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Home My WebLink AboutCC Newsletter - 04/21/05EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER April 21, 2005 City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www.ci.eugene.or, us PAY PARKING TICKETS ON-LINE ART CAREERS SHOW AND SALE NATIONAL TV-TURNOFF WEEK, APRIL 25 - MAY 1 RESTAURATEURS WORK WITH CITY TO PLANT TREES DOWNTOWN EUGENE POLICE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEER HONORED AS SENIOR ROLE MODEL HULT CENTER PRESENTS PILOBOLUS ON APRIL 26 Pay Parkin.q Tickets On-Line An easy option for paying City parking tickets was developed earlier this month. A staff team from Information Services, Municipal Court, and Finance worked together to develop a prototype system for on-line payments that will soon be adapted for several other applications, such as paying for recreation fees. The new system uses a third-party secure payment engine to process credit card payments, transmit the information through a "black box," and post payments to the City's ticket tracking software. The system went live the afternoon of April 4 and, by the following morning more than 10 payments were logged despite the fact it had not yet been publicized. Public response has been overwhelmingly positive. Parking Administration and Enforcement in the Planning and Development Department developed informational inserts about this new option to go in parking ticket envelopes. Municipal Court updated information on its after-hours telephone message and its website, and there will be a link from the City's home page. To pay parking tickets on-line, go to: www.ci.eugene.or, us/parkingticketpay. Users must have both their vehicle license plate and ticket number to access the system. If the ticket or ticket number is not available or information about outstanding tickets is desired, the system may be queried at: www.ci.eugene.or, us/cs/prkticket. For further assistance, the Parking Violations Unit can be reached during court business hours at 682-5294. Other choices for handling a parking violation remain. The ticket may be contested by appearing in person at Parking Court any Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m., or by writing a letter of explanation asking for a reduction of the bail amount or dismissal, which will be reviewed by a judge only if it accompanies full payment. Payment can also be made by mail, by coming to the Municipal Court's Parking Counter (Room 102 at City Hall), or by using a credit card over the telephone. For additional information contact Char Mauch at 682-5088. Art Careers Show and Sale Hilyard Community Center, located on 2580 Hilyard Street, will showcase the work of community artists who experience disabilities. A variety of artistic pieces including painting, cards, and jewelry will be displayed and available for purchase. This is an opportunity to support the efforts of these dedicated, determined artists through the purchase of original, quality items. All proceeds from every sale go directly to the artist. Refreshments will be served. Sale times are Friday, April 29, from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 30, from 10- 2 p.m. For more information, contact Recreation Programmer Molly Elliott at 682-5311. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 April 21,2005 National TV-Turnoff Week, April 25 - May 1 For National TV-Turnoff Week, Eugene Public Library invites families to try Tell-A-Vision by just unplugging the TV and reading aloud 100 minutes in honor of the Library's 100 Years celebration. Serious participants may sign a pledge at any Library location. TV-Turnoff Week provides an opportunity to think, read, create, and do; to connect with families; to engage in the community; to turn off the TV and turn on life! The following free TV-Turnoff Week events will be held: "The Joy of Reading Aloud"- parents' workshop Sunday, April, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m., Downtown Library In just 15 minutes a day, parents can bring more literacy, laughter, and love to their families. Youth Services Librarian Jeff Defty inspires and informs with practical ways to make family reading time an enjoyable part of every day. "Sir ReadAIot!" - performance for elementary-age kids Wednesday, April 27, 4 - 5 p.m., Sheldon Branch Thursday, April 28, 4 - 5 p.m. Downtown Library Friday, April 29, 4 - ,5 p.m., Bethel Branch Sir ReadAIot, educator and performer Rickie Birran, a performing artist for Lane Arts Council's Youth Arts Program, combines acting, storytelling, and traditional oral interpretation to make words on the page leap to life. Kids can't help but be amazed and amused. "Glitterary Festival" Saturday, April 30, at the Science Factory Join the Young Writers Association for a full day of fun with words. Eugene Public Library sponsors a performance by award-winning Irish storyteller Batt Burns, visiting from Sneem on the Ring of Kerry. Barr's tales of trees and tree spirits match this year's festival theme, Treerific! These events are sponsored by the Eugene Public Library, Friends of the Library, and the Eugene Public Library Foundation. For more information, call 682-8316 Restaurateurs Work with City to Plant Trees Downtown Last Saturday, the City's NeighborWoods program and its community partner, Eugene Tree Foundation, worked with local downtown restaurant owners and G Group, LLC, to plant new street trees near the intersection of Pearl and Broadway. The "Trees for Concrete" project was initiated by the owners of two new downtown