HomeMy WebLinkAboutJuly 3, 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
July 3, 2014
IN THIS EDITION
WASHINGTON-JEFFERSON SKATEPARK GRAND OPENING GOES GREEN!
OUTDOOR CAMPS OFFER THRILLS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
SCHOOL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM PROMOTES STEWARDSHIP
SUMMER FUN AND LEARNING FOR KIDS AT THE LIBRARY
AROUND THE CITY
Washington-Jefferson Skatepark Grand Opening Goes Green!
This year’s summer solstice developed into a beautiful day as the City of Eugene hosted the grand opening celebration for
the Washington-Jefferson Skatepark + Urban Plaza. Thousands of people came together to celebrate the amazing venue and
what it offers the community. The W-J Skatepark opening was a great example of how
future City-sponsored events can incorporate waste recovery and environmental
stewardship into event planning.
The W-J event planning team took the initiative to encourage sustainable practices at the
event through vendor contracts and participation, procurement decisions, and sponsorship
agreements. Food vendors collected food scraps from their booths, and served food and
drinks using compostable service ware. City staff purchased compostable cups for the
water stations provided for the event. As an event sponsor, Sanipac provided hauling
services and separate compost, recycling, and trash containers.
Over the course of the seven-hour event, people generated an estimated 1,618 pounds of
waste. Zero Waste volunteers and staff spent 30 hours sorting compost and recycling
containers and, after a full day’s worth of chicken wings, corn dogs, and crepes, recovered
618 pounds of compostable material, in addition to 375 pounds of recyclables! The team
came close to reaching their goal, and ultimately achieved a 62 percent recovery rate. The
compostable materials will be converted into nutrient-rich compost through the Love Food
Not Waste (LFNW) commercial compost program.
Additionally, City Waste Prevention staff engaged about 500 participants of all ages at the LFNW booth through waste
prevention education. Participants received a voucher for a free bag of 100 percent recycled food scrap compost through
the LFNW program.
For more information on the City’s internal zero waste program, please contact Waste Prevention and Green Building
Coordinator Jimmy Trasport at 541-682-6842.
Outdoor Camps Offer Thrills for Boys and Girls
Recreation Services helps teens and young adults enjoy the natural areas that surround them.
The division’s Outdoor Program camps offer tree climbing, sailing, surfing, kayaking, the Full
Moon Rising Program and the Four Rs: Rock (climbing), Ropes (course), Ride (mountain
bikes), and Raft. Camp counselors are experienced in outdoor sports and receive training
that ensures all campers are safe and feel included. Camps are offered with the campers
experience in mind - from beginners to “seasoned” campers.
This summer, Recreation Services is also offering five outdoor camps exclusively for girls:
Women’s Sailing Nights for all ages and experience levels, Try Surfing classes for girls ages 13
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July 3, 2014
and up, Kayak Camp Level I for girls ages 11 and up, and a girls-only Skate Park Camp for ages five to 18. Each of these
camps allows girls to learn a new activity in an environment of encouragement.
Space is still available in all of these outdoor camps. Register online. For more information call Senior Programmer Roger
Bailey at 541-682-5329.
School Clean Water Program Promotes Stewardship
Understanding one’s relationship to the environment at an early age can have a
lasting effect on attitudes and behaviors. With that in mind, the City of Eugene
continues to provide water quality curricula to local school districts. During the
2013-2014 school year, 3,870 children in 28 schools received lessons about water
stewardship.
The curriculum for SPLASH! (Stormwater Pollution Learn and Share) was created
for grades K – 8 and includes many lesson plans that stress the value of clean, safe
water. A companion curriculum, Salmon and the Ecosystem, explores the complex
role that salmon play in the Pacific Northwest ecosystem and how water quality
affects salmon populations. These lesson plans are designed for grades 5 – 12.
Lessons include a variety of hands-on activities that help children learn about water
systems. Supporting materials for teachers include handouts, posters, coloring
pages and most of the supplies needed for classroom activities. All are designed to
foster direct student participation, enhance critical thinking skills and address a
variety of learning styles.
The curricula and most of the handouts are available online at www.happyrivers.org
(the link to classroom materials is on the left side of the page). For more
information about SPLASH!, contact Jeffrey Flowers at 541-682-8482 or
Boy with Chinook salmon, 1917, from salmon
Jeffrey.J.Flowers@ci.eugene.or.us.
history handout
Summer Fun and Learning for Kids at the Library
Summer Reading at the Eugene Public Library is fun and more: participation helps to keep children's reading skills up
while school’s out. Plus, Summer Reading introduces kids to new ideas, new friends, and new things to do.
Each week brings a new free activity to all Eugene Public Library locations: Downtown
(Tuesdays at 1 and 3 p.m.); Bethel (Wednesdays at 3 p.m.); and Sheldon (Thursdays at 3
p.m.).
During the week of July 7, “Take Flight” and create flying wonders at The Science Factory –
with a real wind tunnel for testing. Make musical rain wands with Beth Stein of Nearby
Nature at “Water Wonders” during the week of July 14.
During the week of July 21, enjoy high-energy “Louisiana Fiddlin’” by Kelly Thibodeaux,
complete with fiddles for kids to try. At “Bird Biz,” explore the lives of owls with WREN:
Willamette Resources and Educational Network, during the week of July 28.
Also, at all locations, children can sign up for Summer Reading and choose a free book to
keep. Parents who sign up for Summer Reading for Adults get a Friends of the Library tote
bag, plus a free coffee at Novella Cafe or $1.00 off a purchase at Second Hand Prose Book Store.
For more information, visit www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316.
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