14
vernonia’s
voice community
march
2009
Vernonia Flood Stories (continued from page 1)
Six days after the flood, with the community still in disarray,
something of a conundrum. Built in 2005 by a previous administration for just
Vernonia school students were back in class.
under $2 million dollars, the project was originally questioned in the communi-
“It was a challenging time, to say the least,” said Cox
ty. When it was flooded and severely damaged in 2007, more questions arose.
during a recent interview.
At this point, whether it should or shouldn’t have been built is moot. What will
Holding meetings in his home, Cox and staff began the
happen to it in the future, especially if the school campus gets moved, is really
work of repairing Vernonia’s schools so they could at least be
the question now.
re-occupied. Arranging for modular classrooms so Vernonia
One option is to build a flood-proof wall around the entire building. The
students could return home was one of the first tasks. Getting
cost would be around $400,000
Washington Grade School and the Middle School fixed and
and, according to Superinten-
approved for use again was another. Repairing the Admin-
dent Cox, the idea is currently
istration building was another. Finding ways to fund these
being studied and is a distinct
repairs, sorting through the insurance red tape, and dealing
possibility. The idea would be
with FEMA and their many restrictions and regulations were
to upgrade the building in the
just a few more responsibilities that fell to Cox and his team.
hopes of selling it to an inter-
“I was impressed with the way the staff pulled togeth-
ested party. The wall would
er,” said Cox. “They were willing to do whatever they could
hold out rising flood waters and
to help.”
have retracting doorways that
The decision to demolish a large section of the high
could be raised in the event of
school in late spring of 2008 was a signal that Vernonia really Ruined books and supplies piled high water. During the flood
needs new schools. “We chose to tear that down because we
warnings, this past winter,
up outside Vernonia Schools
Students wait to be bussed to Scappoose
felt it was a safety hazard, and we weren’t going to put any
sandbags were piled around the
for classes after the Flood
more money into it,” said Cox. “We had to have the gym, but we felt we could get by in entire building in the hopes of keeping out
the short term without the rest of it.”
encroaching water. Eventually, some per-
That refurbishing of the high school gymnasium was the next major priority as Cox manent solution will need to be found for a $2 million dollar investment that sits right in
needed to provide physical education pro- the flood zone.
grams and athletics, and felt the school
The high school gymnasium was refurbished at a cost of $700,000. Because of in-
community and community at large would surance regulations that the community agreed to as part of the National Flood Insurance
benefit from the spirit that would be gen- Program, the gym building, which was substantially damaged to over fifty percent of it’s
erated for getting back into the gym. The value, must be either torn down, elevated, or flood-proofed within four years. Because
gymnasium floor was replaced, new drywall of the condition of the structure, it is not likely that either flood-proofing or elevation is a
installed and the minimum of taping and viable option, and so eventually it will probably be demolished.
painting done. The gym reopened on De-
Greenman Field may or may not continue as the venue for Logger high school football
cember 3, 2008-- exactly one year after the games. The idea of a new stadium and regulation-sized track as part of a new school campus
flooding that damaged it, and has since been is appealing, but also adds on to an already large final price tag. The current field will prob-
a focal point of the school community.
ably continue to be used, remaining a centerpiece of downtown, especially during evening
Still, the school buildings are sepa- fall events. If a new stadium is built, it could be torn down to make room for... well, some-
rated, students have to travel outdoors from thing else. Which brings us to a final question...
The Vernonia Middle School was protected class to class, and there is no continuity for
What happens on the old campus space? If the schools are moved to a new location,
with sand bags when a flood warning was students, teachers and staff. The campus what could be built in their place? Probably not much, as new development and construc-
issued in January 2009
feels pieced together, a haphazard mix of tion could be limited in the flood zone if federal funds are used for a buyout. It could be
buildings and temporary fixes. Teachers feel isolated from each other, and in general there left as open space, it could be used for parking, some limited development as park space
is a depressed feeling.
may be allowable, it could be used for community gardens, maybe even a drive-in movie
Cox is working hard with the Oregon Solutions Team, hoping to find a way to build a theater, or some other low-impact business.
new school campus on high ground. Finding a suitable location, creating a design, and find-
Obviously, the first step is getting the schools moved. What happens after that is still
ing funding are just a few more of the hurdles Dr. Ken Cox must overcome as Superintendent up in the air-- but it’s interesting to think about the possibilities. (continued on page 15)
of Vernonia Schools. The School Board was
scheduled to hold a public meeting on March
2, with the intent of discussing site options
recommended by an Oregon Department of
Transportation Traffic and Growth Manage-
ment Study. That study was accepted at a
February 20 meeting in Portland, and a site
recommendation was approved by the Or-
egon Solutions Team. The School Board is
expected to debate the site recommendation
at its March 12 meeting. The announcement
by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski that
rebuilding Vernonia Schools was at the top
of his list for federal stimulus funds projects
was also great news for Vernonia. Things
are starting to look up.
Owned and Operated by
It looks like what started out as a huge
Don & Kim Wallace
disaster for Vernonia schools, may turn out
to be a huge opportunity. And through the
whole ordeal, Ken Cox has managed to
keep his head above water.
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