As the weather cools down and the fall foliage gives way to the more subdued Oregon rain, we have lots of news to brighten the season. In this issue of our newsletter, we’ll make winter a bit more colorful with Crescent Village updates, tell you how we’re welcoming the holidays this year, and introduce you to some vibrant new members of our team.

It may be that time of year when the branches go bare and sandals give way to galoshes, but the construction at Crescent Village is sprouting from the ground like the first bulbs of spring. If you haven’t seen the site lately, read the update enclosed to find out about our newest phase of construction and drive by to take a look…we think you’ll be as excited as we are by the progress! In the article, you’ll also find out how the construction of Eugene’s Urban Village is being managed to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Crescent Village will not only be a sustainable “green” project, we’re working to make it as colorful as our community. We’ve partnered with Maude Kerns Art Center to organize an art competition for the lobbies of the first two Crescent Village Town Center buildings. Keep reading to learn more about this exciting event, and if you have an artistic proposal of your own, visit Maude Kerns’ web site at www.mkartcenter.org to find out how to apply. We’d love to showcase your creativity for the community to enjoy!

We all know that the holidays can be a difficult time for families struggling emotionally or financially. We’re lucky to have many incredible, dedicated agencies in our community who reach out and help those that need assistance. In this issue, you’ll read about what Arlie & Company and its employees are doing to support the efforts of organizations like FOOD for Lane County and the Center for Community Counseling.

Finally, we’ll introduce you to four new people in our office. We’re pleased to have Teresa Bishow, Jeff Herbert, Mary Stringfield and Shawn Wells as part of the Arlie & Company family. Their energetic personalities, professional experience, and dedication are welcome additions to our dynamic team.

Enjoy the articles in this quarter’s issue, and as always, please feel free to email us with your comments and suggestions. Have a wonderful holiday season!

Sincerely,
Suzanne Arlie

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Arlie & Company’s vision of a vibrant, environmentally-friendly urban village in northeast Eugene is becoming clearer to the community.  That’s because the construction at Crescent Village is rapidly becoming more and more visible as the first mixed-use Town Center building rises from the ground. 

Construction of  “Eugene’s Urban Village” is currently in the “concrete” phase, according to Micheal Roberts, president of Gale Roberts Construction.  The completion of basement floors and walls has made way for the installation of a post-tension concrete floor. The crew is waiting for a break in the rain before pouring this next phase of concrete. 

An emphasis on creating a small environmental footprint has played a significant role in the project since its inception. Both Arlie & Company and Gale Roberts Construction are taking conscious steps to incorporate efficient design and “green” building practices.

“We are constantly seeking ways to be more environmentally sensitive,” says Roberts. He explains, “Not only are we achieving a high rate of construction waste recycling on this project, we’re also striving to reduce the sheer volume of materials used from the beginning to avoid waste.”

The construction site is outfitted with a full recycling center to cut down on the amount of material sent to the landfill, and numerous design technologies have been used to reduce the amount of materials needed to construct the buildings. For example, the main Town Center buildings currently under construction use post-tensioned floors rather than traditional floors to reduce the amount of concrete used.

Even the parking garage is designed to have a minimal impact on the environment. Crescent Village’s underground private parking garage is the first of it’s kind in Eugene to eliminate the need for a drainage system. This innovative technology prevents potential groundwater pollution from harmful automobile leaks.

These sustainable initiatives, and many others, have won Crescent Village a place in the City of Eugene’s Green Building Demonstration Project. The program is designed to gather information about the design, development, and construction of new green projects in the area. The City will then use the information to encourage and support future green building projects.

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The holiday season can be a challenging time for people who have recently experienced a personal loss. Often compounded by financial strain, the emotional burden of loss can be overwhelming for families this time of year.

The Center for Community Counseling believes that counseling should be accessible to everyone who needs it. With a staff of licensed volunteer counselors, the Center provides mental health support to adults regardless of their ability to pay.

For the past 15 years, Nancy Weisel has been providing individualized service to clients with care and compassion as the Center’s Co-Director and Clinical Director.

“The Center for Community Counseling is a magnet,” says Weisel. “It attracts extraordinarily gifted and talented counselors and courageous people, especially at this often more isolating time of the year, who find the strength to pick up the phone when they know they need help coping with difficult emotions and trying experiences.”

A hallmark of the Center is its ability to match clients with empathetic therapists. Many clients come to the Center with little or no trust in therapists and a past that has showed them that people cannot be counted upon. An extensive screening process determines which therapist will best serve each client’s needs. The Center is committed to making the right match and finding clients a secure relationship with a therapist whether it takes a day, a week or a month.

In addition to individual counseling, the Center also offers a wide range of specialized classes like anger management, parenting classes, and divorce support groups.

Arlie & Company Marketing Director Sadie Dressekie serves on the Center’s Board of Directors and understands the importance of caring for yourself and being attuned to your mental health needs.

“The mental and emotional well being of each of us as individuals contributes to the overall well being of our community,” she says. “Our physical health is the keystone for our ability to contribute – to our families, to our employers, and to our society.”

