Be a Warming Center Volunteer

Posted on November 3, 2020 by Gary Haliski

Cold weather has arrived, and COAD Member Egan Warming Center (EWC) needs more volunteers.

EWC is almost entirely volunteer run, and many of our regular volunteers are in COVID-19 high-risk categories and are taking the year off to keep themselves and their families safe. That means we need many new, younger volunteers to take their place.

Anyone interested is encouraged to join us in one of our upcoming Zoom or in-person orientations.

You’ll hear about the program, how it works, what volunteers do, what our COVID safety protocols are, and what it’s like helping in an emergency winter shelter. There are no obligations or long term commitments. Come see what Egan is all about!

Egan Warming Center Orientations

  • Thursday November 5th 7-8:30pm    This will be a virtual Zoom training. Please email us at eganwarmingcenter@svdp.us to RSVP and get a link to the training.
  • Saturday November 7th  10-11:30am   We are making this an in-person option for anyone without Zoom access. But we need you to RSVP first — if no one is interested in this in-person option we will cancel. Let us know if you’re interested and we’ll send the downtown Eugene location and will see you there.
  • Tuesday November 10th 6-7:30pm    This will be a virtual Zoom training. Please email us at eganwarmingcenter@svdp.us to RSVP and get a link to the training.

The Egan Warming Center operates during cold weather months, November 15 to March 31 to ensure that people who have lost their housing have emergency shelter access during extreme cold weather. The Egan Warming Center is a coalition of community members representing service providers, nonprofits, faith and social activists communities and local government.

Posted in General Interest | Leave a comment

Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-racist Statements from SCCO

Posted on October 30, 2020 by Tim Foelker

Santa Clara Community Organization Statement In Response to Recent Police Killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Far Too Many Others:

We are stunned and grieving from the traumatic loss of Black American lives as a result of continued systemic racism and recurring police violence. We say the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others.  

We hear the voices of our fellow Americans crying for justice, and we renew our commitment to work every day to overcome the disparities that exist within our community and our society.

We recognize that racism does not only reside in individual hearts and minds. The violence and oppression that Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color face are reflected in racial disparities in all areas of society and call for systemic and policy changes in our communities, our workplaces, and our institutions.

The Santa Clara Community Organization is committed to cultivating an inclusive community that values and embraces diversity and respects the humanity of all people. This commitment includes educating ourselves on the topics of white privilege, implicit bias, and the systemic historical racism afflicting the United States for centuries. We want our brothers and sisters of color to know that we seek to understand and that we believe knowledge is power. The horrific racism that we still see in the year 2020 is unacceptable. We stand united in our fight for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. Hate has no home in Santa Clara. 

Black Lives Matter and we stand together.

— Adopted unanimously by a quorum of the SCCO Executive Board on July 2, 2020

Santa Clara Community Organization Diversity and Inclusion Statement:

The Santa Clara community is rich with natural beauty, passionate residents, and a commitment to using our collective diversity as an asset to benefit our present and inform our future. Our community affirms this commitment via this statement in support of diversity and its multiple benefits, those visible, tangible, and otherwise.

No person shall be victimized, marginalized, or discriminated against in our community on the basis of race, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, (dis)ability, education level, political affiliation, or citizenship status. We support dialogue, discourse, and disagreement in constructive and holistic capacities that further relationships and prosperity for all at the table. We reject hatred, bigotry, and vulgarity in all forms. We support an individual’s right to lead his, her, or their lives without influence from perspectives that foster racial, ethnic, or other bias based outcomes.

If you feel you have been the victim of or witnessed any type of discrimination in our community please report it (https://www.eugene-or.gov/2476/Equity-and-Human-Rights-Contact-Form), and if you aren’t sure, or have concerns about reporting, please contact the Santa Clara Community Hotline—the “SCCO Batphone”—at (458) 209-9990 for confidential assistance.

–Adopted unanimously by a quorum of the SCCO Executive Board July 2, 2020

Posted in Diversity, General Interest, Public Safety | Leave a comment

SCCO Meeting—Neighborhood Vote! Nov. 5, 7 PM, Zoom

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Tim Foelker

Hello friends. Below is the Zoom link for the Santa Clara Community Organization November, 2020, meeting next week (Thursday).  Hopefully we’re sending it out early enough to get you all to tune in. We’ll be having a general membership vote on whether to form a non-profit entity to facilitate some of our larger community-focused projects, among other things. If you’ve been to a meeting in the last 12 months you are a general voting member. If not, please attend to join the discussion and learn about the projects.

Topic: SCCO November Meeting
Time: Nov 5, 2020 07:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/97368873454?pwd=VmVTY2gvRElrc3B0dzZyRCtwZDNKUT09
Meeting ID: 973 6887 3454
Passcode: 815932

Posted in Events, General Interest, SCCO Meetings | Leave a comment

New 13th Ave 2-way bike lane opens this week.

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Gary Haliski

From the City of Eugene: The new 13th Avenue Bikeway  opens for use this week. The bikeway features a two-way protected bike lane on 13th Avenue between Alder and Lincoln streets, linking the University of Oregon Campus to Downtown Eugene. The grand opening celebration, Shift Lanes: 13th Avenue, runs October 23 – 30 (Friday – Friday). Community members can enjoy physically-distanced fun for all ages: group rides, discounts at local businesses, livestream talks, the Filmed by Bike Film Festival, and more!

