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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 18, 2015)
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 18, 2015 11A Polk County Living Be prepared in case of a cold snap Spring seems to have ar- rived early in western Ore- gon, but never count on the weather. Though this year is shaping up to be mild rather than wild, anything can hap- pen. There are still more than two months until April 15, when you can, on average, count on saying goodbye to frost, according to Al Shay, a horticulture professor at Oregon State University. “Certainly a cold snap down to 20 degrees in March will wreak havoc,” he said. “That kind of cold weather could bring an end to new growth, buds, flowers, or even the whole plant.” Watch the forecast, Shay advised. If you see the tem- perature is going to drop below 20 degrees, he recom- mends the following: • Cover plants you suspect will be damaged with an old sheet, tablecloth, woven row cover or sheet of plastic. Use stakes to prop the material over the plant and weigh K YM P OKORNY Your Garden down the edges with rocks, bricks or whatever you have on hand. The Willamette Val- ley is rated Zone 8 on the USDA hardiness scale, which means if you bought plants labeled Zone 8, they’ll be OK down to about 15 de- grees. • If you don’t know the hardiness of your plants but have lived in the same place for more than a couple of years, think back to which plants limped through win- ter and concentrate on those. Be sure to remove the material when the tempera- ture rises. • Pull potted plants into an unheated garage, base- ment, greenhouse, cold frame or similar site. Make sure it’s a place where the temperature stays above freezing. If you’ve no place indoors for plants, safeguard them by covering with ever- green boughs, straw or leaves. Securing a piece of bubble wrap or burlap around the pots also helps. Be quick to remove it once the weather warms. • Provide mulch for tender perennials, including hardy fuchsias, roses, clematis, salvia, some ferns, canna, agapanthus, and dahlias that are still in the ground. For extra protection on plants you particularly prize, use this trick: Assemble a tomato cage (the square, folding types are best) around it. Wrap burlap around the out- side of the cage and secure with bungee cords. Fill with straw or leaves. • Shake heavy snow off shrubs and trees to keep branches from breaking or bending. Leave snow at the base of plants, however, be- cause it insulates roots. • Remember to water. Even if it’s cold, plants need to be watered if they dry out. Pay special attention to those under eaves or large trees that don’t allow rain through. • Stalk slugs, which are al- ready sliming their way through the garden. Trap- ping or putting out bait now would be the ticket to keep them from taking over. Also, watch for other insects you’ve had trouble with in the past. If you catch them early, it’s possible to use less- toxic controls such as horti- cultural oils and soaps. • Sit tight. Don’t start planting or fertilizing just yet. Use a thermometer to check the soil temperature and wait until it reaches at least 50 degrees before planting cool-weather crops such as peas, greens, radish- es, cabbage and broccoli, and 70 degrees for warm- weather plants such as tomatoes, peppers, egg- plants and squash. MI TOWN We’ve all heard about the recent measles outbreaks in several states and parents have been advised to get their children immunized against disease — or have an exemption — if they haven’t already done so. Letters have gone out from schools and other care providers this month. Ore- gon law requires that all chil- dren in public and private schools, preschools, certified child care facilities and Head Start programs have up-to- date documentation avail- able or they can be excluded from school starting Wednes- day (today). If you have questions or concerns regarding vaccina- tions, call 211 for more infor- mation. Nobody can be turned away from a local health department if they do not have the ability to pay for required vaccines. The best way to keep your family healthy and to prevent the spread of these diseases is to P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist be sure your children are im- munized. — If you are among those who missed Central High School’s recent outstanding performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Okla- homa!” mark your calendars for Western Oregon Univer- sity Department of Theatre and Dance’s presentation of “Pride and Prejudice.” This novel of romance, so- ciety and coming of age for the five Bennet sisters has been adapted for the stage by Joseph Hanreddy and J.R. Sullivan, and is directed by David Janoviak, professor of acting/directing at WOU. I’m always impressed by the tal- ented young people in our community and try to not miss a performance. There will be eight pre- sentations of “Pride and Prejudice,” set in the early 1800s and written by Jane Austen. Performances are scheduled Feb. 26-28 and March 4-7 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee performance March 1 at 2 p.m. All per- formances will be held at Rice Auditorium, located on the WOU campus. Ticket prices are $12 adults (general admission); $10 for seniors; and $7 for students. There is no admission charge for WOU students with school ID. Tickets will be available at the box office at Rice Auditorium Monday through Friday from 12:30 until 4:30 p.m., and 1½ hours before each performance. — The Independence Elks Lodge is having its 60th birthday next month and everyone in MI Town and WEDDINGS Johnson-Beyer Megan Johnson of Dallas and Matthew Beyer of Dallas were married Nov. 15, 2014, at Green Villa Barn in Inde- pendence. Minister Greg Johnson officiated the ceremony. The bride is the daughter of Patty Johnson of Dallas and the late Randy Johnson. The groom is the son of Brian and Lynette Beyer of Keizer. Maid of honor was Cassie Johnson. Brides- maids were Kristy Sickel, Lindsy Weseman, Brandi Dooley and Justine De- Mauro. Junior brides- maid was Raelyn Mar- tinelli. Flower girl was Adoree Schryvers. Best man was Darren Beyer. Groomsmen were Travis Worden, Ethan Beyer, Kirk Hayden and Tanner Webster. Ring bearer was Zachary Martinelli. Megan is a 2004 graduate of Dallas High School. She re- ceived her associate degree in general studies in 2007 from Chemeketa Community College in Salem. She is employed as a utility worker for the city of Dallas. Matthew, a 2004 graduate of Salem Academy, attended Oregon State University in Corvallis. He is employed as a customer service representative for Industrial Welding Supply Inc. in Salem. The couple honeymooned at the Oregon Coast. They make their home in Dallas. MILITARY the surrounding area is wel- come to share in the celebra- tion. The festivities will begin on March 14, with dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. Cost is $15 per person, and the menu includes New York steak or stuffed chicken breast, salad, baked potato, vegetable and rolls, followed by birthday cake. If you are new to the area or haven’t visited the In- dependence Elks, this would be a great opportunity to discover the events and pro- grams right here in MI Town. — Both Central High School and Western Oregon Univer- sity athletes continue to do well during the winter sports season — the WOU men’s basketball team is even na- tionally ranked! — so support our local students if time al- lows by attending their events. A schedule for the up- coming week appears in the sports section of the Itemizer- Obsever on Page 12A. Deptula Lt. j.g. Tim Deptula of Monmouth is serving aboard the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), living and working at the Navy’s forward-deployed base south of Tokyo. Deptula, a 2007 graduate of Central High School, is a surface warfare officer aboard the destroyer operating out of Yokosuka, Japan, which is located approximately 35 miles south of Tokyo and accommodates the United States’ furthest forward-deployed naval forces.