A fascination with planes

Jack Caldwell, right, proudly smiles with his plane at the City of Ferndale’s Paper Airplane Derby on Saturday, Feb. 4. His dad said that Jack has always had a fascination with planes. Tables were spread throughout Pioneer Pavilion, each with a set of instructions to create di erent models of paper planes of varying skill levels. Community members could be seen at tables working together to create paper feats of engineering. It was the first parks event of the year.Far left, 12-year-old Holden Tramonta. Left, 4-year-old Bennett Daniel. (Sarah McCauley/Ferndale Record)

Complaint: Filed by applicant

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Button titled her complaint “prohibition of harassment, intimidation and bullying.” e complaint, which the Ferndale Record received a copy of from Button, is dated Jan. 28. Before the Jan. 31 meeting, Alejandre told the board in a letter that what she wants for the students at Ferndale is a “safe place to learn.”

“I reached out to ask others to write because I want to believe the vocal group of people who come out and speak at every board meeting do not hold the beliefs of the majority,” Alejandre said. “We are all entitled to our personal beliefs, but when your personal beliefs are so at odds with the system’s guiding principles, the system will not grow and thrive.”

Regarding her complaint, Button said at the Jan. 31 meeting that she was “advised to go through the local process rst.”

“ at is what I am doing here today,” Button said. “If we can reach a satisfactory solution to my complaint,

I will have no need to take this any further.”

In Button’s formal ethics complaint, which she shared with the Ferndale Record, she listed several requirements that she would like to see met. However, Button said during the meeting that her rst expectation “is that a certain board member recuse herself from having any say in the selection of a new board member.” at member, Button said, was Melinda Cool. Button listed in her complaint what she called several “justi able actions” to “avoid potential litigation.”

Near the end of the meeting, Cool apologized “for the tone of voice that I used in addressing my fellow board members.”

“I would like to also apologize for my primary rebuttal to (Peggy Uppiano’s) argument in favor of a candidate,” Cool said. “ at primary rebuttal, in hindsight, I think I could have, as a group, called attention to the emails but not necessarily summarized what was in the emails.”

After Button’s comments, 12 other community members addressed the board. Some supported Button, some asked the board to meet the requirements laid out in her complaint. Others supported the board.

Mike Ford was the nal speaker of the public comment period. Ford shared that his three children graduated from Ferndale High School a few years ago now, but that he felt motivated to attend the meeting after watching the public comment at the Jan. 24 meeting.

“One of the things I so appreciate is the in uence that this school district has had on my kids,” Ford said. “ is last month I watched the school board meeting from December. One part was very disappointing, and one part I was very

Board

proud of. What I was disappointed with were some of the public comments and how disrespectful they were to this amazing team … so I just want to encourage you to keep going.” e board reviewed Policy 1400 which encompasses meeting conduct, order of business and quorum. e board has presented revisions to the policy at the November meeting, and it was before the board for approval at the Jan. 31 meeting. ese revisions can be viewed through the school’s website. e Ferndale School Board also addressed the following:

However, after discussion, the board decided it would be best to put the revisions on the regular agenda for the February meeting so the public can weigh in on additional revisions that were made during the meeting.

Revisions included changing wording to ensure the guidelines around who is allowed to participate in public comment is fair.

• e board met with legal representative Sam Chalfant to ask questions and clarify how he can support them.

• Reorganization of the school board is postponed until the next school board meeting.

• e board was presented with signs of appreciation from students for School Board Appreciation Month.

• Superintendent Kristi Dominguez shared with the board that the academic wing of the new high school is open and she said it was a highlight for her to walk in with a sta member who was getting to see students experiencing the new commons for the rst time.

-- Contact Sarah McCauley at sarah@lyndentribune. com.