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Home My WebLink About01/13/11 - City Council Newsletter EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER January 13, 2011 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 TEAM EUGENE KAYAK PROGRAM KICKS OFF IN JANUARY MUSIC & MOVEMENT AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY th 25 ANNUAL MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES EUGENE POLICE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE OVER 23,000 HOURS OF SERVICE IN 2010 PUBLIC COMMENT SOUGHT FOR PROPOSED EUGENE OFF-STREET PATH PROJECTS AROUND THE CITY Team Eugene Kayak Program Kicks Off in January The City of Eugene Outdoor Program invites youth ages 12 - 18 to take advantage of Oregon’s premier whitewater season by joining Team Eugene. This group of teen kayakers and adult kayak mentors is a fun and safe way to enjoy local streams. The cost of each trip is $5 and includes transportation and gear. Participants must have taken at least one kayaking class and must attend a pre- trip meeting at the River House Community Center for each outing. Trips will be held from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Jan 23, Feb. 13, March 13 and May 15. For more information on these trips, please call Roger Bailey at 541-682-6393. Music & Movement at Eugene Public Library Parents, early childhood educators, librarians, and caregivers are invited to a free workshop, Music & Movement for the Whole Child, on Saturday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m. - noon, at the Downtown Eugene Public Library. Research shows that participation in music and movement helps develop young children’s minds and emotions and prepares them to learn. Licensed Musikgarten teacher Pia Robbins of Little Timbre Studio will demonstrate how fun and easy it is to integrate music, rhythm, and movement into daily interactions with children, from babies to preschoolers. This workshop is for adults only, with preregistration required by calling 541-682-8316 due to limited space. Bring the family to learn how to make whole-body music with Michael “Shoehorn” Conley on Sunday, Jan. 23, at 3 p.m. at the Downtown Library. Shoehorn calls himself a “tappercussionist,” who tap dances and plays saxophone at the same time. A uniquely entertaining performer and an internationally recognized tap soloist, Shoehorn was featured in the Emmy-nominated PBS documentary “JUBA: Masters of Tap & Percussive Dance” and at many arts festivals. He has performed and taught in more than 30 countries and released five CDs. Shoehorn started as a street performer in New Orleans and gained experience jamming with performers from blues bands to circus artists, in many nations and genres, including rock, jazz, and world music. The Boston Globe called him "miraculous . . . a dance company and orchestra in one." For more information, contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 January 13, 2011 th 25 Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Events and Activities th January 17, 2011, marks the 25 anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recognizing Dr. King as one of America's greatest heroes. Dr. King once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the MLK holiday to serve their neighbors and communities. The MLK Day of Service is a part of the United We Serve campaign, President Obama's national call-to-service initiative. It encourages Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to the most pressing national problems through service to the community where we live, work and play. Please help us celebrate by joining in the community activities slated for this holiday:  Lane County Honors Dr. King at the Hult Center, January 17, 2011; reception begins at 4 p.m.; Voices of Our Youth - Tomorrow’s Leaders program from 6 - 8 p.m.; MLK Jr. Community Leadership Award to be given to Arun Toké, Editor, Skipping Stones Magazine.  Lane County Youth Center welcomes volunteers to its painting party. Help paint the facility and make it welcoming for all Lane County youth while watching a short program honoring Dr. King, January 17, 2011, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., 975 Oak Alley, Eugene. Lunch will be provided to all volunteers.  MLK Day Parade: Planning is underway for the NAACP’s annual parade. For more information, contact the NAACP at (541) 484-1119, or visit its website at http://www.naacp-eugenespfd.org/contact.html.  University of Oregon: For a listing of UO-hosted events, visituodos.uoregon.edu/mlk.aspx.  Community Alliance of Lane County (CALC): For a listing of community events, visit the CALC website at http://www.calclane.org/.  Opportunities to give back to the community: Some opportunities include making Alphabet Books for Head Start kids, participating in Make a Child Smile (for kids in the hospital), assisting with Comfort Quilts (for patients in various stages of medical treatment) and many more. For a complete list of volunteer opportunities, see the “All for Good” website. For more information, contact Michelle Mortensen at 541-682-6378 or michelle.e.mortensen@ci.eugene.or.us. Eugene Police Volunteers Contribute over 23,000 Hours of Service in 2010 In 2010, 113 Eugene Police Department (EPD) volunteers donated 23,027 hours of service to the department and community, with an added value of $480,112.95.