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Home My WebLink About11/06/08 City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER November 6, 2008 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 RESIDENTS URGED TO DO THE RIGHT THING WITH LEAVES HULT CENTER HOSTS COMCAST NEWSMAKER EUGENE POLICE USE INTERNET FEATURE TO SEEK VICTIMS OF THEFT FIRE PREVENTION SECTION PROVIDES EDUCATION FOR TROUBLED YOUTH SANTA CLARA ORGANIZATION COMPLETES NEIGHBORHOOD BLUEPRINT PROJECT MEDICARE INFO WORKSHOPS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY CAMPBELL CENTER ANNUAL HOLIDAY BAZAAR AROUND THE CITY Residents Urged to Do the Right Thing with Leaves Eugene’s annual leaf program began Monday, November 3, and is scheduled to continue through January 2009. While one of the main services offered by the program continues to be curbside collection of leaves, there is a growing emphasis on encouraging people to make the best use of a valuable natural resource. Several benefits occur when people choose to mulch or compost their leaves, give them to neighbors, place them in their yard debris containers or take them to local recycling facilities. The nutrient value of leaves is retained, public costs are reduced, and streets are safer, particularly for cyclists. Public Works staff met with the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee earlier this fall and pledged to get the word out about the safety problems that can occur when people put their leaves in the street. Targeted mailings were sent to yard care services and people who live along streets with bike lanes. Other program information materials have emphasized this point as well. To help make it easier for people to consider options for using leaves, the City provides a website (www.eugene-or.gov/leaf) with tips and links, including a new, online leaf delivery request form. (Each year residents typically request more than 5,000 cubic yards of leaves to be delivered to their properties.) The City also has a leaf hotline service at 682-5383. Perhaps one of the most important safety tips is for people to wait until the weekend before collection is scheduled in their neighborhood. The planned collection schedule is listed below. Changes and updates are posted on the website and listed on the hotline: Round 1 ? November 3-7 West Eugene ? November 10-14 Central Eugene ? November 17-26 North Eugene ? December 1-12 Southeast Eugene ? December 15-19 Southwest Eugene Round 2 ? December 22-26 West Eugene ? December 29-January 6 Central Eugene ? January 5-16 North Eugene ? January 19-23 Southeast Eugene ? January 26-30 Southwest Eugene For more information, contact Damon Joyner, Public Works surface maintenance supervisor, at 682-4835. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 November 6, 2008 Hult Center Hosts Comcast Newsmaker The spacious Hult Center Lobby hosted the seven- member crew of the Comcast Newsmaker program last week as they taped segments about the Hult Center and other topics. The professionally produced, five- minute news interview program airs each hour on CNN Headline News only on Comcast, reaching a large audience in Oregon and southwest Washington. Comcast Newsmakers segments feature informational discussions with local, state and federal elected officials as well as interviews with community, non- profit, education, and civic leaders by veteran broadcast journalist Ken Ackerman. The crew taped several segments at the Hult Center, including one that featured upcoming Hult Center events, the history of the building, and numerous “fun facts” that Ackerman added throughout the broadcast. Another segment on the Hult Center featured Gretchen Hult Pierce who talked about the City’s arts planning initiatives and spoke proudly of Eugene and the arts. The crew also filmed the Hult Center’s backstage areas. The segments taped at the Hult Center will air November 11 until (tentatively) November 23. For more questions, contact Billie Moser at 682-8380. Eugene Police Use Internet Feature to Seek Victims of Theft Using the Eugene Police Department’s (EPD) website feature, The Latest!, Eugene Police Property Crimes detectives are attempting to reunite victims with recently recovered stolen property. In addition to a site showing items that were recently recovered, there is a video interview with Sgt. Jay Shadwick about the recent finds with photos and tips for marking property for easier identification and return to owners. EPD's new tip line, 682-8888, staffed and maintained by volunteers, is also noted online and featured in the video. A news release was sent out to notify media of this new content and its location on the Police website (The Latest!, http://www.eugene- or.gov/TheLatest). For more information regarding recovered property, contact Sgt. Jay Shadwick at 682-5171. Fire Prevention Section Provides Education for Troubled Youth Juvenile firesetter (JFS) intervention is among the required services offered by the Fire Prevention Section of Eugene's Fire & EMS Department. In partnership with the Lane County Youth Services Department, Fire Prevention recently graduated its first class of juveniles under a new six-week, 12-session JFS curriculum that is evidence-based and meets state standards, including education in decision-making, accountability, fire science, fire in the media and culture, and