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April 26 is Tree-rific Saturday at the Albany Farmers' Market Springtime
is time to celebrate Arbor Day. This public holiday is set aside
for individuals, families, schools, civic groups, and other
organizations to reflect on the importance of trees in our community,
state, and across the nation. J.
Morton Sterling initiated the holiday in Nebraska in 1872. He
said "Other holidays repose upon the past; Arbor Day proposes for the
future." Trees provide beauty and shade for our yards, parks, and streets and: - Purify the air
- Reduce stormwater runoff
- Reduce heating and cooling costs
- Reduce noise pollution
- Increase property values
- Provide wildlife habitat
- Prevent soil erosion
- Improve health and wellbeing.
The
City of Albany is proud to be called a Tree City USA for the 20th year.
This recognition is given by the National Arbor Day Foundation
for the City's stewardship of Albany's urban forest. The City
strives to preserve and plant trees and maintain tree health in the
community. To celebrate this Tree City milestone and Albany's
150th anniversary of incorporation, we are giving away 150 free trees at
Farmers' Market on Saturday, April 26, 2014, following the Procession
of the Species. Different varieties will be available to best
match the space where you'd like to plant them. Information on
planting and care of trees is available along with fun, family
activities. For more information, contact Meghan Chuites, 541-791-0157 or meghan.chuites@cityofalbany.net . |
Oregon Heritage Conference in Albany April 23-25
Two
to three hundred visitors are expected to attend the Oregon Heritage
Conference in historic Downtown Albany April 23-25, 2014. Theme of
the conference is "Celebrate, Recreate, Invigorate."
The conference brings
together people who love and work with Oregon's heritage and focuses on
all sectors of heritage, such as historic preservation, museums,
archives, libraries, and local and state government. It will
include workshops, tours, and breakout sessions about the intersection
of heritage and recreation; tours of nearby historic trails and
Thompson's Mills State Heritage Area. Breakout sessions will also
address collections care and disaster preparedness for museums,
archives, and libraries; historic district regulation; revitalization
strategies for downtowns, and archaeological interpretation.
Two free walking tours
are open to the public: Monteith Historic District, 7:30 a.m.
Thursday, April 24; and Talking Water Gardens, 7:30 a.m. Friday, April
25. Albany Regional Museum, the Monteith House, and the Carousel
Museum are also open to the public for free, 3:00-6:00 p.m. all three
days.
Grant McOmie, outdoor
reporter/producer for Travel Oregon and Portland's KGW-TV, is the
keynote speaker, addressing Oregon heritage and outdoor adventure.
His newest book, Grant's Getaways --101 Oregon Adventures explores
the state's people, places, and outdoor adventures.
The Oregon Heritage
Excellence Awards will be presented at a banquet at the Flinn Block Hall
on April 24. The Excellence Awards recognize individuals,
businesses, and organizations for outstanding efforts on behalf of
Oregon's heritage.
Registration is $70, but
some parts of the conference are available for smaller fees.
Additional conference and registration information is available
at http://go.usa.gov/KfEJ.
The Oregon
Heritage Conference will take place at several downtown locations, with
registration at the Albany Regional Museum. The Albany Downtown
Association, the Albany Visitors Association, and the City of Albany are
assisting with the conference.
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Parks & Recreation and supporters win five Ovations!
| Chuck & Lise Grato |
Albany Parks &
Recreation events, individuals, and businesses that support them have
received five Ovation! awards for 2013 from the Oregon Festival and
Events Association. Awards were presented at OFEA's annual
conference in early March in Seaside.
The awards and recipients are:
- Volunteer of the Year: Lise and Chuck Grato of Albany,
the first couple to win the Ovation for volunteering. Both have
been active for many years in activities in Albany and Corvallis,
including balloon liftoffs at the ATI Northwest Art & Air Festival,
River Rhythms concert series, and Zombie Chase 5K run. Lise Grato
is chair of the Albany Senior Center Endowment Committee and is on the
Foster Grandparent Advisory Board. Both are also involved in the
Historic Albany Carousel project.
-
Sponsor of the Year: Oregon Freeze Dry. OFD was the Title
Sponsor of the 30th Anniversary River Rhythms Concert Series, sponsored
the Festival Stage at the Northwest Art & Air Festival, and a major
sponsor of the Children's Performing Arts Series. Jim Merryman,
President of Oregon Freeze Dry, accepted the award.
- Vendor of
the Year: E.C. Company. EC Company takes care of electrical
setup and takedown for vendors at the Northwest Art & Air Festival
and donated services to prepare Monteith Riverpark for the River Rhythms
and Mondays @ Monteith concert series. John Mason, service
manager, accepted the award on behalf of E.C. Company.
- Best
Festival or Event with a budget under $150,000: River Rhythms.
The summer concert series marked its 30th year in 2013.
