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Home My WebLink About07/22/10 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER July 22, 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 HULT CENTER AND OREGON BACH FESTIVAL - IN THE HOUSE WILDERNESS WITHOUT & WITHIN: WRITING WORKSHOP AT LIBRARY BIAS AND HATE RESPONSE WEBPAGE UP AND RUNNING EXPERIENCE ON THE SCHOONER ZODIAC IS “TRANSFORMATIONAL” FOR STUDENTS EUGENE PÉTANQUE PLAYERS THRIVE IN SHARED SPACE AT UNIVERSITY PARK AROUND THE CITY Hult Center and Oregon Bach Festival - In the House Another magnificent year of music, choral presentations, lectures and talks came to a close on Sunday afternoon with a crescendo performance of Elijah in the Silva Concert Hall. That is what Hult Center patrons see and hear. Behind the scenes and in the house – throughout the three week run, Hult Center staff worked night and day to ensure successful outcomes for this celebratory music festival. And like every year, the experience creates memories and stories that are made to share. On opening weekend, Pink Martini came to play. The Steinway Concert Grand piano was requested, and it needed to be tuned before the performance, unfortunately the regular technician was not available, and since the show must, and will go on, Hult Center Events Manager Theresa Sizemore was called into action. Why? Theresa is a piano tuner/technician and the right person in the right place for this challenging job. As a graduate of the University of Oregon (UO) School of Music and Dance, Theresa is a gifted pianist, and as tuner/technician, has tuned pianos for the Sun River Music Festival, Cascade Music Festival, Tower Theater in Bend, and Dan Fouts – yes the former UO and NFL quarterback and sports broadcaster. With the tuning of the Steinway complete, and the sound check in order, Pink Martini took to the stage and put on a show that had the audience on their feet clapping and rocking the (weave) rafters in Silva Concert Hall. th Then there was the 40 Gala performance mid- way in the series. Many people heard of this staging feat as the Register-Guard took notice and wrote a lengthy article the day before the event. At the Hult Center it proved to be a true collaboration of the InternationalAllianceof TheatricalStageEmployees (IATSE) crew and Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) technical and stage managers. The Hult Center stage, lighting and sound crew was led by Brian Ference and Mike Carpenter, who were assisted by Alex Fontain, Caroline Barnes, Bruce Hartnell, Nathan Cox, Jim Rusby, David Paul Black, Erica Miller, Dan Charter, Ruth Atcherson and Virgina Sands. OBF technical director Craig McKenzie and OBF veteran stage manager David Sherman were instrumental in the collaborative effort that required incredible timing and coordination – including lowering and raising the magnificent EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 July 22, 2010 Silva stage curtain. To top off the festival run, OBF presented Mendelssohn’s masterwork Elijah. Once again the stage was set like a five-course meal, the chorus on risers reaching up towards the orchestra shell, and a full sections of strings, woodwinds, brass and percussionists, four soloists and, of course, the master conductor, Helmuth Rilling on the podium – it was a feast for the eyes and ears. According to the Oregon Bach Festival news release, this year had the “highest-ever ticket sales of nearly $520,000, an increase of 18 percent from last summer, eclipsing by three percent its previous high from the Olympic Trials year of 2008. A total audience of more than 41,000 included ticket buyers from 32 states and five countries in Asia, Europe, and North America.” Whether backstage, making it happen behind the scenes, in the lobby, the ticket office, the Soreng Theater, or Silva Concert Hall, there is no question it is a memorable experience to have Oregon Bach Festival “in the house.” For more information, call Karm Hagedorn at 541-682-2697. Wilderness Without & Within: Writing Workshop at Library “,” Explore landscapes interior and exterior at Wilderness Without & Within a free writing workshop for adults, led by Associate Director of the Oregon Writing Project at the University of Oregon Nan Phifer, The workshop will be held on Sunday, August 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. Pre-registration is required because of limited openings. Phifer is the author of “Memoirs of the Soul: Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography.” She also teaches writing workshops locally and around the United States. Bias and Hate Response Webpage Up and Running The City of Eugene’s Equity and Human Rights Center has a new web link www.eugene-or.gov/notinourtown which provides information about hate and bias activity, how to report hate crimes, and a list of resources intended to help support victims of bias or hate activities or crimes. Equity and Human Rights staff, in partnership with the Eugene Police Department, crafted this informative and helpful site that provides educational information