social responsibility. The young people enrolled in these classes have been adjudicated for fire-related offenses, and must complete the course to satisfy court requirements. Fire Prevention officials estimate that this formal JFS education will be offered to two or three classes per year, each with approximately 10 students, ages 12 to 18. The office also offers less formal intervention services to other young people who may have misused fire. Referrals typically are made by school officials, law enforcement, or line fire crews. For more information, contact Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston at 682-5420. Santa Clara Organization Completes Neighborhood Blueprint Project The Santa Clara Community Organization has completed its first project using funds remaining from the River Road/Santa Clara Special Assessment Bond Fund, which is administered by the Planning Division. The Santa Clara Neighborhood Blueprint Project Final Report was designed as an initial step in implementing recommendations of the River Road and Santa Clara Transition Project related to the promotion of neighborhood identity and the establishment of development standards that promote compatibility with current housing types and styles. The Neighborhood Blueprint Project identifies and characterizes the distinct "heritage" neighborhoods that residents identify with in the Santa Clara community. The report can be viewed on the Neighborhood Services webpage at the following link: http://www.eugene-or.gov/rrsctransition. A limited number of hard copies are available through the Neighborhood Services office. The River Road and Santa Clara Transition Project is an outgrowth of a long-standing effort to address governance and service delivery challenges in the River Road and Santa Clara communities. The project identified framework themes that reflect resident priorities and a community vision statement with goals, strategies and actions. Funds remaining from the extension of central sewer services into this area are available to the River Road and Santa Clara neighborhood associations to help implement the project’s goals and objectives. For more information, contact Michael Kinnison at 682-5009 or via e-mail at EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 November 6, 2008 (michael.j.kinnison@ci.eugene.or.us). Medicare Info Workshops at Eugene Public Library It’s Medicare enrollment time – and because circumstances may have changed since last year, it’s recommended that all recipients review and evaluate their coverage. However, many seniors aren’t sure how to make the necessary decisions to access the most relevant benefits and services at the best price. The same is true for adult children who would like to assist parents in navigating Medicare. The friendly experts of Lane County Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) can help. A program of the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, SHIBA is available to help recipients select a Medicare prescription drug plan, find out if they’re receiving all possible benefits, compare supplemental health insurance policies, review a bill, or file an appeal or complaint. These free sessions are held at the Downtown Eugene Public Library, co-sponsored by SHIBA and Willamalane Park and Recreation District: Understanding and Navigating Medicare, November 12, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.– An overview for those new to Medicare or thinking about making changes. Save Money with Medicare’s Low Income Subsidy (LIS), November 13, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. – Explains who qualifies for this federal program and how it can save hundreds of dollars per year. Medicare Website Demonstration, November 20, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – This session provides information on the Medicare program, and an explanation of how to use the Medicare website to research and enroll in Part D prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans (medical health insurance). Do Your Own Medicare Research, November 22, 10:00 a.m. – noon – Trained SHIBA volunteers guide each participant, confidentially, in using the Medicare website to evaluate and make educated choices among Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Due to limited space, pre-registration is required at 682-5450 (press 2). For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Campbell Center Annual Holiday Bazaar Eugene Recreation’s Senior Program will hold its annual holiday bazaar to benefit Campbell Community Center from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 15. Admission is free. This fund-raising event annually brings in more than $8,000 for the Campbell Center’s Trust Fund, which is used to augment the support received from the City’s General Fund. The bazaar features an array of items for sale, all handmade by seniors who are participants or friends of the center. This year’s items include crafts, quilts, wooden items, baked goods, preserves and the center’s famous Sweet Hot Mustard. The bazaar also includes breakfast snacks and lunch, silent auctions and a raffle. This year, local businesses donated more than 100 items for auctions and raffle. For more information, contact Yvaughn Tompkins at 682-5318. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 November 6, 2008