From the editor
We’re baaack! Arriving home to cooler weather much appreciated after sweltering in Phoenix, I find plenty of items for this week’s email.
Traffic question: a neighbor has reported on the problem of speeding on Brae Burn. The street is about to be repaved and the city has responded that it can put some speed bumps on 39th, it does not see the need for them on Brae Burn. If you live along or near Brae Burn, let me hear from you — dkolb@bates.edu — we will collect statements and add them to data collected by a vigilant neighbor, and then try to persuade the city to reconsider its decision.
Web site news: a while back we decided to wait on upgrading our Web site because there was a proposal to develop a new system for all the neighborhood association websites. Alas, that proposal has not succeeded, due to cost. The City hopes to redo its own Web site later this year, and that might include a new system for neighborhood associations web sites. So we will continue with our crestdriveca.com Web site for the foreseeable future. Because of our name change to Southwest Hills Neighborhood Association, “crestdriveca” is no longer quite appropriate but it would be expensive to register a new domain name, so we will leave it as is for now. If the City Web site does get redone and does have good facilities for us, then we’ll change to them. If they turns out to be inadequate then we’ll consider a new site of our own.
Incidentally, after rhyming and jiving, our Board likes “SHiNA” as the abbreviation for our new name.
From the City
Big Plan with Gradual Effects
For some years the City has been working on a plan to guide development in the South Willamette area just north of our neighborhood. The plan envisions changing codes to encourage new kinds of building there. The proposed code update follows the recommendations of the Concept Plan and will affect residents, property owners, and business owners as the district changes over time. The proposed new code provisions are now in the review and adoption phase.
The goal of the plan is to create an attractive, healthy, walkable neighborhood with successful businesses and new opportunities for jobs and housing. The timeline below outlines key steps in the implementation process and opportunities for community feedback.
The following events are currently planned or scheduled to engage the community in understanding and discussing the proposed code update:
April 16th – Friendly Neighbors Quarterly General Meeting Update
Late spring 2015 – Draft code available for public feedback
Summer 2015 – Planning Commission Open House, Eugene Downtown Library, Bascom-Tykeson Room
Check the South Willamette Special Area Zone web page for more
information:
http://www.eugene-or.gov/sw-saz
See the 2013 Concept Plan online: http://www.eugene-or.gov/SWillamette
For further information about the South Willamette Special Area Zone please contact Jennifer Knapp at 541-682-5445 or via email at Jennifer.L.Knapp@ci.eugene.or.us
Policing the Police
Your Right to Record Law Enforcement
The Eugene Police Department is in the process of drafting a new policy regarding the right of the public to record police interactions. This forum will discuss your constitutional rights to record police, why this right and responsibility is important to ensure police accountability, and how to record legally and safely. We will also discuss the proposed draft of EPD Policy 415, “Recording Police Activities By the Community,” and will provide information on how you can contribute to this process.
Tuesday, April 7 – 6 PM – 9 PM
UO Law School Room 110, 1515 Agate Street
Bike Share Comes to Eugene
Grant Funding Supports New System
On March 19, the Oregon Transportation Commission approved the City of Eugene’s grant request of $909,066 to create a bike share system in Eugene. Over the next year or so, City staff will be working with the University of Oregon and Lane Transit District to determine how to best launch, operate and maintain a successful bike share system in Eugene.
Bike share is an innovative transportation program, whereby system subscribers have access to public bicycles through self-service kiosk locations throughout the community. The system is accessed through low-cost subscriptions ranging from one-day access to annual membership. A bike share member can either swipe their membership key or credit card to release a bike from the station and can return it to any station in the system. The check-in and check-out transactions take a few seconds each. Therefore, bike share is ideal for short distance, point-to-point trips.
In cities across the U.S. bike share systems have proven very popular and successful by giving residents and visitors a fast, affordable, easy-to-use transportation option.
Keeping Families Off the Streets
This year, Catholic Community Services (CSS) received a special grant from Lane County to provide homeless families with children temporary shelter in local motels on cold nights. This new program complements the Egan Warming Center program administered by St. Vincent de Paul, which provides temporary cold weather shelter for homeless adults without children.
