Eugene Parks and Open Space – February 2024 Newsletter

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=3cb590767a

Friends of Tugman – January 2024 Report

The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project(s).

• We held one regularly scheduled bi-weekly volunteer work event in January:  1/10; the other bi-weekly event scheduled for 1/24 was cancelled due to the aftermath of the ice storm which closed neighborhood parks
• January 10^th highlights:  we planted numerous native plants provided by the Parks and Open Space – Native Plant Nursery in one of the shelter area beds and the basketball court bed; trash pick-up park-wide was accomplished
• The tree planting event in the spray play area scheduled for Saturday, January 27^th with P&OS, Tuggers and the SEHS EG 350 Club was cancelled due to the ice storm and the re-allocation of P&OS resources to areas of concern dealing with storm damage mitigation. This event is postponed indefinitely but will most likely occur sometime in Spring.
• Prior to the cancellation of the 1/27 event, a few Tuggers met with three P&OS folks on 1/4 to further discuss the plot plan and tree species to be planted in the former spray play area. Whereas most decisions were made, the Tuggers will propose some new amendments to the location and species of trees now that this project has been delayed.
• On 1/26, four Tuggers and a nearby neighbor cut, removed, and piled a large amount of fallen tree/limb debris from the ice storm. The main locations were the native plant beds in the central and north sections of the park. We also removed debris from Tugman Creek and pruned vegetation over the north bridge to allow safe passage.
• Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work events for February 2024 are:  2/7 & 2/21 (10:00 am – 12 noon).

SEN Transportation Committee Report

December 2023
Submitted by Lucy Bambrey

The following is a summary of activities of the Transportation Committee for the month of December
2023:
 The Transportation Committee held one meeting in December on Weds Dec 6.
 Member Linda Duggan completed attending meetings of the LTD Community Steering Council
(CSC). The focus of the CSC was identifying LTD stakeholders such as individuals, groups,
organizations, and partners with a vested interest in LTD. In turn, LTD has a vested interest in
fostering community involvement in its planning. Linda believes that neighborhood
organizations should be included as stakeholders.
 Lucy Bambrey continues to serve on the Eugene Neighborhoods, Inc. (ENI) board of directors
until 2025 and attended one meeting in December. ENI is in the process of creating an
outreach/work plan for 2024 to support neighborhood organizations with financial,
organizational, and educational services. (Dennis Hebert is our SEN representative.)
 Committee member Charlie Loeb agreed to help coordinate committee activities related to
sidewalk safety. Charlie is on the city Active Transportation Committee, so his input plus his link
to the ATC will be appreciated.
 The committee is actively seeking new volunteers. It appears that daytime meeting times are
challenging for some. As of now, the committee is meeting during the day via Zoom on the first
Weds of the month.
 Four committee members attended the December 5 SEN board planning session.
 Tasks for 2024 include: updating our 2023 committee work plan for 2024; exploring hosting
community events concerning various modes of transportation; planning an agenda for the Nov
board meeting.

Just a note: Chairperson Jess Tuerk has stepped back from the day-to-day chairperson duties. Member
Lucy Bambrey has volunteered to be chairperson for the next few months. Cheers!

Eugene Parks and Open Space – January 2024 Newsletter

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=0782d895c2

SEN Hybrid Board Meeting Agenda, 7pm January 9, 2024

Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard St. & Zoom

Zoom Link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88574713250

 

Call to Order

• The Board is no longer recording meetings until the City of Eugene changes the online meeting platform and digital storage options late 2023 early 2024
• Personal video and audio recordings may not be reproduced in any form without informed consent of the individuals represented ie: non-board members of the audience.
• If a member of the online audience wishes to make public comment, please raise a hand.

