The Friendship Foundation for International Students homestay program matches University of Oregon international students with local community volunteers for a short-term homestay when the student first arrives in Lane County. Volunteers open their hearts and home to young adults far from home, helping them to get oriented and settled. Homestay families have created many fond memories for the students that they’ve hosted.This fall 57 students stayed with 45 host families.  FFIS surveys the families after the homestay ends.  One question asks families to share ideas and suggestions new families can use when they begin hosting.If you could share your experience with a new FFIS host, what tip would you offer? Cooking meals together is a fun way to get to know each other. We have some conve... 10/18/2019

Western Oregon is known for its "liquid sunshine", bringing moisture that turns the countryside an emerald green in the spring.  Residents perpetuate that image in the hopes that people are disuaded from moving here.  Their hopes continue to be dashed as Oregon continues to have one of the largest annual in-migrations of new residents in the country.  Those newcomers discover that it doesn't rain nearly as much as they were told and there are plenty of things to do that don't cost any money.  Here are a few suggestions:1)  Walk, jog, or hike the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path System.  The cover photo shows a stretch of a wide concrete path that lines both banks of the Willamette River near downtown Eugene.  You'll see all ages of people walking, jogging, biking, skateboarding, dog walking, ... 01/23/2019

Eugene, Oregon is a great base from which to enjoy the outdoors. Drive in any direction and you can experience beautiful scenery.  Residents and visitors are an hour's drive west to the Oregon Coast or an hour's drive east to the Cascade Mountains.  Rivers, waterfalls, old-growth forests, covered bridges, wineries, craft breweries and distilleries, plentiful campgrounds, many organic farms, fresh air, clean water, friendly people ... What more could you want? Whenever my wife and I want to enjoy a day trip in or around Eugene, here are a few places we like to visit: Orchard Point County Park on the north end of Fern Ridge ReservoirHeceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic ViewpointDelta Ponds near Valley River CenterCoyote Creek Covered BridgeHiking Spencer ButteCleawox Lake at Honeyman State... 01/19/2019

International students aren’t the only ones who are nervous about traveling so far from their familiar home and culture to study at the University of Oregon.  Their parents also worry, since they are too distant to be able to quickly lend help and support should their child encounter difficulties.The Friendship Foundation for International Students (FFIS) home stay program is much more than simply hosting incoming international students for a few days to help them acclimate to America, Eugene/Springfield, and the University.   FFIS volunteers usually become interim parents, offering ongoing advice and assistance for the student they’ve hosted.That warm welcome and hospitality alleviates not only the students’ fears, but also those of their parents back home.  This letter to the FFIS Ste... 12/30/2018

The FFIS Homestay Program matches University of Oregon international students with local community volunteers for a short-term homestay when the student first arrives in Lane County, Oregon. Volunteers open their hearts and home to young adults far from home, helping them to get oriented and settled. The friendships built during that brief period often last well beyond when the student has returned to their native country. Homestay families have created many fond memories for the students that they’ve hosted.Read what this student from New Zealand had to say about her FFIS homestay experience:Patricia was the most wonderful host I could ever have wished for. She went above and beyond what might have been expected as a host mom. It wasn’t long after she first picked me up from the train ... 10/22/2018

The Friendship Foundation for International Students (FFIS) Homestay Program matches University of Oregon international students with local community volunteers for a short-term homestay when the student first arrives in Lane County. Volunteers open their hearts and homes to young adults far from home, helping them to get oriented and settled. The friendships built during that brief period often last well beyond when the student has returned to their native country. Homestay families have created many fond memories for the students that they’ve hosted.FFIS families hosted 95 incoming international students prior to the start of the 2018 fall term.  This is what some of the students had to say about their host family and their experiences in the Homestay Program:What was the most rewardi... 09/21/2018

The Friendship Foundation for International Students (FFIS) provides short-term homestay programs at the beginning of the fall, winter, and spring terms.  Incoming University of Oregon international students stay in a local community member’s home for 3-5 days.  They then move to permanent housing in an apartment or dormitory. This is what a Mexican student wrote about her FFIS homestay experience: A host family to me means having a second family away from home, and also feeling safe and loved among nice people. Experiencing a new culture, settling down in a new country, and discovering the astonishing natural beauty of Oregon would not have been possible without my host family. I have to start off by saying THANK YOU SO MUCH PETE and VINNIE!! Not only did we spend incredible times tog... 07/09/2018

