HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 04/06/06
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
April 6, 2006
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
COREY TAPPED BY APWA AS ONE OF TOP 10 PUBLIC WORKS LEADERS
MAYOR TO OPEN INAUGURAL 2006 EUGENE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, MAY 12 -14
EUGENE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO BE FEATURED IN NATIONAL VIDEO
DOWNLOAD AUDIO BOOKS FREE FROM EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY WEBSITE
RECREATION SERVICES YOUTH TO MAKE “HIP HOP HOPE” HAPPEN
AROUND THE CITY
Corey Tapped By APWA as One of Top 10 Public Works Leaders
Public Works Director Kurt Corey has been named one of the top 10 public
works leaders of the year by the American Public Works Association (APWA).
The prestigious national award has been presented since 1960 to inspire
excellence and dedication in public service by recognizing the outstanding
career service achievements of individual public works professionals and
officials from both the public and private sectors.
“It’s humbling to be in the company of the people around the country who have
received this honor in the past,” says Corey, who has headed Eugene’s Public
Works Department since 2001. Other top 10 leader this year came from
agencies in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, Missouri, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and Canada.
The primary focus of the award is on career service to the public works
profession rather than on any one event or project. The award nomination recognizes Corey’s ability to
develop strong working relationships with staff and with community groups such as the Chamber of
Commerce. “You don’t get this on your own,” Corey says. “This award reflects on all the people I’ve
been privileged to work with here at the City of Eugene and throughout my career.”
Under Corey’s leadership, the Eugene Public Works Department undertook the effort to become
nationally accredited as a public works agency and in 2004 was fully accredited by APWA. During his
tenure at the City of Eugene, the department has also completed a wide array of public improvement
projects, including the restoration of the Meadowlark Prairie wetlands, the opening of Broadway,
construction of the East Bank Trail, completion of the new parallel runway at the Eugene Airport,
implementation of the $25 million parks and open space bond measure, and numerous other projects
undertaken by the department’s six divisions.
In addition to his work at the City of Eugene, Corey serves as the president-elect of the Oregon Chapter
of APWA and as a member of APWA’s National Engineering and Technology Committee. He also
officiates at high school and small college football and basketball games. A formal presentation of the
award will be scheduled in May. For more information about the award, contact Karen Loy, executive
assistant, at
682-5241.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
April 6, 2006
Mayor to Open Inaugural 2006 Eugene International Film Festival, May 12 -14
Following in the footsteps of Portland, Bend, Ashland and Sundance, Eugene will debut its first juried
International Film Festival May 12-14. Mayor Piercy will officiate at the Opening Ceremony and
Reception on May 12. Beginning this week, the Eugene community will see cable television public
service announcements airing on a variety of channels, in conjunction with local and out-of-the area print
and radio advertising.
Making use of downtown (Tango Center and DIVA), University, Valley River Inn, and Bijou Cinema
venues, the festival builds on Eugene’s rich cultural history, especially events showcasing independent
films. The festival was born last fall at meetings of the Eugene Screenwriters Guild and organized by
film professionals who live in Eugene. It is well-timed for the kick-off of Comcast Cable’s brand new
Independent Film Channel. Generous community sponsorships to the not-for-profit festival have made
possible an all-inclusive weekend of receptions, film screenings, and film VIP presentations at a cost of
$35, discounted for seniors and students.
Lane Transit will sponsor a free weekend of bus transportation with each Festival Pass. Passes
are available through Eugene Bi-Mart stores, the Hult Center Ticket Office, and
www.brownpapertickets.com. Pass-holders receive priority seating. Individual event tickets will be sold
at each venue immediately prior to the event, space permitting, except at the specialized technical film
audio training.
Over 300 entries in short, documentary, feature, and animation categories have been received since
January 1 through www.withoutabox.com, a film professional database recruitment tool typically used by
film festival organizers. All entries were viewed by board-approved reviewers. Films nominated for
screening are now in the hands of the celebrity professional jury for final determination of screening time
and awards. All attending filmmakers whose films are screened will be provided Q & A time with the
audience.
VIP presenters will include:
?
Battlestar Galactica’s co-executive producer/writer Mark Verheiden, whose production credits include
Smallville, The Strip, The Mask, Timecop, Darkman III and a wide variety of TV and feature film
projects.
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Thomas B. Sawyer, Emmy-nominated head writer/producer for the CBS series Murder, She Wrote.
Sawyer has written nine network TV pilots, 100 series episodes and has been the writer, producer or
on staff of 15 network series.
?
Chris Newman, the Oscar-winning sound mixer for The English Patient, Amadeus and The Exorcist
will offer a special full-day technical seminar on film audio for pass-holders only. Chris also
performed sound mixer duties for more than 80 feature films including include The Godfather,
You've Got Mail, Man on the Moon, The Manchurian Candidate, Silence of the Lambs, Sophie’s
Choice, and All That Jazz.”