Public Comment (5 mins)

Message from Co-Chairs: (5 mins)

• Liaisons/Committee Chairs: Please post your respective mission statements on the top of your committee page on the SEN website. If you need help executing, let me know.
• The new draft NORP & model charter are OUT!!! More to follow…

Consent Agenda (see additional documents) (<3 mins)

1. Approve Past Meeting Minutes
2. Approve General Meeting Hosts & Topics
   • March: Ready Southeast (two speakers)
   • May: Communications Committee (election + party!)
   • November: Transportation Committee (two speakers)
3. Approve Dennis Hebert as Treasurer

Treasurer’s Report: Christina/Dennis (see email report)

            Thank You & Farewell to Christina (2 mins)

Committee Reports (see email reports unless otherwise noted below)

• Disaster Preparedness – John Q
• Transportation Committee – Jess
• Communications Committee – Dennis, Ela
  • FB/Insta/Website/Mailchimp Protocol Update
• Tugman Park Volunteers – John
• Environmental Stewardship Committee – Devon
• NLC – Dennis

Old Business:

• Pros/Cons of First Annual Board Retreat (15 mins)

New Business:

• Election Committee Time! Only three meetings left until the elections! (5 mins)

• Picnic Committee—earlier? YES! Establish Picnic Committee by the March or April Board meeting (5 mins)

• Discuss proposed changes to General Meeting dates for 2025: (15 mins)
  1. Election Meeting: change from May to November
  2. March & May meetings are close too close together; options:
     • March stays, move May to June
     • May stays, move March to February
     • Or?

• Discuss Optional Board Bios/Pics on SEN Website (5-10 mins)
• Off Election Schedule Open Board Position; know anyone?

Adjourn

Friends of Tugman – December 2023 Report

The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project.

• We held one regularly scheduled bi-weekly volunteer work event in December:  12/13
• December 13^th highlights:  we planted numerous native plants provided by the Parks and Open Space – Native Plant Nursery in one of the shelter area beds; we removed debris and dams from Tugman Creek; trash pick-up park-wide was accomplished
• Continued pruning and removal of blackberry vines occurred in December on an ad hoc basis along the park’s south border.
• The (6) dead/dying and invasive Norway Maple trees have been removed from the former spray play area at Tugman Park. We have agreed to participate in the P&OS – Developed Parks team’s effort to replace these trees. We are involved in the selection of new native tree species for replacement and will be involved in the re-planting endeavor and the watering of the new trees next summer. We plan to re-plant these trees on Saturday, January 27^th, 2024 with participation from the EG 350 South club.
• We continue to interact with the Park Ambassadors to partner in keeping Tugman Park safe and clean.
• Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work events for January 2024 are:  1/10 & 1/24 (10:00 am – 12 noon).

 

Our Southeast Neighbors disaster preparedness committee — “Ready Southeast” — looks back at achievements in 2023 and forward to an exciting year ahead.

What we did together in 2023:

• Conducted our neighborhood-wide springtime exercise — familiarized nearby neighbors with their closest emergency supplies boxes
• Shared information about Lane County’s new emergency alert system
• Recruited and trained 10 new Block Captains — including the managers at our SEN “rest stop”
• Expanded our successful Second Sunday at Seven monthly radio check-ins
• Supported a new group of nearby neighbors organizing on Spring Boulevard
• Shared wildfire assessments with the Oregon Department of Forestry for potential fuel mitigation
• Worked with City staff to obtain new neighborhood preparedness maps
• Started reviewing the SEN Disaster Plan for potential updates
• Produced preparedness stories for the Whole Community News

What we are looking forward to in 2024:

• Heather Sielicki will start serving as Ready SE chair and Incident Commander
• Carpooling together on the first Thursdays to attend CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) events
• Organizing a discussion of wildfire and “home hardening” at SEN’s March general meeting
• Conducting our neighborhood-wide springtime exercise – simulate blocked roads to practice finding new evacuation routes
• Completing vegetation management work for 20+ Southeast Neighbors
• Inviting more volunteers into Ready SE leadership roles
• Applying for matching grants based on our work plan and disaster plan
• Supporting preparedness in other neighborhoods through the Neighborhood Leaders Council

Our mission is to empower Southeast Eugene residents to create a resilient and supportive community, prepared for emergencies and disasters through collaboration, communication, practice, and community engagement.
Come join us!  Contact us by email at SENeighborsPrepared@gmail.com

SEN Transportation Committee Report

October 2023

Submitted by Lucy Bambrey

 

The following is a summary of activities of the Transportation Committee for the month of October 2023:

• Member Linda Duggan attended one meeting of the LTD Community Steering Council (CSC) in October. Topics of discussion have included: items the CSC members would like to see changes by LTD; free buses; route changes or eliminations, etc. The current focus of the CSC is identifying LTD stakeholders such as individuals, groups, organizations, and partners with a vested interest in LTD. LTD will then use the information to foster community involvement. Linda reminded the meeting organizers that neighborhood organizations should be included as stakeholders.
• Member John Q Murray attended the monthly NLC meeting. Jameson Auten, LTD General Manager, spoke at the meeting. LTD is considering adding another EmX bus lane on Franklin Blvd so that the east-west and west-east buses do not have to alternatively share the same lane. John also reported that LTD has rerouted the #24 bus from Oak St to Willamette St near 18^th This presents accessibility challenges for persons with disabilities and the elderly.
• Lucy Bambrey spoke at the annual Eugene Neighbors, Inc. (ENI) meeting on Oct 19. The topic of the ENI meeting was Sidewalks. Lucy summarized the work that the Transportation Committee did in September to bring together various neighborhoods to discuss the issues with sidewalks across the city. Other speakers were Carlos Barrera of Friendly neighborhood and Joan Medina of Make Way Day. Lucy agreed to serve on the ENI board of directors until 2025. ENI supports neighborhood organizations with financial, organizational, and educational services. (Dennis Hebert is our SEN representative.)
• The committee is actively seeking new volunteers. Four persons signed up as interested at the picnic in Sept. Lucy has contacted three of them; meeting times may be challenging. As of now, the committee is meeting during the day via Zoom on the first Weds of the month.
• Committee members have been informally invited and encouraged to attend the December 5 board planning session.

 

Just a note: Chairperson Jess Tuerk has stepped back from the day-to-day chairperson duties. Member Lucy Bambrey has volunteered to be chairperson for the next few months.  Cheers!

Eugene Parks and Open Space – December 2023 Newsletter

https://us10.campaign-archive.com/?u=6e8bb448f5dab8671ba5aedce&id=7e9bc1629d

Friends of Tugman – November 2023 Report

The Friends of Tugman (aka The Tuggers) typically meet every other Wednesday from 10:00 am – 12 noon somewhere in Tugman Park. Exact time and park location is dependent on weather conditions and current project.

• We held two regularly scheduled bi-weekly volunteer work events in November:  11/1 & 11/15
• November 1^st highlights:  we planted over 100 native plants provided by the Parks and Open Space – Native Plant Nursery in the park’s north end and the shelter and basketball court beds; we removed debris and dams from Tugman Creek;  trash pick-up park-wide was accomplished
• November 15^th highlights:  we performed general weeding of beds, pathways and tree rings; we pruned dead and troublesome foliage adjacent to the park’s “middle bridge” (E. 36^th Ave. & Mill St.); trash pick-up park-wide was accomplished
• We had a lunch get together on November 29^th in lieu of a work event at the park. 15 folks attended including Tuggers, family members, friends and our P&OS liaison (Kelsey Irvine).
• 10 Tuggers and several family members and friends participated in the SEN-ESC hosted Amazon Creek Tree Planting event on November 18^th.
• Continued pruning and removal of blackberry vines occurred in November on an ad hoc basis along the park’s south border.
• Our Fawn Lily Rise – Upper Prairie Restoration plot was weeded and marked (11/3), additionally weeded (11/9), and raked & planted (11/16) with 11 native plant species. This was done in conjunction with one member of the South Eugene High School (SEHS) – Earth Guardian (EG) 350 South club. The EG 350 South club will be involved in the monitoring and data collection of this plot going forward.
• We have agreed to participate in the P&OS – Developed Parks team’s effort to replace the (6) dead/dying Norway Maple trees (non-native and invasive) adjacent to the former spray play area at Tugman. We will be involved in the selection of new native tree species for replacement; the re-planting endeavor, and the watering of the new trees next summer. We plan to re-plant these trees on Saturday, January 27^th, 2024 with participation from the EG 350 South club.
• The installation of a Wildlife Tree sign on the Douglas Fir snag in the park’s north end was accomplished.
• We continue to interact with the Park Ambassadors to partner in keeping Tugman Park safe and clean.
• Our regularly scheduled bi-weekly Wednesday volunteer work event for December 2023 is:  12/13 (10:00 am – 12 noon). We don’t plan on meeting on 12/27.