The Friendship Foundation for International Students (FFIS) provides short-term homestay programs at the beginning of the fall, winter, and spring terms.  Incoming University of Oregon international students stay in a local community member’s home for 3-5 days.  They then move to permanent housing in an apartment or dormitory.This is what a Japanese student wrote about her FFIS homestay experience:I really appreciate this Friendship Foundation program which gives me an opportunity to meet such a great host family. When I first arrived here, I did not know anything about the city, university and how to start my new life.But they helped by showing me around the city, going shopping, and acclimating myself to life here. After the university started and I moved to the residence hall, they o... 06/27/2018

The Friendship Foundation for International Students Homestay Program matches University of Oregon international students with local community volunteers for a short-term homestay when the student first arrives in Eugene and Lane County.Volunteers open their hearts and home to young adults far from home, helping them to get oriented and settled. The friendships built during that brief period often last well beyond when the student has returned to their native country. Homestay families have created many fond memories for the students that they’ve hosted.FFIS surveys the students after their stay. This is what some of them had to say about their host family and the Homestay Program: What was the most rewarding part of staying with a host family?My transition to a new country couldn’t hav... 06/14/2018

Be Aware - Bears and cougars are native to this area!This is the sign that greets me as I begin my hike in Wild Iris Ridge Park.  The trail is the newest link in the Ridgeline Trail System, located in the south hills of Eugene, Oregon.The trailhead is wihin easy walking distance from my home and I live in the third most populous city in the state.  Do I need to be worried about this walk in nearby nature?I live on a 1/3 acre corner lot well within the city's borders.  I have seen raccoon, opossum, deer, turkey, and smaller wild animals making themselves temporarily at home in my backyard.  But bears and cougars are another matter! Wild Iris Ridge ParkThis 250+ acre park is mostly unimproved with upland prairie and oak habitat and sweeping views in places to the west, south, and east.  I... 03/09/2018

A Night Out Ends In A Life Lost It was a warm August Saturday night like most others in Eugene, Oregon.  Jessica Tutt, Andrew Michael Rosborough, and Kelly Ann Hover were enjoying friendship and a few drinks at Taboo, a downtown Eugene nightclub, with employees of KNRQ Rock 97.9 FM, owned by Cumulus Broadcasting.Twenty-one year-old Tutt worked as a receptionist at Cumulus Broadcasting and studied graphic design at Lane Community College.  Rosborough, 22, was "Icky" on KNRQ's morning radio show, "Vinnie & Icky."  Hover, 21, worked at El Torito Mexican Restaurant as a waitress.Around 3:00 am on Sunday, August 13, 2006, the three friends headed home after a fun night out.  Tutt drove her pickup truck.  Rosborough and Hover rode in the truck bed behind.  The truck headed for southwest Eugen... 02/25/2018

Vaclav Hajek (1997 - 2007)On a sunny late August day in 2007, a 10-year-old boy prepared to walk his bike across a crosswalk after tending to the family's community garden plot.  A car stopped to let the boy cross the street.  Behind the car, an impatient teenager in a pickup truck swerved around the vehicle and sped toward the crosswalk.  The sound of squealing tires that I heard in my backyard over a quarter mile away foreshadowed the impending tragedy.  Two families' lives were forever changed on that fateful August 27 day.In late September, Eugene police arrested the 16-year-old student who was reportedly traveling 65 miles per hour in the 35 mph school zone.  The driver was later charged with criminally negligent homicide, served a short time in juvenile detention, put on probation... 02/19/2018

It's a beautiful morning in Eugene, Oregon and I'm anxious to get outdoors for some fresh air and exercise.  Fortunately I don't have to drive far to enjoy seeing wildlife and verdant landscapes. Where should I go? Alton Baker ParkI could walk around Alton Baker Park, Eugene's largest park, with 373 city-owned acres to explore.  There are usually ducks, Canadian geese, and other birds to see.  A popular trail follows the bank of the Willamette River that flows through the city.There are large ramadas to have a picnic, a Nobel Peace Laureate Project to see, the famous Pre's Trail to run on, and the Whilamut Natural Area to wander through.  Last time I was there I even discovered a Mother's Against Drunk Driving Memorial Garden that I never knew existed. Delta PondsOr I could go to Delta ... 02/04/2018