The UO LiveMove student group, focused on designing transportation systems to improve livability, first developed a plan for the bikeway in 2014 when off-campus housing was under construction along 13th Avenue. Wanting to plan for students to safely and efficiently get back and forth to campus, the students proposed their idea to City of Eugene who—with the assistance of federal funding—was able to create a new design for the street.

The vision comes to fruition this fall with the opening of the 13th Avenue Bikeway. Biking on the street is a whole new experience! A new concrete barrier separates the bikeway and the vehicle travel lanes, creating a separate and comfortable space for people of all ages and abilities biking the street. Intersections with signals now have bike-only signal phases to prevent turning conflicts between people driving and people biking.

Highlights include:

  • 12-foot wide two-way protected bikeway on the north side of 13th Avenue
  • Green paint highlighting the bikeway through intersections and conflict zones
  • Concrete barrier between the bikeway and vehicle travel lanes
  • Bike signals at all signalized intersections allowing for two-way travel
  • New wayfinding signage along the bikeway
  • Improved traffic signals including audible pedestrian devices and countdown timers
  • Raised pedestrian crossing at 13th Avenue and Lincoln Street
  • New vehicle parking bays

Help celebrate the new bikeway! The Shift Lanes: 13th Avenue grand opening celebration invites residents to reduce their carbon footprint by shifting modes from driving in the vehicle lane to biking in the bike lane with a week of fun events. Starting Friday, October 23, people can access ‘ride and seek’ deals with a variety of local businesses along the bikeway by showing their bike helmet. Local groups such as GEARS (Greater Eugene Area Riders), BEST (Better Eugene-Springfield Transportation), Climate Revolutions by Bike, and the Electric Avenue bike shop will offer physically-distanced rides throughout the week. Look out for Family Fun Day on October 25 and AARP Day on October 30 as well as livestream events, movies, talks, and more.

If you choose to attend, you are required to follow public health precautions to keep yourself and others safe by wearing a mask, washing your hands, and maintaining physical distance. Community members of all ages have an important role in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Remember, stay home if you’re sick.Questions or comments? Contact Reed Dunbar, Transportation Planner, 541-682-5727

Posted in General Interest | Leave a comment

Beltline/Delta lane and ramp closures begin this coming Friday, Oct 30

Posted on October 28, 2020 by Gary Haliski
Road Work Ahead

From ODOT:

Some significant lane and ramp closures begin this coming Friday and last throughout November with the exceptions of:
– No work on Halloween (Saturday, 10/31)
– No work on Tuesday, 11/3 until after the polls close at 8 p.m.
– No work over the Thanksgiving holiday

ODOT has been working to address the interchange’s outdated design with
mobility and safety improvements. In order to keep on schedule, budget, and
make as much progress possible before the needed winter rains arrive, the
project requires nighttime and daytime lane and ramp closures.

We anticipate temporary increased traffic congestion during these periods.
The four pending closures are:

Weekend Nighttime Closures on Delta Highway
Beginning Friday, October 30 (7 p.m.) to Saturday, October 31 (6 a.m.)
crews will close the outside Delta northbound travel lane to complete
shoulder widening work. Beginning Sunday, November 1 (10 p.m.) to
Monday, November 2 (6 a.m.) crews require complete nighttime closure of
Delta Highway just south of Beltline Highway to perform temporary paving.
Concurrently, three Beltline/Delta Interchange ramps also necessitate
closing (Beltline eastbound to Delta northbound, Delta southbound to
Beltline eastbound, and Delta northbound to Beltline westbound).
Detour signs will guide travelers.

10-Day West side Lane Reductions and Crossover: Delta Highway
Beginning Tuesday, November 3 (8 p.m.) crews will close the outside
Delta northbound travel lane and begin work to shift traffic to the east side
to build up the roadway for the future new intersection. At 9 p.m., crews
require complete closure of northbound and southbound lanes just south
of Beltline to complete the shift of traffic lanes to the highway’s east side,
providing one travel lane in each direction. The roadway will reopen to
traffic at 5 a.m. with this single lane crossover configuration. This new
layout will remain in place until November 13 (10 p.m.). Expect increased
traffic.

12-Day East side Lane Reductions and Crossover: Delta Highway
Beginning Friday, November 13 (10 p.m.) to Wednesday, November 25 (6
a.m.) all northbound and southbound traffic will shift over to the west side
on Delta Highway with one lane in each direction for crews to finish the
roadway build up for the future new intersection. Expect increased traffic.

3-Day Weekend Ramp Closure Beltline Highway to Delta Highway
Also on Friday, November 13 (10 p.m.) until Monday, November 16 (6
a.m.) crews require closure of the eastbound Beltline Highway ramp to
northbound Delta Highway to build up the roadway to match the new
section on Delta Highway. Detour signs will guide travelers.

Please note: All schedules are weather dependent and may shift based on
forecasts.

Posted in General Interest, Public Safety, Transportation | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment