Commissioner Weigh County Charter Change
The Lane County Board of Commissioners eventually approved the referral of a question to voters in the November election that would amend the county’s charter. The measure, forwarded to the board by a special committee tasked with developing the changes, lays out the process for evaluating and making changes to the five districts in the county, each represented by a different Commissioner. The measure was approved on a 3-2 vote with Board Chair Laurie Trieger and Commissioner Heather Buch dissenting. Trieger represents South Eugene and Buch hails from the East end of Lane County. The vote came later in the afternoon, after a lengthy discussion earlier in the day. North Eugene Commissioner Pat Farr disagreed with Trieger and Buch about their contention that there hadn’t been adequate public input.
“We are not passing an ordinance here. We’re asking for something to be placed on the ballot for the entire voting population to weigh in on. It’s not the end of the discussion. The discussion really is just beginning on what’s being placed on the ballot. I’ll restate it and I don’t think I’m wrong when I say that the ultimate democratic process is what happens at the ballot box on election day.”
West Lane Commissioner Ryan Ceniga and Springfield Commissioner David Loveall were the other affirmative votes. The board followed the decision directing the County Administrator to recruit and assemble a committee to write the ballot title and explanatory statement that will appear in the statewide voter’s pamphlet.
CROW – Advanced Acting
Melanie Heard with the youth theatre program “CROW” is working closely with 21 young actors this week in the group’s “Advanced Acting Program”.
“It’s a five-day program, Monday through Friday and then we have two public performances Friday evening at 7 and Saturday evening at 7.”
Heard says the program will test the skill, focus, dedication and talent of the teenagers involved. She adds that the “quick turnaround” will help them refine what she calls the real-world life skills of responsibility, teamwork, cooperation, and more. The theme of the performances will be “happy-sad”.
“It’s based on those moments in life where you’re feeling conflicting emotions. So more than one emotion at the same time. So, it’s some great moments and some great kids.”
The CROW building is at 3120 Highway 101. There is a $10 requested donation for attending.
Fires
Fires continue to burn across Oregon. Currently there are more that 100 fires scattered throughout the state with the largest being the Durkee Fire in Eastern Oregon. Closer to home the Adam Mountain Fire in the Umpqua National Forest has burned more than 13,000 acres and is only 9% contained as of this morning. Fires have consumed more than 1 million acres.
Mobile Crisis Information
Lane County Behavioral Health, a division of Lane County Health & Human Services, is hosting a series of in-person and virtual community informational sessions on the upcoming launch of the Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County program. The first informational session is in person on Friday, August 9th, at the Eugene Public Library in the Bascom-Tykeson Room from 12 to 1 p.m. and will include a presentation on youth mobile crisis services presented by Riverview Center for Growth. These sessions are free, and open to the community. Del Borden with Lane County Public Health services says the Virtual meetings will come later for those who are either in outlying areas of the county or who cannot attend live, but the dates and times and the links for those sessions will be determined at a later date. Those who are able to travel and want to attend can do so at the Eugene Public Library this Friday.