HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/18/15 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
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Eugene, Oregon 97401
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www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
June 18, 2015
IN THIS EDITION
FUN SHOWS KICK OFF SUMMER FOR KIDS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM ON RISE
CITY OF EUGENE PITCHES IN TO MAKE TRACK AND FIELD EVENTS SUSTAINABLE
LOCAL KIDS GET A TASTE OF THE OLYMPICS
SMARTTRIPS PROGRAM HELPS SOUTHEAST AND FRIENDLY NEIGHBORS TRAVEL IN HEALTHY WAYS
AROUND THE CITY
Fun Shows Kick Off Summer for Kids at Eugene Public Library
Summer Reading at the Eugene Public Library is all about learning and laughs! Get started
with Angel Ocasio's "Komedy 4 da Kids" show at the Downtown Library on Tuesday, June
23, at 1 and 3 p.m.; at Bethel Branch Library on Wednesday, June 24, at 3 p.m.; or at Sheldon
Branch Library on Thursday, June 25, at 3 p.m.
The family fun keeps coming with the Teatro Calamari Puppet Show on Saturday, June 27, at
1 and 3 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Admission is free to all events.
At all Library locations, children can sign up for Summer Reading and choose a free book to
keep. Plus, parents can sign up for Summer Reading for Adults to get a free coffee at Novella
Cafe or $1.00 off on a purchase at the Second Hand Prose Book Store. For more information,
visit www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316.
Student Participation in School Clean Water Program on the Rise
Clean water now and in the future is critical to the health of the community. Helping children develop a relationship
with the environment at an early age can have a lasting effect on attitudes and behaviors.
With that in mind, the City of Eugene has continued to partner with two local
school districts to provide water quality curricula in the classroom. During
the 2014-15 school year, 4,952 children in 28 schools received lessons about
water stewardship. In the 4J school district, 3,548 students, out of 16,000
students, received instruction. In the Bethel School District, 1,404 students,
out of 5,700, received instruction. Overall, participation was up by 22 percent
over the 2013-2014 school year.
The curriculum for SPLASH! (Stormwater Pollution Learn and Share) was
initially created for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Many of
the lessons emphasize 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 students from fifth grade
through high school.
Lessons are designed to foster direct student participation, enhance critical thinking skills and address a variety of
learning styles. Supporting materials for teachers include hands-on activities, handouts, posters, coloring pages and
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
June 18, 2015
most of the supplies needed for classroom activities. In the last year, a video clip about Delta Ponds was added along
with new lessons for several age levels.
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
Jeffrey.J.Flowers@ci.eugene.or.us.
City of Eugene Pitches In to Make Track and Field Events Sustainable
The City’s Waste Prevention team partnered with Oregon Track Club on May 29 and 30 in implementing sustainable
practices at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet. The event sought certification through the Council for
Responsible Sport (CRS) whose requirements include zero waste efforts
such as recovery of materials through recycling and diversion of food waste
generated at the event by attendees, caterers and vendors.
The Waste Prevention team also worked with Track Town USA (TTUSA) to
support responsible sporting events from June 10-13 at the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships. The
event, which took place at University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, was
attended by thousands of fans and athletes from across the USA. TTUSA also
participated in efforts toward certifying this event through CRS.
Other elements of certification through CRS include measurable steps
toward accessibility and inclusion, and a reduction in event waste through thoughtful procurement and purchasing
decisions by event organizers. Volunteers on the ‘Green Team’ monitored recycling efforts, diverted compostable ware
and food scraps, promoted sustainability, and engaged fans and athletes about efforts to prevent waste, all while sorting
materials into their respective bins to demonstrate for visitors and locals alike how to achieve zero waste in Eugene.
The Waste Prevention team will continue to facilitate responsible sporting events in the community by partnering with
TTUSA during the upcoming USA Track and Field Championships (USATF), June 25- 28, and by supporting certification
at TTUSA events in 2016.
To learn more about sustainable events in Eugene, or for more information about volunteering for the Green Team,
contact,Waste Prevention and Green Building Program Coordinator Deveron Musgrave at 541-682-6842.
