“Wow! What a turnout!” Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt exuded as he stepped to the podium to open Wednesday night’s community gathering at USD 422’s practice gym. “Now this is what I call a town meeting!”
Coming on the heels of a two-day resource conference designed to familiarize potential donors with ongoing and planned projects of the town’s rebuilding process, the two-hour community meeting held a variety of information and inspiration for the nearly 300 residents who crowded into the lone structure in town large enough to hold them.
After paying tribute to the oft-overlooked efforts of school superintendent Darin Headrick and his board, leaders of the local hospital and County officials, Hewitt referenced a topic touched on repeatedly throughout the night—funding gaps for projects—gaps between what government assistance and insurance proceeds can supply and the bottom line cost. “All the gaps do is create partnerships,” Hewitt asserted.
Hewitt’s optimism proved prophetic 20 minutes later when State USDA head Chuck Banks announced a “sizeable amount” had recently been pledged by a “major U.S. corporation” to plug the gap between the $2 million provided by USDA for construction of the business incubator building and the additional costs incurred by the City’s commitment to building the facility to LEED Platinum specifications.
Though Banks said he couldn’t disclose the “exact numbers” of the gift, the announcement prompted Hewitt to jab his right index finger in the air while proclaiming, “Now that’s what I call closing a gap!”
Having teased the public at Monday’s city council meeting by promising a “number of celebrities” he wasn’t at liberty to name would be at Wednesday’s event, Hewitt ended his introductory remarks by saying “We have the best lineup of speakers in the area of rebuilding a town from the ground up you could want tonight. But they’re not in New York, or Los Angeles. They’re in Greensburg.”
Several of those appearing have by now become familiar to Greensburg residents due to prior appearances, the first of which was Bob Berkebile, founder and head of BNIM, the architectural firm designing the City’s Master Plan, as well as the new Greensburg School campus expected to break ground in May.
Berkebile used the image of a “healthy virus” to describe the spread of enthusiasm amongst notable corporate entities anxious to be a part of Greensburg’s sustainable rebuilding.
“This healthy virus is beginning to infect private concerns outside this community,” Berkebile said.
As if to prove his point Berkebile then referenced GM’s intention to help Shank Motors car dealership becoming the first such LEED Platinum business in the nation, as well as a “good chance” the BTI John Deere dealership on the east edge of town will likewise become the first Platinum implement dealership in the nation. (BTI’s Mike Estes later confirmed to The Signal that acquiring Platinum certification is something his company is “shooting for”, especially in the wake of Deere having recently gotten on board with the idea. “Now that they’ve (Deere) discovered what LEED is about they’re pushing for this,” Estes said.)
“This is about setting a new model for how we build communities and economies in the twenty-first century,” Berkebile said. “You’re on the verge of becoming the first climate-neutral community in America.”
Berkebile then mentioned plans for the future location of the Essential Technology Center in an “eco-industrial park” near Greensburg, which will “use a new process to convert solid waste to produce energy without combustion—something he referred to as a “new and emerging technology.”
Berkebile had been preceded by two faces of BNIM having become very familiar to Greensburg residents in recent months—planners Steve Hardy and Rachel Wedel—who led off their portion with a visually grabbing and emotionally gripping four-minute video set to stirring music that recounted the events of May 4 and ongoing efforts to recover from the devastation. Highlights of the video included:
*graphic footage from the immediate aftermath of the tornado’s havoc shot that same night;
*appearances of locals reacting to the devastation, such as USD 422 custodian Luke Derstein tearing up while asking, “Where is home now?”
*President Bush’s three-hour visit to the disheveled town May 9;
*a cameo appearance by Leonardo DiCaprio speaking of the significance of the town rebuilding in a sustainable manner;
*appearances and statements also by internationally renowned planner John Picard, Greensburg GreenTown’s Daniel Wallach and Governor Kathleen Sebelius;
*closing statement by Hewitt in which he says, “If you drive through our town now you can see the devastation clearly enough, but if you can dream a little bit you can see a lot of opportunities as well.”
Referring to Salina being home for both him and Wedel, Hardy responded to the video by saying, “This is one Salina boy and one Salina girl that is proud to e a part of this town’s rebirth.” The two ended their segment by commenting on priorities and presenting a brief slide show of drawings of how the town will likely look according to priorities established in the recently adopted Phase I of the Master Plan.
