08/07/08 City Council Newsletter

Home Browse Search

and Out of Hand (custom-design, handcrafted papercrafts). For more information, contact Amanda Nobel, Community Development Division loan analyst at 682-5535 or via e-mail (amanda.r.nobel@ci.eugene.or.us). Beijing Olympics Come to Petersen Barn Community Center Recreation Services’ Youth and Family Program will host “Beijing at the Barn” on four evenings in August. Community members are invited to come together and cheer for their favorite athletes as they watch the Beijing Olympic competition on the big screen. On Friday, August 8, the Olympics Opening Ceremony will be shown from 6:00 -10:00 p.m. Also that evening, Pete Barn’s monthly Free Family Fun Night will be held. That event includes family games, activities, and dinner (served until 7:00 p.m.). Olympic events, including track and field, will be shown on the big screen from 5:00 -9:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 17, and from 6:00 -10:00 p.m. on August 19 and 22. The final day of track and field events will be shown Saturday, August 23, from 5:00 -9:00 p.m. For more information, contact Craig Smith at 682-6340. Free Genealogy Workshop at Eugene Public Library Researching a family tree used to take expert knowledge -- and sometimes, substantial cost. But in recent years, the Internet and electronic databases have made do-it-yourself genealogy far easier, more rewarding, and less expensive. On Saturday, August 9, 10:00 a.m. - noon, the Downtown Eugene Public Library will host a free hands- on computer class introducing user-friendly resources such as HeritageQuest, Ancestry, FamilySearch, RootsWeb, and the US GenWeb Project. Participants will learn which steps to take first, where to order vital records, how to search the U.S Census, and more. Many of the featured resources are available free of charge through the Eugene Public Library or on the Web. Basic Internet skills are required. Pre-register by calling the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 (press 2). Caution – Pothole Repairs Ahead Eugene’s expanded pothole repair program is gearing up and will hit the streets next week. The City Council approved a $1 million increase in pothole repair funding for FY09. The Public Works Department is in the process of hiring three, limited-duration employees to form the nucleus of a proactive “pothole patrol.” That work will supplement the existing street repair services provided by the Public Works Maintenance Division. On Wednesday, August 13, the first of several maintenance overlays on badly potholed streets is scheduled to take place. A paving crew from Eugene Sand & Gravel, working under contract to the Maintenance Division, will patch a two- block section of Arcadia Drive in northeast Eugene. Maintenance overlays are an efficient way to temporarily repair surface areas containing numerous potholes on unimproved streets. Arcadia Drive was selected for repair in part because of the street’s deteriorating condition. How long the repairs last is determined by factors such as the overall condition of the street and traffic loads. Signs have been created to identify pothole repair work sites. The Public Works Department has also created a web site (www.eugene-or.gov/pothole) that provides information about the pothole repair program and includes a link to an online pothole reporting form. Residents also can report potholes by calling the Maintenance Division at 682-4800. For more information about the expanded pothole repair program, contact Eric Johnson, surface operations manager at 682-4904. New Traffic Safety Campaign Makes Streets Safer for All Roadway Users Eye to Eye is a new multi-city traffic safety campaign created to foster a culture of awareness and respect on shared paths and roadways and to make local streets safer for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. The City of Eugene is partnering with the Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARs) and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) to launch this campaign. In addition to encouraging empathy and respect on the roadway, the Eye to Eye message will be used in conjunction with specific information to educate all road users on what they can do to be safe, including making eye contact with, and communicating with, other road users, looking for bicyclists, stopping for pedestrians, using lights at night and following traffic laws. The Eye to Eye campaign will kick off August 13 with press conferences in Portland and Eugene. The Eye to Eye web page will also be live by that time. Several community events are scheduled to follow including bell and light giveaways, crosswalk awareness actions and professional truck driver/cyclist EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 August 8, 2008