Temperatures in Eugene, Oregon plummeted into the twenties overnight and have paralyzed the Eugene/Springfield area. The 4-5 mph gale force winds subsided so blizzard conditions no longer prevail.
Educators and students at the public schools and Lane Community College will crawl their way to work and school at 10 a.m. after a two hour delay. Springfield schools are closed.
Drivers should be wary of ice on bridges and mud puddles. Please reduce speeds and drive as if on a polar cap.
It is hoped that the sunny conditions expected for later today will thaw the devilishly icy conditions and that the Twin Cities can resume normal services and functions.
Showing posts with label Eugene oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eugene oregon. Show all posts
Friday, January 12, 2007
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Blizzard Paralyzes Eugene
Winds whipping between three and five miles per hour blinded travellers in the Eugene/Springfield area while 1/2 inch of snow fell on the metropolitan area. Lane Community College as well as the Eugene and Springfield public schools are closed. Lane Transit buses will be on snow routes.
Children are encouraged to get up early to try and find enough snow to make a snowball. Snowmen will be impossible. Sledding is out, unless the children don't mind dragging sleds along dirt.
Stay tuned for updates. City and school officials are hopeful that these conditions will ease up so that the cities' shared paralysis can be eased.
Children are encouraged to get up early to try and find enough snow to make a snowball. Snowmen will be impossible. Sledding is out, unless the children don't mind dragging sleds along dirt.
Stay tuned for updates. City and school officials are hopeful that these conditions will ease up so that the cities' shared paralysis can be eased.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Peace Out: Our Eugene Neighborhood (Part 3)
I hope you've enjoyed seeing the eateries in our Eugene neighborhood and learning what some of the difficulties and responses to them are around where I live.
Today Snug and I walked the neighborhood and, after being away to Kellogg for a couple of weeks, I was reawakened to how prevalent the desire for and expression of peace is within five minutes of our front door.
For these people, peace, wreaths, and blue creatures are bound together:
Desiring peace is expressed in our neighborhood in English:
Or Italian:
War is opposed by neighbors of mine:
And by fellow teachers:
A troubadour sang peacefully in Monroe Park:
Barefoot, at 45 degrees:
It seemed to be barefoot in the park day at Monroe Park:
I found peace in walking with Snug. This guy looks like he finds the same with his dog. I don't know what he thinks about Jesus:
Today Snug and I walked the neighborhood and, after being away to Kellogg for a couple of weeks, I was reawakened to how prevalent the desire for and expression of peace is within five minutes of our front door.
For these people, peace, wreaths, and blue creatures are bound together:
Desiring peace is expressed in our neighborhood in English:
Or Italian:
War is opposed by neighbors of mine:
And by fellow teachers:
A troubadour sang peacefully in Monroe Park:
Barefoot, at 45 degrees:
It seemed to be barefoot in the park day at Monroe Park:
I found peace in walking with Snug. This guy looks like he finds the same with his dog. I don't know what he thinks about Jesus:
Friday, January 5, 2007
Attitude Adjustment: Our Eugene Neighborhood (Part 2)
What bugs me about the city of Eugene is a collective self-consciousness that plays out as narcissism, self-congratulation, smugness, eternal adolescence, and an undying high regard for the word "unique".
But, I know, from walking our neighborhood and from my years teaching at Lane Community College, that for many, Eugene is a pretty regular town. Most people in Eugene don't have time for the Slug Queen pageant or to wear glitter on their faces and most don't regard cafes that serve rice and beans with special (Yumm) sauce or pumpkin enchiladas as particularly special or unique.
As in Part 1, I took all of these pictures within five minutes of our front door.
