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HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 5, 2014 - City Council Newsletter 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 June 5, 2014 IN THIS EDITION SHINING EXAMPLE OF EUGENE’S VALUES AND HOSPITALITY EUGENE-JINJU SISTER CITY COMMITTEE INVITES DELEGATES FOR 2014 KOREA TRIP SIGN UP! SUMMER READING FOR ALL AGES AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY EUGENE HOSTS CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN DREAM WORKSHOP PETERSEN BARN HOSTS LATINO FAMILY FUN NIGHT ON A LARK…RESOURCE GUIDE IS “RE-MASTERED” AROUND THE CITY Shining Example of Eugene’s Values and Hospitality The National Neighborhoods, USA Conference was a smashing success with amazing feedback from the nearly 600 attendees. Statistically speaking, delegates participated in 55 workshops, 13 neighborhood tours, were served more than 2,000 meals, and were supported by more than 40 community volunteers. Eugene shined in hospitality as out-of-town delegates routinely shared with organizers the warm reception they were getting from surrounding businesses and neighbors. Conference attendees patronized downtown establishments throughout the course of their time with pre-planned free time to explore the growing downtown. Remaining consistent with the community’s core values, all aspects of sustainability were woven into conference planning from meals that emphasized appropriate portions and locally-sourced food, to a clearly articulated, sustainable procurement policy that was shared with vendors and exhibitors. Highlighting the area’s award winning water, no single-serve water bottles were provided throughout the event as registrants were encouraged to bring their own reusable bottle, and, thanks to the conference venue’s participation in Love Food Not Waste, more than 2.39 tons of recyclables and food waste were diverted from the landfill. In an unprecedented move in the National Neighborhoods, USA organization, Eugene offered attendees the option of opting out of paper copies and instead provided online electronic access to conference material. More than 40 percent of attendees accepted the offer and opted out of printing. The planning team also established a robust inclusion policy that even prompted one attendee who had utilized accessibility assistance to call and thank staff for all of their work to make the conference accessible to all. To limit barriers in attendance further, a need-based scholarship program, supplemented by a work-trade option, was created for local conference attendees. While Eugene is one of the smallest municipalities to host this conference, everyone can be proud of the lasting impacts and legacy established as it moves into the future. For additional details, contact Neighborhoods Planner and conference coordinator, Rene Kane at Rene.C.Kane@ci.eugene.or.us. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 June 5, 2014 Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee Invites Delegates for 2014 Korea Trip The Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee is seeking persons interested in joining a delegation to Jinju, Republic of Korea, from September 30 – October 9, 2014. The visit will include tours of cultural and historic attractions in Jinju, Busan, Gyeongju, Seoul, and Incheon, and participants will be treated to the sights and sounds of Korean fall festivals. Language assistance will be provided at all times during the trip. Jinju is located 250 miles south of Seoul, and is the cultural and educational center of western Kyungnam Province. It is home to Gyeong Sang National University and is a leader in agricultural production and processing services, bio industry, silk, agricultural machinery parts, and decorative silver sword production. Eugene and Jinju established a formal sister city relationship in 1961, making it the most enduring of Eugene’s sister city partnerships. Celebrating its 53 year of partnership with the City of Eugene, rd the Eugene-Jinju Sister City Committee’s mission is to promote intellectual, social, educational, cultural, and other beneficial exchanges between the cities of Eugene and Chinju (Jinju), Republic of Korea. Anyone interested in participating in Seoul Gyeonbok Palace committee activities can learn more at www.eugene-chinju.org. Gyeonghoeru Loyal Pavilion For more information about the October 2014 Jinju delegation, contact Ki-Won Rhew at 541-344-4464 or kiwon@rhew.us. For information about the Eugene Sister City Program, contact Beth Forrest at 541-682-5882 or beth.l.forrest@ci.eugene.or.us. Sign Up! Summer Reading for All Ages at Eugene Public Library Eugene Public Library’s Summer Reading program helps kids keep their reading skills up while school’s out, learn new ideas, and try new things. This year’s theme is the science-inspired “Fizz! Boom! Read!” – all ages are welcome to join in the fun. Children, teens, and adults can visit any Eugene Public Library location – Downtown, Sheldon, or Bethel - to sign up. Kids and teens each get a free book to keep, courtesy of the Friends of the Library. Each time they visit the Library, children can also enter a raffle for family passes to City of