may7 2015
VERNONIA’S
volume9 issue9
www.vernoniasvoice.com
County Commissioners
Have Coffee with Vernonians
Hyde says he’s not in
favor of LNG project
All three Columbia County
Commissioners were on hand the
morning of April 17 at a jam packed
Black Iron Grill to have coffee and
chat with Vernonia area citizens.
The visit was part of the
Commissioners plan to visit each of
the five cities in Columbia County to
hear the concerns of the community.
The top item of
concern was the proposed
Oregon LNG and Oregon
Pipeline projects, which
was made obvious by the
large number of red shirted
activists in the room.
When asked what
reasons they could site for
supporting the LNG plant
and pipeline which would
transport natural gas across
Columbia County, Commis-
sioner Tony Hyde reversed
previous statements he had
made that indicated support
of the project and stated he
now believes the project has
no reason for the support of
the Board of Commissioners.
Hyde explained that the
Commissioners have had several
presentations about the proposed
project over the last six years,
which Hyde called “purely con-
jecture,” and included the pos-
sibility of the gas line passing
through the Mist fields and us-
ing storage facilities in that area
in Columbia County. Hyde then
made the following statement
to applause from the audience,
“What we found out recently was
that this gas line that is going to
the proposed ‘Baby Baghdad in
the Bay,’ for lack of a better term,
is not going to Mist field and has
no reason for our support.”
Hyde went on to say
inside
3
vote yes!
7
state denies
LNG project
11
laughter
through the years
13
vhs spring sports
that he did not believe the LNG
plant, proposed to be constructed
in Warrenton, will ever be built. “I
know the Commissioners in Clatsop
County don’t support it and that the
citizens, experiencing a renaissance
during the last decade in Astoria, are
very reticent.”
Hyde added that he has had
several conversations with local con-
stituents which has helped add to his
knowledge of the project and helped
free
reflecting the spirit of our community
sway his opinion.
When asked if the Colum-
bia County Board of Commissioners
will take policy action and publicly
oppose the project, Hyde backed
off and said all three Commission-
ers have not discussed the issue as a
Board.
Commissioner
Henry
Heimuller reiterated that the project
as currently proposed is different
than what he originally understood it
to be, but said he could not
commit to publicly oppos-
ing the project. “Right now
I’m in research mode,” said
Heimuller. “I think there is
more information to be had.
We know what the potential
risks are, but we don’t know
what the potential values
are. Personally, if this is
not going to utilize our in-
frastructure and we aren’t
going to get anything out
of it that is going to benefit
the taxpayers of Columbia
County, I’m not going to be
supportive.”
Commissioner Earl
Fisher told the audience
that the job of the Com-
missioners is to listen to all their
constituents, not just the groups
that show up and yell at them. “I
don’t know enough about this is-
sue to make a decision. You have
an opinion and I’m sure there are
some other opinions. As a de-
cision maker I need to listen to
both sides. If I don’t, I’m not
serving you well.”
The discussion about the
LNG projects monopolized a
good portion of the discussion
with audience members voicing
their concerns about possible
impacts to water quality and
Vernonia’s drinking water, the
potential for devastating fires if
there was an accident, the general
continued on page 7
School Board
Approves Charter
Application
The Vernonia School Board met
in a special meeting on April 21 and voted
unanimously to approve and sponsor a Charter
School application to the Oregon Department of
Education (ODE).
The Charter application was prepared
by a steering committee made up of school staff,
parents, school board members, school district
partners and other interested citizens.
The charter application includes the
entire Vernonia K-12 campus but leaves the Mist
School separate from the charter and will require
the creation of a separate School Board.
The District now has sixty days to submit
the application and complete all paperwork with
the ODE to become a Charter School in time for
the start of the 2015-16 school year.
Vernonia School
to Celebrate
Green Certifications
The Vernonia School District will
celebrate receiving LEED Platinum and Three
Green Globes certifications at a ceremony on
Saturday, May 9 at 10:30 AM.
The Vernonia School is the first K-12
school building in the United States to receive the
coveted LEED Platinum certification.
The LEED green building rating system,
developed and administered by the U.S. Green
Building Council is the recognized standard for
measuring building sustainability in the United
States and in a number of other countries around
the world. It is designed to promote design and
construction practices that increase profitability
while reducing the negative environmental
impacts of buildings and improving occupant
health and well-being.
The LEED rating system offers four
certification levels for new construction -
Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum in five
green design categories: sustainable sites, water
efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and
resources and indoor environmental quality.
Green Globes is nationally recognized
green rating assessment and certification program.
Local elected officials and other
dignitaries will be in attendance.
Supporting Local Fire Protection:
A Conversation with Chief Dean Smith
Vernonia citizens will have a
chance to vote on two measures in the
upcoming election that would support
the Vernonia Rural Fire Protection
District. The Fire District has placed
Measure 5-245, a ten year bond for
the purchase of a new fire engine, and
Measure 5-246, a five year levy to fund
a training officer for the district. Ac-
cording to Vernonia Fire Chief Dean
Smith, both Measures are vital for help-
ing local fire fighters continue to pro-
vide quality service to the community.
The following is an excerpt from a re-
cent conversation Vernonia’s Voice had
with Chief Smith.
Vernonia’s Voice: Why are both these
Measures so important for the Fire Dis-
record number of calls
trict?
now and our volunteer
Chief Smith: The op-
levels have dropped to
erating levy, Measure
as low as I’ve ever seen
5-264, is important be-
them. We’re at a point
cause I’m the only paid
where our district needs
responder we have. I’m
to have another body in
also paid to be an ad-
here that can take some
ministrator. The duties
of these tasks that need
that are required within
to be managed.
a fire district and the
What we need is a
tasks that need to be
Training Captain that
managed are always
can be dedicated to
increasing and so is the
oversight and look at all
amount of training our
volunteers are required to receive and the aspects of our training program and
stay current on. There is always some- make sure we’re covering and tracking
thing else that needs to be taken care of. all the certification for our volunteers
Our District is responding to a
continued on page 14