For more information about the Center for Community Counseling, please visit www.ccceugene.org.

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Teresa Bishow

As the planning manager at Arlie & Company, Teresa’s extensive experience in planning, specifically in the Eugene-Springfield area, makes her a tremendous addition to the company.

Teresa recently returned to Eugene after a few years as the principal planner in Chico, California. The decision was easy. “I knew Oregon would always be my home. And I’m excited to be working with a company that’s small in size, but big in heart.”

“Arlie & Company believes in designing and building better communities,” Teresa says. “Our support for sustainable business practices, our work with local nonprofit organizations, and our integrity all contribute to the vision we share for the future.”

When not managing projects at Arlie & Company, Teresa enjoys Oregon – through outdoor pursuits, spending time with family and friends and, of course, riding her bike.

Mary Stringfield

Managing the schedules of John Musumeci and Suzanne Arlie certainly keeps new addition Mary Stringfield on her toes.

And Mary is ecstatic about being part of the Arlie & Company family. “I love the atmosphere here,” she says. “There is a true sense of camaraderie and commitment to John and Suzanne’s vision for this company.”

Mary is inspired by the level of community involvement from everyone at Arlie & Company. “Suzanne truly leads by example,” she adds.

When not managing the office or planning special events, Mary walks – a lot. She often covers eight miles a day and even walked a marathon this year. She loves to travel, and has spent time in places like Kauai, Africa and Florence, Italy. Mary is also a dedicated volunteer at Greenhill Humane Society and S.A.R.A.

Jeff Herbert

The Arlie & Company team will never be the same now that Jeff Herbert has joined. And that’s a good thing. Jeff is the new corporate fitness director and his arrival kicks off our new corporate wellness program.

“I’ve been a personal trainer for nearly five years,” says Jeff, who was the trainer for the KMTR-TV (NBC) program Trim the Fat. “Every body is unique. My training philosophy is that each person needs an individualized program that helps them reach their goals and keep them motivated to lead a healthier lifestyle.”

Jeff’s role with Arlie & Company reflects our commitment to sustainability. Suzanne explains, “When we say ‘sustainability,’ people often think of recycled materials and green buildings. But we take a broader view of sustainability to include our employees’ health and wellness.”

Healthy employees, she says, are more productive and have higher job satisfaction. “For those reasons, individual health is an important component of total community sustainability.”

Jeff also boxes, power lifts and skis.

Shawn Wells

Shawn Wells, Arlie & Company’s new plant manager, might not be a brand new face around our properties, but he’s a welcome permanent addition to the team. Shawn worked as an independent contractor for the company for two years before joining us full-time in August. 

Shawn works closely with Lynn Jolly, the company’s Asset Manager, to manage the maintenance and repair of Arlie & Company’s properties and to coordinate outside vendors. 

“I really enjoy the depth and variety of my position. At Arlie & Company, I have the opportunity to work on larger and more complex projects than I could as a sole operator,” says Shawn.

Shawn’s day-to-day tasks are so varied that it’s hard to describe his position succinctly. “I never know how the job is going to challenge me from one day to the next,” says Shawn. “But I can tell you that the most unusual thing I’ve done is building piñata stands!”

Keeping in shape is important to Shawn’s work, and in addition to starting a new workout program with Arlie & Company’s personal trainer Jeff, Shawn has been a student of Yoga for the past four years.

Arlie & Company Seeks
Artists for Crescent Village

Arlie & Company and Maude Kerns Art Center are accepting proposals for art installations for the Crescent Village Town Center lobbies. We invite artists living in Oregon, Washington or Idaho to submit proposals for indoor artwork to hang on the lobby walls. All media will be considered and proposals will be evaluated on artistic merit and time and materials costs. For more information, download application here or visit www.mkartcenter.org.

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Arlie & Company’s Holiday Team Volunteer Project Helps Build
Healthy Families in Lane County

Arlie & Company is committed to contributing to our community.  For the second year, we partnered with FOOD for Lane County to help make sure families in Lane County have enough to eat this holiday season.

Arlie & Company employees spent a work day packaging 2,800 pounds of bulk hickory split pea dry soup mix purchased by the company into family-sized portions.  The soup mix, 42,000 individual servings worth, will be distributed in emergency food boxes through FOOD for Lane County’s network of over 100 pantries.

“We’re always thrilled to work with FOOD for Lane County,” says Suzanne Arlie.
“Our employees have fun working together to give back to the community we all love.”

FOOD for Lane County’s pantry network provides food boxes to one in five Lane County residents.  The agency distributes more than 90,000 food boxes annually; in fact, one in three Lane County children ate from a food box at least once in the last year. Each food box typically contains a three to five day supply of groceries, helping to fill a meal gap for our neighbors who struggle to provide healthy meals for their families throughout the month.

If you’d like to find out how you can
help FOOD for Lane County eliminate hunger in our community, visit www.foodforlanecounty.org or call
(541) 343-2822.