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<br />Agriculture Department Prepares to Eradicate Gypsy Moths in Southeast Eugene
<br />In 2004 the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) found and successfully eradicated a small breeding
<br />population of gypsy moths in south Eugene. In 2008, ODA again found a small breeding population on parkland in
<br />southeast Eugene. Gypsy moths have defoliated millions of acres of trees in the northeastern United States since
<br />the late 1970s. While not common, small isolated populations of this insect are detected and eradicated every few
<br />years in Oregon. Not allowing the current moth population to expand is a high priority for ODA. Therefore, they
<br />plan to treat an area of about 622 acres in southeast Eugene later this spring. The effort will involve spraying the
<br />area with a bacterium commonly found in nature as a normal resident of soil called Bacillus thuringiensis (Btk). It
<br />occurs in many forms, several of which are used as biological pest control agents on food crops - including
<br />organically grown foods. Btk does not affect people, animals, birds and other desirable insects such as bees,
<br />beetles, and spiders. Btk has an excellent safety record. The safety has been established both by laboratory
<br />research and monitoring in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand, where it has been used for more than 25 years.
<br />ODA will host a public meeting on Thursday, February 19, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Calvary Fellowship in Eugene.
<br />Individual notices to the surrounding residences should be mailed within the next week. ODA also plans to place
<br />information in the Register-Guard on February 5, 15 and 17. The final decision on implementation of the proposed
<br />program will be made by the director of the ODA once the public comment period ends on March 6, 2009, and the
<br />final environmental assessment is complete. For more information regarding ODA’s plans, contact Helmuth Rogg,
<br />ODA program manager, at (800) 525-0137 or gypsymoth@oda.state.or.us For more information about Btk, call
<br />the National Pesticide Information Center, based at Oregon State University, at (800) 858-7378 or visit their
<br />website at http://npic.orst.edu. For more information on Eugene parks, please contact Parks and Open Space
<br />Division Director Johnny Medlin at 682-4930.
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<br />Eugene Public Library Launches New Online Services
<br />Eugene Public Library is introducing a number of new online services. To try them, visit the Library's Web site at
<br />www.eugene-or.gov/library. Some of the services are:
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<br /> Mango Languages:Award-winning courses for English speakers to
<br />learn conversational Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Italian,
<br />Greek, Russian, Mandarin Chinese, or Brazilian Portuguese. In
<br />addition, courses on English for those who speak Spanish, Polish, or
<br />Brazilian Portuguese are available. The easy-to-follow lessons and
<br />user-friendly design are immediately engaging and rewarding.
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<br /> Audio books for iPods:The popular Library2Go service offers
<br />thousands of titles to download to MP3 players and computers, now
<br />including iPods, iPhones, and Mac computers.
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<br /> Community book reviews:Find a book in the library catalog, see
<br />other readers' reviews, and post your thoughts.
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<br /> Library news:Get info about free library events for all ages,
<br />delivered online. Sign up at the Library homepage to receive the new
<br />monthly e-newsletter or RSS feed.
<br />Eugene Public Library's Web site provides a wide range of services online, 24-hours- a-day, every day, including:
<br />- L-Net: Live chat reference assistance by professional librarians
<br />- Premium online sites offering expert information on many topics, including health and genealogy
<br />- Live Homework Help
<br />- Access to the library catalog, and
<br />- Access to individual password-protected accounts to check due dates and renew loans.
<br />For information or assistance, ask Eugene Public Library staff in person or by phone at 682-5450.
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<br />ODOT Holds Willamette River Bridge Open House
<br />The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be holding two open house informational meetings about
<br />the replacement of the I-5 Willamette River Bridge on Monday, February 9:
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<br /> 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (drop-in) Springfield City Hall, 225 Fifth Street, Library meeting room
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<br /> 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (drop-in) Eugene Public Library, 100 W. 10th Avenue, Bascom/Tykeson Rooms
<br />The open house is an opportunity to learn more about the project, view bridge images, hear about the proposed
<br />theme, and provide input on design elements. The meetings will feature project displays, information about the
<br />design process and how to get involved. Refreshments will be available. Local architects and artists are involved
<br />in the project. Integrating artists, architects, bridge engineers and the construction contractors will ensure that the
<br />bridge design is unified and buildable. Working within the theme, the local chapter of the American Institute of
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<br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
<br />February 5, 2009
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