Local Kids Get a Taste of the Olympics
Last week, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Track and Field Championships were held in Eugene and
the Recreation Division created some inspiration of its own. Thanks to a donation from TrackTown USA, Recreation
team members were able to engage 1,200 youth and chaperones in fun activities
on Olympic Day, June 13. Olympians from a variety of sports shared their personal
stories of dedication, academics, staying active and being the master of moments
that call upon the individual to choose between right or wrong.
Participants were escorted to historic Hayward Field and filled the entire two
blocks from Mac Court to Powell Plaza. They all received seating to see the final
day of theNCAA Championship meet. In two weeks, Track and Field Olympians
will visit Sheldon Community Center and share their stories with youth as part of
the summer camp programs. Campers will then visit the USA Track and Field
Championships to watch the athletes compete.
Recreation staff has developed integral partnerships that support the effort to
provide opportunities for youth to run, jump and throw throughout the year,
including clinics, meet and greets, ticket access programs for families who could otherwise not attend, high school
leadership programs, hands-on experiences at The Starting Block (a youth interactive area that occurs at events at
Hayward Field), writing connections to Elite athletes, reading programs, and much more.
Partners include 4J, Springfield and Bethel schools, Kidsports, River Road Park and Recreation, Willamalane, YMCA,
Head Start, Parenting Now!, Jasper Mountain, Oregon Track Club, Oregon Track Club Elite, Oregon Track and Field, local
youth track clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys & Girls Club, TrackTown USA and USA Track and Field. For
more information, contact Senior Recreation Programmer Kim McManus at kimberly.k.mcmanus@ci.eugene.or.us.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
June 18, 2015
SmartTrips Program Helps Southeast and Friendly Neighbors Travel in Healthy Ways
Residents in south-central Eugene are the focus of this year’s SmartTrips Eugene program. SmartTrips Eugene is
designed to reduce drive-alone trips and increase biking, walking, rolling with a mobility device, using public transit,
carpooling, and combining trips in targeted geographic areas of the city. The program is funded by State Transportation
Planning (Urban) money administered through the local regional Metropolitan Planning Organization.
SmartTrips Eugene incorporates an innovative and
individualized marketing program that hand-delivers
packets of customized information to residents who
wish to learn more about transportation options. Key
components feature biking and walking maps and
organized activities that get people out in their
neighborhoods or places of employment to discover
how many trips they can easily, conveniently, and
safely make without using a car.
“Our goal is to provide community members in the target area with the materials and tools they need to get around
Eugene in a variety of ways,” says SmartTrips Coordinator Jessica Kessinger. “A wide range of transportation options
allows people to save money, improve their health, and improve the health of their community.”
There are over 6,300 households in the south-central program area, and they are served with good transit coverage,
well-connected streets, and many bike lanes and paths. This area is also well served by amenities such as grocery
stores, restaurants, and shopping within good walking and biking distance - as well as lots of parks, pools and
recreational opportunities. Transportation options such as transit can help participants overcome challenges like hilly
terrain and summer heat.
The south-central area of the city includes portions of council wards 1 and 2 and is roughly bound by Chambers Street
on the west, 18 Avenue on the south, Hilyard and Emerald streets on the east, and 46 Avenue on the south. This is the
thth
fourth SmartTrips Eugene program. Previous neighborhoods that were served by the program include Harlow, Cal
Young, Trainsong, Whiteaker, Jefferson-Westside and East Bethel.
“Based on before and after transportation surveys, our SmartTrips programs have routinely seen at least a relative
seven percent reduction in drive-alone trips each year,” says the City’s Active Transportation Coordinator Lindsay
Selser. “These programs are very effective, an extremely efficient use of funds for reducing vehicle miles traveled, and
they are popular and fun!”
Residents in the target area will get an order form in the mail or they can order online at www.smarttripseugene.com.
While people out of the target area cannot order a toolkit, most of the materials are available as free downloads on the
program website. For more information, contact Lindsay Selser at 541-682-5094.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
June 18, 2015