The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About02/27/14 - City Council Newsletter (2) City of Eugene 125 East 8 Avenue, 2 Floor thnd Eugene, Oregon 97401 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www.eugene-or.gov EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER February 27, 2014 IN THIS EDITION KEEP THE WHEELS ROLLING AT WJ SKATEPARK + URBAN PLAZA ‘WORKING CITY’ FEATURES NEW PARK WATCH PROGRAM THE BIG READ: GREAT GATSBY EVENTS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY FIRST TRIP TO HOODOO THIS SEASON WHAT’S NEW ON THE RAIL? AROUND THE CITY Keep the Wheels Rolling at WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza In preparation for the WJ Skatepark + Urban Plaza grand opening on June 21, a team of staff from Parks and Open Space, Recreation and volunteers from the Eugene Parks Foundation have been working together with local businesses to kick off a percentage-of-sales series this spring. Participating businesses will donate a percentage of their sales on selected dates to fund recreation programs at the skatepark. This series allows Eugene’s business community to become actively involved in park solutions and help create a vibrant, safe gathering place in the heart of Eugene. A kick-off party will take place at Fifth Street Public Market on Mar. 2 from 1 to 3 p.m. The event will feature a live DJ, opportunities to touch a skateboard and learn basic skate techniques from skate instructors, and the chance to enter a raffle to win a Tony Hawk signed skate-deck. To raise awareness of the series, recent promotions include a clock tower banner at Fifth Street Public Market and ads in The Register-Guard, Eugene Weekly, and the March edition of Eugene Magazine (this edition will also feature a full-length article about the skatepark). The percentage-of-sales series will continue through May with the goal of raising $15,000. Go to www.eugene-or.gov/wjskatepark to learn about participating businesses and dates. New dates are being added regularly, so check often. For more information about the percentage-of- sales series, please contact Carrie Peterson at 541-682-4814 or carrie.a.peterson@ci.eugene.or.us. ‘Working City’ Features New Park Watch Program The latest installment of “Working City” features a new program designed to keep city parks safer. Park Watch is a partnership between Public Works, Police, Recreation Services and the community. It encourages all park users, including City employees, to keep their eyes open and report problems appropriately. The video explains that crimes in progress or life-threatening situations should be reported to 9-1-1, but a variety of other issues, such as graffiti, hazard trees, trash, restroom problems and car break-ins (not in progress) can easily be reported through a non-emergency, web-based system. At the heart of the system is a computer program that has web and mobile interfaces. By going to www.eugene-or.gov/parkwatch on a computer or smart phone, the user is guided through a simple menu of options, including the ability to post photos and map-based location information. Once the information has been entered, the system automatically generates a service request and routes it to the appropriate department or crew. The video shows examples of situations where response times are shorter and responders arrive better prepared to deal with the problem. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 February 27, 2014 “Working City” is financed with Eugene’s telecom funds and is produced as a public service through a joint effort involving City staff and Metro Television. The Park Watch video can be viewed on the City’s video web page or by going directly to http://vimeo.com/87201295. It also airs on Comcast Cable channel 21 (check the Metro TV schedule for times). For more information about Park Watch, contact Natural Resource Manager Eric Wold at 541-682-4842 or Lieutenant Doug Mozan at 541-682-5362. The Big Read: Great Gatsby Events at Eugene Public Library It’s the cat’s pajamas! Everyone in Eugene/Springfield is invited to join The Big Read, a celebration of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” The Eugene Public Library and Springfield Public Library will host free events for all ages that are inspired by the book’s themes, including talks, live music, dance, book groups, theatre, films, and more, running from late February through early April. Oregon Contemporary Theatre will present the play, “The Great Gatsby.” A tragic love story, a mystery, and a commentary on American life, “The Great Gatsby” may be the most popular classic in modern American fiction. Adults will get together to share views at drop-in book groups at all Eugene and Springfield