HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/02/13 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
125 East 8 Avenue, 2 Floor
thnd
Eugene, Oregon 97401
(541) 682-5010
(541) 682-5414 (FAX)
www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
May 2, 2013
IN THIS EDITION
JOIN MAYOR PIERCY AT EUGENE’S NATIONAL TRAIN DAY
A JOYFUL NOISE AT HULT CENTER
SUMMER RIDES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY FOR VETERANS
TEENS HELP VETERANS, TOO
TWO EUGENE NEIGHBORHOODS FINALISTS FOR NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE YEAR
AROUND THE CITY
Join Mayor Piercy at Eugene’s National Train Day
On May 11, 2013, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Eugene will join with more than 200
communities throughout the country as it celebrates the importance of trains
to the town. This year the theme of these community events will be “trains
matter.”
Eugene will host a fun and festive day beginning with an opening ceremony
featuring Mayor Kitty Piercy. Mayor Piercy will welcome the community and
provide a short update on the exciting work she has helped to facilitate which
will bring an increased number of train routes to the Pacific Northwest
Corridor and provide ease in passenger commuting between Eugene and
Portland.
The event will feature local vendors, model train displays, entertainment and
tourism information along with a special event area for children hosted by
Disney’s Chuggington Kids Depot.
For more information about the event, contact Amtrak’s Rose Blackson at
BlacksonR@Amtrak.com.
A Joyful Noise at Hult Center
Can you sing with your yawn voice? Over six-hundred elementary and middle school students visited the Hult Center for
the Performing Arts on April 22 for the Oregon Children’s Choral Festival (OCCF) and learned how to do just that and other
vocal and performance techniques to create a joyful noise. Now in
its 27 year, the OCCF brings choristers from around the region
th
excited and ready to fill the Silva Concert Hall with song. This
fabulous event not only provides the kids an opportunity to
perform, but to learn from each other and work with a guest
clinician.
From “Wow!” to “This is the best day ever!”, kids truly enjoy this
invaluable opportunity and are having so much fun, they don’t even
realize they are honing their creative and critical thinking skills,
modeling awareness and self-control, and upping their
performance game – all in one day.
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May 2, 2013
After all their hard work, the kids get to sit back and enjoy a guest performance. This year’s performance was given by
Oregon Children’s Choir young women’s a cappella group, Synergy.
As one teacher said, “We truly appreciated the amazing experience of singing on the Hult Center stage – nothing can
compare!” The Hult Center truly appreciates the budding performing artists and the schools and organizations that worked
to bring them here. There is no substitute for participating in and experiencing live performing arts!
For more information, contact Theresa Sizemore at 541-682-5242.
Summer Rides Provide Opportunity for Veterans
The second season of Eugene Adaptive Recreation’s free bike rides for all veterans
including those who are injured, ill or wounded got underway in April. Every Tuesday
evening, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., through Sept. 3, vets can join with other vets on rides from
Maurie Jacobs Park on the north end of Fir Lane, near the soccer field. As part of the
program, Adaptive Recreation provides adapted bikes to those who need them.
The rides are one of several recreational activities presented by Adaptive Recreation
to help injured soldiers adjust to civilian life. Many participants say recreating with
others who have shared their combat experience is very helpful to them.
In addition to the bike rides, Adaptive Recreation is offering several family raft trips
to veterans, and their family and friends this summer, in addition to a sailing class,
which includes certification by the American Sailing Association.
For more information about Adaptive Recreation’s veterans’ activities, call Patty
Prather at 541-682-5311.
Teens Help Veterans, too
Teens in Adapted Recreation’s Rockin’ Rec Night have partnered with seven South Eugene High School students to collect
items and create care packages for local veterans in preparation for Memorial Day. Donations for the care packages will be
accepted through Friday, May 17, at the Hilyard, Campbell or Sheldon community centers. Bring one or more of the items
on the list below. (No perishable items, please.)
Brain puzzle books (crossword puzzles, Sodoku, etc.)
Playing cards
Project kits (model cars, woodworking, etc.)
Sketch pads and colored pencils
Journals
Jigsaw puzzles
Seeds for flowers, herbs, or vegetables, and pots
For more information, call Shayle Wigger at 541-682-5311.
Two Eugene Neighborhoods Finalists for Neighborhood of the Year
Two Eugene neighborhood groups – Harlow Neighbors and Santa Clara/River Road Outreach and Learning (SCRROL) are
finalists for the annual national Neighborhood of the Year Award given by Neighborhoods USA (NUSA).
Harlow Neighbors submitted an application based on the work of Feed Hope, a joint
project between the neighborhood association, area churches and Food for Lane County.
Their work served the needs of many elementary school children who, although qualified
to receive free or subsidized breakfast and lunches during the school year, had limited
access to healthy daytime meals during school breaks. With over 300 volunteers, Feed
Hope coordinated donations, and packaged and distributed 4,500 healthy, nutritious
meals to children in the Harlow neighborhood.
SCRROL’s joint project between the Santa Clara and River Road community organizations
addresses complex issues of service delivery in the River Road and Santa Clara areas. With
a patchwork of city and county lands, the area is served by numerous special service
districts that provide water, streetlights, parks and recreation services, and police and fire
protection. The SCRROL group conducted a series of community forums, living room
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May 2, 2013
conversations, and community social events to educate and assess residents’ priorities for neighborhood improvement,
reaching an estimated 700 neighbors.
Each group will present a project to be judged at the upcoming NUSA conference held in Minneapolis from May 22 - 25.
Eugene will host the Neighborhoods USA conference in 2014 and plans are underway for three days full of informative
workshops, exciting tours and engaging speakers. For more information about the NUSA Neighborhood of the Year
competition entries, or the 2014 Neighborhoods USA conference, please contact Rene Kane, Neighborhood Services, at
541-682-6243 or rene.c.kane@ci.eugene.or.us.
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May 2, 2013