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Home My WebLink AboutCC Newsletter - 01/29/04EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER January 29, 2004 City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www. ci.euqene.or, us EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES MASONRY DESIGN AWARD 5A'S PROGRAM BUILDS DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS AND ADDS FAMILIES TO THE FUN EUGENE YOUTH "SHOW-OFF" "MEET THE CHIEF" EVENTS TO BEGIN NEW COMMUNITY PARK OFFERS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE NEW GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM GATHERS SURVEY DATA QUICKER AND MORE ACCURATELY ELECTIONS 2004 Eugene Public Library Receives Masonry Design Award On Thursday, January 22, the Eugene Public Library was presented with the 2003 Hammurabi Award from the Masonry and Ceramic Tile Institute of Oregon. Yearly, through an awards program, the Masonry Institute recognizes high quality projects constructed of masonry. For projects completed in 2003, the Eugene Public Library was the only project selected to receive the Masonry Institute's highest award for excellence in the use of masonry, the Hammurabi Award. This award for excellence is in addition to the Energy Edge Award from EWEB and the "People's Choice Award" presented by the Southwestern Oregon Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. For further information, please contact Brad Black, senior project manager, 652-$354. 5A 's Proqram Builds Developmental Assets and Adds Families to the Fun The "Partnerships for Youth Fund" 5A's Program has been working with students from middle and elementary schools for the past two years. On Saturday, January 24, their parents had the opportunity to join in on the fun. Team Adventure, from the Recreation Division's Outdoor Program, took 25 kids and their parents to Shelter Cove at Odell Lake for a "Family Snow Day." Most of the participants had limited experience recreating in the snow - and did they ever get snow on that day! An outdoor base camp was set up, and hot chocolate, tea and chili was served. Participants learned how to cross- country ski and snowshoe, or just had fun playing in the snow or building an igloo-type snow shelter. Isaac Markehe, who created and coordinated the event, was pleased with the outing: "We were able to reduce some of the barriers many families experience when trying to access safe winter recreation. Everyone had a chance to learn new skills with their families, and the staff was rewarded with many smiles and thank-you's throughout the day." The event captured the asset development goal of Youth and Family Recreation Services by getting parents out with EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 March 17, 2004 their kids to enjoy the benefits of recreation. One family represented three generations! As one participant concluded, "Extremely well-organized - time, instructions, and food. The leaders were all so kind, friendly, supportive and fun!" A number of families asked, "When are you going to do this again?" The answer: The next Team Adventure Family Snow Day is scheduled for February 14, 2004. For more information, contact Recreation Manager Craig Smith at 682-6322 or 682-6340. Eugene Youth "Show-Off" On February 16, youth from across the City will attend a no-school day event at Cascade Middle School called "Show- Off!" The event will kick off with creative workshops from 9:00-11:00 a.m. on topics including guitar, breakdancing, hip hop dance, mural street art, juggling, hacky-sack, creative writing, drumming and improvisational theatre. ^ Talent Show, from 11:15 a.m. -1:00 p.m., will display what these youth have created in afterschool programs as well as in their morning workshops. To quote Kevin, a sixth grader at Cascade Middle School, "You are sure to be holding your belly for laughing a lot. You will probably be seeing people get their groove on, or some beautiful art." The remainder of the day, from 1:00-4:00 p.m., will be a social including a dance with a DJ, judging of the art gallery, frisbee golf, and other open gym activities, and pizza! For additional information, contact Raquel Wells, LRCS recreation programmer, at 682-6380. "Meet the Chief" Events to Beqin Wednesday, February 4, will begin the first of monthly "Meet the Chief" opportunities throughout the community. This event will be held the first Wednesday of each month from 7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. at various locations in Eugene to allow community members the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Eugene Police Chief Bob Lehner. February's event will be held at Cal's Donuts and Deli, 977 Garfield Street. Community members are invited to stop by, grab a donut and cup of coffee and join the chief. "1 look forward to these informal opportunities to get to know this community better and hear from them directly, their questions, concerns and comments," says Chief Lehner. March's event will be held in the Whitaker neighborhood on March 3 at the Whitaker Public Safety Station. For additional information, please contact the Public Information Office at 682-5124. New Community Park Offers Somethinq for Everyone Phase 2 is complete at Bethel Park, a 33-acre community park, just south of Barger Avenue between Legacy Street and Haviture Way. In addition to a large sports field complex built in 2000 by Babe Ruth Baseball and a skate park completed in early 2003, the park now includes a new playground, picnic shelter, basketball court, amphitheater, restroom, landscaping, walkways, and lighting. Funded by the 1998 Parks and Open Space bond measure, the park is a vast expanse of green, punctuated by special features that attract children, teens, adults, neighbors from the growing residential communities that border the park, and even whole