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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Newsletter - 08/26/04EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER August 2(5, 2004 City of Eugene 777 Pearl Street, Room 105 Eugene, Oregon 97401-2793 (541) 682-5010 (541) 682-5414 (FAX) www. ci.eugene.or, us PETER, PAUL AND MARY TO PERFORM AT THE CUTHBERT DEQ AND CITY TEAM UP TO OFFER HEALTHY LAWN CARE CLINIC THIS SATURDAY BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS RECRUITMENT CONTINUES STREAM TEAM PROGRAM COORDINATOR RECEIVES AWARD NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AT SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN EUGENE ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION Peter, Paul and Mary to Perform at the Cuthbert Three young folk artists met in Greenwich Village, and the rest, they say, is history. Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers have been touching the heads of audiences for well over 40 years and will touch the heads of Eugene Saturday, August 28, at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. Since its debut in 1961, the trio has sold over 8 million recordings, produced five "Top Ten" selling albums, and received five Grammy awards. Their tunes, "Ill Had A Hammer," "Leaving On A Jet Plane," "Puff the Magic Dragon," and "Blowing in the Wind" are legendary. With their work in the folk genre, Peter, Paul and Mary have remained politically involved throughout their career. In February 2004, the trio released its career retrospective, "Carry It On," and a new album, "In These Times." Come on out to the Cuthbert on August 28 and enjoy an evening of great music. For tickets and information, call the Hult Center Ticket office at 682-5000. DEQ and City Team Up to Offer Healthy Lawn Care Clinic this Saturday The Public Works Department's stormwater education program is holding a free, natural lawn care clinic this Saturday in Amazon Park. A local lawn care expert will demonstrate practices, discuss products, and answer questions about how to have both an attractive lawn and a healthy yard. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers on lawns can lead to lawn problems through misuse and overuse and are often washed off the lawn by rain, emptying into storm drains and ultimately the Willamette River. Once in the river, they can cause problems for fish and other aquatic organisms. Natural lawn care can produce a healthier lawn and healthy grass can help keep weed populations down. Knowing what products are available, where to find them and how to use them can make the transition to safer lawn care management easier. Bruce Kreitzberg of Back to the Roots Landscaping will lead two demonstration sessions at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. At 9:30, there will also be a separate children's activity. The event will be held at the amphitheater of the Amazon Community Center, on the south side of the building. The clinic is sponsored by the City of Eugene and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as part of a joint effort to provide information to Eugene residents on solutions to help reduce stormwater pollution. For more information, please call Kathy Eva, public information specialist for the Stormwater Management Program at 682-2739. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 September 1,2004 Boards and Commissions Recruitment Continues Recruitment for positions on city boards, committees and commissions continues through September 24. Currently the City is seeking applicants for positions on the Budget Committee, Planning Commission, Toxics Board, Police Commission, Historic Review Board and the Lane Regional Air Pollution Authority. During the Eugene Celebration, information and application materials will be available at the Human Rights Commission booth. Staff from the various groups will be on hand to answer questions. Applications and supplemental materials are due on by 5:00 p.m., Friday, September 24. Information on the application process and requirements is available online at www.ci.eugene.or, us or at the City Manager's Office. For more information, please contact Mary Walston at 682-5406. Stream Team Proqram Coordinator Receives Award On Wednesday, August 18, the Eugene Downtown Lions Club presented Eugene Stream Team Program Coordinator Lorna Baldwin with the club's Environmental Award, a hand-crafted walking stick. Though the special award is usually awarded to a club member, : Baldwin received the award in recognition of her efforts working with the club for the past five years on its Delta Ponds improvement project. "She doesn't just stand around and supervise but she gets right in there and works as hard as anyone," says retired judge and Lion Frank Alderson. "She can add Eugene Downtown Lions Club to the many colleagues and volunteers who love and respect her." The club "adopted" the Delta Ponds nature trail in 1997 and has organized a major work party every spring and fall since. A diverse Loma Baldwin, Iowerleft, earns Lions Club award group of people attend these biannual work parties and spend the day maintaining and restoring the trails through the ponds on the east side of Goodpasture Island Road. Through the Stream Team program, Baldwin facilitates this and other groups and individuals in hands-on environmental work, restoring and caring for the city's waterways and natural areas by providing environmental education, tools and other logistical and project support. For more information about Stream Team, call Lorna Baldwin in Parks and Open Space at 682-4850. For more information about the Lions service group, call 484-0452. Neighborhood Parks at Several Locations in Euqene are Under Construction Thanks to the 1998 parks and open space bond measure, improvements are underway at three neighborhood parks, and construction bids are currently being reviewed for a fourth park. In the northernmost part of the city, the renovation of Awbrey and Arrowhead parks is underway. In the plans for Awbrey Park, located at River Road and Spring Creek Drive are two new play areas, one designed for children ages 2-5 and the other designed for children ages 5-12; accessible parking and walkways; a covered seasonal restroom; and new picnic tables and park seating. One of the innovative features of the improved parking lot is stormwater drainage through a bio-filtration swale, where runoff travels through a vegetated area to filter impurities such as heavy metals, oils and other pollutants. The northern portion of the park consists of a wooded natural area with Spring Creek winding through it. This area will remain natural habitat, and, if funds are available after construction, a new pedestrian footbridge will be constructed across the creek, as well as a path that travels through the area to the residential neighborhood north of the park. In the first week of construction, the old parking lot was removed and reconfigured, the site was cleared and graded, the new play areas and paths were excavated, and the new concrete paths have been formed. Local contractor Aspen Springs anticipates completing the job by the end of October. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 September 1,2004 At Arrowhead Park, located at 1220 Irvington Drive, the site is being prepared for new play areas and a field, picnic tables, benches and a shelter, basketball courts, paths and nature trails, and many new trees to buffer the natural area along Flat Creek. So far, the site has been cleared, graded and excavated. Brown Construction is doing the work and the company hopes to complete the job by mid-October. In south Eugene at 3300 University Street, near the West Amazon Parkway, Milton Park is already taking shape. This small but lovely neighborhood park will be substantially improved with better paths into the park, play equipment and an open grass play area, benches, new trees and plants, and new irrigation to maintain the landscaped areas. So far, all excavation has been completed, most of the concrete work has been finished and the irrigation system is currently being installed. Local construction contractor Triton Group is also working closely with Sperry Arborists to help preserve the large oaks on the site during construction. The park is expected to be completed in September. The contract and construction schedule for Frank Kinney Park, located at the southern tip of Amazon Parkway, is pending. Approximately 95 percent of this neighborhood park is dedicated to the preservation of native riparian and meadow habitat. The new park plan calls for minimal development--improved access via new pathways, bridge, and sidewalks, as well as basic amenities such as a small children's playground, benches, and improvements to the Rexius Trail. A community volunteer project, sponsored by REI, has already been scheduled in late September to resurface 475 linear feet of the running trail. For more information about the design of Awbrey or Milton parks, contact Park Planner Philip Richardson at 682-4906. For more information about the design of Arrowhead or Frank Kinney parks, contact Park Planner Robin Hostick at 682-4915. For more information about the construction of Awbrey or Arrowhead parks, contact Project Manager Scott Milovich at 682-6086. For more information about the construction of Milton or Frank Kinney parks, call Project Manager Emily Proudfoot at 682-6019. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 September 1,2004