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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 11/04/04EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER November 4, 2004 City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www.ci.eugene.or, us HULT CENTER PRESENTS TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET SEPTEMBER DIVERSITY MONTH ROTARY VOLUNTEERS AND PARKS STAFF GET MUDDY AT DELTA PONDS WORK PARTY RENOVATED NEIGHBORHOOD PARK IN SOUTHEAST EUGENE NOW OPEN FOR PLAY "FISH TALES AND OTHER WATER MATTERS" THEME OF STORMWATER CONNECTIONS ISSUE HULT CENTER ACOUSTIC SHELL NOW HEARS A DIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC Hult Center Presents Turtle Island Strinq Quartet From the intimacy of the Soreng Theater on Wednesday, November 10, the Turtle Island String Quartet will pay homage to jazz legend, Miles Davis, in its performance, "Blue in Green: The Legacy of Miles Davis." This tradition- bending jazz concert will feature selections from Miles' legendary "Kind of Blue," the best-selling jazz recording of all time. The group will also play some of the music which inspired Davis, then explore the eclectic mix of American music that he inspired. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. The Turtle Island String Quartet is renowned for its bold innovation and improvisation on stage. Yo Yo Ma proclaimed "Turtle...some of the most creative music-making today." This group plays everything from bluegrass to swing, classical to jazz and occasionally even a little bit of hip-hop. On November 11, in collaboration with the Hult Center, the U of O School of Music will present the Ying String Quartet and the Turtle Island String Quartet playing together and separately in Beall Concert Hall. This is a double delight for chamber music lovers! Enjoy the elegance of the Ying Quartet and the dynamic panache of Turtle Island as they create a breathtaking evening of sizzling artistry. The program includes music composed by Mendelssohn, Milhaud and the Turtle Island String Quartet. Showtime is $:00 p.m. For more information, contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 652-5000. September Diversity Month During the month of September, the City's Diversity Advisory Council and City departments hosted a month-long speaker series event for all employees. Department diversity committees each coordinated a training to promote learning and understanding of the issues employees face in the workplace every day. Topics ranged from gender, cultural competency, generational issues, and work style differences. The sessions were well-attended, with close to 600 employees in attendance at the various events. The month ended in a celebration at City Hall with a program that included the City Singers, community drummers, photo exhibits, and a Tai Chi demonstration by an employee group. Assistant City Manager Jim Carlson provided words of inspiration to employees about the importance of the city's diversity efforts and the service it provides to this diverse community. Diversity Leadership Awards were presented to an employee from each department for their efforts and contribution to diversity within their department. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 November 5, 2004 Selections were made based on the criteria of showing leadership in the area of diversity, commitment and support of the City diversity efforts, and outstanding project work in the area of diversity. Executive Manager Angel Jones was presented with the Citywide Diversity Leadership award from the City Manger and the Diversity Advisory Council for her organizational leadership in the area of diversity. Recipients of the department awards included: Laura Niles, Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Lori Davis, Public Works Linda Dawson, Planning and Development Tod Schneider, Police Ruth Obadal, Fire and EMS Glen Svendsen, Central Services The celebration event was festive and a crowd packed the Council Chamber. Thanks to all who participated in the month-long event and to the coordinators who worked hard to make the month a success. For further information, please contact Marilyn Mays, Human Resources and Risk Services, 682-8434. Rotary Volunteers and Parks Staff Get Muddy at Delta Ponds Work Party Parks staff from Volunteers In Parks (VIP), Stream Team, Natural Resources, and Landscape and Medians crews, along with 40 Rotarians representing several local Rotary clubs, weathered deluges of rain and extremely muddy conditions to make considerable progress on constructing trails in the northern section of Delta Ponds. Together, staff and volunteers, ranging in age from early teens to seniors, persevered in their work for the course of the day and spread over 50 cubic yards of compost on exposed soil; covered the soil with a covering of native seed mix; hauled, raked and compacted over 50 cubic yards of gravel; and pulled and dug volumes of ivy and blackberry crowns. One Rotarian even fired up his brush cutting machine and spent about an hour mowing down blackberries. When the large truck that was delivering the gravel to create the new paths became stuck in the mud, staff and volunteers improvised and used a pick-up truck and several wheelbarrows to continue to haul and place the gravel along the length of the path. The Rotarians were recruited and organized by Wes Woodke of the Delta Rotary Club (pictured above), who worked tirelessly alongside Parks staff from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. "1 am very thankful for the assistance and dedication of our Rotary partners and parks crews," says VIP Coordinator Matt McRae. "We were able to accomplish a great deal despite the setbacks." The