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Home My WebLink About05/16/13 - 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 16, 2013 IN THIS EDITION WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR LANE COUNTY IMMIGRANTS NEED AN ADAPTED BIKE? YOUTH VOICES OF EUGENE LEADERS HEARD IN ESSAYS THIRD ANNUAL YOUNG WOMEN’S FIRE CAMP PLANNED GRANT WRITING WORKSHOP AT EUGENE PUBLIC LIBRARY 30 AVENUE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SAFETY CONCERNS PROMPT MEETING TH AROUND THE CITY Windows of Opportunity for Lane County Immigrants On Apr. 25, the Lane County Network for Immigrant Integration (LCNII) held a forum to discuss efforts to make the community a more welcoming place for its immigrant neighbors. LCNII is a coalition of organizations and individuals from the Lane County area, including school districts, government agencies, higher education, non-profits, faith communities and businesses. The City of Eugene is represented by staff from Equity and Human Rights and Neighborhood Services. Last fall, the Eugene City Council unanimously supported LCNII’s statement of principles for immigrant integration. The LCNII forum took place at the Eugene Public Library and was attended by over 35 endorsers, including Mayor Kitty Piercy and three City Councilors. Attendees heard personal stories from local immigrants highlighting the barriers and bridges they experience in the community. After an overview of current immigration reform initiatives, small groups discussed how immigrant integration applies to organizational work and how the LCNII can help support that. The need to provide opportunities for personal connections with local immigrants in order to help bridge barriers was a common theme. To foster those connections, LCNII is hosting a series of community conversations with local immigrants during the month of May. Those interested in attending a community conversation, or seeking more information on the work of LCNII, may contact Lorna Flormoe, Equity & Human Rights/Neighborhood Services, at 541-682-5670 or lorna.r.flormoe@ci.eugene.or.us. Need an Adapted Bike? Adapted Recreation is offering an individual bike assessment for those who may need an adapted bike. Anyone dealing with bad balance might be helped by a tricycle. For those with poor vision, a partner and a tandem might be helpful. For those using a wheelchair, a hand-cycle might be best. For just $10, a specialist will work one-on-one with participants to explore the variety of bicycles Adaptive Recreation has on hand and find the best match. Then, rent a bike and go for a ride. All of Adaptive Recreation’s bikes are available to rent by the hour, day, weekend, or week. For information on all the bikes available and rental rates, go to www.eugene-or.gov/recadaptive. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1 May 16, 2013 To make an appointment for an individual bike assessment on Tuesdays or Thursdays, or to schedule a rental, call the Hilyard Community Center at 541-682-5311. For more information, call Patty Prather at 541-682-5311. Youth Voices of Eugene Leaders Heard in Essays The Youth Workgroup of the Human Rights Commission, with support from Equity and Human Rights staff, and intern Adam Anderson from the Family and Human Services program at the University of Oregon, conducted extensive outreach to youth between September 2012 and May 2013. Over 600 responses were gathered throughout Eugene from young people age 13 – 20, who answered the question, “What would you like community leaders to know about what it is like to be a youth in Eugene?” Participants included youth from South Eugene, North Eugene and Willamette high schools, Kennedy Middle School, Lane Community College and the downtown streets. The answers were provided in the form of “6-Word Essays,” many accompanied with colorful artwork, and collected on 5 x 7” cards. The format allowed participants to express their messages in a poignant way, in their own words and their own handwriting. The responses displayed in this gallery demonstrate a spectrum of perspectives, concerns, hopes, and requests. They have been organized according to themes that emerged from the responses. The gallery of youth voices will be unveiled at the Youth Voices for Eugene Leaders event on May 17 at 7 p.m. in the Fir Room of the EMU on the University of Oregon campus. Community leaders are encouraged to attend to gain more perspective on the experience of youth in Eugene and also to provide their own 6-Word Essay responses. The gallery will become a traveling display and be shared with interested organizations. For more information on the Youth Voices for Eugene Leaders event or the Human Rights Commission, please