restaurants, Mezza Luna Pizzeria and Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, and G Group, LLC, the firm that manages the downtown property. They removed the concrete, the City provided the trees, and Eugene Tree Foundation coordinated the effort. "Sandy Little and John Fitzgerald, co-owners of Mezza Luna, and Max Stabin, owner of Sweet Basil, are proud business owners and are very happy to be located downtown. They're excited Trees replace concrete near Pearl and Broadway about making their restaurants more attractive, while helping beautify this area of the city," says Scott Gibbs, property manager for G Group. "It looks like both restaurants are here to stay; they have gotten very good reviews and are enjoying a thriving business already." The project caps this year's tree planting season. According to Urban Forester Mark Snyder who helped with Saturday's effort, these business owners are already looking forward to other possible tree planting projects next year as a way of further beautifying the surrounding area. The NeighborWoods program works with local businesses, school groups, community groups, and neighbors to build Eugene's urban forest and improve water quality by planting street trees. Since EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 April 21,2005 January, more than 375 trees have been planted in sites across the city by the program's volunteers. For more information about this or other tree planting projects, call Rick Olkowski, NeighborWoods coordinator, at 682-4831 or Mark Snyder, urban forester, at 682-4819. Eu.qene Police Department Volunteer Honored as Senior Role Model Eugene Police Department (EPD) volunteer Frances Powell was among seven volunteers honored as OASIS (Older Adult Service and Information Service) Senior Role Models at a celebration on April 20. OASIS is a national, nonprofit educational organization designed to enhance the quality of life for mature adults. Offering challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness, technology and volunteer service, OASIS creates opportunities for older adults to continue their personal growth and provide meaningful service to the community. Each year, OASIS solicits nominations from Lane County agencies for its annual OASIS Senior Role Model Awards. Five non-OASIS volunteers are recognized at the annual anniversary gala. Award winners are selected based on their involvement in activities that have made a difference and had a positive impact, whether in the lives of individuals or in the Lane County community at-large. All volunteers, age 50+, who deserve to be recognized for outstanding community service are eligible. This is the first year an EPD volunteer has been selected for this honor. Each of the OASIS Senior Role Model Award recipients was paired with a presenter at the celebration. Frances was delighted to learn that her presenter was Mayor Kitty Piercy! Frances has been volunteering for EPD since 2002. While paging through a catalog of classes offered through the Campbell Center, she noticed a free Consumer Scams, Fraud & Identity Theft class offered by EPD's volunteer Speakers Bureau. She was immediately intrigued, and soon contacted the department to learn about the Volunteers in Policing (VIP) Program and to find out how to join the Speakers Bureau. Since joining the VIP Program, Frances has given presentations to 23 community groups. This represents a total of 775 citizens who have benefited by hearing this important crime prevention topic. In addition to volunteering for the Speakers Bureau, Frances assists the Financial Crimes Unit (FCU), where she reviews police reports and enters key information into a database. The information Frances enters is instrumental in helping the detectives track forgery/identity theft/credit card victims and suspects in non-sufficient funds/account closed cases. Frances also provides support to the department's Party Patrol Program. Following the issuance of a "First Response Notice," Frances ensures that the legal owner of the property is notified about the issuance of the notice, and the potential that fines may be imposed if police respond again within a 90- day period. Frances has prior volunteer experience with the AARP's Tax-Aid Program. In addition to volunteering for EPD, she volunteers at the Campbell Center. For more information, contact Volunteers in Policing Program Coordinator Carrie Chouinard at 682-5355 or carrie.f, chouinard@ci.eugene.or, us. Hult Center Presents Pilobolus on April 26 What is Pilobolus? The official definition is "a sun-loving fungus that lives in cow dung." But Pilobolus is also the name of a dance company that has mixed inventiveness with humor and has thrived--even with the name--for more than 30 years. Pilobolus started in 1971 by a group of Dartmouth students. They have broken all the rules, with great success, ever since. Famous for their unique approach to dance that is rooted in humor, imagination and creative play, Pilobolus' dancers are among the strongest and most versatile in the business. With repertoire styles ranging from playful to gravity-defying, with names such as "galloping sofas", "fat gnomes" and "flogs", this definitely is not your typical dance company. They call themselves "the dance company for those who don't like dance...and for those who do." The show is a unique and delightful event, suitable for all ages. For more information, contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 682-5000. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 April 21,2005