06/14/12 - City Council Newsletter

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Volunteers Polish Eugene’s Crown Jewel On Saturday, June 9, nearly 300 volunteers with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) were out in force, helping polish Eugene’s beloved riverfront parks. This is the fourth large volunteer partnership between LDS and Eugene Park Stewards, resulting in 3,500 collective hours being contributed to Eugene’s park system. The value of this continued gift of support is more than $74,000. “Many members of our several Eugene congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints were thrilled to participate in this ‘Day of Service’ to our city,” said Whaanga Kewene, LDS Day of Service Coordinator. “They expressed their delight in helping to beautify our city prior to the arrival of the many visitors coming to Eugene for the Olympic Trials and in celebrating Eugene’s own 150th. For my part, I hope we have lightened the load for the City during a time of tight budgets.” Volunteers fanned out along the entire stretch of the riverfront park system performing a huge variety of tasks:  Native trees and shrubs in the Whilamut Natural Area received more than 90 yards of mulch chips and some Volunteers mulch and weed neglected filberts. much-needed weeding.  At Owen Rose Garden, more than 100 volunteers edged, weeded and graveled pathways, re-roofed sheds, made new bollards, spread compost, and cleaned the pergola.  The playground at Sladden Park received hand-weeding and eight yards of new sand. Several areas within the park were cleaned and edged, and blackberries removed.  Ten gallons of paint provided fresh coverage over the graffiti-riddled bridge columns in Washington-Jefferson Park.  LDS volunteers joined forces with an existing adoption group to pull blackberry crowns, prune trees, and spread fertilizer and mulch at an abandoned filbert orchard along the West Bank Path. A thank-you is extended to all the LDS volunteers, the Filbert Grove adoption group, and the many Parks and Open Space staff for their support in pulling off this massive volunteer effort. For more information about the LDS Day of Caring event, or Eugene Park Stewards, contact West Region Volunteer Coordinator Lorna Baldwin at 541-682-4845 or lorna.j.baldwin@ci.eugene.or.us. First Conventional Chain Grocer to Join Love Food Not Waste Albertsons® stores in Eugene are the first conventional chain grocers to join the City’s Love Food Not Waste commercial compost campaign. The parent company, SUPERVALU, accelerated its commitment to waste reduction significantly in 2011, and Eugene stores are full steam ahead in training employees to compost through this commercial program. The company added a variety of waste reduction and recycling programs to help reduce the amount of waste its business contributes to the nation’s landfills. Royal Avenue store manager Perry Tendick explained that the path to zero waste is a great benefit to the environment, and truly creates opportunities to lower waste expenses overall. Over the past two years, SUPERVALU’s recycling income was greater than its landfill costs. Tendick’s goal is to have his store be the sustainability model for all Albertsons® in the region. He convened store managers in Eugene, Corvallis, and Albany to make the company goal - reducing waste by 90 percent in all stores - a reality. Assistant Manager Tom Hall shows the food waste and recycling Regular staff trainings teach employees how and why to system set up behind each department. compost and recycle, creating a culture of awareness in the work environment. With the help of the Love Food Not Waste outreach materials, each department manager teaches staff how to compost and recycle, and monitors the process. Tendick was very excited to receive and distribute outreach materials to staff and for the opportunity to have consistent, attractive signage and messaging. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 June 14, 2012