contact Lindsey Foltz, Equity and Human Rights, at 541-682-5619 or lindsey.m.foltz@ci.eugene.or.us. Third Annual Young Women’s Fire Camp Planned The Eugene Fire & EMS (Emergency Medical Services) and Springfield Fire & Life Safety departments are hosting the third annual Young Women’s Fire Camp. Energetic young women interested in learning more about fire and EMS services are being sought for the 2013 Young Women’s Fire Camp. Applications are being accepted and are due by Friday, May 31. The camp will be held from June 17 – 21, at the Emergency Services Training Center at 2nd and Chambers in Eugene. This is a free day camp for high- school-aged young women (up to age 19), designed as a “mini” fire academy with a focus on teamwork and building confidence and leadership skills. Activities will include rope rappelling, vehicle extrication, forcible entry, live firefighting and emergency medical response scenarios. Each day at lunchtime, women in positions of leadership in the community will speak with the camp participants. Last year’s camp was very successful, and everyone involved had a lot of fun. Please help get the word out to young women in the community about this unique opportunity. To apply, go to http://www.eugene-or.gov/fire, print and complete the application, and submit it to: Eugene Fire & EMS, Young Women’s Fire Camp, 1705 West 2nd Avenue, Eugene, Oregon, 97402. For more information regarding the fire camp, please send an email to firecamp@ci.eugene.or.us or call Cathy Smith at 541-682-7135. Grant Writing Workshop at Eugene Public Library The Downtown Eugene Public Library will present a free Grant Writing Workshop with expert Lori Bumgardner-Adair on Thursday, May 30, at 6 p.m. Participants will learn step-by-step procedures for writing powerful proposals that meet the requirements of potential funders. Topics covered will include identifying grant opportunities for a particular non-profit EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 2 May 16, 2013 organization, understanding how grantors evaluate proposals, and developing successful relationships and communication with grantors. Bumgardner-Adair has garnered more than $150 million in awards and matching gifts during her career as a professional grant writer. She has also managed non-profits and directed large-scale deliberative democracy projects at the municipal level and internationally. For more information, please contact the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450 or www.eugene-or.gov/library. 30 Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Safety Concerns Prompt Meeting th Safety concerns about pedestrians crossing 30 Avenue east of Hilyard Street have been submitted to the City of Eugene in th recent months. Many pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users who must cross 30 Avenue during a trip, or to access transit stops or th school sites, have expressed a desire for a safer street crossing that is easy to use. Many of the concerns have been submitted on behalf of students who attend Camas Ridge Elementary School. School consolidation has increased the travel shed for students, and many live south of 30 th Avenue. While some of these students and parents walking to school together can use the pedestrian bridge, it is difficult for families with strollers or large bicycles (especially those with tag-along trailer bikes or other loads) to use the existing structure that was designed for pedestrian access (though it does contain a bike channel on the stairwell). Another group of concerned users are transit riders, especially users of the 81, 82, and 92 LTD routes who board at 30 th and University. Some transit-users have mobility limitations (such as powered mobility devices) that would prevent them from using the pedestrian bridge. In December 2012, an individual in a wheelchair was struck by an automobile while crossing 30 Avenue at University. th A meeting to discuss pedestrian crossings on 30 Avenue from Harris Street to University Street in south Eugene is th scheduled for Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m., in the cafeteria at Camas Ridge Elementary School, 1150 East 29 Avenue. The th purpose of the meeting is to share existing conditions information such as traffic volume and speed data and to solicit community opinions about current crossing conditions. Based on the outcome of this meeting and the evaluation of traffic data, a second meeting to discuss infrastructure changes may be scheduled. For more information, visit the website at www.eugene-or.gov/30thcrossing or contact Reed Dunbar, transportation planner, at 541-682-5727. EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 3 May 16, 2013