Understand
Citizens of Eugene are environmentally aware people who love their coffee as well as their microbrew. Residents range from arch-conservative republicans to militant anarchists of the kind who were responsible for the WTO riots in Seattle. However, overall the population is typical Pacific Northwest, i.e., leaning toward a greater degree of social responsibility, respect for nature, and diminished consumerism. Eugene is home to the University of Oregon, aka "The Fighting Ducks." Eugene was the second home to the rock band The Grateful Dead, thus the reason some people see this city as a "Hippie Mecca." Saturday Market (http://eugenesaturdaymark...) has been continuously in operation since 1970, rain or shine and claims to be the oldest open-air market of its type in the United States.
