HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Newsletter - 09/07/07
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
September 6, 2007
City of Eugene
777 Pearl Street, Room 105
Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
CITY’S BOOTH HELPS CREATE FIRST SUSTAINABILITY VILLAGE AT EUGENE CELEBRATION
EUGENE DEPOT LISTED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
SUMMER READING BREAKS RECORDS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
HULT EVENT LEADS TO RECOGNITION FOR YOUTH
REACH TO SPONSOR REGIONAL MEDICAL TRAINING AT EUGENE FIRE & EMS
AROUND THE CITY
City's Booth Helps Create First Sustainability Village at Eugene Celebration
Spin the wheel at the City of Eugene's Eugene Celebration booth this weekend, test your knowledge of
the City's sustainable practices and win a prize. Staff from several program areas, working with
community members and local business, will provide information and services to support more
sustainable living.
Featured at the booth will be:
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Planning and Development: rental housing, composting, waste prevention and green building
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Facilities Management: sustainable building operations and landscaping
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Public Works: stormwater management and transportation options
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Recreation: adaptive recreation and highlights of programs that support social equity
Located in the first-ever Sustainability Village on Olive Street north of Broadway, the City's booth will
include a variety of special attractions such as bike safety checks, adaptive bikes for people with
disabilities, and coloring pages and crayons for kids.
At 1:00 p.m., Mayor Piercy will present the Bold Steps award for September to a local business. As part
of the City’s focus on sustainability, Mayor Piercy initiated the Bold Steps program to honor businesses
that demonstrate how to integrate practices that promote economic, environmental and social
sustainability.
For more information about the City’s Sustainability Village booth, contact Keli Osborn at 682-5288. For
more information about the Bold Steps award program, contact Jan Bohman at 682-5587.
Eugene Depot Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office recently notified the City that the Eugene Depot, formerly
known as the Southern Pacific Passenger Depot, has been listed in the National Register of Historic
Places. This listing recognizes the depot's significance in Eugene’s railroad history.
Originally constructed in 1908, the Depot was rehabilitated and structural improvements were completed
in 2004 to create more functional spaces for Amtrak passengers and employees and to restore much of
the historic integrity of this nearly 100 year-old building. The old mail shed, which was added to the east
end of the station in 1955, was renovated consistent with the style of the 1950s and now functions as
office space supporting Amtrak's daily operations. The depot rehabilitation complements the
restoration of the City-owned Shelton McMurphey Johnson House on the south slope of Skinner Butte.
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September 7, 2007
The Eugene Depot renovation project has been recognized by both design professionals and by the
general public. In 2005, the depot won second place in the Eugene Celebration's "People’s
Choice” awards in thePublic/Institutional category. Also in 2005, the Southwest Oregon and Southern
Oregon Chapters of the American Institute of Architects presented PIVOT Architecture with a Citation
Award for its design work related to the renovation of the Eugene Depot.
The $4.6 million funding for the depot renovation project was the result of an exceptional collaboration
between Amtrak, Federal Highway Administration and Rep. DeFazio’s office. The Oregon Department of
Transportation and the City of Eugene managed the rehabilitation work, with oversight by
PIVOT Architecture and construction by Morris Kielty, General Contractor, both of Eugene.
For questions related to the City's Historic Preservation Program and the National Register, contact Ken
Guzowski, 682-5562, and for questions regarding the rehabilitation project, contact Russ Mecredy at
682-6024.
Summer Reading Breaks Records at Eugene Public Library
The verdict is in. This year's "Get a Clue" theme for Summer Reading programs at Eugene Public
Library has been found guilty of irresistibility, with more readers of all ages participating than ever before.
More than 4700 children and teens signed up, and adult sign-ups increased to over 1000.
Summer Reading for Kidsencouraged readers to set individual goals for the number of books or number
of minutes to read. Younger kids’ parents pledged to read aloud to them. Each youth chose a free book
to take home and get started. New for kids this year were mini-mysteries: puzzles requiring use of the
Library's catalog and reference books. Children enjoyed working their way up the levels from Junior
Sleuth to Master Spy, while learning what the Library offers and how to find it.
Special "Get a Clue" events for kids and families
ranged from educational workshops on forensic
science, emergency rescue, and hieroglyphics to a
Mystery Night when kids played detective to solve a
“crime" on the Library premises. Hundreds of kids
th
and adults celebrated reading with the 14 annual
Teddy Bear Picnic in Amazon Park and the
Mysteries of the Deep party at Amazon Pool.
Teen Summer Readingkicked off with a visit by
author Karen Karbo, followed by a variety of hands-
on art workshops and Retro Mystery Cinema
showings of classic films. The summer’s highlight
was a wildly popular Wizard Rock concert in honor
of the release of the final Harry Potter book.
Summer Reading for Adultsbrought in scores of brief book reviews by local readers. “Get a Clue”
booklists were in high demand, including classic mysteries, true crime, and a list of Eugene Summer
Favorites 2006. Selections for book groups were also tied to the theme. Enthusiastic audiences packed
a suspenseful and funny talk by visiting mystery writer Diana Abu-Jaber, as well as a do-it-yourself
Genealogy Internet class.
Partners in this success include Library volunteers, Friends of the Library, Eugene Public Library
Foundation, local schools, Novella Café, Second Hand Prose, and Unique Eugene. For more
information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Hult Event Leads to Recognition for Youth
A speech given by 17-year-old Katey Finley as part of the Celebrating Hult 25 ‘The Talents of Tomorrow-
Outstanding Youth Performances’ is expected to be published as a opinion article in the September 9
edition of The Register-Guard. In her speech, the Willamette High School senior asks, “Can We Live
Without Art?” She concludes, “…though we could theoretically survive without art, we certainly don't
want to live without it.”
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September 7, 2007
A member of the debate team, Finley uses research to make her case. She cites statistics showing that
artistic involvement improves students’ scholastic achievement tests, spatial reasoning, and attitudes
toward school. She also notes that youth who participate in art are four times more likely to go to college
than other youth in their community. And, she says, art contributed over $262 million in overall impact to
Oregon’s economy in the year 2000. For information, contact Billie Moser, 682-8380.
Reach to Sponsor Regional Medical Training at Eugene Fire & EMS
REACH Air Ambulance, one of the providers of
local air medical transport services, will sponsor
a regional medical training seminar on Friday,
September 7, at the Emergency Services Center
at 2nd and Chambers. The seminar is expected
to draw 50 or more emergency medical
professionals from around the state -- including
10 from Eugene Fire & EMS -- for training in
burn trauma, submersion injuries, closed head
injuries, toxicology, and other conditions that
may be encountered in the field. A lecture on
helicopter safety is also included.
This training and others to follow are part of the
Fire & EMS Department's goal of making the
local training facility a regional training facility.
For more information, please contact Karen
Anderson, EMS training coordinator, at 682-7134.
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