classrooms from nearby Meadowview Elementary for the occasional extended recess. Five-year-old Abbey Kruska, who frequently visits the park with her sister, mother and sometimes friends says, "It's fun, fun, fun." Her older sister, Callie, carefully defines what her sister means by fun: "Climbing the ropes almost to the top," making sand buns under the slide in the kid's park and serving them to her "customers," and having lunch with a friend at the top of the "really tall, straight slide" and Callie Kruska ascends to the top of her world! sliding down only after they've had a "good talk." The brightly-colored playground features a sand and water play area, climbing wall, spinners, slides, swings, and spring toys. But the allure of the park is not limited to the playground, says Erin Kruska, Abbey and Callie's mother. "We were attracted to this neighborhood because of the park," she says. "We hoped the park would attract other young families and raise the value of the homes in the area." EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 March 17, 2004 According to Kruska, the park is bustling with activity on any given day. Rollerskating and riding bicycles along the many concrete paths throughout the park are popular activities, as well as skateboarding at the state-of-the-art skate park. For those interested in a leisurely walk in the park, there are also forested and other natural areas to explore. The park design was based on input gathered by Parks staff from neighbors at a series of public workshops in 2001 and 2002. A running trail, dog park and water spray play area are planned for future phases, as well as restoration work in the park's ash grove and wetlands with volunteers from Meadowview Elementary. For more information, call Parks Planner Carolyn Weiss at 682-4914. New Global Positioninq System Gathers Survey Data Quicker and More Accurately The Public Works Department installed a new global positioning system (CPS) to more accurately and quickly obtain survey data. Engineering agencies throughout the world have moved to using CPS technology as an advanced survey tool. The Trimble system, installed by Public Works, uses real time kinematic (RTK) data-gathering, which allows staff to gauge the position of a object within a quarter of an inch. The base station on the roof of the Public Works Building maintains a continuous link with satellites orbiting the earth. The base station sends out a radio signal to the mobile portion of the CPS system, called a "rover." This communication link with the base enables the "rover" to establish the accurate position of the point in seconds rather than the hour it took using old CPS techniques. The department's surveyors still use the more traditional method of surveying by using line-of-sight between points; however, their work can now be checked and augmented by the CPS system. There are a number of potential uses for the new CPS system. Public Works Engineering will use the equipment to gather field data for public improvement projects and to develop as-built locations for infrastructure facilities. Ceographical Informational System (CIS) staff will use it to update its infrastructure database that is used throughout the City departments. For more information, contact Survey Technician Tim Fassbender at 682-2704. Elections 2004 In the past week, two candidates for Mayor have filed at the City Recorder's Office. Alphonsus Donnelly completed his petition on January 23 and James (Izzy) Whetstine filed a prospective ~ petition on January 26. We continue to receive several calls a day from people requesting information about becoming a candidate. Filing deadline is March 4 at 5 p.m. The City's Elections website www.ci.euqene.or, us/cityreco/Elections is being updated each time a candidate initiates or completes filing. For more information, contact City Recorder Mary Feldman at 682-8353. 02/02 M Noon G Pap(~ Housing Policy Board McNutt Room ** 02/04 W 5:00pm BB,JS,DK Joint Mtg., Police Commission/ Human Rights Commission McNutt Room ** 02/04 W 7:00pm NN Mayor's Comm., Parks, Recreation & Open Space 1820 Roosevelt, Large Conf. Rm. ** 02/09 M 5:30pm All Council Dinner Work Session McNutt Room 02/09 M 7:30pm All Council Meeting Council Chamber 02/10 T 5:30pm All Joint Mtg. w/Lane Co., Springfield EPL - Bascom/Tykeson Room 02/11 W Noon All Council Lunch Work Session McNutt Room 02/11 W 1:30pm SM, DK,GP IGR Committee HRRS Conference Room 02/12 Th 5:30pm BB, JS Police Commission McNutt Room EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 March 17, 2004 02/17 T 6:00 ~m DK Human Rights Commission McNutt Room 02/18 W 5:30 ~m Council Budget Committee EPL - Bascom/Tykeson Room 02/20 F 8am-4 ~m All Council Planning & Goals Setting Mtg. Hilton Hotel & Conf. Center ** 02/21 S Noon-4 ~m All Council Planning & Goals Setting Mtg. Hilton Hotel & Conf. Center ** 02/23 M 5:30 ~m All Council Dinner Work Session McNutt Room 02/23 M 7:30 ~m All Council Meeting Council Chamber 02/25 W Noon All Council Lunch Work Session McNutt Room March ....................................................................................................................................................... 03/05 - 3/09 BT, NN National League of Cities Washington, DC ** 03/08 M 5:30pm All Council Dinner Work Session McNutt Room 03/08 M 7:30pm All Council Meeting Council Chamber 03/10 W Noon All Council Lunch Work Session McNutt Room 03/11 Th 5:30pm BB, JS Police Commission McNutt Room 03/16 T 6:00pm DK Human Rights Commission McNutt Room Council Break: March 11 -April 6 ** Denotes changes or additions to calendar Torrey: February 29 - March 4 Pape: February 29 - March 6 Meisner: February 28 - March 4 Nathanson: March 4 - 7 Taylor: March 5 - 8 (will be arriving late to 5:30 work session) EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 March 17, 2004