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<br />Summer Reading Fun for Kids and Teens <br />This year’s Summer Reading theme is “Make Waves!” Free events coming up soon include “Stories to Dive For” <br />told by award-winning storyteller Christopher Leebrick at the Bethel Branch Library on Tuesday, July 13, at 2 p.m.; <br />the Sheldon Branch Library on Wednesday, July 14, at 2 p.m.; and at the <br />Downtown Library on Thursday, July 15, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. <br /> <br />The Library’s annual Teddy Bear Picnic for families with young children will be <br />Saturday, July 17, at 11 a.m. in the park outside Amazon Community Center, 2700 <br />Hilyard Sreet. Bring a stuffed animal friend and enjoy live music by McCornack’s <br />Garden Variety Band. <br /> <br />On Monday, July 19, at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., the Oregon Coast Aquarium will <br />present “Tales of Whales” at the Downtown Library for ages 6 - 12, featuring <br />songs, puppets, real whale teeth and bones, and a giant inflatable whale. <br /> <br />Thousands of children and teens have already signed up for Summer Reading at <br />the Eugene Public Library, but there’s still plenty of time to join in the fun. Sign up at the Downtown Library or the <br />Bethel or Sheldon branch and get a free book, plus a full calendar of events. <br /> <br />For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. <br /> <br />July Is Parks and Recreation Month <br />With the return of warm, summer days, it’s worth noting that July is National Park and Recreation Month. Eugene’s <br />strong legacy of parks and recreation provides plenty to celebrate. Since 1906, when Hendricks Park was donated <br />to the City, Eugene’s parks and natural areas have grown to some 4,000 acres <br />including 53 playgrounds, and 123 miles of on- and off-street bike and <br />pedestrian paths. <br /> <br />Eugene’s recreation programs are something to feel great about. The City’s <br />Recreation Division offers hundreds of activities year-around in six program <br />areas, including Adaptive Recreation and the Outdoor program, which continue <br />to set the standard for service nationwide. <br /> <br />It’s exciting to identify how parks and recreation opportunities fit the triple <br />bottom line of sustainability. Parks and recreation preserve our natural <br />environment by improving water quality, protecting groundwater, preventing flooding, improving the quality of the <br />air, providing vegetative buffers to development and producing habitat for wildlife. <br /> <br />Parks and recreation promote economic prosperity by increasing property values, expanding the local tax base, <br />increasing tourism, attracting and retaining businesses, reducing crime, and maintaining the social equity of access <br />and opportunity that enables everyone to enjoy the area’s resources and services. <br /> <br />Eugene’s parks and recreation activities provide social equity by being accessible to all. Parks are open to <br />everyone and hundreds of recreation opportunities, activities and community festivals are offered each year for <br />free or at a low cost, and scholarships are available to subsidize fee-based programs. Every recreation program is <br />open to people of all abilities, and inclusion services are offered to ensure everyone is welcome. <br /> <br />As they enjoy the return of the sun this month, it’s a sure bet many Eugeneans will also be enjoying the wonderful <br />opportunities offered by the City’s park resources and recreation services. For more information, contact Craig <br />Smith at 541-682-5334. <br /> <br />July Busy Time for Infrastructure Projects on Goodpasture Island Road <br />Goodpasture Island Road will be closed to through-traffic just north of Valley River Center for at least a month <br />starting Tuesday, July 6, to install a major culvert in the Delta Ponds area. The culvert-crossing being constructed <br />by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Eugene will complete a hydrologic connection between the <br />Willamette River and ponds to the west of Goodpasture Island Road, and the ponds east of the road. Combined <br />with other work the City is completing in the Delta Ponds, this culvert will create off-channel habitat for migrating <br />Chinook salmon and contribute to improved water quality in the Delta Ponds. The primary source of funding for the <br /> <br />EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 <br />July 1, 2010 <br />