may21 2015
VERNONIA’S
volume9 issue10
reflecting the spirit of our community
www.vernoniasvoice.com
Former Governor Helps School Celebrate
LEED Platinum, Green Globes Designation
Former Oregon Governor
Ted Kulongoski was one of several
special guests in attendance on Sat-
urday, May 9 when the Vernonia
Schools unveiled recognition for its
energy-efficient design that ties to
the community’s natural resource
heritage and future.
The school has received
Leadership in Energy and Environ-
mental Design (LEED) Platinum
certification, as well as three out of
four globes for the Green Building
Initiative’s Green Globes program.
Kulongoski joined State
Senator Betsy Johnson and Colum-
bia County Commissioner Tony
Hyde as guest speakers at the event,
which was held in the Hall of Cham-
pions in the main lobby of the school
building.
Also in attendance was for-
mer Vernonia School District Super-
intendent Ken Cox.
The Vernonia School is the
only K-12 school campus in the
United States to receive the coveted
LEED Platinum designation.
Kulongoski was gracious to-
wards the Vernonia community and
its citizens in his comments during
the ceremony. “This school is the
best of who we are, as a people, as
Oregonians, you as a community,
and together as a state,” said the
former Governor. “What you did
for me was you taught me and you
gave me hope. The process works
because citizens like you become in-
volved and want to bring a change.
You have given me much more than
I have given you.”
As governor, Kulongos-
ki played a significant role in the
construction of the new Vernonia
Schools campus and the recovery
of the community, helping make
resources available through an Ex-
ecutive Order and by convening the
Oregon Solutions team that was in-
strumental in getting the school con-
inside
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school board report
structed.
“I want to say thank you to
all of you, because I now have hope
that no matter what the problems are
in this state, or in this country, or
in this world, when people like you
come together, we’re going to find a
solution,” said Kulongoski. “We’re
future is bright.”
“We’ve reached another
milestone in achieving the tremen-
dous vision for this town,” said
State Senator Betsy Johnson. “I am
so proud to celebrate today with the
residents of Vernonia and the amaz-
ing support from Oregonians from
Left to right: former Vernonia School Superintendent Ken Cox, County
Commissioner Tony Hyde, State Senator Betsy Johnson, former Governor
Ted Kulongoski, School Board Chair Bill Langmaid, Vernonia School
Superintendent Aaron Miller, and Vernonia Mayor Randy Parrow.
going to make life better and we’re
going to win in the end.”
In 2009, residents commit-
ted to a vision for education in Ver-
nonia that would tie to the area’s rich
natural resource-based history and
connect to a sustainable future. The
community’s vision included design-
ing an integrated building that could
serve as a model for rural sustain-
ability and itself a “living laborato-
ry” that connects to surrounding na-
ture to teach students about science
and technology.
“After the 2007 flood, the
people of Vernonia seized a moment
in time to turn a challenging circum-
stance into an opportunity to shape
a stronger future,” said Vernonia
School District Superintendent Aar-
on Miller. “As a community, we’re
proud of our heritage and connection
to the environment, and these nation-
al recognitions signal that Vernonia’s
free
far and wide who came together to
help make this happen.”
Points for the LEED and
Green Globes certifications were
earned for utilizing renewable en-
ergy resources, re-using and recy-
cling building materials, improving
the efficiency and performance of
the building to reduce environmental
impact, improving sustainable prac-
tices within the building, and many
other efforts.
The building was sited to
provide for optimal solar orientation
and natural ventilation, allowing for
significant day lighting and reduced
energy use. The site has been engi-
neered with constructed wetlands
and bio-swales which treat, store and
send all storm water for release into
the nearby Nehalem River.
Sustainability features in
the building include radiant in-floor
continued on page 7
Pebble Creek Road Closure
The Columbia County
Road Department has announced
they will begin a bridge
replacement project on Pebble
Creek Road over Coon Creek on
June 1, 2015. The location of
the project is .4 miles south of
Highway 47 (Mist Drive).
Pebble Creek Road will
be closed at the Coon Creek
Bridge from June 15 through
September 30 for replacement of
the bridge structure. A detour will
route traffic to McDonald Road.
Election Results
Vernonia Passes
One Fire Measure;
Columbia County
Rejects Fee Increase
Unofficial results from the May 19, 2015
Special Election indicate that Vernonia voters
have approved Measure 5-245 but denied Mea-
sure 5-246. Both measures were submitted by the
Vernonia Rural Fire Protection District.
Preliminary results show Vernonia vot-
ers approving Measure 5-245, a ten year bond
for the purchase of a new fire engine, by a 52%-
48% margin. Voters rejected Measure 5-246, a
five year levy to fund a Training Captain for the
district, by a 58%-42% margin.
Columbia County voters rejected Mea-
sure 5-243 which would have increased the Natu-
ral Resources Depletion Fee from 15 cents to 50
cents and used the increase to fund the Colum-
bia County Rider public transportation system
and help maintain county roads. Voters appear
to have rejected this measure by a 52% to 48%
margin.
In local election races Greg Kintz defeat-
ed a challenge from Thomas Jones of Birkenfeld
for a spot on the Vernonia School Board. Katie
Cook and Brittanie Roberts, who both ran unop-
posed, were also elected to the Vernonia School
Board.
Joel Glass and Terry Lindauer both re-
tained their positions on the Vernonia Rural Fire
Protection District Board after running unop-
posed for their positions.
Kathy Denkla was re-elected to the Co-
lumbia 9-1-1 Board after she ran unopposed.
Larry Boxman, Joan Jones and Barbara
Smith all ran unopposed and were re-elected to
the Mist-Birkenfeld Fire District Board.
School Board
Holds Eventful
Meeting
The Vernonia School Board had a busy
evening on May 14, conducting business con-
cerning the 2015-16 Budget, changes to school
staff, and the proposed Charter School, as well as
holding several discussions that included Smarter
Balanced testing and recurring vandalism in the
boy’s locker room and boy’s restrooms.
The evening began with a meeting of the
newly formed Vernonia Charter School Board
prior to the regular School Board meeting, which
approved an agreement document for governance
of the Charter School which was also later ap-
proved by the regular School Board. The regular
School Board meeting included a Budget Com-
mittee meeting where the proposed budget was
approved. During the regular meeting the School
Board approved numerous staff changes and ac-
cepted several resignations and also approved an
instructional calendar for the 2015-16 school year
which no longer includes early release Fridays for
students.
The Board discussed reports of vandal-
ism and several members expressed serious con-
cerns about this ongoing trend in damages that
have been occurring. Several Board members
also expressed displeasure with mandated Smart-
er Balanced testing procedures that are interfering
with regular classroom time for students.
For more details about these issues see
the full School Board Report on page 13.
