City Council Newsletter - 04/19/07

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Eugene Police Department volunteers Bob Blaesi and Cliff Flesch were among seven volunteers honored as OASIS (Older Adult Service and Information Service) senior role models at a celebration on April 12. OASIS is a national, nonprofit educational organization designed to enhance the quality of life for mature adults. Offering challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness, technology and volunteer service, OASIS creates opportunities for older adults to continue their personal growth and provide meaningful service to the community. Each year, OASIS solicits nominations from Lane County agencies for their annual Senior Role Model Awards. Award winners are selected based on their involvement in activities that have made a difference and have made a positive impact, whether in the lives of individuals or in the Lane County community at large. Volunteers age 50+ who deserve to be recognized for outstanding community service are eligible. Cliff, a retired insurance underwriter, is shown in the photo. Bob worked for Pan American Airways for 25 years, and most recently retired as a pharmacy technician. He was unable to attend the awards ceremony. Bob and Cliff have been members of the Volunteers in Policing Program since 2004. Both are members of the Squad Car Maintenance and Seniors on Patrol teams, and both are Citizens’ Police Academy graduates. In addition to their regular shifts, Bob and Cliff regularly sign up for additional volunteer assignments such as staffing the Volunteers in Policing Program booth at community events. To date, Bob has donated 1,176 hours and Cliff has donated 1,908 hours to the Eugene Police Department. For more information, contact Volunteers in Policing Program Coordinator Carrie Chouinard at 682-5355 or carrie.f.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us. Officer Curry Named Delta Rotary's EPD Officer of the Year Eugene Police Officer Jennifer Curry was recognized on April 13 at the Delta Rotary's Law Enforcement Recognition Day, where one sworn employee from each local jurisdiction was honored for serving his or her department and community with the highest degree of professional standards, ethics and principles. Officer Curry was born and raised in Eugene. She is a graduate of Churchill High School and attended the University of Oregon. In 1996, she became a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Lane County. She was hired by the Eugene Police Department and served as a patrol officer for five years before becoming the downtown foot patrol officer. She is currently a field training officer and background investigator, and has been in charge of the Cadet Post for more than seven years. Many cadets from her certification program have been hired by police agencies. They graduate from her program already possessing many of the skills necessary to become police officers; their character and professionalism are a reflection of the mentoring they received from Officer Curry. Officer Curry is noted by her fellow officers and supervisors for her dedication and excellence. She has a wealth of information on criminal activity in the community and is sought out by other officers and even agencies in other states as a resource to identify suspects with links to the Eugene area. Officer Curry is involved in true community policing in her beat downtown near the LTD bus terminal and the downtown mall; a beat area that could easily take four officers to patrol. She has the daunting task of addressing quality-of-life issues for business and community members, while balancing response to youth and other vulnerable community members. When crimes are committed by juveniles, she takes a tough stance, but goes the extra mile to try to help kids get off the street, get assistance and get back in school. Her evenhandedness with youth has earned her their respect – no simple task given their frequent distrust of authority, especially police. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 April 19, 2007