05/19/11 - City Council Newsletter

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The event line-up starts on the main stage with a welcome at noon, followed by performances by Willamette High School, the Shasta Jazz Band and Meadowview Jazz Band. At 1 p.m. there will be a “Milk Toast” honoring a person who has worked to build community in the Bethel/West Eugene area. The headline act, Medium Troy, will perform at 2:30 p.m., followed by Grrlz Rock and KEF. Performances on the second stage begin at 1:30 p.m. with ACT-SO Youth, followed by contact improv, Sirens Dance Co., and Purple Glove. For more information call Peter Chavannes at 541-682-5521. First Public Workshop Held for Proposed YMCA Community Center in Bethel Park City of Eugene staff presented at a public workshop on the proposed YMCA Community Center in Bethel Community Park on Wednesday, May 11. The meeting at Meadowview School was attended by more than 40 community members and several staff members from the YMCA, Bethel School District, Bethel Branch Library, Parks and Open Space Division, and Recreation Division. Staff presented information about the YMCA proposal, the park, the master plan and the process for updating the master plan. An online survey is being used as the primary means of receiving public input on the project. A link to the survey is on the project website at www.eugene-or.gov/bethelpark. The staff team will review input from the survey and prepare two or three alternatives to be presented and reviewed at the second public workshop in September. For more information, contact Project Manager Emily Proudfoot at 541-682-4915 or Pat McGillivray, Bethel School District, talks about the emily.a.proudfoot@ci.eugene.or.us. proposed YMCA at Bethel Park “Self-Compassion” Talk at Eugene Public Library What would happen if people criticized themselves less? Would they behave badly and never accomplish anything? Or might they actually become more effective, healthier, and happier? Based on empirical research, illustrated with everyday examples, psychologist Kristin Neff recommends a different idea: people should be kind to themselves. She will give a free talk about her book “Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind” at the Downtown Eugene Public Library on Thursday, May 26, at 6 p.m. Many people believe that intentionally raised self-esteem and its flip-side, self-criticism, are crucial to living a better life – but research by Neff and others strongly suggests that approach puts people on an emotional rollercoaster, rising and falling with each success and failure. In fact, people who are more self-compassionate lead healthier and more productive lives. They are less depressed and anxious, more satisfied with their lives, and more optimistic about the future. According to Gloria Steinem, Neff’s book is “a portable friend to all readers — especially but not only women — who need to learn that the Golden Rule works only if it’s reversible: we must learn to treat ourselves as well as we wish to treat others.” Based at the University of Texas at Austin, Neff is a pioneering researcher on self-compassion. Her focus on this subject was inspired by the Buddhist tradition of Insight Meditation. Neff published the first journal article that specifically defined self-compassion, and she created the Self-Compassion Scale currently in use by researchers worldwide. To learn more about Dr. Neff’s work, visit www.self-compassion.org or see her recent columns for Psychology Today or The Huffington Post. At the Library talk, books will be available for purchase and signing courtesy of the University of Oregon Bookstore/Duck Store. For more information, call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or visit www.eugene-or.gov/library. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 19, 2011