library locations, as well as Campbell Community Center and online at the Eugene Public Library website. Also planned is a book group in Spanish and book groups for children and teens. Enjoy The Big Read Kick-Off on First Friday, Mar. 7, at the Downtown Eugene Public Library, featuring Debra Conner’s one-woman show about Zelda Fitzgerald at 5 p.m., followed by a Jazz Age concert by the Carl Woideck Quartet at 6 p.m. Additional highlighted events include an all-ages Cubism art workshop; illustrated talks on Roaring Twenties’ fashion, architecture, and local history; and Charleston lessons. The Eugene Public Library received a $16,000 grant to support The Big Read. The Library’s primary partners in the project are the Springfield Public Library and Oregon Contemporary Theatre; these partners also co-sponsored The Big Read 2012 focused on “Fahrenheit 451.” Community collaborators this year also include 4J Schools, Bethel Schools, Eugene Public Library Foundation, Friends of Eugene Public Library, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Oregon Humanities, and Radio Redux. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. For a complete calendar of local Big Read events, visit the Eugene Public Library website or call 541-682-5450. For updates, connect with the Eugene Public Library on Facebook or Twitter. First Trip to Hoodoo this Season A lack of snow delayed its start, but Alpine Adventures - City of Eugene’s Adaptive Skiing program- finally got underway at Hoodoo Ski Resort on Sunday. Two lifts: the Ed Chair and Manzanita, were open on Sunday, which was just enough to get six Alpine Adventure participants and 14 volunteers on the slopes. Therapeutic Recreation Intern Andrea McMillan said, “Everybody was happy to be out skiing, and the warm, sunny weather made the day a complete success.” Last season, 11-year-old Shanti Morrell, claimed the unofficial record for fastest run with an average of 41.9 miles per hour at Alpine Adventures. It’s a title she hopes to defend this season even with an impending face-off against Hollis Shostrom. Alpine Adventures typically operates every Friday and Sunday from mid- January to the end of March. But without snow this year, nearly half of the season was lost. Now that snow has finally fallen, Alpine Adventure participants are hoping for a late spring. Alpine Adventures is presented by the City of Eugene’s Outdoor and Adaptive Recreation programs. In partnership with Oregon Adaptive Sports (OAS), Alpine Adventures gives individuals of all ages with disabilities an opportunity to experience winter sports. OAS provides equipment, lessons and lift tickets while Alpine Adventures provides transportation and volunteer support. For more information, please contact Adaptive Recreation Senior Programmer Shayle Wigger at 541-682-5311. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 February 27, 2014 What’s New on the Rail? Bring your curiosity and questions to an informational evening, Mar. 11, at 6 p.m., with Oregon Department of Transportation’s Rail Division Administrator Hal Gard and Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy at the Eugene Train Depot. Mr. Gard is looking forward to having a dialogue with those who care about rail travel or who want to discuss the future of the entire rail corridor from Eugene to Vancouver, B.C. New and exciting changes that will shape the direction of passenger rail in the state are on the horizon. The two new train sets purchased by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are beginning to be phased into operation on the Cascade Corridor, increasing flexibility between Portland and Eugene and allowing for convenient business travel back and forth in a single day. Oregon’s Passenger Rail Project, for which Mayor Piercy serves as the Leadership Council co-chair, is studying ways to further improve travel between Eugene/Springfield and Portland and advising the Governor on preferred track configuration for inter-city travel throughout the Willamette Valley. Additionally, ODOT is developing designs for enhancements to Eugene’s historic train depot that will serve to support Eugene’s long-standing commitment to the progression of rail travel in the region. Trains are becoming more publicly recognized as an energy-efficient way to travel, and a well-planned and functioning rail system will help address federal and state energy mandates, limited resources and other environmental concerns. Come engage in the conversation and gather additional information about what’s new on the rail. For additional details, visit www.oregonpassengerrail.org, or contact Rob Inerfeld, Transportation Planning Manager. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 February 27, 2014