* Current volunteers range in age from 21 to 86 and include students, full-time employees, retirees, citizens who support law enforcement and want to give back to their community, Citizens’ Police Academy graduates, and individuals who hope to ultimately work for EPD. By involving volunteers, EPD is able to provide additional services – services the public wants, but the department is unable to provide, or unable to make a priority, due to budget and staffing limitations. Examples include home vacation checks and enforcement of parking violations involving parking places for the disabled. Volunteers maximize existing resources. By including volunteers in focused crime prevention operations targeted at property crime hot spot areas, department resources are expanded. EPD is able to reach more citizens and provide them with important crime prevention information and services. Volunteers also provide support at department outreach events including the Prevention Convention, National Night Out, the Police Activities League summer camp and Safety Town. They help keep EPD vehicles clean, fully stocked and safe; perform graffiti abatement; purge property for the Property Control Unit; photograph events; locate stolen vehicles; provide chaplain services; and role-play for team training exercises. Because volunteers relieve paid staff of routine duties, employees are better able to concentrate on other responsibilities. Examples include retrieving surveillance videos from businesses that are victims of financial and property crimes; keeping the 911 Center’s resource notebook up-to-date; filing reports and citations for the EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 January 13, 2011 Records Section; assisting the Property Crimes Unit by entering transaction data from metal recyclers into a database; filing fingerprint cards for the Forensic Evidence Unit; providing reception at substations; and entering details concerning allegations of child abuse and neglect into a spreadsheet for the Violent Crimes Unit. Seasoned volunteers further relieve paid staff by serving as trainers for new volunteers. Other highlights for 2010:  A Cold Case Squad was formed, with the goal of improving the capacity of the Eugene Police Department to investigate and solve cold cases through a team of volunteers. Three law enforcement retirees investigate cold cases and a retired teacher provides administrative support to the team. In July, the three investigators attended the FBI training, “The Highway Serial Killings Initiative Seminar.” As part of the seminar, they gave a presentation on the cold case they are investigating.  EPD’s Mano a Mano program was featured in the National Volunteers in Police Service publication, VIPS in Focus. This issue highlights four departments that have engaged volunteers to bring their language skills, cultural knowledge, and enthusiasm for public safety to multicultural outreach efforts.  A Subpoena Service Team was implemented. Prior to the formation of this team, most of the 1,000+ subpoenas served annually were processed by a paid contractor. In the nine months the team has been operational, volunteers have served 1,056 subpoenas at a savings of $30,624.00 ($29/subpoena).  A Police Range Recycling Team was created in July. Four volunteers, supervised by Sergeant Scott Thomas, assist with a variety of sorting, recycling and other support duties at Short Mountain range. Since July, Sergeant Thomas has transported 1,204 pounds of brass and aluminum to Schnitzer Steel and generated $1,724.33 for the City of Eugene. Volunteers are being recruited for the Forensic Evidence Unit, Seniors on Patrol Team, Squad Car Maintenance Team and Subpoena Service Team. Comprehensive program information including full volunteer position descriptions can be found at www.eugene-or.gov/policevolunteers. For more information, contact Volunteers in Policing Program Manager Carrie Chouinard at 541-682-5355 or carrie.f.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us. *The national average hourly value of volunteer time is developed by the Independent Sector. The hourly value of volunteer time is based on the average hourly wage for all non-management, non-agriculture workers as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 12 percent increase to estimate for fringe benefits. The current hourly wage is $20.85. Public Comment Sought for Proposed Eugene Off-Street Path Projects The federally funded transportation enhancement (TE) program historically has funded many off-street path projects in Eugene. In the current round of funding, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is considering two projects in Eugene out of about 85 applications in total. The public comment period for the TE project selection process is now open and will continue through Jan. 28. The TE program is very competitive, so it is important for members of the public to weigh in on these projects if they have any comments. Proposed Eugene projects include:  Jessen path and lighting, Beltline Highway to Terry Street. This project in the Bethel neighborhood will serve Golden Gardens Park and provide a safe and comfortable alternative to busy streets for the neighborhood along Barger Street. The path would connect with the Randy Pape Beltline off-street path and the bike lanes on Terry Street. The 12-foot- wide concrete path will be approximately a mile long and will include pedestrian-scaled lighting.  Westmoreland Park path and lighting project. This project through Westmoreland Park will provide an important connection to the Fern Ridge Path for people who live in the neighborhoods around the park. New east-west and north-south paths will be built through Westmoreland Park to reduce out-of-direction travel for pedestrians and bicyclists who must now travel through a congested school parking lot at the Arts and Technology Academy or travel on busy streets such as Chambers and Polk streets. These paths will not only improve the transportation system for people traveling through the area, but will also better serve students, staff, and visitors traveling to the Arts and Technology Academy, Family School, Boys and Girls Club, and Kidsports, and the many people who attend the sports activities that take place at the City-owned sports fields in Westmoreland Park. The east-west path will make a new pedestrian and bicycle connection from Fillmore Street to the intersection of Taylor thth Street/20 Avenue and provide a connection to the 20 Avenue corridor. The new paths will be about a half- th mile long with pedestrian-scaled lighting. The project will also add lighting on the existing path from 18 Avenue to the Boys and Girls Club next to the Arts and Technology School. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 January 13, 2011 Comments will be accepted through an internet survey that is accessible via the ODOT Local Government Section website. The ODOT Local Government Section website also has links to the list of projects under consideration and copies of the TE applications. For more information, please contact Lee Shoemaker, bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, at 541-682-5471. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4 January 13, 2011