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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 25, 2016)
CENTRAL, DALLAS, FALLS CITY AND PERRYDALE INVADE STATE TRACK AND Pages FIELD 10, 12A Volume 141, Issue 21 www.Polkio.com Alcalde resigns post as fire chief By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Al Alcalde submitted a 30-day resignation on April 25 of his position as fire chief for Polk Fire District No. 1. He started the job on Sept. 8, 2015. The fire board accepted the resignation at a special meeting after a 40-minute executive session. Alcalde said that in his eight months as fire chief, he hasn’t had a chance to get involved in the commu- nity because of an extended work schedule. “The board has been very supportive and look- ing for change in the agency,” Alcalde said. “As you are aware, it is very tough to work your way into a closed group.” Board chair Tom Snair said the resignation was not what the board wanted, but said that Alcalde didn’t turn out to be the best fit for the department. “It’s not something I’m particularly happy about,” he said. “Sometimes, when you get the shoe home, it doesn’t fit like it did in the store.” Snair said fire chiefs typi- cally stay three to four years, not just eight months. “Eight months wasn’t re- ally a fair time to give an evaluation,” Snair said. “It just kept coming to a boil.” Volunteers and full-time employees were unhappy with Alcalde, Snair said. Snair said Alcalde has agreed to work beyond the 30-day resignation to finish some tasks he started, in- cluding making sure Cen- tral School District build- ings were up to code and completing job descrip- tions for firefighters, some- thing the department has lacked for years. “He wanted to clean up the schools and make sure the safety violations are taken care of,” he said. Some people were work- ing outside their job de- scriptions, Snair said. He and the board hoped having more clarity would help people know exactly what they were expected to do. See ChiEf, pafe 6A May 25, 2016 $1.00 Bond fails at polls Voters say no to efforts to raise money for Dallas streets By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Voters voiced strong opposition to a 10- year, $10 million bond to re- pair residential streets in Dallas in the May 17 pri- mary. The proposal, Measure 27-119, suffered a 62 percent to 37 percent defeat, receiv- ing 2,998 “no” votes to 1,803 “yes” votes. “It’s a disappointing out- come,” said Dallas Mayor Brian Dalton. “I do believe this was our best and most appropriate way of dealing with a problem that’s grow- ing exponentially.” The city estimates it has a $15 million maintenance backlog on residential streets due to insufficient revenue coming from state highway appropriations and the federal gas tax. Revenue received from those sources pays for opera- tion of the entire street de- partment, which maintains not only streets, but sidewalks and street lights and pays for equipment and materials. Without adequate fund- ing, the city maintaining just high-traffic areas. Measure 27-119 Yes: 1,803 (38 percent) No: 2,998 (62 percent) For more election re- sults, see Page 2A Measure 27-119 would have been the first of a three- step process to solve the problem, which included im- plementing a fee to cover fu- ture maintenance and a sec- ond bond to fix the approxi- mately 11 miles of streets not covered with the first. Now, Dalton said the situ- ation will deteriorate. He said between 2010 and 2016, the cost to repair streets in- creased by $6 million. “That’s a pretty steep cliff we are approaching,” he said. “It’s getting worse.” He said kicking the more expensive burden into the future is damaging. “I think that we are eating the seed corn of the next generation,” he said. Dalton said he believed the campaign in support of the bond was well-organized and provided voters with in- formation via different sources, including a website, social media, live presenta- tions, print advertising, and door-to-door. That’s part of the reason he was so surprised by the margin of defeat. “I feel the voters had quite a bit of information,” Dalton said. “I don’t know what more we could have done.” Dalton said two citizens’ committees examined the issue and found the pro- posed plan to be the best option available. With its de- feat, the city will have to search for a plan B. City Manager Ron Foggin said leaders haven’t had an opportunity to hammer out how to move forward. He said he would like to find out more information about why the vote was so lopsided. “Understanding the ‘why’ part of it is really important,” Foggin said. Foggin added this is the second attempt the city has made to address streets, and second failure. “We need to look at how we communication the in- formation,” he said. “If we missed that, or there