September 19, 2013 - City Council Newsletter

Home Browse Search

Both events will feature a variety of community members reading aloud passages from books that have been challenged or banned. Everyone is invited to stop by to listen, borrow targeted books from the libraries, and pin on free “I Read Banned Books” buttons. Many people are under the impression that attempted censorship is a thing of the past or that “it doesn’t happen here.” In fact, individuals and groups continue to request -- or demand -- that public and school libraries remove or restrict access to particular books, music, films, and other resources. For information about recent censorship attempts in Oregon, visit the ACLU of Oregon website www.aclu-or.org/bannedbooks. For more information about the local Banned Books Read-Out events, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or the Springfield Public Library at 541-726-3766. Heron Slough Adopted by Santa Clara Fred Meyer Employees This summer, employees from Santa Clara Fred Meyer stepped forward to adopt Heron Slough, a natural area located along the West Bank Bike Path. When the team went in search of a community project that they could enjoy together, Heron Slough was an easy choice because of its direct impact to the immediate neighborhood. A store manager said the group thought about simply cleaning up garbage along the bike path, but decided to expand its mission to provide more holistic care of the slough and its connection to the Willamette River. Once a month, this hard-working, focused and fun group spends four hours weeding, mulching, weed eating and watering to further the goal of creating healthy habitat for resting and rearing salmon, songbirds and other wildlife. On Sept. 25, the adoption group will harvest seeds from a nearby big-leaf maple in West Bank Park and plant them in protective cages on-site at Heron Slough. This effort will be one more step in creating the pride of stewardship that the store manager said has already grown within the group. They enjoy sharing their newfound passion with people who Fred Meyer volunteers at Heron Slough pass them along the bike path. “We are taking part in something that eventually the community can be proud of that isn’t dependent on tax dollars, so that everyone can get behind it,” a store manager said. To learn more about adopting local parks or trails or for more information about upcoming Eugene Park Stewards events in the West region, contact Lorna Baldwin at 541-682-4845 or lorna.j.baldwin@ci.eugene.or.us. City Collaborates on New Oregon Municipal Video The City’s Telecommunications Program recently collaborated on a League of Oregon Cities-sanctioned video project to update a 1999 video about how local municipal authority manages the public rights-of-way. The video illustrates municipal policies and authorities relating to the construction within, and long-term use of, the public rights- of-way by telecommunications companies and other utilities. Eugene staff, in cooperation with League of Oregon Cities and City of Portland staff, assisted the area’s Metro TV production crew who produced the video. All who participated provided script review, consultation regarding local official interviews, and editing suggestions. Local talent was used for narration and additional reviewers were brought in from the Eugene Public Works Department and Eugene Information Services Division. A seven-minute and three-minute video were produced, the latter at no additional cost. The seven-minute video uses comments from local officials, and both videos include important policy messages. Both versions are available for public EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 September 19, 2013