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Willow Creek Earth Fair

Photos and story by Gina Whitehill-Baziuk

Don’t miss the grand opening of the С��è��ý Willow Creek Center – the first LEED Platinum certified building in Washington County! The Willow Creek Earth Fair is a family-friendly, free-admission event that celebrates С��è��ý’s commitment to both sustainable practices and serving the surrounding Hillsboro and Beaverton communities.

There’s no better way to commemorate Earth Day than to spend time in your neighborhood having fun and picking up tips on taking better care of our planet!

Earth Fair Event Details

The Willow Creek Earth Fair will feature fun activities for kids, hands-on demonstrations from eco-friendly С��è��ý classes, live entertainment, vendors from the Beaverton Farmers Market, tours of Willow Creek Center’s “green” features and much more.

Who: Open to the public – bring the whole family. (Admission is free, but don’t forget to bring cash for the farmers market. No ATM on site, sorry.)

When: April 24, 2010, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: С��è��ý Willow Creek Center, 241 SW Edgeway Drive, near SW 185^th and Baseline Road (on the MAX blue line)

What: Fun activities for kids and attractions for the whole family, including:

– Kids’ Interactive Garden with giant edible salad bowls

– Peat pot decorating – bring home your own pot with an organic vegetable plant!

– Face painting

– Fire truck and ambulance to explore

– Live music from Larry B. Wilder and the Stumptown Stars

– Food from Beaverton Farmers Market vendors (two weeks before the market officially opens!) – Zest Crepes, Rachel’s Classic Burgers, Canby Asparagus Farm (Mexican – specialties), The Pie Spot, Humdinger Kettle Corn and Pony Espresso

– Photo booth and community art project

– Tours of Willow Creek Center’s “green” features

– Blood pressure and vision checks

– Displays and demonstrations from С��è��ý’s eco-friendly and workforce training programs

– FREE shuttle service to the Rock Creek Earth Celebration

Why We Are Celebrating?

In addition to being LEED Platinum certified, Willow Creek Center is the first public building to be completed as part of the voter-approved С��è��ý Bond Program, which is bringing greater access to С��è��ý services throughout the college district. The 100,000-square-foot center houses programs for unemployed and underemployed people, as well as GED classes and training for certified nursing assistants, medical assisting and emergency medical services.

Willow Creek’s Green Features

LEED Platinum certification is the highest level of LEED certification that a building can attain. LEED – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is an internationally recognized green building certification system developed by the U.S. Green Council. LEED provides third-party verification that a building was designed and built with an eye on energy savings, water efficiency, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, improved indoor environmental quality and more. С��è��ý Willow Creek Center’s green features include:

Water:

– Rain is collected from the roof and stored in a 15,000-gallon storage tank to be used for waste conveyance. Three interactive poles rise and fall with the level of the water in the storage tank. This reduces potable water use by 50 percent.

– Surface run-off is channeled into a bioswale and is treated before returning it to the watershed.

– Solar-powered, low-flow faucets in the bathrooms make enough energy to operate the fixtures’ motion sensors.

Lighting:

– Digital lighting controls respond to daylight sensors and conserve energy by balancing artificial light with natural light. This creates a 50 to 60 percent reduction of energy used in lighting.

– High ceilings increase the amount of daylight let into the building.

Energy:

– High performance envelopes and solar shades reduce heat during the summer months.

– A 106 kw solar panel array produces 7.5 percent of the total energy used by the building.

– An energy-efficient hydronic HVAC system sends a water loop to terminal units in each zone of the building, so specific zones are heated and cooled only as needed.

Transportation:

– The building is located at the Willow Creek Transit Center, providing easy access to five bus lines and Max blue line.

– Ample bike parking and an onsite changing facility provide further encouragement for alternative transportation.