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Home My WebLink AboutCC Newsletter - 05/19/05EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER May 19, 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 HUNDREDS DESCEND ON AWBREY PARK FOR GRAND OPENING FIRST CITY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY ENHANCES MANAGEMENT NETWORK AUDRA MCDONALD COMING TO THE HULT CENTER BREWER PARK NEIGHBORS INVITED TO HELP DESIGN NEIGHBORHOOD PARK Hundreds Descend on Awbrey Park for Grand Opening Last Thursday, Mayor Kitty Piercy and Park Planner John Weber tied their legs together, and, along with several teams of children participated in a 3-legged race to break the ribbon at the end of the course and officially dedicate a new ^wbrey Park in Santa Clara (see photo at right). They weren't the ones to break the ribbon but they did eventually hobble across the finish line, and, along with the over 300 neighbors who came out to celebrate, enjoy pizza, refreshments, lively music by the Junction City Polka Band, and many more old- fashioned field day games in the large meadow in the park. Families gathered at the popular neighborhood park in record numbers on this first warm, sunny day in a very long time. Children swarmed the two new play areas, one designed for children ages 2 through 5 and the other designed for children ages 5 through 12. At the top of one prominent climbing structure located near the band, a little girl hummed and bounced along with the polka tunes, while dozens of other children descended on the field to play burlap sack, spoon, and push-the-balI-with-your-nose relay races, and other favorite field games. Parents congregated on the new picnic tables and benches surrounding the playgrounds, walked along the new paths or pushed their children on the new swing set. Originally a county park, Awbrey Park has been cherished by neighbors for several decades, said Jerry Finigan, chair of the Santa Clara Community Organization, in his remarks to the crowd. "If this park feels different, but the same, it is because park designers understood that the people of Santa Clara wanted to keep this heritage," Finigan said. "They took residents' suggestions and the park you see today is the result of that input, and, for years to come, this re-created Awbrey Park will serve up wonderful memories for many families and for generations of children yet to be born. What a wonderful legacy to leave our children." The improvements to the park, which also includes a new accessible parking lot, were made possible by the parks and open space bond measure approved in 1998. The northern portion of the park consists of a wooded natural area with Spring Creek winding through it. ^ pedestrian footbridge across the creek and a path from the park to the residential neighborhood north of the park are planned for a future phase EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 May 19, 2005 of development. For more information about Awbrey Park, call Park Planner Philip Richardson at 682- 4906 or visit www.ci.eugene.or, us/ arks/ma s/Awbre ark.htm. First City Leadership Academy Enhances Manaqement Network On May 17, twenty City of Eugene managers completed the City's first Dynamic Management and Leadership Academy. The academy was created to expand collective leadership skills and to cultivate a more effective leadership network within the city organization. This pilot program, part of the City's progressive supervisodmanager development curriculum, also provided an opportunity for the participants to learn more about their individual leadership styles and to focus on their ongoing professional development as leaders and managers. The participants, representing all six city departments were: Connie Bennett, LRCS/Library; Mike Coontz, PW/Airport; Tammy Donahue, PW/Admin; Scott Duckett, PW/Parks and Open Space; Mary Feldman, CS/City Manager's Office; Dee Ann Hardt, CS/Finance; Sue Harnly, LRCS/Recreation; Angel Jones, LRCS Executive Director; Lt. Pete Kerns, EPD/Patrol; Jeff Lankston, PW/Maintenance; Susan Muir, PDD Interim Director; Marilyn Nelson, CS/Municipal Court; Fred McVey, PW/Engineering; Ruth Obadal, Fire and EMS/Planning, Keli Osborn, PDD/Building and Permit Services; Mike Penwell, CS/Facilities Management; Lt. Ron Roberts, EPD/Investigations; Peter Ruffler, PW/Wastewater; Jean Stronach, EPD/Technical Services and Chief Tom Tallon, Fire and EMS Chief. The students met one day per month for eight months. Each session focused on a particular topic, often with an outside expert teaching and providing resources. Subjects covered included personal awareness and development, leadership principles, media relations, effective communication, employee development, organizational performance and strategic planning. A unifying theme was to improve organizational performance and service to the community by fostering understanding between departments and enhancing the City's internal leadership network. For more information, contact Denise Smith, Performance and Development Manager, 682-7186. Audra McDonald Cominq to the Hult Center Presented by the Oregon Festival of American Music, classically-trained soprano Audra McDonald will perform Wednesday, May 25, at 7:30 p.m. in the Silva Concert Hall. McDonald has been compared to a young Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland. She has been described by critics as the first real star of the new millennium, and has distinguished herself as a concert performer, recording artist, and actress. As one of the most recognized talents on Broadway, she has won Tony Awards for Carousel, Master Class, Ragtime, and A Raisin in the Sun, She has appeared on PBS musical specials, including "Leonard Bernstein's New York," "Sweeney Todd Live at the Philharmonic," and her own special "Live at the Donmar, London." From her concerts at Carnegie's Zankel Hall to her performance in Henry IV, Ms. McDonald is known both as a thrilling interpreter of popular song and as a remarkable dramatic actress. For more information, contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 682-5000. Brewer Park Neiqhbors Invited to Help Design Neighborhood Park On Thursday, May 26, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., Brewer Park neighbors are invited to share ideas for improving their neighborhood park. Funding is available through the 1998 parks and open space bond measure to make improvements to the park located on Brewer Avenue, a few blocks west of Cai Young EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 19, 2005 Road. The 1.9-acre park currently includes a children's play area, hard-surface paths, a horseshoe court, lawn areas, trees and shrubs. The workshop will be held at the Sheldon Community Center at 2445 Willakenzie Road. Neighborhood parks, which serve residents within about a half-mile radius, or a 10-minute walking distance, include the following: a children's play area, accessible pathways, park furniture such as benches, picnic tables, trash receptacles, and open space for recreation and relaxation. They typically do not include restrooms, off-street parking, programmed athletics, skateparks, dog off-leash areas, and other facilities that attract visitors from a distance greater than the park's service area. Following the first workshop, a draft concept design will be created, and residents will have an opportunity to review and discuss the plan at a second public workshop. For more information or to give input, contact Park Planner Robin Hostick at 682-4915 or robin.a.hostick@ci.eugene.or, us, or visit the park's webpage at www.ci.euqene.or, us/parks/brewedindex.htm EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 May 19, 2005