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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2015)
Polk County News 14A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 7, 2015 SCHOOL NOTES Chemeketa to dedicate building SALEM — Chemeketa Community College will dedicate a two-building complex at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. The building is the inal project paid for through a 2008 voter-approved construction bond levy. The complex combines oices and instructional space for Chemeketa’s drafting, engineering, machining and welding programs. The dedication event will feature a formal ribbon cut- ting, tours and demonstrations. All are welcome. For more information: chemeketa.edu. Career center open at Central High INDEPENDENCE — Central High School ofers help in Room 114, connecting students to resources to move forward after high school. Students may go to the room for help formulating plans for after high school. Several colleges are scheduled to visit the col- lege and career center, have campus tours available and pro- vide resources to help students with applications. For more information: “Central High School — In the Know.” Drive By Press to present at WOU EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Kindergarteners at Independence Elementary School enjoy an apple a day, grown locally at Riverwood Orchard. Farm to school is cool By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Kindergarteners filed in for lunch at Independence Ele- mentary School on Monday, excited for pork chops, ham sandwiches and fresh apples from Riverwood Orchard, in Monmouth. Thanks to additional money from the Oregon Legislature, Nutrition Direc- tor Mike Vetter will be able to purchase more Oregon products without eating into his regular food services budget. The money available through a noncompetitive grant process is about $3.5 million, said Kim Hanson, food systems project man- ager for Marion-Polk Food Share, and a proponent of the program. “It’s based on meals served,” Hanson said. EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer A girl eagerly chooses an apple to complete her meal of pork chops at lunch at IES on Monday. The money was more than Vetter was expecting, allowing him to buy some extra, usually more expen- sive items such as freeze- dried cinnamon apples from Oregon Freeze Dry in Al- bany. “We tried them out last week and they went over very well,” Vetter said of the apples. “I took a sample of them and I couldn’t stop eat- ing them.” Exposing children to foods such as freeze-dried apples shows them that eat- ing healthfully doesn’t mean skimping on nutrients or taste. The freeze dried process makes the apples crunchy, not chewy like dehydration. Also, Vetter said nutrients are not lost in processing. Vetter, who is the food services director for Falls City and Dallas school dis- tricts in addition to Central, said he will be able to take the money and buy more local foods for each district. “It has to be a win-win for both parties,” he said. “It has to be good for (the farmer), and it has to be good for me. I don’t want to bankrupt the farmer.” Vetter is working on get- ting locally grown table grapes added to the lunch menu, and now has the op- portunity to explore purchas- ing other fruits and vegeta- bles from Oregon farmers. MONMOUTH — Drive By Press will visit the art department at Western Oregon University on Wednesday (today) for a day of activities open to the community. Drive By Press is a national traveling organization that pro- motes the practice and appreciation of printmaking as an art form. The day will begin in Campbell Hall 104 from 9 to 10 a.m. with a lecture on the history of printmaking. From 10 to 11 a.m., a traveling portfolio of original contem- porary prints will be on display. Starting at 12:30 p.m., a mobile printing press will be set up in the sculpture court behind Campbell Hall. Bring a light-colored T-shirt and $10 to have an original woodblock printed onto it. Button is ‘Distinguished Educator’ DALLAS — Whitworth Elementary School physical education teacher Craig Button was named the September Distinguished Educator on Sept. 25. His nominators were students from Mrs. Ackerman’s fourth-grade class, Amy McFar- land, former colleague at Whitworth Elemen- tary, and Sheila Myers, parent of two stu- dents in Button’s PE class. “He has awesome activities like glow in the dark dodge ball and pogo sticks,” said Button’s students when nominating him. Others added: “He teaches students good sports etiquette and the importance of Button being physically it.” The Distinguished Educator Program recognizes “excellence in teaching and learning” in Dallas School District schools. DHS junior receives state honors DALLAS — Emily Roberts, a junior at Dallas High School, won three titles in the Washington State Convention, a rabbit breed- er’s convention. Competing in the “queen division,” Roberts won three indi- vidual titles. Roberts also recently returned from competition in Ohio’s American Cavy Breeders Association Specialty. She was crowned Nation Queen for the second year in a row. Roberts, a member of DHS FFA and Polk County 4-H, is now preparing for the American Rabbit Breeder’s National Conven- tion in Portland Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. Your local library: a great place to spend some time.