From the editor
We have had a series of what would be warm winter days at your editor’s old home in Maine. Now it’s going to get warmer, but our new year holiday was bright and clear.
Happy New Year to all. This is the year of the Sheep in the Chinese astrological cycle. (Chinese New Year is in February but Japan starts its new year on January 1, so all your sheep can celebrate early.)
Let me remind you that our meeting coming up on January 18, Sunday, at Morse Family Farm, 2-4 pm, will be to discuss your ideas about what we should be doing in the next year, plus a vote on our new charter, new name, and new board. If we have information about developments at Rest Haven will bring that also.
One of the things that’s the neighborhood association hopes to work on in the coming year is joint planning for response to disasters such as big storms or earthquakes or big fires. We need methods for finding out the right information and getting people to set up their own home disaster preparation. But it’s also important to have us aware of resources and dangers in the immediate several blocks around their houses. Eugene has been involved in the statewide Map Your Neighborhood program and in the excellent CERT training, and now we have a neew resource from the city of Los Angeles.
Here’s their description:
“Disaster Prep Toolkit! We never think a disaster will strike our neighborhood or at least we hope it won’t! However, it is not a question of if one will happen, but when. The City of Los Angeles and its partner agencies have created a plan and resource kit to help their community be ready to help. This comprehensive plan can easily be tweaked to fit in your neighborhood! Neighbors should be prepared to help themselves and each other in the event of a disaster for several days to weeks depending on the size of the disaster.
Take the first step to getting your neighborhood in a better position to prepare and bounce back from disaster by downloading the City of Los Angeles 5 Steps to Neighborhood Preparedness Toolkit. Included within this comprehensive resource set you will find a Just in Time Training Video (13 minutes); a Toolkit Overview (in English, Spanish, Korean, Chinese and Large Print); and a 5-Steps Guide to build a neighborhood disaster plan for your neighborhood (also in several languages); and a Training Facilitators Guide as a resource for those active in the organizing of a meeting. A Neighoborhood Survey to help assess special skills and special needs is also available as a resource to help with Neighborhood Preparedness.”
A zombie apocalypse might be exciting but it’s more practical to worry about fires, earthquakes, windstorms, and other disasters which could cut communications and make it impossible for larger first response organizations to reach us. Think about helping out!
Our Association is looking for people who would be willing to organize small response teams in their immediate block or so. If you are concerned about the safety of you and your neighbors, and willing to take a lead, email David dkolb@bates.edu and we will set up a meeting for those who want to help the neighborhood prepare for the unknown.
Crime note
A neighbor writes: “I’ve noticed a couple of guys (together) riding their bikes past my house and I’ve watched them as they scope out each and every yard that they pass.”
Notice from the county government:
With the onset of colder weather, fireplace and woodstove usage increases dramatically in Lane County. This results in large quantities of particulate matter being released into the local air shed. The current smoke levels are especially high in our neighborhood. A “RED” advisory is currently in place, indicating that air quality is poor and burning is prohibited. Pellets stoves may be used if they produce are no visible emissions. Lane Regional Air Protection Agency (LRAPA) is forecasting unhealthy air quality levels for Oakridge and Eugene/Springfield over the next few days as high pressure dominates the region and air stagnation continues.
Help improve air quality in South Eugene by following these tips from LRAPA.
• Use dry, seasoned wood. Split it, cover it, and give it a year!
• Do not burn illegal fuel. Including: garbage, plastics, treated wood, paints and chemicals, and anything else that emits dense smoke or bad odors.
• Burn small, hot fires. Don’t add too much fuel at once.
• Limit use of the damper. Dampering wastes wood, produces air pollution, accumulates creosote, and yields very little heat.
• Step outside and check the chimney or flue. If you can see smoke, your fire may need more air.
• Check before you burn. You can burn on “GREEN” days and with caution on “YELLOW” days. Burning on “RED” days will result in a fine of up to $500.
To find out if it is OK to burn, call 541-746-HEAT(4328) or visit http://www.lrapa.org.
Development proposal
Project Description: Create cluster housing subdivision from five existing tax lots, reconfiguring property lines and church parking lot
Project Location: 2809 Friendly St.
Tax Lot: 18-03-06-33-10400, 10401, 10500,10700, & 10800
Neighborhood: Crest Drive Citizens Association
Land Use Application: http://www.eugene-or.gov/luappstracking
Building Permit Application:www.eugene-or.gov/buildingpermits (Select “Search Building Permits”)
Three requests from the city for volunteers to help out
1) Egan Warming Center Volunteer Opportunities
The Egan Memorial Warming Center is a coalition of community members representing service providers, religious congregations, nonprofit support agencies, social activist communities and local government who have come together to ensure that homeless people in Lane County have a warm and safe place to sleep when temperatures drop below 30 degrees between November 15th and March 31st.
Please take a moment and consider how you and/or your organization or business can get involved this winter season. To help in a shelter this winter, please complete an online Volunteer Application today.
Deciding to activate is a complex and uncertain business. Churches, volunteers, and support agencies need to be notified that Egan will be on standby 48 hours in advance. Egan volunteer coordinators have to make a decision based on the best forecasts we have 24 hours in advance for activation. Activation information is available on the website or volunteers can text the word “Activate” to 292929 for text alerts (standard data and messaging rates may apply).
Providing decent housing to everyone, all the time is a desperate social problem. Egan’s small contribution to that problem is providing emergency shelter when severe cold threatens lives. If you have suggestions on improving the protocol or data used to make a decision please send us an e-mail. (eganwarmingcenterseugene@gmail.com).
2) Point in Time Homeless Count
Please join volunteers for this point in time homeless count. It’s safe and provides our community an opportunity to count and help assess needs for those living on the street or in shelters.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015. Training will be provided on Thursday, January 22 or right before your volunteer shift begins.
Contact Lane County Human Services at 541-682-4615 or 541-682-4629; or email to hsc.info@co.lane.or.us
3) Repair2ReUse Cafe’s Coming to Lane County!
Lane County will host the Repair2ReUse Cafe’s with the first one to be held at MECCA, January 30 and the second at NextStep on February 27. Cafes will be planned for each month of 2015.
Check the website for dates and times for upcoming events as they are confirmed. Currently there is a need for a repairer of modern sewing machines for January and a need for folks who have skills with consumer electronics for February.
Shortly there will be a need appliance repair volunteers (March/April) bike repair volunteers (March/April) and garden tool shaper-uppers April/May. Other types of volunteering for the cafes include: greet attendees, staff information table, distribute interest/ability survey, share enthusiasm for featured topics of the cafes.
Repair2ReUse Cafes will be an important feature of Master Recycler booth outreach in 2015. Contact Kelly Bell, Lane County Master Recycler Program, for more information (541) 682-2059 or kelly.bell@co.lane.or.us
SHiNA 