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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 20, 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 November 20, 2014 IN THIS EDITION THE GREEN PLOW JUICERY WINS COMPOST PHOTO COMPETITION CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY FOR BASCOM VILLAGE OUTDOOR PROGRAM OFFERS WINTER “WARM UP” EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY HOSTS “BECOMING A FOSTER PARENT” NEWEST MEMBER OF THE RIDGELINE TRAIL SYSTEM WELCOMED AROUND THE CITY The Green Plow Juicery Wins Compost Photo Competition Throughout the past month, fans and businesses of the Love Food Not Waste (LFNW) commercial compost program submitted photos for the annual Compost Photo Competition which occurs every November in honor of LFNW’s birthday (Nov. 1) and America Recycles Day (Nov. 15). The results are in, and the winner is The Green Plow Juicery (GPJ), a juice cart located at 2760 Friendly Street. GPJ is a 100 percent organic juicery offering juices, smoothies, juicicles, steamed juices, chai, and jun tea on tap. The photo depicts GPJ employees juggling their compost! In honor of their win, the photographer will receive a $100 gift certificate to their business, and the business will receive one year of free advertising through City digital media and one print ad in the Eugene Weekly . For more information about the annual Compost Photo Contest and Love Food Not Waste, please contact Waste Prevention and Green Building Analyst Stephanie Scafa at 541-682-5652. Construction Underway for Bascom Village In July 2014, St. Vincent DePaul began construction on Phase I of Bascom Village, Eugene’s latest affordable housing development. Phase I is a 53-unit affordable housing development that will provide rental housing to individuals and families earning at or below 50 percent of the area median income. The development will have one-, two-, three-, and four- bedroom units and will include an on-site manager. Bascom Village Phase I includes a large community center with a learning center, children’s play areas, and ample vehicle and bicycle parking. Construction is expected to be complete in October 2015. In 2014, the Housing and Community Services Agency (HASCA) applied for and was awarded state tax credit financing for the 48-unit Bascom Village Phase II. HASCA expects to break ground on Phase II in July 2015 for a completion date of October 2016. Phase II will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 November 20, 2014 The Bascom Village project was made possible through the City’s landbanking program for affordable housing. SVDP and HASCA worked together to develop the two-phased proposal for Bascom Village, and were awarded the landbanking site based on their strong development team, affordable rents, and quality design. The site is close to shopping, jobs, public transit, excellent schools, parks, medical offices, and other services. In addition to the land, the City awarded federal HOME funds and Systems Development Charge waivers to both phases of the project. The entire project will add 101 affordable homes to the community. For more information contact Ellen Meyi-Galloway at Ellen.E.Meyi-Galloway@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-5532. Outdoor Program Offers Winter “Warm Up” Recreation Services’ Outdoor program invites the community to “warm up” to winter fun with two snowshoeing classes in December. Professional guide and naturalist Dave Walp leads the first Snowshoe Trip from the River House on Saturday, Dec. 13. This trip will go wherever the snow is best with a focus on winter fun while practicing backcountry skills and winter safety. Participants must be 16-years-old or older, and attend a mandatory pre-trip meeting. Adults age 50 and older are invited to “Try Snowshoeing.” This trip begins in the classroom where participants will learn about the clothing and equipment needed for snowshoeing, then on Dec. 17, there will be a two- to three-hour practice session with experienced guides at the Ray Benson Snowpark. Both trips include transportation and leadership. For more information, call Senior Programmer Roger Bailey at 541-682-5329, or for the adult trip, contact Programmer Tom Powers at 541-682-6393. Eugene Public Library Hosts “Becoming a Foster Parent” Ever thought “I’d like to help – but do I have what it takes to be a foster parent?” Find out more at “Becoming a Foster Parent” on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6 p.m., at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. Cynthia Schwarm, Department of Human Services (DHS)/Child Welfare certifier, will host an engaging presentation explaining what’s involved in being a foster parent and how foster care works. Local community members who are currently providing foster care services will share their experiences, including the opportunities and challenges they face, and why they choose to be foster parents. Admission is free. For more information, please contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Newest Member of the Ridgeline Trail System Welcomed Last week, community members officially opened the latest addition to the Ridgeline Trail System. The new shared-use Dillard Connector Trail provides a safe connection between Fox Hollow and Spring Boulevard trailheads and six miles of continuous Ridgeline Trail between Spring Boulevard and Blanton Road. The trail replaces a section where users previously had to travel along the shoulder of a higher-speed stretch of Dillard Road. The trail also includes a 40-foot-long boardwalk crossing over one of the headwaters of Amazon Creek, a protected waterway. This latest addition is yet another step closer to the long-term Rivers to Ridges vision, which includes a trail system running from Fern Ridge Reservoir through the Ridgeline to Mt. Pisgah and Thurston Hills. For over a decade, local, state, and federal organizations have worked together to hold up this vision and make steady progress toward achieving it. For more information, contact Parks and Open Space Project Manager Pam Symond at pamela.s.symond@ci.eugene.or.us or 541-682-4913. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 November 20, 2014