HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/24/11 - City Council Newsletter
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
February 24, 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
WATER QUALITY WORTH CELEBRATING
EUGENE’S FUTURE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE NETWORK PRESENTED AT OPEN HOUSE
CITY OF EUGENE RECEIVES GRANT FOR FERN RIDGE PATH IMPROVEMENTS
“TALES OF THE PACIFIC RIM” STORYTELLER AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY
AROUND THE CITY
Water Quality Worth Celebrating
It was little more than a century ago that a typhoid epidemic struck Eugene. That epidemic provided the catalyst that
led to the creation of today’s Eugene Water & Electric Board. When the 1906 outbreak was traced to the private, for-
profit water company, outraged citizens sprang into action, voting in 1908 to buy the system and
create a municipal, citizen-owned water utility. The first meeting of the Eugene Water Board was
held on March 11, 1911.
To celebrate 100 years of public ownership with its citizen-owners, EWEB will hold a series of
events in 2011, including sponsorship of Eugene’s Summer in the City outdoor concert series. As
part of the centennial celebration, EWEB is distributing free calendars commemorating the utility’s
history. Calendars can be picked up at the Downtown Eugene Public Library, Sheldon and Bethel
library branches, the Amazon, Sheldon, Campbell and Hilyard Centers and Petersen Barn.
To order large quantities of calendars, contact Joe Harwood, external communications coordinator
for the Eugene Water & Electric Board at 541-685-7471 or Joe.Harwood@eweb.org.
Eugene’s Future Pedestrian and Bicycle Network Presented at Open House
What will Eugene’s walking and bicycling system look like in 20 years?
Community members are invited to the second Pedestrian and Bicycle
Master Plan open house on Thursday, Mar. 3, to preview the projects and
facility improvements that will provide for a world-class, non-motorized
transportation network. The project team is hosting the open house from
th
4 - 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at the corner of 10 and
Charnelton in downtown Eugene. Arriving on foot and bike is simple with
close-by transit at the downtown Lane Transit District station and free
valet bike parking.
More information about the plan and project timeline is available at
www.eugenepedbikeplan.org or by calling Transportation Planner David
Roth at 541-682-5727.
City of Eugene Receives Grant for Fern Ridge Path Improvements
The City has received a “flexible funding” grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation in the amount of
$678,807. These funds are for non-highway projects that positively impact connectivity, the environment, mobility and
access, and livability. The grant received by the City of Eugene will be used to replace a section of the Fern Ridge
Path from just west of Chambers Street to Arthur Street. That section of path is currently failing and will be replaced
with a new, 12-foot-wide, 1,500-foot-long section of path that will be further away from the Amazon Creek. The
current section of path has safety issues and staff hears frequent concerns from pedestrians and bicyclists. The
replacement path is in alignment with recommendations from the Eugene Metro Waterways Plan and will improve the
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February 24, 2011
waterway and prevent deterioration of the new path. The Eugene Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee ranked
this portion of path as a very high priority for path replacement. The project will replace and improve the current
lighting with pedestrian-scaled lighting designed to light the path for user safety, but with shields to reduce skyward
illumination.
This project is located in the vicinity of a popular community garden and a yet-to-be-developed neighborhood park.
Bike parking will be added with this project. Additionally, this portion of the Fern Ridge Path is very close to
commercial centers, two elementary schools and one middle school, a major park with recreational features,
university student housing and an abundance of wildlife along the Amazon Creek. The path primarily serves
pedestrians and bicyclists, but also connects with nearby bus service at Arthur and Chambers streets. The new
concrete path will have a 50-year life. Construction of the project will take place in summer 2011.
Lane Transit District also received a flexible funding grant to improve its University District Transit Station, and
Point2Point Solutions received funding to implement a SmartTrips program, similar to Eugene’s program, along the
Gateway EmX Corridor.
For more infromation, please contact Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Lee Shoemaker at 541-682-5471 or
lee.shoemaker@ci.eugene.or.us.
“Tales of the Pacific Rim” Storyteller at Eugene Public Library
On Sunday, Mar. 6, at 1 p.m., award-winning storyteller Alton Chung will perform “Tales of the Pacific Rim” at the
Downtown Eugene Public Library. Admission is free.
Chung will visit Eugene to take kids and families on an enchanting journey
around the Pacific Rim through folktales, stories, and legends. Travel with him to
Japan, Korea, China, India, and Hawaii through traditional tales passed down
through countless generations. Meet the mischievous Tanuki (badger) and his
friend Usagi (rabbit), the pheasant who saved the Korean woodcutter, and the
Great Dragon King of the Eastern Sea.
Alton Chung brings stories to life with talent, passion, respect, and gratitude. He
grew up with the stories, superstitions, and magic of the Hawaiian Islands, as well
as the influences of Japanese and Korean roots. In 2005, Chung was awarded
the first J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award by the National Storytelling Network.
For more information, call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-8316 or visit www.eugene.or.gov/library.
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February 24, 2011