CC Newsletter - 09/29/05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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For more information, please contact LRCS Administrative Manager Mike Magee at 682-2858 or at michael.e.magee@ci.eugene.or.us. Contractor Begins Removal of Invasive Plant at Golden Gardens Pond The Parks and Open Space Division recently hired a contractor from Lakeside Aquatic Services to harvest a highly invasive plant that was taking over the south pond at Golden Gardens Park. The invasive aquatic plant is called floating primrose-willow, Ludwigia peploides, and originated in Latin America. It has moved into all of the southern states and is moving its way north into Oregon and Washington. Once established, the plant can double in diameter in 15 to 20 days and can quickly reduce the biodiversity in the pond. The invasive plant is impossible to completely eradicate. Staff will monitor the spread and take further action when needed. The contractor removed approximately 80 percent of the plant from the pond. The harvester needs at least 18 inches of water to operate and was unable to harvest the eastern perimeter of the pond and the adjoining channel. Once the water rises, the contractor will return to remove the remainder of the invasive plant. For more information, contact John Clark, natural resource maintenance supervisor, at 682-4826. Banned Books Week at Eugene Public Library Since books were invented, their power has been recognized—and sometimes feared. They’ve been burned, outlawed, censored, “edited,” pulled from shelves, locked away, or otherwise kept from the public. Banned Books Week honors the constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to read, and libraries’ role in providing access to books so the public can exercise that freedom. This year’s theme is, “It’s Your Freedom We're Talking About.” Parents and teens are invited to a free Cyber Savvy Youth Workshop, Tuesday, October 4, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Library staff will share practical tips to empower youth to make safe, responsible choices on the Internet. Helpful recommendations for parents of younger children will be included. The free speech focus continues with First Friday @ the Downtown Library, October 7. At 6:30 p.m., Walker T. Ryan will play straight-ahead, high-energy acoustic blues, roots music, and slide guitar in the manner of the Delta blues masters, and will talk about the censorship of blues music as a form of racism. Then at 7:30, it's Banned Books Live: actors bring to life the words of authors and characters that some people don’t want anyone to know about! In addition to these special events, the Downtown Library is open for public use until 8 p.m. on First Fridays. Visit the Eugene Public Library, pin on an "I Read Banned Books" button, and see the banned books displayed on the Downtown Library's 3rd floor and in the Children's Center through October. Celebrate the right to read, write, watch, and listen freely! For more information, call 682-5450. Speed Humps to be Installed on Sorrel Way and Palomino Drive For many years, residents who live on Sorrel Way and Palomino Drive in northeast Eugene have experienced cut-through traffic and speeding vehicles. To ameliorate this situation, they requested that the City install traffic-calming devices on these two streets. Sorrel Way was ranked highest among local streets for traffic-calming and was chosen as the next traffic calming project. The first Sorrel Way traffic-calming workshop took place on July 20. The goal was to develop a traffic- EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 29, 2005