Other highlights…
*The aforementioned John Picard displayed his usual flair for dramatic rhetoric by referring to the ongoing recovery effort in Greensburg as an effort to “go into the world to protect nature and life-giving forces.” He then referenced Hewitt’s leadership in that effort by looking directly at the city administrator and gushing, “Steve, you are a hero,” prompting one of several standing ovations Hewitt received on the evening. “All of you are heroes,” Picard then told the crowd above the deafening applause.
Picard also referred to often feeling less than complete in his daily life, only to find himself renewed and invigorated by his trips to Greensburg. “When I go home from here I am completely happy,” Picard noted.
Picard later had a group of 11 notables who’d flown into Kansas with him come up and stand by his side, several of whom he referenced in vague terms.
To one he pointed, referring to him as being with “one of the biggest energy companies in the world.” Another was referenced as being associated with “a very big energy development company.”
One of the two summoned to join Picard at the podium, was referred to by name, but only his first—Eric—whom Picard mentioned as being with “one of the world’s largest commercial development companies.” Though “Eric” never spoke, his interest in building a plant in and enabling affordable development in Greensburg was referenced by Picard just before the two embraced.
Other commercial heads were referred to as being with a “huge water treatment company,” and “the biggest developer in the world.”
Again reverting to his visionary perspective, Picard told the crowd, “We’re going to rebuild this town green and then we rebuild this whole planet green,” again enlisting Greensburg as the springboard for an environmentally sensitive reordering of the international community.
Picard closed his segment by referring to five Greensburg High youth sitting in the second row, with whom he conferred before the meeting, and four of whom had attended the Green Building Conference held in Chicago last fall—a conference sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“What really matters is sitting in that second row,” Picard said, looking directly at the secondary students. “That’s what the future of this town is about.”
*Introduced by Picard, U.S. Green Building Council President Rick Fedrizzi took his turn at the mike, saying he was “stunned by the courage you (Greensburg residents) have to do what you’re doing. Rather than just putting up a roof over your head as quickly as you can (after the storm), you’ve taken a deep breath and looked ahead to the future…your commitment to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—standards of which were devised nearly a decade ago by Fedrizzi’s organization) and LEED Platinum (highest of four certified levels of environmentally friendly design) is stunning.”
Fedrizzi went on to way that while cities such as New York, Seattle and San Francisco have “made a commitment to LEED” none have “done so to the level you have.”
Stating Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, Fedrizzi cited statistics establishing health and human performance benefits of those operating in and living in homes and buildings meeting LEED certification standards.
Fedrizzi then likewise turned his attention to the five GHS students, four of whom—Levi Smith, Eric White, Conner Staats and Taylor Schmidt—he met at the Green Building conference his group held in Chicago last fall. While the fifth—Alexsis Fleener—did not make it to Chicago, she was present Wednesday as one of the members of the school’s Green Club.
All five were given opportunity to address the crowd at Fedrizzi’s invitation, who first referenced the youth by saying, “You are the luckiest community on the planet with these kind of honorable and intelligent youth among you.”
Levi Smith drew the biggest round of appreciative laughter when he gave the rationale for the club’s formation. “The reason we formed the Green Club is that we are the leaders of tomorrow,” Smith said. “I mean, that’s just a fact.”
Fleener mentioned some projects of the club, such as maintaining recycling bins around the temporary school campus and running a light bulb exchange where incandescent bulbs can be turned in for more efficient compact fluorescent versions. She also said the group is “working on a web site with articles by us on the meaning of green.”
Fedrizzi prompted delirious expressions of gratitude from the five when he announced his USGBC was providing scholarships for them to attend the next Green Build Conference to be held in Boston in November.
*Mayor John Janssen ended the evening by hinting he and the community had reached a pivotal turning point.
“We’re over the tornado, so to speak, because we have such a tremendous playing field before us that we can’t help but turn our attention to the future,” he said. “We lost ten good friends out of that storm, but we gained multitudes of opportunities at the same time. It’s to those we now turn our attention.”