Eugene pools or local museums. Adults get a coupon for a free coffee from Novella Cafe or $1.00 off a purchase at Second Hand Prose Book Store, both located at the Downtown Library, plus a tote bag. Adults and teens are invited to enter free raffles to win gift cards by writing book reviews on the Library website. A full summer of free events for all ages will include hands-on arts and writing workshops, live music, author talks, storytelling, the annual Teddy Bear Picnic, and lots more. For more information, visit www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450. Eugene Hosts Center for a New American Dream Workshop The City of Eugene is excited to host a FREE, one-day workshop, Saturday, June 21, run by “sharing economy” experts from the Center for a New American Dream. Come and engage in discussions with community members from around the city aimed at increasing participation in a sharing economy. The choices made about purchasing and maintaining “stuff” can have a big impact. Perhaps one can find what is needed at a second hand store or fix a broken item instead of throwing it away. Have an abundance of tomatoes from the garden? Maybe a neighbor is willing to lend their canning equipment in exchange for a jar of sauce. There are dozens of ways to save money, energy and resources if one stops to consider the options. Here in Eugene there’s a growing interest in sharing and borrowing, and the City of Eugene is happy to host sharing experts from the Center for a New American Dream in a one-day workshop to lead participants through a new way of thinking, as well as how to begin a sharing program in the community’s neighborhoods. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 June 5, 2014 Participants will begin the workshop with a book exchange during an “Exchange Café” and later spend the afternoon learning from local and regional groups which have successfully started sharing programs in their area. Presenters range from local sharing groups such as Eugene Toolbox to Swapnplay, a Portland area group with humble beginnings, that has grown to more than 1,200 participants. So grab a book and a neighbor, and join in this unique opportunity to make thoughtful choices about how to manage “stuff.” Registration and more information about this event are available online, or by contacting Sustainability Liaison Babe O’Sullivan at Babe.OSullivan@ci.eugene.or.us. Petersen Barn Hosts Latino Family Fun Night On May 23, Petersen Barn hosted its first Latino Family Fun Night as a complement to its Family Fun Night program. More than 60 attendees dined on homemade enchiladas, beans and rice, danced and played Loteria (a Mexican game similar to bingo). Lead staff Billy Hernandez collaborated with the Downtown Language Association, Head Start and Eugene Arte Latino to get the word out about the event, and bi-lingual Petersen Barn staff facilitated the evening’s activities. Several attendees said they had never before participated in City of Eugene programs, nor did they know that Petersen Barn was a City of Eugene facility. Friday’s success has encouraged Petersen Barn to include Latino Family Fun Nights as part of the regular Family Fun Night programming. Petersen Barn offers Family Fun Night once a month to facilitate a sharing of experiences, ideas, and laughter amongst residents of the Bethel Community. For more information, contact Peter Chavannes at 541-682-6359. On a Lark…Resource Guide is “Re-mastered” When staff from Recreation Service’s Youth and Family program decided the division’s annual Summer Resource Guide needed a facelift, they didn’t just revamp it; they “re-mastered” it! LARK editor Peter Chavannes describes the publication this way, “in an attempt to amuse, confuse and otherwise engage you, we are offering a new kind of summer publication. Welcome to LARK, Remastering the Masters Issue.” Lark contains “nuts and bolts” information about dozens of no- and low-cost activities offered by the City of Eugene Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Department, whose acronym, LRCS, is pronounced, “larks.” Programs publicized in LARK include Fun For All, the free summer playground program offered in seven neighborhood parks, Summer in the City events and the Eugene Public Library’s summer reading program. LARK also has a two-page calendar of family events presented by Eugene Recreation in June, July and August. The fun parts of LARK include comics, revised masterpieces of art, a fun movie review, puzzles, “personal” advertisements and horoscopes, as well as a play on a familiar ad for a clothing retailer. A Spanish-language version of LARK is also available. Defined as “improving the fidelity of an old recording,” re-mastering the Summer Resource Guide into LARK required fine-tuning the presentation of City programs “in a way intended to be amusing, at least, and thought-provoking at best,” Chavannes said. LARK is distributed through Eugene 4J and Bethel School districts. Copies are also available online, or at any City community center, pool, and the Downtown Library. For more information, contact Senior Programmer Peter Chavannes at 541-682-6359. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 June 5, 2014