 On June 19, 2005 (Father's Day), cousins Nick Davis, 13, and Britton Shepherd-Davis, 15, went swimming in a gravel pond in west Eugene, Oregon where a quarry used to be.  It was their last swim, as they both tragically drowned.  Seventeen-year-old Johnny Emory in 1994 and 12-year-old Ryan Lambert in 2000 also died in these quarry ponds, although the count may have been greater.The deaths of these children spurred the local community to take action.  Eugene voters passed a bond measure in 2006 allocating $2 million to making this place safer and a benefit to the city.  Then the work began to transform the land into a welcoming and safe nature area.The abandoned quarry became Golden Gardens Park and was dedicated exactly four years after Nick and Britton died.Today, the park in the Bethe... 12/17/2017

Wonderful end unit condo in Eugene! 1313 Lincoln Towers unit #313  Oregon's Lincoln Towers. Hard to find 2 bed, 2 bath condo in Lincoln Towers. Newer carpet, newer GA disposal, paint, dishwasher & refrigerator. Laundry on main level & storage. Designated parking spot on top of building with security gate. Water, sewer and garbage in included with HOA dues. Both elevators are new. Call to see today, won't last because it is priced to sell at $139,000!Call Jan to see it today!Jan SohlmanRE/MAX Integrity541-302-4810Call me with any real estate questions. I am happy to help! 08/18/2015

 You Might Be From Eugene, Oregon If: You enjoy fishing, but have to decide which of the 65+ places in Lane County you should visit to drop your line in the water.You're either a University of Oregon Duck fan or an Oregon State University Beaver fan, but never both.You look forward to opening day of Saturday Market, the oldest outdoor craft market in the United States.  You either have a booth there to sell your handmade items or you visit the Park Blocks in downtown Eugene to shop, eat great food, and enjoy entertainment by local musicians.  You return as often as you can on Saturdays during the spring, summer, and fall to see what's new and show out-of-town visitors.You visit the Lane County Farmers Market adjacent to the Saturday Market and buy locally grown produce, grains, plants, ... 04/23/2015

Realtor and affiliate members of the Eugene (Oregon) Association of REALTORS are looking forward to watching four of their own strut their stuff on stage with professional dancers as part of the Dancing with the Realtors fundraiser.The amateur dancers are all well-established in the local real estate community:1) Matt Powell is the owner and general manager of Windermere Real Estate/Lane County, the top brokerage in market share.2) Adrienne St. Clair with Berkshire Hathaway is one of the top producing agents year-after-year.3) Gary Raze with RE/MAX Integrity is another top selling agent and the tenor in a local barbershop quartet.  He was also my first client when I helped with marketing for several top agents in Lane County.4) Stephanie Coats with Keller Williams is also a regular on t... 04/11/2015

  Just a few minutes drive from Eugene, Oregon's largest mall (Valley River Center) and downtown itself is a 150-acre waterway that welcomes birds and other wildlife next to Delta and Beltline Highways.This peaceful oasis is known as Delta Ponds, atop what was once a wild floodplain of the Willamette River and then used as a gravel pit.As cars rush by, nature enthusiasts walk the trail around the ponds and look for migrating juvenile salmon, river otters, beaver, pond turtles, migratory birds like Canadian geese, ducks, egrets, and other water fowl and wildlife.It's a slice of nature in the heart of Oregon's second most populous city.  The wildlife is wary, but accepts the human intruders as long as they don't get too close. Delta Ponds is a series of waterways, ponds, channels, and wet... 03/28/2015

4828 AVALON ST Eugene, OR 97402 Offered at $259,900 Eugene, OR Home for Sale - 3bd 2ba Category: For Sale Type: Single Family Home Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Sq Ft: 1849 Year Built: 2006 # Stories: 2 Garage: 2 Lot Size: .14 acres MLS#: 15249051 Features Gas fireplace Pantry Master suite Laminate floors Fenced yard Covered Patio Forced air / A/C ready High speed internet Presented by Ken's Home Team Presented byOffice: (503) 597-8306Mobile: (503) 597-8306Website: www.seeyournewhometoday.com/ Beautiful Newer Home in the Royal Creek Subdivision in West Eugene! Built in 2006 this 1 level home is 1849 SQFT featuring an open floor plan, tall ceilings, a gas fireplace, lots of natural lighting and a large master suite with a walk in closet. This entire home provides a lot of open space. W/ an a... 01/21/2015

January 17th, from 8am to 3pm, Oregon Horse Center is hosting the Lane County Tack sale.  There will be a little bit of everything, it's like one big garage sale for the horse community with over 50 vendors offering their goods and services!  Admission is just $2.  This is a fund raiser for the Lane County 4 H Horse Program. And if you need to buy a new barn to put all that tack, and your horses in, just let us know!  We specialize in helping horse people just like you buy and sell rural property in Oregon.   01/14/2015