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services. Looking Glass reports that affordable housing is one of the most
<br />significant barriers former foster youth face, because of cost, lack of credit
<br />history, lack of rental history and other issues.
<br />
<br />Five of the apartments will be set aside for households earning less than 30
<br />percent of the area median income (AMI), and six apartments will be set
<br />aside for households earning less than 50 percent AMI. One unit will be set
<br />aside for an on-site manager. A full rehabilitation of the building was
<br />included as part of the project and one unit was converted to be fully
<br />accessible for a tenant with disabilities. Initial rents are proposed to be
<br />$444 - $555 depending on income level. The project site is conveniently
<br />located near jobs, public transit, shopping, parks, schools, and other
<br />services.
<br />
<br />The Grand Opening event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m., at the project site to celebrate resilient youth,
<br />supportive community, trusted relationships and a brighter future. For more information, contact Ellen Meyi-Galloway at
<br />541-682-5532.
<br />
<br />“The Mockingbird Next Door” Author at the Downtown Library
<br />Marja Mills, author of "The Mockingbird Next Door: Life with Harper Lee” will speak at the Downtown Eugene Public
<br />Library on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. Admission is free; books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of the
<br />University of Oregon Duck Store.
<br />
<br />Lee’s "To Kill a Mockingbird" is one of the best-loved novels of the 20th century. Despite being
<br />published 50 years ago, it's also one of the past year's most talked-about books, due to Mills'
<br />bestselling memoir and the subsequent publication of Lee's own "Go Set a Watchman."
<br />
<br />Mills' book became a New York Times, USA Today, and national indie bestseller. It tells the story
<br />of her friendship with author Nelle Harper Lee and her sister, who invited the journalist into
<br />their lives in 2001. A few years later, with the Lees’ blessing, Mills moved into the house next
<br />door. She spent the next 18 months there, sharing coffee at McDonalds, trips to the laundromat,
<br />feeding the ducks, going out for catfish supper, and exploring lower Alabama with the Lees and
<br />their inner circle of friends.
<br />
<br />Mills was given a rare opportunity to know Nelle (as her friends call her), to be part of the sisters' life in Alabama, and to
<br />hear them reflect on their upbringing, their corner of the deep south, and how "To Kill a Mockingbird" affected their lives.
<br />Lee shared her love of history, literature, and the southern way of life with Mills, as well as her keen sense of how
<br />journalism should be practiced. "The Mockingbird Next Door" is a testament to the Lee sisters' intelligence, wit, and
<br />tremendous storytelling power.
<br />
<br />Mills is a former reporter and feature writer for the Chicago Tribune, where she was a member of the staff that won a
<br />Pulitzer Prize for a 2001 series about O’Hare Airport entitled “Gateway to Gridlock.” For more information, contact Eugene
<br />Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
<br />
<br />Cargo Bike Event to Test Emergency Preparedness of Cyclists and Families
<br />A partnership between the City of Eugene, University of Oregon and many other community partners is bringing together
<br />bike-friendly habits and disaster preparations in a unique way. The Disaster Relief Trials (DRT), on Oct. 17, at Alton Baker
<br />Park, is a cargo bike event to demonstrate the capabilities of bikes in disaster
<br />situations. This is the third annual DRT in Eugene with similar events in Seattle,
<br />Portland, San Francisco and other cities.
<br />
<br />Registered bike riders will navigate a course through Eugene to designated check
<br />points to fulfill the criteria of the trials, using fully loaded bikes on city streets. At
<br />each check point, riders will encounter obstacles, or complete tasks to assist
<br />response teams, such as a neighborhood Community Emergency Response Team.
<br />“Eugene-Springfield is well-known as being bike friendly, and the Disaster Relief
<br />Trials puts a new twist on how useful cycling is to the greater community,” said
<br />City of Eugene Transportation Options Coordinator, Lindsay Selser. “As more
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<br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
<br />October 8, 2015
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