While it was a relatively mild winter, there were still several cold nights. Thanks to this new program, CSS provided 108 nights of motel shelter for 17 different homeless families. CSS served 29 adults and 37 children, ranging in age from a 1 month-old infant to a grandmother more than 80 years old.
CSS could use donated items such at deodorant, toothbrushes, razors, feminine hygiene products and diapers. Donations can be dropped off at either of their two locations: 1464 W 6th Ave in Eugene or 1025 G Street in Springfield.
Help Lane County School Gardens
Consider dining at McMenamins on East 19th Street Cafe (1485 E 19th Ave, Eugene, OR 97403) as they host a benefit for School Garden Project on Tuesday, April 28th. Half of all food and drink proceeds sold between 5pm-1am will be donated to SGP, whose mission is to help Lane County Schools create, sustain, and use onsite gardens by providing resources, professional consultation, and educational programming. SPG envisions a future in which school garden education helps children become healthy adults who eat their fruits and vegetables and know the basics of growing food and contributing to a thriving community.
SPG supports four school districts including Eugene 4J, Bethel, Springfield, and Crow-Applegate-Lorane; 36 K-12 Schools and Non-Profit Organizations and over 800 Students annually.
For more information, contact John Moriarty; 541-284-1001
Friends Host Annual Book Sale
Friends of the Eugene Public Library Sale
Book lovers: shop for a good cause! The Friends of Eugene Public Library Annual Book Sale will be held Saturday, Apr. 11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Apr. 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Lane Events Center (Lane County Fairgrounds) Performance Hall.
Proceeds from this all-volunteer project go to support Eugene Public Library classes, programs, and events, including Summer Reading for children and teens. Admission and parking are free.
Shoppers will be able to choose from thousands of gently used and like-new books on all topics, at bargain prices of only $1.00 – $2.00. Also for sale will be DVDs, LPs, audio books, sheet music, and a huge choice of music CDs. Recent bestsellers will be available in the “Good as New” section, and collectors can check for rare and specialty books in “Individually Priced.” A children’s area will offer a large selection of books, DVDs, and CDs for kids. VISA/Mastercard will be accepted, as well as cash and checks.
The book sale is the Friends of Eugene Public Library’s major fundraiser each year. Over 300 volunteers work on the book sale, many year-round.
Diversity & Multicultural Education
A Panel Discussion Reflecting the Current State of Lane County
Wednesday, April 15th from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Oregon Research Institute, 1776 Millrace Drive, Eugene. This informal format provides opportunities for each panel member to speak and engage the audience in questions and discussion.
Questions for the panel members include:
• From your perspective, what is the current state of diversity and multicultural education in Lane County?
• To what degree have multicultural perspectives been integrated into curricula, both as separate sections, and as part of other classes?
• What is the greatest single need to more effectively educate our children on the importance of appreciating different cultural perspectives?
• To what degree does institutional racism hamper efforts to bring a multicultural perspective to the classroom?
• If you had the authority to change any aspect of your educational institution in order to improve diversity education, what would you do?
• How can those not involved in the educational system support change efforts in this regard?
For more information email Sonya Gabor
Who we are:
Our new name: Southwest Hills neighborhood Association
Our old name: Crest Drive Citizens Association
Our area of the City: west of Willamette, extending south to the city borders, with our north boundary along 28th to Chambers then along 24th to City View.
Our contact information
For the newsletter: dkolb@bates.edu
For all other matters: vallecomm@gmail.com
The officers of our Association
Chair: Juan Carlos Valle
Vice Chair: Rachael Young
Reporting Sec.: Francina Verrijt
Corresponding Sec./Treas.: David Kolb
Purpose: Our purpose is to promote community at the neighborhood level and improve the livability of the neighborhood, and to educate neighbors and provide a forum for members to identify, discuss, and resolve neighborhood issues by encouraging and facilitating communications and participation among the members on matters of common concern.
How to keep up with news about our area and our activities:
You can check our Web site: crestdriveca.com
You can join the hundreds who receive our weekly email newsletter. Sign up using the form on the web site.
You can join ongoing discussions at our nextdoor.com web page. Sign up at that site.
SHiNA 