a few tales of Bandon’s perseverance.
Hike at Nestucca Bay on northern coast is often overlooked — but worth a stop
QuickTake: The hike begins at a parking turnaround in the midst of a coastal meadow reminiscent of the meadows at Cascade Head, a cape that’s closer to Lincoln City. Although the panorama at Nestucca Bay isn’t as spectacular as on that more famous headland, the flowers are. One of the prettiest new hikes on the Oregon Coast is a 2.3-mile loop through the meadows and Sitka spruce forests of a peninsula in Nestucca Bay.
Hike at Nestucca Bay on northern coast is often overlooked — but worth a stop
Now From drugstore favorites like CeraVe to luxury picks à la Caudalie. When I started working at InStyle, Instagram and the iPhone had not been invented, Netflix was just a DVD rental service, and Amazon was still an online bookstore—and now it's a mega-retailer in online shopping commerce. So, like …
At the Bridge of the Gods in the Gorge: Take in a hike, a hot soak and a legend
QuickTake: The best way to see the site of an ancient landslide that dammed the Columbia River is to start at a hot springs resort and take a 3.6-mile trail to a viewpoint. One of Oregon’s most famous Native legends describes a “Bridge of the Gods” across the Columbia River in the Gorge. The tale was long discounted by scientists as fiction. But the river really was spanned here by a natural walkway. In fact, hikers have been using the remains of the ancient crossing for years.
Each May, we return to our little cabin on the river — and hope it’s as we left it
QuickTake: Each October we board up the windows and abandon the place for six dark months, returning in May with anticipation. With summer around the corner, it’s time to start dreaming about your favorite Oregon getaway — perhaps a campsite in the mountains or a cabin near the beach. But you also worry about the changes you might find there. This is particularly true for the remote log cabin Janell and I built on a coastal river 48 years ago.
I spent years trodding trails on Earth. My son decided to explore the heavens.
QuickTake: Ian Sullivan designs software for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, built on a mountain top in Chile. It is named for the American astronomer many believe should have won the Nobel Prize. Who’s going to save the Earth from a killer asteroid? Well, possibly my son, Ian Sullivan. He’s the local kid from South Eugene High School who is now an astrophysicist, organizing the data from a giant new telescope in Chile. One of his jobs is to map thousands of previously unknown near-Earth objects.
Take it slow and count the turtles at Eugene’s Delta Ponds
QuickTake: Western pond turtles, once threatened with extinction, are making a comeback in the rehabilitated gravel pits behind Valley River Center, thanks to years of efforts by the city and volunteers. Sixty turtles! Nowhere else in the world can you expect to count so many western pond turtles as on a hike at Eugene’s Delta Ponds.
Marys Peak: Site of unusual wildflowers, long views, and a wild Native legend
QuickTake: On a clear day, views extend from Mt. Rainier to Mt. Thielsen, with the ocean on the horizon to the west. Patches of snow can linger into April. A hike up Marys Peak promises wildflowers, views and echoes of Kalapuyan legends. The highest point in Oregon’s Coast Range was sacred to the tribe. It’s still a hallowed place to walk. I’ll tell you about the hike in a minute. First let me tell you about the legend.
Overview: With the success of captive breeding programs, the big scavengers are being released to soar again. Pinnacles National Park in California is said to have 19 condors so far. Condors are back! The world’s largest birds were almost wiped out in the 20th century, poisoned by pesticides and lead shot. With the success of captive breeding programs, notably at the Oregon Zoo, the big scavengers are being released to soar again.
Town of Mitchell is worth a stop — in part because it has some tales to tell
QuickTake: Because the canyon floor is only about 200 feet wide, the town has been subject to flash floods in its history. April showers bring — flash floods to Mitchell? The town of Mitchell, population 143, is little more than a cluster of old buildings in an eastern Oregon canyon. You might have bypassed Mitchell if you’ve driven the lonely, scenic stretch of Highway 26 between Prineville and John Day.
Nonprofit group Shift seeks donated bikes that it can refurbish, give away
Shift Community Cycles will host a Free Bikes 4 Kidz donation collection drive Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its two locations: Its bike shop at 811 W. Sixth Ave., at the corner of Monroe Street. Its programming space at 190 W. Eighth Ave., downtown at the corner of Charnelton Street. Shift, a Lane County nonprofit organization that offers a community bike shop and bicycle resource center, is looking to donate 600 bikes in 2026 to children (and adults) in need.
Spring hikes in Oregon City feature blossoms — and lessons in history
QuickTake: The site of Oregon City, the first incorporated city west of the Mississippi, also was the most important Indigenous settlement on Kalapuya land. Oregon’s first city is blooming. Come see for yourself this spring. Two easy hikes take you on loops through fields of blue camas flowers on bluffs overlooking the Willamette River. Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Mississippi and served as the Oregon Territory’s original capital.
Where do you dig for fossils at the UO? Try an unmarked basement.
QuickTake: Thomas Condon collected evidence of tropical plants, three-toed horses and saber-toothed tigers. Many of those items still live in the basement of Pacific Hall on campus. Murder-cows, hyena-pigs, and bear-dogs! Strange animals roamed Oregon millions of years ago.
12 great walks for enjoying wildflowers
QuickTake: Stay low, avoid the crowds and enjoy spectacular flower meadows within easy driving distance from Eugene and Springfield. Our greatest flower garden is in the great outdoors, but catching the wildflower display is tricky. If you’re too early or too late, you’ll miss the show. Here are my recommendations for top wildflower walks from March to August. I’ve chosen two trips for each month — not too far away, not too difficult and not too crowded.
The enduring mystery of the hijacker D.B. Cooper
QuickTake: Nine years after the hijacking, a boy picnicking on the Columbia riverbank downstream of Vancouver discovered three bundles of $20 bills in the sand. Serial numbers proved this was part of the Cooper ransom. How could a terrorist hijacker have become a folk hero? The case of D.B. Cooper remains the only unsolved commercial airplane hijacking in history. Cooper is one of the reasons we have to go through TSA scanning before getting on a flight.
When choosing a scenic destination, fame is overrated — especially Internet fame
QuickTake: Thor's Well, Secret Beach and Blue Pool are three Oregon sites that have gained renown on social media. But visitors can do better checking out other equally beautiful — but way less crowded — spots nearby. When out-of-state guests show up to visit Oregon, I’ve been surprised how often they ask to see Thor’s Well. In a world of social media memes, Oregon has become famous online — not for Crater Lake — but rather for Secret Beach, Blue Pool and Thor’s Well.
Lane County got a 'free' library in 1904, but still can't offer all residents free access
QuickTake: Constructing new buildings is the easy part. Funding them in the years after? That's much more difficult. Eugene accepted the gift of a library building from Andrew Carnegie in 1904 — and Lane County is still dealing with the repercussions. One problem with Carnegie’s generosity became apparent as soon as the building opened. The library was supposed to be free for everybody, but because it was owned by the city of Eugene, only taxpaying citizens of Eugene could check out books for free.
When it comes to European travel, good things come in small towns
QuickTake: What's the appeal of the large cities that can all start to seem the same? Here are a few off-the-beaten-path villages that offer more fun, less stress and a better sense of local culture. Travel guides often lure people from small-town America to big-city Europe — Paris, Munich and the like. Believe me, it’s more fun and less stressful to visit small towns instead. Here in Oregon you might well choose to spend a week’s vacation in a place like Sisters, Joseph or Yachats.
When it comes to European travel, good things come in small towns
Doctors at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend took a vote that challenges the decision of the executives who approved a switch in …
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