effort was the result of a partnership between the City, local Rotary clubs, Oregon State Parks, and others to construct a new pedestrian path and boardwalk viewing trail in the northern section of Delta Ponds. The enhancements will allow wildlife viewing and other passive recreational uses in an area rich in natural habitat but difficult to access. In addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is moving ahead on a $6.2 million project to increase river flows through the Delta Ponds to provide better habitat for salmon and native plants and animals. Preliminary work on that project, which includes the construction of additional recreation facilities, could begin next spring. For more information about the October work effort, call Matt McRae, VIP Coordinator, at 682-4845. For more information about the north path project, contact Carolyn Weiss, Delta Ponds recreation program manager, at 682-4914, or visit www'ci'eugene'°r'us/PARKS/planning/DELTpr°i'htm' For more information about the overall Delta Ponds effort, contact Kevin Finney, Delta Ponds project manager, at 682-6018. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 November 5, 2004 Renovated Neiqhborhood Park in Southeast Euqene Now Open for Play Thanks to the 1998 parks and open space bond measure, ,. ~ Milton Park, a small but well-loved neighborhood park in the vicinity of 3300 University Street, has received an extensive renovation. The 0.6-acre park, originally developed in the 1960s, has received all new play equipment, benches, picnic tables, a drinking fountain, a new half-court basketball court, and sidewalks. In addition, the lawn and landscaped beds were rejuvenated, and a new irrigation system was installed to maintain them. Several small unique tiles by local artist Betsy Wolfston were also installed in the sidewalk. During construction, local construction contractor, Triton Group, worked closely with Sperry Arborists to help preserve the park's many mature trees. Hazel Hering and Hannah Eshelman (pictured at right), both eight years old, concur that the play structure with its rock climbing wall and winding pole is a highlight of the new park. Hazel's mother, Jennifer Jarman, is also impressed with the park. "We always loved the park, but we participated in a few of the many planning meetings, and it truly was a community effort to pull this together," says Jarman. "We are pleased that they were able to keep a lot of trees and open space and are very excited about the new features as well." A park dedication is planned for next spring. For more information about Milton Park, call Philip Richardson, park designer, at 682-4906, or Emily Proudfoot, park construction project manager, at 682-6019. "Fish Tales and Other Water Matters" Theme of Stormwater Connections issue The fall issue of Stormwater Connections arrives this Monday in The Register-Guard with stories about fish, flooding and other water matters. One fish tale with an unhappy ending tells the story of a large number of fish found floating along a stretch of Amazon Creek this summer. The feature story, "Unlikely Suspects," points to a few, rather repugnant water-related issues. While no one would knowingly drink water with pet waste or cigarette butts floating in it, those very items end up in the city's waterways-- the same places residents depend on for drinking water, recreation and homes for fish and wildlife. Find out more about these issues and what can be done about them in this article. Building in a floodplain area or wondering if you need to be concerned about flood insurance? Be sure to look over local requirements and basic flood safety tips contained in this issue so that you are well-informed. The wetlands and waterways section features two recent wetland projects and a watershed discovery tour offered to students at one local school. This semi-annual newsletter has been produced by the Stormwater Management Program since 1994 to increase awareness of surface water and natural resource issues. Copies of the newsletter have been placed in the Council Office. For more information or additional copies of the newsletter, contact Kathy Eva, public information specialist for the Stormwater Management Program, at 682-2739. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 5, 2004 Hult Center Acoustic Shell Now Hears a Different Kind of Music Ever wonder what happens to the materials you recycle as environmentally-astute City employees? The following is one interesting scenario, which was reported in the April 21,2004, online issue of Architecture Week: Pictured is the Chapel of Second Chances, an open- air structure used for second-wedding ceremonies, the renewal of vows, and educational events. Also pictured are the University of Oregon architecture students who designed and built the structure during a ten-week term taught by instructor Michael Cockram. BRING Recycling Center challenged the students to create and construct a portable structure using exclusively reused materials from their yards. Among the many useful "treasures" discovered was a pile of fiberglass panels which once made up an acoustic shell used by the Eugene Symphony in the Hult Center. The lightweight panels came in an assortment of lengths and were just the thing for creating this attractive, portable structure. The chapel will find a semi-permanent home in a demonstration garden when BRING's new Planet Improvement Center is completed in 2005. For more information, contact LRCS Executive Assistant Maureen Robeson at 682-6065. For more information about the myriad benefits of recycling, contact Recycling Analyst Alex Cuyler at 682-6830. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 November 5, 2004