?
Susan Emshwiller, a long-time Hollywood set decorator and now independent filmmaker who
recently located to Eugene. Emshwiller has worked with some of the most prestigious names in the
business. She is debuting a feature film In The Land of Milk and Money, which she wrote, directed,
and produced.
For more information about the festival, please visit www.eugenefilmfest.org or contact Pam Berrian,
telecommunications and cable program manager, 682-5590.
Eugene Police Department to be Featured in National Video
The Eugene Police Department has been selected as one of three law enforcement agencies to be
featured in a National Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) video focusing on youth engagement through
volunteerism.
The VIPS Project Director and video production staff were in Eugene on April 3rd to tape interviews with
staff and youth volunteers, and to film volunteer activities. When completed, the video will serve as a
companion to three existing VIPS videos (one geared toward community members, one toward
executives and one toward law enforcement officers) and will provide information to law enforcement
executives and volunteer coordinators about how to better involve youth in law enforcement volunteer
programs.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2
April 6, 2006
Youth volunteer opportunities at the Eugene Police Department include assignments in the Records
Section, neighborhood substations, Volunteers in Policing office, disaster/emergency preparedness
exercises (as role players), Cadet Post, Police Activities League, and Safety Town. The department also
offers a summer youth academy for youth age 15-18 who are interested in learning about law
enforcement.
The video will be available in June or July, and will be
distributed free of charge through the VIPS website,
www.policevolunteers.org. The National VIPS
Program is managed and implemented by the
International Association of Chiefs of Police in
partnership with and on behalf of the White House
Office of the USA Freedom Corps. It is funded by a
grant through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S.
Department of Justice. The goal of the National VIPS
Program is to enhance the capacity of state and local
law enforcement to utilize volunteers. For more
information, contact Volunteers in Policing Program
Coordinator, Carrie Chouinard at 682-5355 or
carrie.f.chouinard@ci.eugene.or.us.gene.or.us.
Download Audio Books Free from Eugene Public Library Website
In celebration of National Library Week, the Eugene Public Library introduces Library2Go, a new online
service offering audio books to download and play on personal computers or MP3 players. Hundreds of
audio books are now available to Eugene Public Library cardholders to download from the website from
anywhere, 24/7. Bestsellers are well-represented, as are titles for learning languages. Many more
choices will be added in the coming months.
The downloaded audio books play on compatible personal computers or MP3 players at home, in the
office, or on the road. The audio book files expire after two weeks so there's no need to return items --
and no overdue fines.
What's needed to use these audio books?
- A current Eugene Public Library card
- Access to the Internet from a personal computer
- Free, digital book software available on the Library2Go website
- A compatible computer or MP3 player with Windows Media Player software (iPods are not currently
licensed to use this service)
The new Library2Go service is provided by the Eugene Public Library and the Oregon Digital Library
Consortium. Eight public libraries cooperated to create the Oregon Digital Library Consortium, sharing
costs and pooling resources in order to better serve the public. Those libraries are Corvallis-Benton
County Public Library, Deschutes Public Library, Eugene Public Library, Jackson County Library
Services, Library Information Network of Clackamas County, Multnomah County Library, Salem Public
Library, and Washington County Cooperative Library Services.
Learn more about Library2Go and start downloading audio books today at the Eugene Public Library
website www.eugene-or.gov/library; click on the Library2Go logo. For more information, call the Eugene
Public Library at 682-5450.
Recreation Services Youth to Make “Hip Hop Hope” Happen
Partnering with the Oregon Country Fair and the Power of Hope, Youth to Make it Happen (YMIH)
brought together high school students, local professional artists, musicians, songwriters, and producers
for a week- long intensive camp called “Hip Hop Hope.” Recognizing the powerful and multiple points of
entry hip hop culture provides to and for youth around the world, Youth Recreation Services saw an
opportunity to weave its commitment to the 40 Developmental Assets into an already existing and
dynamic youth vocabulary
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3
April 6, 2006
Given the charge to claim their potential as creators of positive cultural messages, students participated
in community-building, writing and music workshops and worked individually with staff mentors to
develop their ideas and voices into original compositions.
Cultivating attitudes of gratitude, participants, both adult and youth, reminded each other that
surrounding oneself with caring people who emphasize positive values nurtures transformative and
deeply satisfying experiences. Statements by youth like “This has been the best week of my life,” and “I
never thought I would be friends with someone like him” capture the spirit of the week.
In addition to the production and distribution of an audio CD, members of YMIH have committed to
editing video footage of the week into a series of five-, 15- and 30-minute DVDs to use at presentations
for various audiences. YMIH is planning to host a Hip Hop Hope CD release party in May at the open
mike event at Cozmic Pizza. Local listings will provide details.
For more information regarding Youth to Make it Happen, please call Peter Chavannes at 682-6359, or
Lizz Zitron at 682-6042
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 4
April 6, 2006