11/15/12 - City Council Newsletter

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The ancient art of creating sand mandalas is meant to inspire compassion and bring progress toward world peace. The Opening Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 30, at 10:30 a.m. will consecrate the site with approximately 30 minutes of chanting, music and mantra recitation. On Friday, Nov. 30, Saturday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 2, the monks will draw the lines for the design, then skillfully pour millions of grains of brightly-colored sand from a funnel-shaped metal tool known as a “Chakpur” to create an astonishingly detailed work of art. The Downtown Library is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days. During the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 4 p.m., the monks will dismantle the mandala, sweeping up the colored sand “to symbolize the impermanence of all phenomena, teaching that everything that exists has a beginning, middle, and an end.” For a sense of this extraordinary experience, view CNN’s time-lapse video of the monks creating a sand mandala at Emory University. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Thanksgiving Luncheon Draws a Crowd Nearly 100 seniors are coming to the Thanksgiving Day luncheon at the Campbell Community Center on Nov. 21, from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. The meal of turkey and all the trimmings is an annual event and more popular than ever. In addition to a holiday meal, the event also includes companionship, which is so important at this time of year. To feed the crowd, staff at Campbell Center will cook five turkeys in at least four different facilities. The meal will include about 40 pounds of mashed potatoes, and for dessert, 16 pies. A team of 12 volunteers will put in about 40 hours cooking, serving, and cleaning up. There is still room for a few more attendees. Register online at www.eugene-or.gov/recenroll. For more information, call Tom Powers at 541-682-5318. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 15, 2012