HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/18/08 City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
December 18, 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
WINTER BREAK FOR KIDS AND TEENS AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
SENIOR PROGRAM OFFERS INTERGENERATIONAL INFORMATION AND ACTIVITIES
FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS URGE SAFETY AND CAUTION
PUBLIC WORKS MAINTENANCE GOES INTO EMERGENCY MODE
AROUND THE CITY
Winter Break for Kids and Teens at Eugene Public Library
During school vacation, families can catch a free musical comedy puppet show, "Red Riding Hood & Hunker Jaw
the Wolf,” at the Eugene Public Library. Celeste Rose of the Oregon Fantasy Puppet Theatre will perform the
show with a wonderful collection of handmade marionettes. Performances will be Monday, December 29, 11:00
a.m. and 2:00 p.m., at the Downtown Library; and Friday, January 2, 11:00 a.m., at the Sheldon Community
Center. At the Library's Bethel Branch, winter break means "Music in Action!" on Tuesday, December 30, at 11:00
a.m. Kids jump into Rich Glauber’s high-energy mix of rhythm, movement, funny songs, and terrific tales. For
teens, Marianne Walker will teach "Manga O Kudasai," a free art workshop at the Downtown Library. On Tuesday,
December 30, at 2:00 p.m., the professional artist and graphic designer will show teens how to draw characters in
the Japanese Manga style. The class will include traditional and Chibi scale, using participants' favorite graphic
novels as inspiration. Also covered are design techniques including proportion, posing, shading, thick and thin
lines, and creating effective details. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-8316 or
www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Senior Program Offers Intergenerational Information and Activities
Recreation Service’s Senior Program is offering a number of activities and programs this winter for grandparents.
On January 29, the program will present a free talk on grandparenting skills at Campbell Community Center.
Speaker Jake Spavins of St. Vincent DePaul’s First Place Kids Center will provide tips to help grandparents feel
empowered and more comfortable looking after their grandchildren. On January 30, grandparents are invited to
team up with their grandchildren, ages 10 and older, to compete for the title of Campbell Center Spelling Bee
Champions. This fun activity will give both youth and adults the opportunity to show their spelling skills. On March
24, the Senior Program will hold an Intergenerational Scavenger Hunt at Campbell Center. The event will be an
opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren, ages 11 and older, to have fun and create wonderful memories.
Ribbons will be awarded for completing the hunt. All three events are free, but registration is requested. For more
information, contact Yvaughn Tompkins at 682-6315.
Fire and Police Departments Urge Safety and Caution
During this week's icy weather, Eugene's Fire & EMS and Police departments are taking every opportunity, both
through the media and in routine contacts, to remind Eugene residents that safety is the top priority. Many
responses by both agencies this week have been weather-related, and a fair amount of these incidents can be
prevented by taking common-sense precautions. The Fire & EMS Department is asking everyone to check their
home heating devices to be sure they are safely away from combustibles, to stay away from any type of
unorthodox means of heating their homes, and to exercise proper care in the event that candles are lit during a
power outage. On the Police side, driving and traffic safety issues are being stressed proactively. Everyone is
urged to use extreme caution, to allow extra time and following distance, to look ahead for road challenges, and to
avoid travel altogether if possible. Also, a reminder has been issued that should there be a power outage, a
malfunctioning traffic signal is to be treated as a four-way stop. These and other safety tips are routine in both
departments' public outreach programs, but are especially important when conditions dictate a higher level of
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
December 18, 2008
caution. For more information, please contact Glen Potter in Fire at 682-7118 or Melinda Kletzok in Police at 682-
5124.
Public Works Maintenance Goes Into Emergency Mode
Following three days of around-the-clock emergency operations, the Public Works Department has lifted the ice-
snow parking ban in Eugene for now. At 6:00 a.m. on December 18, Eugene Public Works Maintenance shut
down its emergency command center and discontinued the prohibition on parking on priority ice-snow routes. At
least one plow-and-sander truck remains on duty, responding to problem areas in the higher elevations of the
south hills. Meanwhile, crews that had been working on ice and snow removal have been reassigned to leaf
collection in southwest Eugene. Public Works opened its Emergency Command Center at the Roosevelt Yard
early Monday morning and began around-the-clock operations to plow streets and apply sand and liquid deicers.
The estimated cost of the emergency operation through Wednesday, including equipment, material and labor, is
$60,000, with the money coming from the road fund that could otherwise be used for street repair. Over the past
three days, crews logged more than 2,500 miles during snow operations, and more than 900 cubic yards of sand
was put down to provide traction on priority ice-snow routes. The City of Eugene manages ice-snow operations on
a priority route basis. Approximately 40 percent of the city’s 540-mile street network is designed as priority one,
two or three ice-snow routes.
Public Works staff is monitoring weather conditions and will reinstate emergency operations and the parking ban if
ice or more than an inch of snow accumulates on city streets. The National Weather Service is predicting
abundant moisture and subfreezing low-level temperatures with the possibility of more snow and ice in Eugene by
the weekend. Once the current series of storms is over, Maintenance crews will sweep the streets to pick up
leftover sand. The department has also provided several notices through the media that property owners are
responsible for keeping abutting sidewalks “in good repair and safe condition,” which includes removing
accumulations of snow, ice, and wet leaves. The City Code also states that property owners are liable for injury,
damage or loss caused if they are negligent in keeping their sidewalks clean. More information about the ice-snow
program is available on the City’s web site (go to www.eugene-or.gov/pw and click on the winter storm link) or by
calling Public Works Maintenance Director Jeff Lankston at 682-4813.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
December 18, 2008