HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/15/09 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
October 15, 2009
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
CITY EARNS STATEWIDE SUSTAINABILITY AWARD FOR PAVING PRACTICES
AUTHOR OF BESTSELLER ABOUT TEEN SUICIDE TO SPEAK AT LIBRARY
PRESENTATIONS HELP FULFILL PROGRAM’S MISSION
ADAPTIVE RECREATION PROGRAM CELEBRATES 40 YEARS
FIRE & EMS, RED CROSS, UO STUDENTS VISIT TRAINSONG
AROUND THE CITY
City Earns Statewide Sustainability Award for Paving Practices
The City of Eugene has earned a sustainability award for its innovative and pioneering paving practices. The
Eugene Public Works Department received the 2009 Julian Prize for Sustainability for its use of warm-mix asphalt
concrete (WMAC) to repair streets. The award, which
included a certificate for a tree to be planted in
Eugene in recognition of the accomplishment, was
presented at the fall conference of the Oregon
Chapter of the American Public Works Association in
Grand Ronde.
WMAC is a technology that intrigued City staff for its
multiple benefits of reduced energy need to produce
the product, reduced emissions, increased ability to
use recycled materials, and enhanced pavement life.
Working with the Asphalt Pavement Association of
Oregon, and resources at the Texas Department of
Transportation, staff developed a special specification
for use of WMAC on City projects.
A pilot project was implemented on the paving of
Roosevelt Boulevard last spring, and the results were
so encouraging that staff expanded the option to use
Public Works Engineering Principal Engineer Paul Klope (right) accepts
Julian Award at APWA ceremony.
WMAC on most of this year’s paving repair projects.
Egge Sand & Gravel, Wildish Construction and Knife River Corporation also saw great benefits in the use of
WMAC. These firms chose to make significant local investments in WMAC production facilities and used warm-
mix on a total of 14 City paving projects, putting down a total of 55,000 tons of warm-mix. Staff has calculated
that this reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 190 metric tons.
“Through research, cooperation with industry groups and a willingness to step outside of the box, the City of
Eugene was able to work with local contractors and asphalt concrete producers to bring a new more sustainable
paving product to market in the Eugene-Springfield area,” says Matt Rodrigues, manager of the City’s pavement
preservation program. “And through the success of the WMAC implementation in Eugene, we have set the
groundwork for expanded use of the product around the state.”
For more information, contact Matt Rodrigues at 682-6036 or Matt.J.Rodrigues@ci.eugene.or.us.
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October 15, 2009
Author of Bestseller about Teen Suicide to Speak at Library
Attention teachers, counselors, parents, and teens: Jay Asher, author of the New York Times bestseller “13
Reasons Why,” will speak at the Downtown Eugene Public Library on Saturday, October 24.
Asher’s gripping novel tells the before-and-after-story of Hannah Baker,
a suicidal high school student, told largely in her own voice, recorded on
tapes she left behind. Directly addressing those she holds responsible,
Hannah details the circumstances she feels led to her death. “13
Reasons Why” has become a word-of-mouth phenomenon among youth
worldwide, as well as finding an appreciative audience among adults
and critics.
At 1:00 p.m., Asher will give a talk in honor of Banned Books Week.
Speaking to parents, teachers, counselors, and anyone who cares about
teens (including interested teens), Asher will talk about why serious,
honest books for youth are important – and controversial. Hear his
thoughts on questions such as “what is ‘age-appropriate’?” and “what do teens really need from books?”
At 3:00 p.m., Asher will speak with teens about “13 Reasons Why” and being a writer. Teens are invited to stay
after for conversation and pizza with the author in honor of Teen Read Week.
Books for purchase and signing will be available courtesy of the University of Oregon Bookstore/Duck Store. For
more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library.
Presentations Help Fulfill Program’s Mission
Among the activities offered by the City’s Adult and Senior Services Program each year are dozens of
presentations that address the program’s wide-ranging mission: to promote and maintain health and well-being,
enhance quality of life, strengthen support networks, and recognize and assist individuals in remaining active
productive, and independent. The presentations are generally held during the day, an hour in length, and free.
Some of the presentation topics offered this fall include estate planning, rheumatoid arthritis, nutrition education,
home appliance repair, how attitude can change your life, mental health and headaches, home energy audit,
sustainable living, safe driving, Medicare, generic medicines, budgeting, avoiding financial fraud, cultural
explorations, previews of trips and excursions, and antique appraisal.
For more information about the Adult and Senior Services Program, contact Yvaughn Tompkins at 682-6315.
Adaptive Recreation Program Celebrates 40 Years
th
The Adaptive Recreation Program (originally called Specialized Recreation) will celebrate its 40 anniversary and
th
the Hilyard Community Center will recognize its 20 year with a party on October 17.
The program and center have led the nation in the provision of
recreation opportunities for individuals experiencing disabilities.
Both were created before the implementation of the Americans with
Disabilities Act in 1992, which set national standards for
accommodating individuals with disabilities, and the program pre-
dates the passage of Public Law 94-142, which guaranteed children
a free public education, regardless oftheir ability.
Today, the Adaptive Recreation Program is the primary provider of
recreation services for people experiencing disabilities in the
Eugene area, and is considered on the national forefront of
programs providing those services.
The City’s inclusion program makes it possible for anyone, regardless of functional ability, to participate in
recreation activities; the Arts for All program gives the joy of creating art to even those with significant disabilities,
and adaptive outdoor recreation provides a wide variety of opportunities – from tree climbing to water skiing, and
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October 15, 2009
downhill skiing, to the simple pleasure of getting onto a sandy beach.
To commemorate these major milestones, the program has invited patrons, supporters, former staff, and
community members to a celebration from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., October 17, at Hilyard Community Center,
2580 Hilyard Street. The day’s events are:
?
10:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. - music, photo and art exhibits
?
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - remembrances, video, party hat crafts, light lunch
?
12:40 p.m. - dance performance
?
1:00 p.m. - Mayor’s proclamation and keynote by Pam Earle, first manager of the Adaptive Recreation
program
?
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.- David Helfand’s Joy of Music performers, birthday celebration
For more information, call Andy Fernandez at 682-6305; to RSVP, call 682-5311.
Fire & EMS, Red Cross, UO Students Visit Trainsong
At least one Eugene neighborhood is a little safer from fire, thanks to a recent door-to-door information campaign
in the Trainsong area carried out by University of Oregon students in partnership with the Eugene Fire & EMS
Department and the Oregon Pacific (Eugene) Chapter of the American Red Cross. For the project, students
provided residents with fire safety information (available in both English and Spanish) and offered free smoke
alarms and/or batteries (thanks to the sponsorship of Bi-Mart). About 600 homes were visited and a number of
smoke alarms and batteries were installed, in addition to the distribution of the information. About 40 students
were involved. The Red Cross is handling requests for follow-up visits. Based on the success of this project, a
similar campaign in another Eugene neighborhood is contemplated for next spring. For more information, please
contact Deputy Fire Marshal Sandra Johnston at 682-5420.
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October 15, 2009