02/14/08 City Council Newsletter

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The Senior Program also offers computer classes on eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook. For more information call Sue Harnly at 682-6393. Neighborhood Services Grand Opening Neighborhood Services opened its doors last Friday to a warm reception with neighborhood leaders, the mayor, and City staff. Party goers mingled, learned to juggle and hoola-hoop with Recreation’s Circus Arts program, participated in a group mural project with the Arts for All Program and listened to marimba performed by Shamwari. The Neighborhood office is designed to be an overall resource for Neighborhood Associations across Eugene; open for access to staff, resources and the City, and to increase the ability for neighborhoods to collaborate. If you missed the grand opening, don’t be shy; feel free to drop in for a visit. The office is located on the first floor of the Atrium Building (99 West 10th Ave.) and is open between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm. For more information contact Isaac Markehe, Neighborhood Services Manager at 682-6243 or via e-mail isaac.r.markehe@ci.eugene.or.us Fire Prevention Conducts U of O Greek Housing Inspections Fire safety at the University of Oregon's fraternities and sororities reached a new level of enforceability this year as the University made fire inspections a condition of continued certification. Inspectors from the Eugene Fire Marshal's Office recently completed an initial round of inspections of the 20 Greek houses on or near campus, working with building owners, alumni, and residents to ensure that fire codes are met and fire safety systems are properly maintained. Issues addressed include smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, stove hood systems, fire sprinklers, fire doors, and clear and sufficient egress. The houses are also required to have exterior fire escapes checked by a registered engineer. Prior to the inspections, residents are provided a pre-inspection checklist so that they can be prepared for the walk-through. Typically, houses are given 30 days (or less, depending on severity) to correct any violations or deficiencies noted. Mitigation is occurring at this time, and a round of reinspections will follow in the coming weeks. The Fire Marshal's Office will also offer a fire safety academy for fraternity and sorority members later this month. The U of O is among the first universities in the U.S. to institute this requirement, adding a level of safety for approximately 1,000 students who are members of the Greek system. For more information, please contact Sandra Johnston, Deputy Fire Marshal, at 682-5420. Victory Speakers for Climate Crisis "Do you know how to survive on a 'different' planet?" asks Mary Wood, Philip H. Knight Professor of Law at the University of Oregon. "That's the way scientists describe the earth in the coming decades unless bold action is taken now to cap rising greenhouse gas emissions." Professor Wood offers an engaging free talk, Victory Speakers for Climate Crisis, at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. She urges a national climate defense involving all levels of government, asserting that "the U.S. government's current neglect of climate crisis is akin to sitting idle during an attack on American soil." Wood provides expert information and encourages individuals to follow the World War II model of Victory Speakers, this time uniting worldwide for "a planetary patriotism to demand government action on the climate crisis." "Recent projections by the United Nations and leading scientists worldwide warn that the earth is at the threshold of a catastrophic tipping point," she explains, "with global temperatures rising as much as 11 EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 February 14, 2008