Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 20, 2016)
NEWS >>> CONTINUED FROM P. 8 they often have large, open spaces like cafeterias and gym- nasiums that easily convert to sleeping areas. “It can be so expensive to retrofit buildings that owners of businesses are gravitating toward these minimum levels of safety to assure people get out of the building, but then you have to deal with the building afterwards,” explains Chris Poland, a consulting engineer and resiliency expert who worked with the Beaverton School District in its plan- ning. “Schools are a special building cluster because, from a recovery standpoint, getting children back in school so families start to feel settled is very important.” The more resilient the school building, the more likely it is to be open soon after the mega-quake and even serve as a shelter in the aftermath of the disaster. In Beaverton’s case, the district is using a $680 mil- lion bond to design its new schools to double as emergen- cy shelters and be functional shortly after the earthquake happens. Its new high school, costing $98 million, is de- signed with an emergency generator, as well as plumbing and electric wiring constructed with emergency services in mind. The features cost the district $900,000, only a frac- tion of the total cost of the project. Yu suggests that communities have conversations about school resilience before putting bond measures to vote — additional resilience features can bolster the usefulness of an already important school building. “It becomes an equity piece and a community asset,” Yu says. But first, the conversation needs to happen. “The question your readers need to ask themselves is: ‘Is it sufficient to know that we have minimum safety or do we want to upgrade our buildings so we can get them up to service in a month, or better, so they can serve as shel- ters?’” Poland tells EW. According to 4J’s long-term facilities plan, another bond measure could emerge in 2018 or 2019. The plan proposes to replace or completely renovate North Eugene High School and Camas Ridge Elementary. It also looks at renovating Edison Elementary, one of the oldest and most historic schools in the district, as well as a yet-to-be-deter- mined additional elementary school. The bond measure could be 4J’s chance to incorporate ‘It’s very small-minded thinking to be throwing this back on taxpayers.’ — C O N S TA N C E VA N F L A N D E R N , E U G E N E 4 J PA R E N T seismic resilience into its planning. For parents like Van Flandern and Parsons, the knowl- edge that disaster could strike at any time is frightening. “When parents are getting together, they’re doing cal- culations of the likelihood their kids will be in school when the earthquake hits,” Parsons says. Van Flandern says she wants to see schools in Oregon pursuing federal funds for resilience planning. “It’s very small-minded thinking to be throwing this back on taxpayers,” Van Flandern says. “This is a state- wide problem that needs immediate attention.” But, she says, it doesn’t help anyone to sweep the issue under the rug. “We should be having these conversations all the time,” she adds. You can support proven solutions that end the cycle of homelessness. Mental Health Services Skills Building Housing First Peer Support Prevention Outreach Together, we can build a community where everyone is valued, supported and safe. Take action during October and ShelterCare about Homelessness. Your gift will help individuals and families keep, recover and stabilize their housing. www.sheltercare.org 31 days to make real change happen. 31 days to show you ShelterCare. Love your new life. Weight loss surgery can help you take off the extra weight, move and breathe easier, and reverse some health conditions. What’s not to love? Weight loss surgery Counseling support Nutrition advice peacehealth.org/weightsurgery eugeneweekly.com • October 20, 2016 9
