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Home My WebLink About04/29/10 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER April 29, 2010 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 HISTORIC FIRE RECRUIT CLASS GRADUATES MONDAY WEGENE! AWARDS A SUCCESS – JWN NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE YEAR FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS SHARE WORK ENVIRONMENT WITH SONS AND DAUGHTERS HUMAN RIGHTS SUMMIT: A HUGE SUCCESS COMPOSTING AWARENESS WEEK PUTS GARBAGE TO GOOD USE PAVING IN THE CITY TRAINS, TRACEYS AND TALES AT THE LIBRARY BIKE TUNE-UP CLASS ENCOURAGES OLDER RIDERS AROUND THE CITY Historic Fire Recruit Class Graduates Monday Elected officials are invited to attend graduation ceremonies for Fire & EMS Recruit Class 12 this nd coming Monday, May 3, 1 p.m., at the Emergency Services Center (ESC), 2 and Chambers. Veteran fire officials report this is the first all-female firefighter recruit academy in Oregon, and believe it may be the first in the United States. The new firefighters were members of the department’s cadre of single-role medics; when that service was discontinued due to budget considerations, the employees were given the opportunity to qualify for and be hired as regular Firefighter/Paramedics. This required that they meet all standards applied to any other new Eugene firefighter, including passing the industry’s rigorous Candidate Physical Abilities Test, or CPAT. Like other recruit classes, this group completed a 13-week intensive training course (half classroom, half hands-on) in fire suppression and rescue skills. As these recruits were already full-fledged, practicing Paramedics, little medical training was required. Light refreshments will be served in the ESC lobby following the graduation ceremony. For more information, please contact Deputy Chief of Special Operations Joe Zaludek at 541-682-7103. WEGene! Awards A Success –JWN Neighborhood of the Year Nearly 60 people gathered at the Campbell Center on April 20 to share cake and ice cream, a few laughs and the amazing achievements of neighborhood volunteers. A total of 10 individuals, two groups and one neighborhood publication were selected for exceptional community- building efforts as part of the first WEGene! Awards for neighborhood recognition. Several worthy neighborhoods were nominated for Neighborhood of the Year. Jefferson-Westside Neighbors was selected by a neighborhoods/staff team for the 2010 award for demonstrating leadership, responsiveness to neighborhood needs, and commitment to membership outreach and engagement. Their work on the S-JW infill standards EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 April 29, 2010 overlay zone was considered an exceptional model of neighborhood advocacy. Other achievements included public workshops funded with a neighborhood matching grant, participation in opportunity siting work sessions, well-attended meetings and events, and effective use of print and electronic communication tools. Program materials and photos of the WeGene! Awards can be viewed on the Neighborhood Services webpage at http://www.eugene-or.gov/neighborhoods. For more information, contact Michael Kinnison at 682-5009 or Michael.j.kinnison@ci.eugene.or.us. Fire and Police Departments Share Work Environment with Sons and Daughters Employees who work in emergency response positions are not able to have their sons and daughters with them on the job, and thus cannot participate like most workers in the annual Take Our Sons and Daughters to Work Day. Recognizing this, the City’s Fire and Police Departments annually arrange a day-long program for the children of their employees, providing kids an opportunity to see at least some of what Mom and Dad do on the job. This year approximately 40 youngsters registered, and were dropped off on the morning of April 22 at the Emergency Services Center. After splitting into smaller groups, they were escorted by adults (most of them off-duty employees) on tours of the Whiteaker Fire Station, Monroe Street police substation, 9-1- 1 communications center and police forensic evidence lab. In a classroom, they were provided safety information and equipment demonstrations by a police officer and a firefighter. On the drill field, they watched fire suppression and motor vehicle extrication drills. A barbecue lunch was provided thanks to donations from the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 851 and the Eugene Police Employees Association, and during the lunch hour kids learned about self-defense and got a close-up look nd at some of the City’s specialized emergency response vehicles as well as the Life Flight helicopter based at 2 and Chambers. A fun and informative time was had by children and adults alike. For more information, please contact Police Department Public Information Coordinator Jenna McCulley at 541-682- 5197, or Fire & EMS Department Senior Administrative Specialist Cinimint Harper at 541-682-7120. Composting Awareness Week Puts Garbage to Good Use In honor of Composting Awareness Week, May 2 – 8, the City of Eugene and Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service - Lane County will hold a Sustainable Gardening Extravaganza at the River House compost site located at 301 Wednesday, May 5, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. North Adams on This event is sponsored by the City of Eugene and taught by OSU Extension - Lane County volunteers. Participants will learn a number of sustainable gardening techniques including: ? grasscycling lawn clippings which helps conserve water, and reduce fertilizer needs ? taking advantage of free City resources including leaves and wood chips ? hot composting of food waste for fast compost in just 12 weeks ? vermicomposting techniques that harness the power of squirms of worms ? lasagna-style gardening for a sheet compost technique that looks good enough to eat Participants will also enter a drawing for a free Earth Machine compost bin. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 April 29, 2010 The City’s Solid Waste and Green Building Program promotes composting through partnerships with OSU Extension Service, FOOD For Lane County’s GrassRoots Garden, and the Oregon Green School Program. The program supports community partners to provide the education and technical assistance necessary to help schools, backyard composting enthusiasts, and businesses get started in composting, or supplement their current composting efforts. For more information, contact Anne Donahue, Solid Waste and Green Building Program, 541-682-5542. Human Rights Summit: A Huge Success The Human Rights Summit, held on April 8 and 10, 2010, was a huge success, as evidenced by the evaluations submitted from some of the 150+ attendees at the event and the numerous requests for another summit in 2011. A few of the comments from the event included “Very helpful to see my/our part in the big picture,” “I especially enjoyed the keynote speakers – expertise, youthful enthusiasm, dynamic presentation” and “Very solution oriented – relationships emphasized.” The all-day event was co-sponsored by the City of Eugene Human Rights Commission and the Community Coalition for the Advancement of Human Rights. The event kicked off with keynote speakers followed by break-out discussions, then lunch, and closed with 21 afternoon workshops, each on different topics. Equity and Human Rights staff and interns worked both behind the scenes and up front to help coordinate the event. Many Lane County agencies such as Lane Community College contributed to the event as well, helping to make the summit an overall success. Video of the event is available at www.humanrightscity.com. Neighborhood Services staff reported great attendance at the workshop, entitled Creating Neighborhood Connections for Local Coalitions. Other workshop titles included NAACP Youth in Action, 100% Access: Increasing Access and Reducing Barriers to Health Care, Shelter Is a Human Right, and Know Your Rights When Encountering Law Enforcement. For more information, contact Michelle Mortensen at 541-682-6378 or michelle.e.mortensen@ci.eugene.or.us. Paving in the City Paving projects around town will start as early as May and continue through the summer. Currently, there are 24 signs that identify local gas tax and street bond-funded rehabilitation or reconstruction projects. The idea to place signs far in advance of the work came from the citizen Street Repair Review Panel. This is one way for people to take a closer look at the streets that are getting fixed before they’re under construction. Paving signage will also serve as a reminder to area residents that they may want to consider alternate routes once roadwork begins. Paving details in Eugene are available on the city’s website at www.eugene-or.gov/pw or for those who use twitter at www.Twitter.com/EugenePW. For more information about pavement preservation projects, contact Public Works Engineering Civil Engineer II Matt Rodrigues at 541-682-6036. Trains, Traceys and Tales at the Library There’s something for everyone at the Eugene Public Library, with an especially broad range of events at the Downtown Library during the first week of May. Admission is free to all events. On Thursday, May 6, at 6 p.m., author James McCommons will give a talk based on his book “Waiting on a Train.” Subtitled “The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service - A Year Spent Riding Across America,” the book is a fascinating blend of travel narrative, personal memoir, and investigative journalism. A favorite local band, The Traceys, is together again and will give a free concert on First Friday, May 7, at 6 p.m. The group delivers “air-tight EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 April 29, 2010 harmonies” on acoustic Americana, folk, bluegrass, gospel, soul, and blues, including traditional and original compositions. On Sunday, May 9, at 2 p.m., take a wild trip with Jungle Tales, performed by acclaimed storyteller and mime Antonio Rocha.These animal tales for ages six and up feature ecological themes illustrated by exceptionally-skilled movement and sound effects. Originally from Brazil, Rocha studied mime with Master Marcel Marceau and has performed in 10 countries on five continents. In the U.S., he’s been onstage everywhere from the National Storytelling Festival to the Kennedy Center to the Smithsonian Institution. For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. Bike Tune-Up Class Encourages Older Riders The Adult Recreation Services program is offering a class on basic bike maintenance to prepare and encourage seniors to ride bikes. The class includes a six-point safety check, information on repairing tires, brake tune-ups and repair, adjusting shifters, and more. It will be held from 6 - 9 p.m. on May 3, at Campbell Community Center. The cost is $13 and pre-registration is required. The class complements the program’s free “Bike Riding for Fun & Fitness” activity that will be held every Wednesday, 9 a.m., June 2-August 25. All bike rides leave from Campbell Center. For more information, or to register, call Tom Powers at 541-682-5318. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 April 29, 2010