BRIEFLY.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Parties for children planned at Reedsport library

REEDSPORT - The Reeds-port Branch Library will host parties for children Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. They will also participate in the Memorial Day parade at 10:30 a.m. May 26, at Rainbow Plaza.

For information, call the library at 271-3500.

Preventative health clinic offered by Veterans Affairs 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a preventive health clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at American Legion Post No. 40, 344 Eighth St., Springfield.

Veterans can get their vital signs and blood sugar checked, establish a relationship with a VA physician, and get education on a variety of health topics.

For information, call the local VA office at 345-5395.

Wednesday bicycle ride honors memory of riders

The second annual Eugene Ride of Silence will take place Wednesday, starting with a 6:45 p.m. gathering and ceremony, with the ride getting under way at 7 p.m.

The ride is held to honor bicyclists who have been killed or seriously injured by motor vehicles, and also to promote the concept that all road users - bicyclists, walkers, runners and drivers - must share the road and take responsibility for safety.

The Eugene ride is part of other similar events held around the world.

Cyclists should meet at the EMU Amphitheater on the University of Oregon campus.

Cyclists are encouraged to wear armbands in memory of injured/killed cyclists while the group rides silently along the route.

The ride is intended to be an easy, slow, law-abiding ride that is open to all members of the community. Helmets are required.

For more information, contact Dwight Collins at [e-mail] or 344-2371. For more information, see www.rideofsilence.com.

Conflict resolution workers to present lecture at UO

Michael Doherty, director of the Peace and Reconciliation Group in Derry, Northern Ireland, and his colleague, Brian Dougherty, director of St. Columb's Reconciliation Center in the same town, are coming to Eugene to talk about their work and the details of conflict resolution.

Doherty, a Catholic, and Dougherty, a Protestant, have been on the front line of mediation, negotiation, education and cross-community bridge building in Northern Ireland.

They will discuss the dynamics of this topic at a public presentation, "The Pragmatics of Peacemaking: Lessons from the Streets of Northern Ireland," at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The free event will be at the Lillis Business Complex, Room 282, 955 E. 13th Ave.

They will describe their efforts and the possibility for promoting reconciliation in Northern Ireland and in other hot spots around the world.

The visit is sponsored by the University of Oregon's Savage Endowment for International Relations and Peace, the UO geography department, the Clark Honors College, and the UO School of Law's Conflict and Dispute Resolution program.

Community forum focuses on immigration in Oregon

A community forum "Myths and Facts about Immigration: Gender, Youth and Family Perspectives" will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. at the University of Oregon in the Knight Law Center. The forum is part of a conference on immigration in Oregon.

Friday's sessions, beginning at 9 a.m., will cover the following topics: Building Alliances for Immigration Rights; Youth and Education; Challenges for Immigrant Men and Women; Labor (exploring wages and working conditions of Latino immigrants); Indigenous Immigrant Women's Organizing and Leadership; Negotiating Family Dynamics; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Issues in Immigrant Communities; and Services for Immigrant Families.

The keynote presentation at 5 p.m., Friday will feature a discussion on "Lessons on Gender and Family Issues Among Immigrant Populations in Oregon and California" by Patricia Zavella, professor and chair of Latin American and Latino Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Guadalupe Quinn of the Lane County office of CAUSA, a statewide grassroots immigrant rights coalition based in Salem.

The conference will close with a reception and cultural event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. For information and a complete schedule, visit csws.uoregon.edu/Immigration/program.htm.

Eugene's police auditor to speak at Rubicon lunch

The weekly meeting of the Rubicon Society will be held Thursday at noon at the Gateway Buffet, 3198 Gateway St., Springfield.

The speaker will be Cristina Beaumud, Eugene's first police auditor. Visitors are welcome and lunch is optional.

For information, visit www.rubiconsociety.org.

Grand opening planned?for St. Vincent de Paul site

St. Vincent de Paul will hold a grand opening of its newly renovated apartments, VetLIFT II, Thursday at 10 a.m. at 1025 West Seventh Ave.

VetLIFT serves chronically homeless veterans dually diagnosed with mental illness and addictions. This new federally funded program provides housing and case management for two years through a grant and per diem funding.

The event is open to the public.

EWEB reminds residents not to use utility poles

Springtime means warmer weather, more yard sales and a request from the Eugene Water & Electric Board that residents and businesses not attach signs to utility poles.

Yard or garage sale signs, posters, advertisements and any other items adhered with nails or staples create a safety hazard for EWEB's line crews and other utility workers, spokeswoman Katie Sproles said. The attachments can cause workers to fall when climbing the poles, and the nails and staples can also injure line workers or damage the equipment they wear to protect themselves from electric shock.

Privately owned sports equipment, private lighting, flower boxes or other personal devices are also hazardous and should not be adhered to utility poles.

Citizens hanging objects from poles may be liable to EWEB for removal costs.

Commissioner Fleenor, ODOT official to speak

WALTON - West Lane County Commissioner Bill Fleenor and Sonny Chickering from the Oregon Department of Transportation will attend the Walton Town Hall meeting Thursday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Walton Fire Hall.