Lane County news in brief: Senior & disability services, 'Canines for Clean Water'

Staff
·3 min read
View from Skinners Butte looking south on Willamette Street in Eugene, Oregon.
View from Skinners Butte looking south on Willamette Street in Eugene, Oregon.

LCOG Senior & Disability Services requests community input

The Lane Council of Governments is conducting a survey for “information to learn about the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and their caregivers.” The survey can be accessed online http://tinyurl.com/SDS2024CommunityNeeds or in person at the Senior and Disability Services offices.

~Alan Torres

Canines for Clean Water in Springfield

Springfield is looking for local dogs to feature in their 2025 “Canines for Clean Water” calendar.

Dog owners can submit photos on Facebook or by email from now until April 5. To enter, owners must live in Springfield, or Glenwood, and pledge to pick up after their canine family.

The free calendar provides tips on keeping the City’s waterways clean and healthy. Picking up pet waste prevents bacteria and parasites from washing into storm drains and out to the Willamette and McKenzie rivers, according to the City of Springfield.

For more information on the contest and how to enter, visit the City of Springfield website at springfield-or.gov.

- Haleigh Kochanski

10 bus operators complete LTD training

Lane Transit District (LTD) has welcomed ten new bus operators who completed their training on March 22, 2024, after starting on January 22.

The operators will join LTD's team of 170 bus operators responsible for 30 neighborhood routes and two EmX routes covering nearly 500 square miles. These routes include 1,300 active bus stops, including 9 neighborhood stations, 60 EmX platforms, and 200 neighborhood bus shelters. Annually, LTD's bus operators cover almost 2.8 million revenue miles and serve over 5 million passenger boardings.

The nine-week training program includes classroom instruction and practical driving experience to teach candidates about customer service, bus operation laws, and operation of fixed-route and EmX buses.

Bill Mullican, an LTD Training Instructor, emphasized the potential for career advancement within the agency.

"You can move up in this agency. This is only the beginning if that’s what you want it to be” Mullican said in a written press release. “Our planners, supervisors, our bosses have all been drivers. This isn’t where it ends for your guys – you have so much longevity here because this is a wonderful place to work."

LTD is actively recruiting for more bus operators through various media channels, with the next training class scheduled to begin on April 15, 2024. Interested individuals can find application information at LTD.org.

-David DeMille

Walterville Grange issues invite

The Walterville Grange extends an invitation to an Open House at the Walterville Community Center on Sunday, April 21, from 2 to 4 PM. Attendees are encouraged to drop by for refreshments and engaging conversation, as we observe April as Grange Month. Various community groups, including those focused on Plant Care, Emergency Radios, EWEB, The Discovery Center, and Representative Charlie Conrad, will be present to provide information. All are welcome, so feel free to bring along friends and neighbors. The Walterville Community Center is situated at 39259 Camp Creek Road in Walterville.

-David DeMille

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: News in brief: Senior & disability services, 'Canines for Clean Water'