HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/25/13 - City Council Newsletter
City of Eugene
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Eugene, Oregon 97401
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www.eugene-or.gov
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER
July 25, 2013
IN THIS EDITION
EUGENE’S RIVERBANK BIKE PATH SYSTEM LISTED IN USA TODAY’S BEST URBAN BIKE PATHS
WRITING WORKSHOPS AT THE LIBRARY: CREATE! EUGENE
OREGON BACH FESTIVAL AND HULT CENTER BID ADIEU TO HELMUTH RILLING
WOUNDED AND DISABLED VETERANS BENEFIT FROM RECREATION
AROUND THE CITY
Eugene’s Riverbank Bike Path System Listed in USA Today’s Best Urban Bike Paths
Eugene’s riverfront bike path system has received another national accolade, this time listed among USA Today’s top urban
bike paths in the nation. Eugene was listed 10 of the 19 noted.
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“Our Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System along the
Willamette River is one of the treasured jewels of this
community, and one of the many reasons people love to
live, work and visit here,” said Mayor Piercy. “It’s always
great to have our city’s excellent livability recognized and
acknowledged nationally. We are thrilled with this rave
review from USA Today.”
The Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System is one of the
best-known, well-used and much-loved portions of
Eugene’s parks and open space system. Eugene's growing
bicycle network includes: 42 miles of shared-use paths; 81
miles of on-street bicycle lanes; 35 miles of signed
bikeways; five bicycle/pedestrian bridges spanning the
Willamette River, and two bicycle/pedestrian bridges
spanning major roads or highways.
Eugene has received numerous other awards for its bicycling program including a #5 ranking by Bicycling Magazine’s Best
Cities for Biking, and a gold-level rating from the League of American Bicyclists in its Bike Friendly Communities Program.
Encouraging bike riding for recreation and transportation helps address many of Eugene’s long-term goals including those
for supporting healthy lifestyles, enhancing livability to make Eugene attractive for business development, and reducing
energy consumption and pollution, to name a few.
For more information, contact Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator Lee Shoemaker at 541-682-5471.
Writing Workshops at the Library: Create! Eugene
In connection with Create! Eugene, the Downtown Eugene Public Library will host four, free writing workshops in August.
Due to limited space, pre-registration is required: call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450.
Learn how to “Write the Perfect 10-Minute Play” on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. Presenters Paul Calandrino and
Connie Bennett are playwrights and producers of the annual Northwest Ten Festival at Oregon Contemporary Theatre.
Novelist Cai Emmons, winner of the Oregon Book Award, will teach “Creative Suspense: A Workshop for Fiction and
Screenplay Writers,” Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. Pre-register for these two workshops now.
EUGENE CITY COUNCIL NEWSLETTER PAGE 1
July 25, 2013
Oregon Book Award finalist Toni Hanner will lead “Jump-start! Poetry Writing Workshop” on Monday, Aug. 26, from 6 to
7:30 p.m. Leigh Anne Jasheway, winner of the Erma Bombeck Humor Writing Award for a true-life column about how her
first mammogram caught on fire, will teach a comedy writing workshop titled “Be Your Own (A)Muse” on Tuesday, Aug. 27,
from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pre-registration for the poetry and comedy workshops begins Aug. 10.
Create! Eugene is a project featuring nearly 200 creative workshops in the local area during the month of August. Create!
Eugene is a collaboration of the Arts & Business Alliance of Eugene, Travel Lane County, and the City of Eugene. For more
information, visit www.eugene-or.gov/library or call the Eugene Public Library at 541-682-5450.
Oregon Bach Festival and Hult Center Bid Adieu to Helmuth Rilling
With a packed house in Silva Hall for the July 14 performance of Bach’s B Minor Mass, the Oregon Bach Festival (OBF) and
Eugene community concluded an era of artistic leadership - the final concert of conductor Helmuth Rilling’s 44-year tenure
as founding artistic director of the festival. In ceremonies following the
concert, nearly 2,000 audience members in the Hult Center lobby raised
a glass in salute.
Rilling had symbolically passed the baton to his successor, Matthew
Halls, at a July 6 concert in Silva Hall where Halls conducted the work
“Alleluia,” written in Rilling’s honor by Scottish composer James
MacMillen. It was a poignant moment for patrons, musicians and Hult
Center staff who always knew when Helmuth was “in the house.”
Over the years, the Hult Center has played a significant role in the
growth and success of the Oregon Bach Festival. At the Hult’s opening of
the 30 Birthday Post-It Exhibit, OBF’s Director Emeritus and co-
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founder, Royce Saltzman, noted, “Building the Hult Center literally saved
the Oregon Bach Festival. Helmuth Rilling would not have returned to
Eugene had he not the promise of a venue – Silva Hall – in which to perform major choral-orchestral works. The festival is
grateful and proud to be a resident company of the Hult Center.”
While Rilling will be tremendously missed, the Hult Center looks forward to the future of this world-renowned festival
under the artistic direction of Matthew Halls. For more information, contact Hult Center Events Manager Theresa Sizemore
at 541-682-5242 or theresa.j.sizemore@ci.eugene.or.us.
Wounded and Disabled Veterans Benefit from Recreation
July is recreation month and Eugene Recreation is celebrating by sharing the many surprising benefits of recreation,
including those for veterans. A research study of wounded and disabled veterans in three, week-long, adaptive and
therapeutic recreation programs showed that “participating in outdoor
sports and recreation activities assisted them in experiencing a sense of
energy, vitality and enthusiasm.”(Landberg, Bennett, Smith, 2011)
The researchers concluded that competency in sports and recreation “is
one area that soldiers with acquired disabilities can experience
success….further facilitating a positive self-view.” They also noted,
“Previous research has identified that connecting with resources in a
community is a critical component of quality of life for individuals with
disabilities.”
Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists with Eugene’s Adaptive
Recreation program offer a variety of activities specifically for injured and
disabled veterans and their families. Many are outdoor activities that are
recommended by the study because they present a “challenging
atmosphere.”
Many Adaptive Rec activities for vets include family members because other research has found: "Families that recreate
together tend to be closer and more cohesive, and have a greater chance of staying together.”
For more information, contact Kathy Madison at 541-682-6342.
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July 25, 2013