Winter Tires

Sunday, March 31st was the deadline to remove studded tires

Spring has arrived and long-term weather forecasts don’t support an extension of the studded tire season. That means people who still have them on their cars need to get a move on.

Driving with studded tires after the deadline can result in a fine. Law enforcement may issue a citation, a Class C traffic violation, with a $165 fine.

Oregon law says studded tires are okay from November 1st to March 31st. Officials encourage options like traction tires or chains, since studded tires cause about $8.5 million in damage to state highways each year, according to a 2014 study.

Dreams & Dragons

Eugene’s Maude Kerns Art Center will present “Of Dreams and Dragons”: A David Lunney Retrospective,” opening with a free reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 5th - and on view through Friday, April 26th. The exhibit showcases over 70 artworks by Lunney, including monotypes, prints, paintings, and drawings, as well as a variety of sketchbooks and artifacts of his artmaking. Many of these pieces have never been exhibited before. On Saturday, April 6, from 1 – 2, the public is invited to “Connections & Conversations,” a family-led discussion about Lunney and his work.

The Maude Kerns Art Center, located at 1910 E. 15th Avenue at the corner of 15th and Villard, is a non-profit community center for the visual arts. Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday when exhibits are on display.

For more information about “Of Dreams and Dragons: A David Lunney Retrospective,” visit http://www.mkartcenter.org or telephone 541-345-1571.

Military kids

April is the Month of the Military Child. Although they don’t wear uniforms, military kids serve in their way. The children of service members must be resilient, adaptable and socially intelligent as they navigate family life in the military. These kids move an average of every 2.5 years and are constantly braving new environments.

Take 9-year-old Victoria. She lives in Japan, where she’s a frequent visitor to our USO Yokosuka Center, but she’s also lived in California, Maine and will probably move four or five more times before she graduates high school. She says she feels nervous when starting at a new school, and she sometimes gets sad when her dad is deployed with the Navy for long stretches.

Victoria, and the 1.6 million other children of service members the USO is honoring during Month of the Military Child, didn’t choose the military life.

Send them a card to show your support at: tinyurl.com/yw9ndstm