Eve s Diner in Southmont is new and old at the same time.
The name and location are new, but the family who owns it are familiar faces to Davidson County s eating-out crowd. Evelia Vergara and Gregorio Marquina opened their second restaurant in the county with daughter Karen Marquina at 10545 S. Highway 8 where Nana Kitchen closed in March 2020. Nana s, like many buffet-style restaurants in the country, did not survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
The family opened Eve s Diner on April 8 and Gregg s Kitchen on Dec. 26, 2018. Both restaurants have similar, large menus and offer breakfast all day. I think dad wanted another restaurant, said Karen Marquina, their 20-year-old daughter. She balances being a sophomore at Appalachian State University, where she is majoring in nutrition with managing both of the restaurants.
COVID-19 has us very familiar with the inside of our homes. We may have enough practice being at home that we don’t have to wonder, “What will I wear to the living room today?” But do we know how sacred that living room is? We go the post office with our masks, and I wonder how many of us realize what a sacred meeting place that is? I saw three old friends at the post office and counted myself blessed when I got home. True, they were members of several different organizations including church, but how wonderful that I got to share smiles (behind the masks) and love in that short exchange. I even walked to the other post office entrance to greet one of them and to try to catch up to a second to share another comment.
Credit Eugene 4J School District
The Eugene 4J school district announced they will not resume in-person learning until staff for returning grade levels have the opportunity to be vaccinated.
860 doses were given last week to 4J staff, as well as employees with the Lane Education Service District and the Crow-Applegate School District. This includes kindergarten through first grade educators, custodial, food service and transportation staff and people helping with limited in-person instruction.
4J Director of Human Resources Karen Hardin said it may take over a month until staff are fully immunized.
“It might take five weeks to get through round one of all employees, said Hardin. And that really is an estimate. I would hate it if anyone holds us to that and we’re able to go faster or it takes us longer. That’s truly an estimate”
The Eugene 4J school district unanimously approved a COVID-19 temporary leave program during their Wednesday school board meeting. This comes after the
Credit Brian Bull / KLCC News
After schools closed for winter break, Gov. Kate Brown announced on Dec. 23 that school reopening restrictions would shift from mandatory to advisory recommendations. This was with the goal of having more schools statewide return to some form of in-person learning by Feb. 15.
The change to advisory recommendations allows individual districts to return to learning based on their county’s public health conditions. But that doesn’t mean 4J will immediately return to in-person learning.
In-Person Learning May Resume in Feb.
As of now, the district’s reopening plan is to have the youngest grade levels begin a hybrid learning model on Feb. 1 at the earliest, depending on public health conditions.