- Best
Music Program within a Festival or Event: Foreigner concert at
2013 ATI Northwest Art & Air Festival. The concert, on the
Main Stage at the Oregon Amphitheater at Timber-Linn Memorial Park, drew
a crowd of 23,000 and concluded with a fireworks display over
Timber-Linn Lake.
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Albany City Hall spring art exhibits
Local
calligraphers show their works at Albany City Hall, 333 Broadlabin
Street SW, through the month of April 2014. Participating artists
are Nancy Anderson, Penny White, Susan Wickes, Sandi Cormier, and Laura
Drager. Media includes a variety of inks, watercolor, acrylics,
resists, and cut paper.
Learn more about their work and the Valley Calligraphy Guild at http://valleycalligraphyguild.com/shows.html.
City Hall hosts
art from around the mid-valley and the Northwest in exhibits that change
every month, year-round. Art work in a variety of media is
displayed on both floors of the building and is available for viewing
weekdays during business hours and a few evenings each month when public
meetings are held.
The exhibits are
coordinated and sponsored by the Albany Arts Commission. For
information about the exhibits and the Arts Commission, contact
Commissioner Billie Moore, 541-928-6182, or Debbie Little, 541-917-7778,
or debbie.little@cityofalbany.net.
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Protect the river from polluted runoff
A pipeline connects Albany neighborhoods to the river.
Polluted runoff,
or stormwater, is rain or melted snow that flows over the ground picking
up dirt, bacteria, oil, and chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, battery
acid) from sidewalks, roofs, roads, driveways, and yards. It flows
untreated from neighborhood storm drains directly to rivers and streams
- the same rivers and streams that people rely on for drinking water,
fishing, and recreation.
Batteries contain
toxic ingredients - Please dispose of batteries properly. In
Albany, automotive, lawnmower, and motorcycle batteries can be recycled
at Battery X-Change, 6630 Santiam Road SE. Recyclers may be paid a small
amount for used batteries that are capped, unbroken, and not
leaking. Almost 99 percent of the battery is recycled and reused.
AA, AAA, and D batteries can be taken to Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, 1225 Sixth Avenue SE, for recycling.
If you see
stormwater pollution, report it: call 541-917-7600. Please
help keep these toxic chemicals out of our rivers and creeks.
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What color is your lawn?
Healthy lawns in the Pacific Northwest are a light meadow green.
What crop covers more land than any other in the United States? Lawns cover 17.7 million acres in the U.S. (http://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/pesticideslawn.htm)
A 2004 study by the Environmental Protection Agency found 78
million households using home and garden pesticides alone.
According to a recent National Science Foundation study, 63
percent of US residents fertilized their lawns and 79 percent watered
them. http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=130552
When lawn
chemicals are applied improperly, they can run off into streams and
lakes, polluting drinking water and harming fish, reptiles, and other
wildlife. Children and pets are exposed to these chemicals as they
frolic on the lawn.
Consider natural lawn care.
Work with your
soil and plants to create thick grass that discourages weeds and
promotes growth of a deep, extensive, and drought-tolerant root system.
- Get your soil tested by Oregon State University Extension Service Master Gardeners; the lawn may not need to be fertilized.
- Avoid
using weed-and-feed products which spread pesticide on the whole yard,
not just the weeds. Accept a few weeds and spot spray those that
you don't want.
- Improve poor lawns with aeration, over-seeding and top dressing with compost.
- Aerate the lawn at least once a year. Twice is better: spring and fall.
- If
you fertilize, use organic or slow-release fertilizers. Fertilize
in September when lawns are building root reserves for the next
year.
- Mow high, mow regularly, and leave the clippings on the lawn
- Plant native or drought-resistant plants that can grow without a lot of additional water and fertilizers.
- Visit the City's AWE garden for inspiration http://go.usa.gov/KfUP
- Water
deeply to moisten the whole root zone, but less frequently - typically
one inch per week. This prevents runoff that carries lawn
chemicals into streams. http://go.usa.gov/KfPd
- Schedule a free outdoor water audit (available June - August). Call 541-791-0087.
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Broadway neighborhood chosen for The Big Pickup
The southwestern-most portion of the Broadway neighborhood has been
chosen for cleanup as part of The Big Pickup: Albany Community
Action Day on Saturday, May 17, 2014.
The City of Albany and
Republic Services team up to coordinate the annual community cleanup.
Volunteers help the neighborhood get rid of junk and trash, pick up
litter on City streets, and clear invasive plants and trash from local
streams.
The target area for this
year's cleanup is in West Albany and is bounded by 17th Avenue SW,
Bonnie Street, Gale Street to its end north of 12th Avenue, Lincoln
Street to 12th Avenue, and the west side of Broadway Street between 17th
and 12th Avenues SW. Residents in that area will get a note on
their front door a few weeks before the cleanup day to let them know the
event is coming up and how they can participate. On May 17, those
same residents can clear their yards of unwanted junk, trash, yard
debris, and tires by bringing those items to the Liberty Street parking
lot at West Albany High School.
