march20 2014
VERNONIA’S
volume8 issue6
www.vernoniasvoice.com
free
reflecting the spirit of our community
Vernonia Schools
Announce Interim Superintendent
City and Health
Board Sign Lease
Agreement
The Vernonia School
superintendent to engage in
Board has unanimously
a collaborative fashion with
The City of Vernonia and the Vernonia
approved the appointment of
the school board, community,
Health Board have reached an agreement and signed
Aaron Miller as the part-time
administrators and the staff
a fifty year lease for property controlled by the City
interim superintendent for
to ensure a productive and
at the Rose Avenue Project. The agreement allows
the Vernonia School District.
successful school year. I
the Health Board to move forward with construction
Mr. Miller will begin his one
am very grateful for the
of the new Health Center.
year appointment on July 1.
opportunity to extend my
A ground breaking ceremony has been
The board made the approval
role in the leadership team
scheduled for March 28, 2014 at 12:30 PM at the
during their March 13
this year.”
West Oregon Electric Cooperative Bays.
meeting to help the schools
Mr. Miller currently
“This has been a long process. It has
transition smoothly from
serves as the full time
involved a lot of planning and many different entities
the leadership of departing
principal
at
Vernonia
working together to craft this lease agreement,” said
superintendent Dr. Kenneth
Elementary School. He
Heather Lewis, representing the Health Board. “We
Cox.
began his teaching career at
are all glad to move forward. This is a big project
“We’re excited to
Lebanon Elementary, moving
for the City of Vernonia, the Health Board and the
build upon what Dr. Cox and
to Scio after two years. There,
community. In my opinion, both sides showed
the community have created.
he taught second and third
their commitment to this project by the level of
Our school board sought
grades for 13 years. His move
diligence they invested in making sure this was
an interim superintendent
to Vernonia came in 2005,
done right. The effort that everyone put into this is
who could lead our efforts
when he stepped into the role
greatly appreciated. The long term benefits to the
to address the achievement
of principal. His appointment
community are worth the time spent on building a
of all students and to analyze our gap issues,” said as part-time superintendent will not eliminate his
project of this importance.”
School Board Chair Bill Langmaid. “Mr. Miller showed position as building principal, and the district expects to
Mayor Josette Mitchell was equally upbeat
professionalism and leadership in various educational see some shifts in administrative duties to accommodate
when discussing the final lease agreement. “It is
experiences that we believe will serve Vernonia very his new position.
signed, sealed and delivered!” said Mitchell.
well during the coming year. He impressed us during
Mr. Miller will replace Dr. Kenneth Cox, who
The City Council and Health Board have
a conversation on the importance of sound leadership joined the District in 2006. Dr. Cox was tasked with
met numerous times over several months in an
during this interim phase when he said, ‘The students serving as both project manager and superintendent
attempt to finalize a lease agreement that both sides
are our most important concern. Every action we take during his tenure, as a major flood in 2007 necessitated
were comfortable signing. The Health Center is the
must benefit them.’”
relocating the entire campus out of the flood plain. After
first entity to move forward with construction at the
Mr. Miller received a bachelor’s degree in opening the new school in 2012, Dr. Cox has stayed on
Rose Avenue Project site. It is anticipated that the
psychology from Pacific University in Forest Grove, OR, for two years to ensure a smooth transition into the new
Vernonia Senior Center and Vernonia Cares Food
and earned a master’s degree in teaching, specializing environment. Dr. Cox will be leaving the district at the
Bank will relocate to the site sometime in the future.
in elementary education, from Oregon State University end of his current contract on June 30.
in Corvallis. His coursework for the initial and
continuing Administrator license was performed
at Portland State University.
“I have spent the last 24 years dedicated
A Town Hall, hosted by Ver- County property owners $0.58 per they already do whenever they reach
to children in several different communities, and
nonia’s Voice, was held on Wednes- thousand and provide the minimum the maximum of twenty-five. With
I’m honored to be chosen by the board,” Mr.
day, March 12, to address concerns revenue needed to continue jail op- additional funding from a successful
Miller said. “I feel it is essential for an interim
levy the jail could house up to one
surrounding the closing of the Co- erations for the next four years.
All three Commissioners hundred local prisoners.
lumbia County jail. About fifteen
A previous levy last No-
agreed that this operation levy was a
people were in attendance.
All three Columbia County temporary, stopgap measure. Hyde vember failed at the polls, 58.3% to
Commissioners, Tony Hyde, Earl explained that there are current eco- 41.7%. Following that failure the
Fisher, and Henry Heimuller, were nomic development projects happen- County Commissioners began look-
part of the panel, along with Under- ing in Columbia County. “Within four ing at options for shutting the jail.
sheriff Andy Moyer, representing the to five years I think we are going to The jail requires twenty-five em-
be in really good shape as a county,” ployees and a $4.8 million budget.
Sheriff’s Department.
said Hyde. “I really, honestly believe The County General Fund currently
Commissioner
Hyde
made
it
loggerbots
very clear at the outset of the meeting that. We just have so much happen- only provides $2.9 million, includ-
that the County intends to close the ing. We have a lot of companies that ing revenue (approximately $1.5 mil-
jail, and is already planning for that are now starting to come into Colum- lion) they receive from the rental of
eventuality, as they begin their bud- bia County. But right now we have eighty-five to 100 beds to the United
vhs winter sports
States Marshall Service. Because of
get process for the upcoming 2014- this gap we are up against.”
The jail was originally de- this short-fall, the jail is currently op-
15 fiscal year.
“This is not a threat,” said signed to house a total of 250 in- erating with only sixteen employees.
vhs athletic
Commissioner Hyde opened
Hyde. “It’s not ‘We may...’ We just mates. Because of recent budget
went through some very difficult pre- reductions it currently only houses a the discussion at the Town Hall by
hall of fame
liminary budget numbers today. We maximum capacity of twenty-five lo- giving some background about the
jail. Hyde explained that the Jail is
are closing the jail. Without a levy cal inmates.
If additional funding is not funded through discretionary funds
we are closing the jail; there are no
stars of vernonia
secured the current plan calls for Co- in the General Fund. Hyde stated
options left.”
A citizens group “Keep Pris- lumbia County to rent ten beds from that the Sheriff’s Department uses
oners in Jail,” was formed early this Polk County for local prisoners, and about 26% of the General Fund; he
st. patrick’s day
calendar year to collect signatures, book and release most other local ar- says that a normal amount in other
and petitioned the County Commis- restees. If a prisoner is considered counties around the country is 21-
parade
sioners to place another bond levy on especially dangerous or violent, the 25%.
Commissioner
Heimuller
the May 20, 2014 ballot in a final at- County would have to decide which
tempt to halt the closure of the coun- prisoner already incarcerated to re- told the audience that when County
ty jail. The levy would tax Columbia lease and make space, something
Town Hall Held to Discuss Impending Jail Closure
inside
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