HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 10/13/05
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
October 13, 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
IN THIS WEEK’S EDITION
EUGENE DEPOT RECEIVES TWO DESIGN AWARDS
CUTHBERT AMPHITHEATER MANAGEMENT OPTIONS EXPLORED
HANGING FLOWER BASKETS CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL RUN ON BROADWAY
SALMON’S ANCIENT COUSIN LINKED TO SCHOOL SCIENCE LESSONS
DEDICATION OF NEW TELESCOPE AT WEST EUGENE WETLANDS
ITZHAK PERLMAN RETURNS TO HULT CENTER OCTOBER 17
AROUND THE CITY
Eugene Depot Receives Two Design Awards
In the past two weeks, the Eugene Depot renovation project has been recognized by both design
professionals and by the general public.
Every year the Eugene Celebration includes a “People’s Choice” display, where the public can vote for
their favorite projects by local design professionals in several categories, such as Public/Institutional,
Commercial, Residential, and Landscape. This year, the depot won second place in the
Public/Institutional category.
The following weekend, the Southwest Oregon and Southern Oregon Chapters of the American Institute
of Architects hosted their 2005 Design Awards with a jury comprised of several nationally recognized
architects. The awards program was last held in 1999, so there were several projects submitted that
were completed in the last few years. Awards were presented at the levels of Innovation, Citation, Merit,
and Honor—the highest level of award. WBGS Architecture and the Planning Division were honored
with a “CitationAward” for their design work related to the renovation of the Eugene Depot.
The depot project was the result of an exceptional collaboration between Amtrak, the Federal Highway
Administration and Representative DeFazio’s office to fund the project, by the Oregon Department of
Transportation and the City of Eugene to manage the renovation work, and with design by WBGS and
construction by Morris Kielty. For further information, please contact Facilities Division Manager Glen
Svendsen, at 682-5008.
Cuthbert Amphitheater Management Options Explored
Cuthbert Amphitheater is an outdoor concert venue where audiences of
up to 4,000 can enjoy popular entertainers and Oregon's beautiful
summers at the same time. Located in Alton Baker Park, the facility
allows concert-goers to experience a combination of fresh air and
picturesque scenery that add up to an unforgettable evening under the
stars—a perfect example of why Eugene is the 'World's Greatest City
for the Arts and Outdoors."
The Cuthbert has provided great entertainment for the community for
many years; however, local and regional factors have affected the City’s ability to offer prime
programming. In order to ensure that this great community gathering place remains financially viable,
various options are being explored. One option under consideration is to contract out Cuthbert
management and operations for the 2006 summer season. We plan to issue a Request for Proposals
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October 13, 2005
this month to see what interest is generated. For more information, please contact Hult Operations
Director Mark Loigman at 682-5307.
Hanging Flower Baskets Conclude Successful Run on Broadway
After a very successful five-month run on Broadway and adjacent
streets in the downtown core area, the Facilities Maintenance downtown
crew will begin removing the seasonal flower baskets next week. This
was the inaugural year of a cooperative effort by Planning and
Development, Facility Management and Downtown Eugene, Inc. The
baskets proved to be a popular enhancement to the downtown
streetscape all summer long, as evidenced by the many positive
comments from business owners, residents and visitors. For further
information, please contact Facility Operations/Maintenance Manager
Ron Sutton at 682-5438.
Salmon’s Ancient Cousin Linked to School Science Lessons
How can a species that became extinct millions of years ago provide a
lesson about our future? Salmon and the Ecosystem, a curriculum for
grades 5-12, offers investigative learning through the science of salmon
and the impacts of human behavior on this threatened species. This
educational tool, developed by the City of Eugene’s Stormwater
Education Program, includes an important message about the
significance of stormwater pollution on the salmon population.
The salmon curriculum was introduced in 2004 as an extension of the stormwater curriculum SPLASH!,
Stormwater Pollution Learn and Share. One of the most recent lessons added for high school-aged
students features the saber-toothed salmon, an ancient cousin of today’s salmon. This giant fish, which
possessed a 2-inch-long “fang,” swam in the waters of the Pacific Northwest millions of years ago. Like
giant mastodons and saber-toothed tigers, this salmon did not survive the mass extinctions that occurred
over 4 million years ago. Using the lessons of the past to predict how salmon may adapt to modern-day
changes to their habitat and the environment, students will build a “prototype” of salmon of the future.
Last week, Salmon and the Ecosystem was distributed to teachers in Eugene’s 4J and Bethel School
districts who attended after-school workshops presented by staff from the City’s Stormwater Education
Program. Currently, the curriculum is being used in over 75 classrooms. For more information, contact
Sally Markos, graphic designer, 682-8482 or sally.a.markos@ci.eugene.or.us
Dedication of New Telescope at West Eugene Wetlands
The Lane County Audubon Society (LCAS) recently donated a new telescope to benefit the public’s
enjoyment of the West Eugene Wetlands. The scope will allow visitors to take a closer look at the plants
and animals that call the wetlands home. The scope was installed at the Checkermallow Access, an
overlook at the north end of Meadowlark Prairie along Amazon Creek. LCAS and the Parks and Open
Space Division are hosting a public dedication on the morning of Saturday, October 22.
The dedication program will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Checkermallow Access overlook. Volunteer staff
from LCAS will talk about their decision to donate the scope, as well as their current activities in the
wetlands. Eric Wold, Wetlands Program Supervisor for the City of Eugene’s Parks and Open Space
Division, will talk briefly about the history of the wetlands and the future of this important community
resource. Prior to the dedication at 8:00 a.m., there will be a bird walk and bicycle tour of the wetlands,
and immediately following the dedication, volunteers will be cleaning up the bike bath. For more
information contact Eric Wold, Wetlands Program supervisor, 682-4888 or eric.n.wold@ci.eugene.or.us
Itzhak Perlman Returns to the Hult Center October 17
Join the Eugene Symphony on Monday, October 17, for a 40th Anniversary bash
featuring the great, contemporary violinist, Itzhak Perlman. The symphony will
perform Rossini's Overture from The Barber of Seville and Bizet's Suite from
"Carmen.” Crowning the evening will be Mr. Perlman's performance of the
Beethoven Violin Concerto in D. Much-loved for his charm and humanity as well
as for his talent, Itzhak Perlman is enjoyed by audiences all over the world who
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October 13, 2005
respond not only to his flawless technique, but also to his irrepressible joy in making music. This is a
wonderful and rare opportunity! For more information, contact the Hult Center Ticket Office at 682-5000.
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October 13, 2005