The Big Pickup coincides
with Republic Services' annual Recycle Roundup at the company's Albany
facility, 1214 Montgomery Street SE. Hours are 8:00 a.m.-2:00
p.m. For information about what can be recycled there, call
541-928-2551 or visit www.sanitation.com/Pages/Recycling.aspx.
To volunteer or get more information, contact Marilyn Smith, 541-917-7507, marilyn.smith@cityofalbany.net; or Heather Slocum, 541-791-0058, heather.slocum@cityofalbany.net.
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Albany residents with key roles in Oregon history
George
Chamberlain, Jesse Quinn Thornton, Abigail Scott Duniway, and Delazon
Smith all played major roles in Albany and Oregon history; but many
people are probably unaware of who they were.
George Chamberlain
Born
on a plantation near Natchez, Mississippi, Chamberlain immigrated to
Albany after getting a law degree in 1872 from Washington & Lee
University in Virginia. He taught in Albany for a year before
being admitted to the bar. Soon after, he volunteered to fight
Native Americans in Eastern Oregon.
He
returned to Albany, and his home still stands at 208 Seventh Avenue SE.
He became deputy clerk of Linn County, served in the Oregon
Legislature, was governor, edited the State's Rights Democrat, was
picked to be Oregon's first attorney general, and was a U.S. Senator.
Later, Chamberlain helped devise the military draft for World War
I.
He was acclaimed for his "professional knowledge and resourcefulness, lived an upright life, and boasted unusual mental gifts."
He died in 1928.
Jesse Quinn Thornton
Thornton
came by wagon train to Oregon in 1846 and acquired 640 acres in North
Albany generally bounded by Fire Station 14 on Gibson Hill Road,
Nebergall Loop, North Albany Middle School, and Thornton Lakes.
Thornton
is said to have been the first practicing lawyer in Albany and was the
attorney for Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon. He
was appointed to the first board of trustees of Pacific University.
In
Albany, he defended the accused in the first murder to be prosecuted in
Linn County, from which Murder Creek near Millersburg gets its name.
He
was the fifth supreme judge of Oregon's provisional government.
He traveled to Washington, D.C., by ship to push for antislavery
territorial status for Oregon, served as Benton County District Attorney
and in the state legislature during the Civil War, named the City of
Forest Grove, and wrote Oregon's motto: "She Flies with Her Own
Wings."
He died in 1888.
Abigail Scott Duniway
Duniway
traveled the Oregon Trail in an oxcart in 1852, settling in Albany in
1865, where she opened a private school at what is now 724 Calapooia
Street SW. She moved the school to First Avenue and Broadalbin
Street, later converting the building into a millinery and notions shop
that she operated for five years. The plight of many of her female
customers heightened her awareness of the legal inequities suffered by
women.
In
1870, she organized the Equal Rights Society in Albany, starting with
three members. A year later, she moved to Portland to publish The
New Northwest, a newspaper that she edited for 16 years.
Duniway founded several women's suffrage organizations and supported women's property rights.
She
endured poor health, faced money problems, and was often opposed by her
brother, Harvey W. Scott, editor of The Oregonian.
She
persevered and became the first woman registered to vote in Multnomah
County but did not live to the see 19th Amendment passed, giving
American women the right to vote.
She died in 1915.
Delazon Smith
Farmer,
lawyer and newspaperman, Delazon Smith arrived in Oregon in 1852 and
founded the Albany Democrat newspaper, which he edited until his
death.
He
served in the Territorial House of Representatives, was a delegate to
the state constitution convention, and served as a U.S. Senator but was
not elected to a second term.
Copies
of his speeches and personal letters to family can be seen at the
Albany Regional Museum, including a letter to his wife written on
February 14, 1859, stating that Oregon had been voted into the Union.
He died in 1860 and is buried in Albany's Masonic Cemetery.
(More
information about Chamberlain, Thornton, Duniway, and Smith can be
found at the museum, 136 Lyon Street S. Story provided by Albany
Regional Museum volunteer Cathy Ingalls in commemoration of the 150th
anniversary of Albany's incorporation. Watch for more stories
about Albany's first 150 years in future editions of City Bridges.)
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General Information
541-917-7500
Mayor Sharon Konopa 541-791-0300
Ward I Councilors Dick Olsen 541-926-7348 Floyd Collins 541-928-2961
Ward II Councilors Bill Coburn 541-928-0649 Ray Kopczynski 541-917-0490
Ward III Councilors Bessie Johnson 541-791-2494 Rich Kellum 541-791-0158
City Manager Wes Hare 541-917-7505
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