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“Wow! What a turnout!” Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt exuded as he stepped to the podium to open Wednesday night’s community gathering at USD 422’s practice gym. “Now this is what I call a town meeting!”
Coming on the heels of a two-day resource conference designed to familiarize potential donors with ongoing and planned projects of the town’s rebuilding process, the two-hour community meeting held a variety of information and inspiration for the nearly 300 residents who crowded into the lone structure in town large enough to hold them.
After paying tribute to the oft-overlooked efforts of school superintendent Darin Headrick and his board, leaders of the local hospital and County officials, Hewitt referenced a topic touched on repeatedly throughout the night—funding gaps for projects—gaps between what government assistance and insurance proceeds can supply and the bottom line cost. “All the gaps do is create partnerships,” Hewitt asserted.
Hewitt’s optimism proved prophetic 20 minutes later when State USDA head Chuck Banks announced a “sizeable amount” had recently been pledged by a “major U.S. corporation” to plug the gap between the $2 million provided by USDA for construction of the business incubator building and the additional costs incurred by the City’s commitment to building the facility to LEED Platinum specifications.
Though Banks said he couldn’t disclose the “exact numbers” of the gift, the announcement prompted Hewitt to jab his right index finger in the air while proclaiming, “Now that’s what I call closing a gap!”
Having teased the public at Monday’s city council meeting by promising a “number of celebrities” he wasn’t at liberty to name would be at Wednesday’s event, Hewitt ended his introductory remarks by saying “We have the best lineup of speakers in the area of rebuilding a town from the ground up you could want tonight. But they’re not in New York, or Los Angeles. They’re in Greensburg.”
Several of those appearing have by now become familiar to Greensburg residents due to prior appearances, the first of which was Bob Berkebile, founder and head of BNIM, the architectural firm designing the City’s Master Plan, as well as the new Greensburg School campus expected to break ground in May.
Berkebile used the image of a “healthy virus” to describe the spread of enthusiasm amongst notable corporate entities anxious to be a part of Greensburg’s sustainable rebuilding.
“This healthy virus is beginning to infect private concerns outside this community,” Berkebile said.
As if to prove his point Berkebile then referenced GM’s intention to help Shank Motors car dealership becoming the first such LEED Platinum business in the nation, as well as a “good chance” the BTI John Deere dealership on the east edge of town will likewise become the first Platinum implement dealership in the nation. (BTI’s Mike Estes later confirmed to The Signal that acquiring Platinum certification is something his company is “shooting for”, especially in the wake of Deere having recently gotten on board with the idea. “Now that they’ve (Deere) discovered what LEED is about they’re pushing for this,” Estes said.)
“This is about setting a new model for how we build communities and economies in the twenty-first century,” Berkebile said. “You’re on the verge of becoming the first climate-neutral community in America.”
Berkebile then mentioned plans for the future location of the Essential Technology Center in an “eco-industrial park” near Greensburg, which will “use a new process to convert solid waste to produce energy without combustion—something he referred to as a “new and emerging technology.”
Berkebile had been preceded by two faces of BNIM having become very familiar to Greensburg residents in recent months—planners Steve Hardy and Rachel Wedel—who led off their portion with a visually grabbing and emotionally gripping four-minute video set to stirring music that recounted the events of May 4 and ongoing efforts to recover from the devastation. Highlights of the video included:
*graphic footage from the immediate aftermath of the tornado’s havoc shot that same night;
*appearances of locals reacting to the devastation, such as USD 422 custodian Luke Derstein tearing up while asking, “Where is home now?”
*President Bush’s three-hour visit to the disheveled town May 9;
*a cameo appearance by Leonardo DiCaprio speaking of the significance of the town rebuilding in a sustainable manner;
*appearances and statements also by internationally renowned planner John Picard, Greensburg GreenTown’s Daniel Wallach and Governor Kathleen Sebelius;
*closing statement by Hewitt in which he says, “If you drive through our town now you can see the devastation clearly enough, but if you can dream a little bit you can see a lot of opportunities as well.”
Referring to Salina being home for both him and Wedel, Hardy responded to the video by saying, “This is one Salina boy and one Salina girl that is proud to e a part of this town’s rebirth.” The two ended their segment by commenting on priorities and presenting a brief slide show of drawings of how the town will likely look according to priorities established in the recently adopted Phase I of the Master Plan.
