City Council Newsletter - 04/12/07

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emergency line, you will help them. That is why you hold our community's trust and why we all support you.” During this week, the fire service profession extends sincere thanks to telecommunicators across the country. For more information, please contact Glen Potter at 682-7130. Oregon Track Club and Ruth Bascom Honored as Community Heroes On March 22, over 200 guests attended the second annual Eugene Parks Foundation Community Hero Awards dinner. Each year the Eugene Parks Foundation and the City’s Parks and Open Space and Recreation divisions honor two community heroes who have made an outstanding commitment to parks and recreation in Eugene. This year’s awards were presented to the Oregon Track Club (OTC) and Ruth Bascom. Oregon Track Club’s mission is to promote track and field and running for all facets of the community. In addition to hosting a fourth Olympic Trials next year, OTC’s more than 1,000 members will be th celebrating the club’s 50 anniversary. Former Eugene mayor Ruth Bascom’s decades-long persistence ultimately led to the creation of Eugene’s highly popular 12-mile riverbank trail system named in her honor. In addition, she was instrumental in creating the Hayes Memorial Tree Garden. The 2006 Community Hero Awards were presented to Judge Darryl Larson and former Eugene mayor Jim Torrey. For more information, contact Kelly Darnell, marketing and outreach manager for the Parks and Open Space Division, at 682-4814. Fire Plan Review Certification Test Preparation Course As part of its commitment to seek opportunities to improve fire service and associated partnerships, Eugene Fire and EMS share their expertise with others. Last week, the Washington Association of Building Officials asked Acting Deputy Chief Mike Thrapp and another fire instructor from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue to teach a four-day plan review class to 55 building and fire officials. The evaluation of the course was excellent and many attendees expressed their appreciation for the information and materials received. The same class will be hosted a total of four times throughout the year by the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office. It is intended to help prepare Oregon fire service officials to take a new national Fire Plan Review certification test and improve their competency. For more information please contact Acting Deputy Chief of Administrative Services Mike Thrapp at 682-7130. Recreation Services’ Alpine Adventures Program The Alpine Adventures Program, which runs in partnership with the City of Eugene’s Outdoor and Adaptive Recreation programs, and in collaboration with Hoodoo Ski Area and Oregon Adaptive Skiing in t h Bend, successfully finished its 38 season. As one of only three adaptive ski programs in the state, Alpine Adventures serves people with physical disabilities by providing transportation, adaptive equipment, ski lessons, and volunteer support throughout each ski day. The program runs January – March, and this year utilized2,369 hours of volunteer support. For the first time ever, some key Alpine Adventures staff and volunteers, including Kellie Nemke, program director, obtained a national certification in Adaptive Ski Instruction through Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) at the beginning of the season. At the end of the season, staff and volunteers participated in a fundraiser for Alpine Adventures that involved a relay team inner-tube race. The two teams representing Alpine Adventures placed first and third, and were awarded about $1,500 for the program, which will go toward a new youth adaptive ski (average cost $3,000 per ski). Congratulations to our participants and thanks to our volunteers! For more information, contact Recreation Programmer Kellie Nemke at 682-6324. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 April 12, 2007