We take the top nominees for each category and have a runoff round of voting.

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2. Cary Lieberman, Greenhill Humane Society.

3. Antonio Huerta, Comunidad y Herencia Cultural.

This category could also be called Best Community Hero. From Jennifer Denson’s tireless work feeding the hungry, Cary Lieberman’s leadership on the area’s adoptable animals to Antonio Huerta’s tireless efforts to showcase Latino culture, the nonprofit leaders in this town shine.

2. Sundance Natural Foods, 748 E. 24th Ave., 541-343-9142, SundanceNaturalFoods.com.

3. Capella Market, 2489 Willamette St., 541-345-1014, CapellaMarket.com.

Eugene’s lucky for its relative abundance of walkable local markets. Some cities are food deserts and others are limited to big chain groceries, but here, we have locally owned stores full of locally grown, organic and specialty foods. Eugene Weekly doesn’t decide who wins — this is a readers poll — but we do confess to having the deli offerings at first-place winner Kiva memorized!

2. (tie) Bryce Boettcher, University of Oregon football,
Dante Moore, University of Oregon football.

3. Eric Rosenfeld, Ultimate Frisbee.

It’s not often that a 17-year-old runner stands with Duck football players for grit, athleticism, achievement and value in the community. 

Yet, in this competition, the votes for Yosuke Shibata outnumbered not one, but two professional sportsballers: Duck quarterback Dante Moore and linebacker Bryce Boettcher, who both tied for second place. Shibata is a long-distance runner from South Eugene High who has been competing in track and field and cross country since he was in middle school. He is currently the third fastest high school cross country runner in Oregon, and the 32nd fastest in the United States with a 5k time of 14:38. 

In June of this year, he took home first place at the Nike Outdoor Nationals race by running a (far too fast) 4:12 mile. His secret, he says, is self motivation. Before winning in June, he suffered from shin splints and pneumonia over the winter. “I love running a lot, and I really want to get better,” Shibata says. “It was a tough start, but I was really proud of myself to push through until the end of the season and be as consistent as I could and end up with a win.” His advice to other athletes “is to be consistent, not to slam your workouts or run too hard. And focus on recovery as well, because that’s where you reap the benefits,” he says. Shibata hopes to continue running in college, and pursue a degree in either environmental systems or marine biology. Another fun fact about him: not only did he not campaign at all for Best of Eugene, but he didn’t even know what Best of Eugene was until Eugene Weekly reached out to him to tell him that he had been nominated.

2. Burrito Brigade, 1775 W. 6th Ave., 541-632-3239, BurritoBrigade.org.

3. Food Not Bombs, Instagram @foodnotbombs_eugene/?hl=en.

2. Jordin McDowell, Anomaly Hair Collective, 837 Monroe St., AnomalyHairCollective.com. 

3. Gretchen Costello, @fetchwithgretch

2. Seoul K-Food, 2870 Willamette St., 458-210-2945, Seoulk-food.com.

3. Kkoki Korean BBQ, 65 Division Ave., 541-844-1398, Kkokibbq.com.

2. Imani Dorsey, Daisy CHAIN, 1270 Charnelton St., 541-505-1139, DaisyChainLane.org.

3. Lydia Martinez, Selah Midwifery, SelahMidwifery.com.

2. Rosemary Campbell, 124 Hansen Ln., 458-210-6219.

3. Chelsie Wong.

2. Cassie Peters, Cassie Peters Legal, 132 E. Broadway, 541-972-2769, CassiePeters.com.

3. Matt Watkins, Matt Watkins Law, 795 W. 7th Ave., 541-228-9777, MattWatkinsLaw.com.

Lauren Regan is on the forefront of activist legal defense. In 2003, Regan founded the Civil Liberties Defense Center as a response to the implementation of post-9/11 policies such as the USA PATRIOT Act, which brought increased scrutiny on activists across the country. Since the CLDC’s founding, Regan and her team have been instrumental in cases that shaped how activists are treated in the justice system. One example is her work on the Green Scare prosecutions during the early 2000s where Regan and her team defended environmental activists — often helping them avoid a life behind bars for political acts. “Often it’s a matter of ensuring that political activists get to remain political activists,” Regan says.Today, activists are facing some of the same threats seen during the early 2000s. “Repression comes in waves, and we are certainly seeing a heightened phase of it, probably the most severe that I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Regan says. She stresses that young activists should know their rights and be aware that they’re a part of a broader movement. “The choice is, are you going to fight for this better world, or are you going to give up,” Regan says.