about hate crimes and activities, as well as encouraging people to report these crimes. The site is designed after the “Not in Our Town” model, after hate and bias activity increased in Billings, Montana. This website provides definitions to help understand the differences between hate activities and hate crimes, and offers reporting options and an explanation of how these crimes are handled, once reported. Additionally, there are many tools the site offers, from video clips from the recent Anti-Hate Forum to a Power Point presentation providing an overview of the City’s approach to hate response. The website also displays the draft Anti-Hate Resolution considered by the Eugene City Council on July 26, 2010. For more information, please contact Equity and Human Rights Center Program Coordinator Michelle Mortensen at 541-682-5177 or michelle.e.mortensen@ci.eugene.or.us. Experience on the Schooner Zodiac is “Transformational” for Students “It was amazing! It was an incredible experience!” 17-year-old Taylor Wilson said about her time on the historic Schooner Zodiac. It’s safe to say that Taylor’s response sums up the experience of all 24 local high school students who sailed June 27 to July 1, through the San Juan Islands on the Zodiac. This once in a lifetime, free, sailing opportunity for students was made possible through the Carol M. White Foundation LIFE Grant awarded to Eugene School District 4J and the City’s Recreation Services Division last year. The trip provided a safe place for the youth to be themselves, try something new, and have a peak life experience. One mom confirmed that when thanking Sandy Shaffer, Recreation’s Youth and Family Services manager, for helping to make this trip happen. She said, “The trip was transforming for my son!” The diverse students were from North and South Eugene and Churchill high schools, Network Charter School, Opportunity Center, and Lane Metro Youth Corp. The group included seven teens who had previously participated in Recreation’s high school student programs: MOHO (Multi-cultural Outdoor High School Opportunities) and YAB (Youth Action Board), who were recognized by their EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 July 22, 2010 peers as leaders. In addition to the schooner’s crew, the students were accompanied by two Recreation staff members, Mary Tyson, who works at Peterson Barn Community Center, and Colette Ramirez-Maddock, a recreation programmer for the Outdoor Program at the River House. They all spent their time aboard the tall ship raising the sails, steering, and posting as look-out, with all activities punctuated by lots of laughter. The icing on the cake was spotting a pod of orcas twice in one day, an uncommon and lucky treat. For pictures, please visit the City of Eugene Outdoor Program at the River House fan page. For more information, contact Sandy Shaffer at 541-682-6348. Eugene Pétanque Players Thrive in Shared Space at University Park In June 2010, the Eugene Pétanque International Club (EPIC) hosted its first open tournament with 15 junior and adult teams from across the Northwest competing. In the future, they hope to host the national competition, which brought 45 teams to Portland in 2008. This French sport, similar to lawn bowling, has been played informally in gravel areas and backyards in Eugene for many years. In 1998, French language instructors from local high schools established EPIC. Over the years, the sport has continued to grow in Eugene and now includes over 50 members ranging in age from 14 to 80, and a South Eugene High School team that hosts regular competitions. In the summer of 2008, local players approached Eugene’s Parks and Open Space (POS) Division about the possibility of creating a dedicated space for their sport in a local park. Although many other Oregon communities have created a dedicated terrain designed for playing pétanque, a quicker and more cost-effective way to create a space in Eugene was to make use of an under-utilized area as a shared space. In partnership with POS, local players identified the baseball field at University Park. Club members participated in getting the field ready by pulling weeds and creating a more defined edge to the space. POS tilled and leveled the field and laid a layer of baseball pumice. Club members continue to help maintain their playing field by dragging, raking, and pulling encroaching weeds. Creatively looking at how a park space could be transformed and utilized in a new way has allowed pétanque players to enjoy their sport and share it with the community. The club meets on Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. During the fall, South Eugene High School players practice on Tuesdays, and host games on Thursdays. This fall, the club will offer free pétanque lessons on four Wednesdays in September and October through the Campbell Senior Center. For more information, contact Parks and Open Space Maintenance Supervisor Rob Hallett at 541-682-4935 or Recreation Services at 541-682-5333. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 July 22, 2010