HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/04/16 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
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thnd
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
February 4, 2016
IN THIS EDITION
ANNUAL OREGON ASIAN CELEBRATION HOLDS 31 EVENT
ST
MAYOR PIERCY ATTENDS WHITE HOUSE SUMMIT ON EARTHQUAKE RESILIENCE
CORVALLIS FOLLOWING CITY OF EUGENE’S LEAD WITH CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
CENTRAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER INITIATIVE
SHAKESPEARE EVENTS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
AROUND THE CITY
Annual Oregon Asian Celebration Holds 31 Event
st
Share the fun, we're 31 is this year's Oregon Asian Celebration theme. The event features colorful performances, music,
fine art, demonstrations of Asian crafts, cooking, martial arts, a heritage exhibit, an Asian food court and marketplace,
and more. Special guests this year include University of Oregon assistant professor
and master percussionist/composer Pius Cheung, and Portland Taiko.
Lane Events Center doors open at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and close at 7
p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20, and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21. Admission is $6 or $10 for
a two-day ticket; free for ages 12 and under, and free for students ages 13 and
older, (including college students) when presenting a valid student ID card and
student admission ticket obtained at any Oregon Community Credit Union branch
beginning Jan. 27. Admission tickets can also be purchased in advance at any
Oregon Community Credit Union branch.
For more information, please visit AsianCelebration.org.
Mayor Piercy Attends White House Summit on Earthquake Resilience
On Feb. 2, Mayor Kitty Piercy attended a White House summit highlighting the importance of community resilience to
earthquake risks, including seismically sound construction practices and earthquake early warning systems.
Stakeholders from state, local and tribal governments, private
companies, universities, and foundations participated in the
event in Washington D.C. to discuss the need for early earthquake
warnings and explore steps to make such systems a reality.
Mayor Piercy and other community leaders were already in
Washington D.C. this week for the annual United Front trip to
meet with congressional representatives and federal agencies
regarding local priorities.
The City of Eugene, the University of Oregon, the Eugene Water &
Electric Board and other local partners are taking earthquake
readiness seriously, and are joining together to seek support for
federal assistance for an early warning system.
“A system that includes sensors and automatic shut-offs at key public and private facilities would significantly enhance
our region’s resilience to seismic risks. The University of Oregon and the Oregon delegation, especially Congressman
Peter DeFazio, have been at the forefront of a developing a public west coast earthquake early warning system,” said
Mayor Piercy. “We need to work with the federal government to further develop the system.”
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
February 4, 2016
The City of Eugene is taking many concrete steps to improve community resilience to earthquakes. A systematic seismic
evaluation of key City bridges and facilities is currently underway. In addition, the City has a number of staff preparing
for and participating in Cascadia Rising, a broad-based, FEMA-coordinated regional emergency management exercise
scheduled for Jun. 7 - 10, 2016. The exercise will provide important experience to help local responders and emergency
management be more effective in a real Cascadia subduction zone earthquake.
For more information, contact Jan Bohman at 541-682-5587.
Corvallis Following City of Eugene’s Lead with Climate Action Plan
Recognized as an early leader when it comes to climate action, the City of Eugene has been asked to provide support to
the City of Corvallis as it prepares to move forward in developing its first Climate Action Plan. On Tuesday, Feb. 2,
Climate and Energy Analyst Matt McRae, from the City Manager’s Office, shared lessons learned from Eugene’s climate
action planning and climate goal-setting efforts with the Corvallis Climate Action Task Force, a committee of city
councilors and community members. The meeting was highlighted in an article in the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
For more information, contact Matt McRae at 541-682-5649.
Central Services Department Volunteer Initiative
The Central Services Department Strategic Implementation Team (SIT) launched a volunteer initiative in December to
increase opportunities for Central Services employees to support and contribute to the community’s prosperity through
volunteer engagement.
Fourteen Central Services volunteers worked on Dec. 9, with other community volunteers
repackaging food for the Food Rescue Express Program at FOOD for Lane County (FFLC).
Volunteers found it rewarding to give back to the community while having fun and
interacting with colleagues outside the workplace.
On Dec. 12, three Central Services volunteers worked in the FFLC Grassroots Garden
greenhouse mixing the ingredients for healthy compost. Despite the torrential rain, they
were able to keep warm and enjoy a morning of getting dirty (and getting a workout!). In
total, Central Services volunteers provided 51 volunteer-hours in just two events. The SIT
plans to coordinate quarterly volunteer opportunities for Central Services employees, their
family members and friends.
For more information, contact SIT Chair Becky Wheeler, Central Services Finance, at 541-682-5056.
Shakespeare Events at Eugene Public Library
Coming up this weekend in connection with the First Folio exhibit at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, the
Downtown Eugene Public Library will host two free events.
On First Friday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m., Shakespeare himself will host an instrumental concert, "The
Food of Love - Shakespeare’s Music." The Oregon Bach Collegium will perform pieces inspired by
Shakespeare, featuring works written and performed during his lifetime and since. The concert
will be emceed by the Bard, played by Geoff Ridden, who will explain the music and its use in his
plays. Musicians will be Wyatt True (violin), Marc Vanscheeuwijck (cello), and Margret Gries
(harpsichord). The Downtown Library stays open until 8 p.m. on the First Friday of each month.
Director and actor Judith “Sparky” Roberts will lead a presentation titled "Naked Shakespeare"
on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 3 p.m. She will talk about the art of artifice in Shakespeare’s plays, with
illustrative performances by professional actors Joe Cronin, Dylan Skye Kennedy, Richard
Leebrick, Marcee Long, and Patrick Torelle. Discover how Shakespeare entices the audience to revel in "the momentary
trick.” Explore how he lays bare the illusions of theatre while using lures both obvious and subtle to engage the
audience's collusion, unleashing their "imaginary forces."
The University of Oregon’s Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is the only site in Oregon where the tour of the Folger
Shakespeare Library’s exhibit “First Folio! The Book that Gave Us Shakespeare” will be held. The book was published in
1623 and is the only source of 18 of his 38 plays. In 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, original First
Folios will tour for display in every state in the nation plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.
The exhibit is open through Feb. 7 with free admission; for more information, visit jsma.uoregon.edu/Shakespeare. For
more information about events at the Library, please contact the Eugene Public Library at www.eugene-or.gov/library
or 541-682-5450.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
February 4, 2016