Central to our neighborhood is Monroe Park. When I first moved to this neighborhood in 1993, I never could have taken this picture because the park was enclosed my lush vegetation. But, that lush perimeter was a boon to drug dealers and users and neighbors suggested that sight lines be improved. So the city keeps the bushes and other growth trimmed:
But, public agencies can only do so much. The drug problems persist. This public restroom in the park has been repainted to cover up tagging and graffiti, but is locked. Too many drug users shot up behind these doors:
Most of us in the neighborhood don't know exactly what tags mean. We can't tell the difference between tags marking turf and graffiti that is a merely a visual nuisance. But, we do know that over the last twelve years or so, our neighborhood keeps getting marked:
Other signs exist along with the graffiti and tagging. These two signs speak for these two next door neighbors' hopes for a more peaceful world:
The churches in our neighborhood make contributions to serving those in need. The Eugene Evangelical Church once opened its doors to homeless teens who could be seen lining up outside the door for meals served inside, meals with no spiritual strings attached. I don't know if this program has continued. It's a small church and such feeding programs can be very difficult to maintain.
The crosses on top of Eugene Evangelical Church stand for the hope for resurrection
and are visible from the porch of the Jackson-Wayers House where Sponsors does its work as a half-way house helping recently released convicts make transition back into society. I've had several students in my classes at Lane Community College come to school after going through Sponsors' program. They were resurrected and came to school determined to stay clean and live straight. I don't know of any one of these students having returned to a life of crime.
At the same time that our neighborhood houses agencies of service, many people walk our streets impoverished, without hope, and homeless:
These two guys are standing in front of a shelter for abused women. The red-hooded guy's sign says, "Smile if you can". He's hoping for contributions from drivers passing by. The other guy is bidding him farewell
and is seeking aid at the Salvation Army Center across the street:
This guy also is at the Salvation Army Center, in front of a different set of doors, and out of sight of the guy above.
A couple blocks south of the Salvation Army is the Church of Nazerine. A public bus rolls by and life in our neighborhood also keeps rolling along.
But, I know, from walking our neighborhood and from my years teaching at Lane Community College, that for many, Eugene is a pretty regular town. Most people in Eugene don't have time for the Slug Queen pageant or to wear glitter on their faces and most don't regard cafes that serve rice and beans with special (Yumm) sauce or pumpkin enchiladas as particularly special or unique.
As in Part 1, I took all of these pictures within five minutes of our front door.
Central to our neighborhood is Monroe Park. When I first moved to this neighborhood in 1993, I never could have taken this picture because the park was enclosed my lush vegetation. But, that lush perimeter was a boon to drug dealers and users and neighbors suggested that sight lines be improved. So the city keeps the bushes and other growth trimmed:
But, public agencies can only do so much. The drug problems persist. This public restroom in the park has been repainted to cover up tagging and graffiti, but is locked. Too many drug users shot up behind these doors:
Most of us in the neighborhood don't know exactly what tags mean. We can't tell the difference between tags marking turf and graffiti that is a merely a visual nuisance. But, we do know that over the last twelve years or so, our neighborhood keeps getting marked:
Other signs exist along with the graffiti and tagging. These two signs speak for these two next door neighbors' hopes for a more peaceful world:
The churches in our neighborhood make contributions to serving those in need. The Eugene Evangelical Church once opened its doors to homeless teens who could be seen lining up outside the door for meals served inside, meals with no spiritual strings attached. I don't know if this program has continued. It's a small church and such feeding programs can be very difficult to maintain.
The crosses on top of Eugene Evangelical Church stand for the hope for resurrection
and are visible from the porch of the Jackson-Wayers House where Sponsors does its work as a half-way house helping recently released convicts make transition back into society. I've had several students in my classes at Lane Community College come to school after going through Sponsors' program. They were resurrected and came to school determined to stay clean and live straight. I don't know of any one of these students having returned to a life of crime.
At the same time that our neighborhood houses agencies of service, many people walk our streets impoverished, without hope, and homeless:
These two guys are standing in front of a shelter for abused women. The red-hooded guy's sign says, "Smile if you can". He's hoping for contributions from drivers passing by. The other guy is bidding him farewell
and is seeking aid at the Salvation Army Center across the street:
This guy also is at the Salvation Army Center, in front of a different set of doors, and out of sight of the guy above.
A couple blocks south of the Salvation Army is the Church of Nazerine. A public bus rolls by and life in our neighborhood also keeps rolling along.
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