Other highlights…
*The aforementioned John Picard displayed his usual flair for dramatic rhetoric by referring to the ongoing recovery effort in Greensburg as an effort to “go into the world to protect nature and life-giving forces.” He then referenced Hewitt’s leadership in that effort by looking directly at the city administrator and gushing, “Steve, you are a hero,” prompting one of several standing ovations Hewitt received on the evening. “All of you are heroes,” Picard then told the crowd above the deafening applause.
Picard also referred to often feeling less than complete in his daily life, only to find himself renewed and invigorated by his trips to Greensburg. “When I go home from here I am completely happy,” Picard noted.
Picard later had a group of 11 notables who’d flown into Kansas with him come up and stand by his side, several of whom he referenced in vague terms.
To one he pointed, referring to him as being with “one of the biggest energy companies in the world.” Another was referenced as being associated with “a very big energy development company.”
One of the two summoned to join Picard at the podium, was referred to by name, but only his first—Eric—whom Picard mentioned as being with “one of the world’s largest commercial development companies.” Though “Eric” never spoke, his interest in building a plant in and enabling affordable development in Greensburg was referenced by Picard just before the two embraced.
Other commercial heads were referred to as being with a “huge water treatment company,” and “the biggest developer in the world.”
Again reverting to his visionary perspective, Picard told the crowd, “We’re going to rebuild this town green and then we rebuild this whole planet green,” again enlisting Greensburg as the springboard for an environmentally sensitive reordering of the international community.
Picard closed his segment by referring to five Greensburg High youth sitting in the second row, with whom he conferred before the meeting, and four of whom had attended the Green Building Conference held in Chicago last fall—a conference sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“What really matters is sitting in that second row,” Picard said, looking directly at the secondary students. “That’s what the future of this town is about.”
*Introduced by Picard, U.S. Green Building Council President Rick Fedrizzi took his turn at the mike, saying he was “stunned by the courage you (Greensburg residents) have to do what you’re doing. Rather than just putting up a roof over your head as quickly as you can (after the storm), you’ve taken a deep breath and looked ahead to the future…your commitment to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—standards of which were devised nearly a decade ago by Fedrizzi’s organization) and LEED Platinum (highest of four certified levels of environmentally friendly design) is stunning.”
Fedrizzi went on to way that while cities such as New York, Seattle and San Francisco have “made a commitment to LEED” none have “done so to the level you have.”
Stating Americans spend 90 percent of their time indoors, Fedrizzi cited statistics establishing health and human performance benefits of those operating in and living in homes and buildings meeting LEED certification standards.
Fedrizzi then likewise turned his attention to the five GHS students, four of whom—Levi Smith, Eric White, Conner Staats and Taylor Schmidt—he met at the Green Building conference his group held in Chicago last fall. While the fifth—Alexsis Fleener—did not make it to Chicago, she was present Wednesday as one of the members of the school’s Green Club.
All five were given opportunity to address the crowd at Fedrizzi’s invitation, who first referenced the youth by saying, “You are the luckiest community on the planet with these kind of honorable and intelligent youth among you.”
Levi Smith drew the biggest round of appreciative laughter when he gave the rationale for the club’s formation. “The reason we formed the Green Club is that we are the leaders of tomorrow,” Smith said. “I mean, that’s just a fact.”
Fleener mentioned some projects of the club, such as maintaining recycling bins around the temporary school campus and running a light bulb exchange where incandescent bulbs can be turned in for more efficient compact fluorescent versions. She also said the group is “working on a web site with articles by us on the meaning of green.”
Fedrizzi prompted delirious expressions of gratitude from the five when he announced his USGBC was providing scholarships for them to attend the next Green Build Conference to be held in Boston in November.
*Mayor John Janssen ended the evening by hinting he and the community had reached a pivotal turning point.
“We’re over the tornado, so to speak, because we have such a tremendous playing field before us that we can’t help but turn our attention to the future,” he said. “We lost ten good friends out of that storm, but we gained multitudes of opportunities at the same time. It’s to those we now turn our attention.”
