Present that fits any dashboard: season pass to Lane County parks.

Byline: COUNTY BEAT By Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

Here's a last-minute stocking stuffer idea for those needing just one more gift.

The Lane County parks department has begun selling 2005 season passes to the seven county parks that require an entry fee from May 1 through Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Each visit to the Howard Buford Recreation Area - commonly known as Mount Pisgah - costs $2, but a season pass may be bought for $20.

It costs $3 per vehicle to get into Richardson, Orchard Point, Hendricks Bridge, Armitage, Baker Bay and Perkins Peninsula parks, but a $30 season fee allows unlimited access to those parks, as well as Mount Pisgah.

Both season passes may be purchased at the parks department headquarters just inside Armitage Park at 90064 Coburg Road, from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Senior citizens receive a 50 percent discount on the season pass with a Golden Age Passport, which they can obtain at local U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management offices.

For more information, call the parks division at 682-2000.

Help needed

to spread holiday cheer

Here's another chance to give during the holiday season: Help the county's Human Services Commission cover the cost of providing their 26th annual Senior Holiday Dinner.

More than 700 elderly people in the community who otherwise would spend Christmas Day alone instead will enjoy a complete turkey dinner, plus conversation, entertainment, dancing and door prizes at Hilton Eugene.

They've paid $5 apiece for their tickets, but that doesn't cover the cost of putting on the festivities, which depends on the generosity of the rest of the community.

The annual dinner "just keeps getting more and more popular," organizer Julianne Harris says. "Many people keep coming year after year, and as folks hit senior citizen status, they discover how fun this event is. That's good news, but it leaves us with the challenge of paying for the party. Any donations right now would be so helpful."

Contributions may be sent to: Senior Holiday Dinner, Lane County Human Services Commission, Public Service Building, 125 E. Eighth Ave., Eugene, OR 97401. For information about the event, call Harris at [phone].

Pet-proofing makes

holidays happier

Food, ornaments and gifts and hubbub all can lead to annoying - even tragic - consequences during the holiday season, cautions Mike Wellington, manager of the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority.

Wellington offers the following tips for keeping animals safe:

Food - Ham and other pork dishes may be too rich for dogs' and cats' digestive systems, and chocolate contains the chemical theobromine, which can be deadly to dogs. Poultry bones splinter easily and should be avoided. So should additives in the water in Christmas tree stands, in case animals decide to take a sip.

Decorations - Secure trees to walls or ceilings if animals (or children) might run into them, and don't let puppies or kittens pull or chew on extension cords. Ribbons, bows and giftwrap can choke pets or cause injury or death if swallowed. Also, keep decorations away from aquariums or bird cages.

Plants - Popular holiday plants such as mistletoe, holly and poinsettias all contain chemicals poisonous to pets.

People - With guests coming and going, it's easy to leave doors open and allow dogs and indoor cats to escape unseen. Be sure all pets have identification, whether collars and tags or microchips. Put nervous pets in quiet places to prevent bites or scratches to people they don't know well.

Randi Bjornstad can be reached at 338-2321 or [e-mail].