is some work to do on it, we need to figure out what we can do.” ‘Explore’ Polk County’s parks, cities With so much to do, where do you start? See Section C By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer EmIlY mENTzEr/ Itemizer-Observer Take a drive, hike or bike ride throufh the scenic pathways and roads in polk County. plan your next day trip or adventure now with Explore polk County, Section C. THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK POLK COUNTY — Inside, find the Itemizer-Observer’s Explore Polk County 2016, an annual publication taking a look at all the things the county has to offer visitors, residents and businesses. Some stories are simi- lar — covering our favorite parks, events and towns — this year we took a new look at the organization of things. Instead of trying to pack everything into geo- graphic locations, we put stories together based on recreation, communities, entertainment, living in Polk County, and festivals. Also this year, you may notice a higher quality in the printing. We hope you will consider keeping the maga- zine year-round. When guests visit, it makes the question, “What should we do today?” easy, and keeps things in quick driving dis- tance. Celebrating all things Polk County is something out- door enthusiasts, foodies, cyclists, wine tasters and members of Rogue Nation have been doing for years. Between the Willamette River and the Oregon Coast Range, Polk County has much to offer for visitors and residents alike. Campsites and bed and breakfasts offer lodging op- portunities for hikers explor- ing trails that loop through vineyards, hills, fields — and through towns. The county is ideal for birding, and not just at Bas- kett Slough Park. Ospreys and bald eagles make their nests near rivers that run through the county. Vineyards spot the coun- tryside, close enough to make a day of touring and tasting, but too many to see in just one afternoon. Inside Explore, we take a look at the wine industry in general, but in August, we will publish something new — a wine guide dedicated exclusively to Polk County’s vines. Polk County is rich in cul- ture with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde sharing their tribal heritage at the Chachalu Tribal Muse- um and Cultural Center, in addition to free powwows, a chance to see elaborate, tra- ditional costumes and watch professional Native Ameri- can dances. The county is home to world-class, destination trails for bicyclists, from a mountain bike vineyard loop to the Black Rock Mountain Bike area — and country roads winding past farms, old barns, and fruit and veg- etable stands. Even if touring the county by car, the dirt and rock roads that between fields can make it feel like you’re miles away from civilization rather than just minutes from a city. See ExplorE, pafe 6A IN YOUR TOWN DAllAS Dallas Family Night Out collects school sup- plies. »pafe 3A fAllS CiTY Annual Third of July Celebration canceled. »pafe 7A iNDEpENDENCE Couple honoring me- morial Day with a spe- cial CrossFit workout and fundraiser. »pafe 5A MoNMoUTh Western Oregon Uni- versity honors veterans with memorial Day pro- gram. »pafe 7A SporTS Dallas baseball and softball teams advance to the first round of the state playoffs. »pafes 10-11A EDUCATioN Eola Hills Charter School continues its search for a permanent home. »pafe 16A CoUNTY Incumbents win local elections. »pafe 2A Committee to hold final budget meeting itemizer-observer staff report POlK COUNTY — The Polk County Budget Com- mittee will hold its final budget hearing Wednes- day (today) at 10 a.m. in the conference room at the Polk County Courthouse. The meeting will include any changes or updates to the budget outlook for the 2016-17 fiscal year. Tentative approval was given in April to the $64.9 million total budget, an in- crease of 10 percent over the current budget. The general fund — the fund that contains budgets for such departments as the sheriff’s office and jail, dis- trict attorney, community corrections and assessor — comes in at $22.2 million, a 12 percent increase. Final approval by the Polk County Board of Com- missioners is slated for June. For more information: 503-623-8173. wed thu fri sat sun mon tue Step up to 4-H with the Polk County Ex- tension’s needle felting class today at the Extension office, 289 E. Ellendale Ave. 4-5 p.m. free. lightsabers and 1980s high school meet Shakespeare in Western Oregon’s production of Cym- beline. 7:30 p.m. $7-$12. Kick it old school at Guthrie Park’s acoustic jam ses- sion. musicians and listeners welcome. Donations accepted. 6:30-10 p.m. free. Find out what’s fresh at one of two Independence farm- ers markets, both easily accessed from downtown. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. free. Take in some art at river Gallery in downtown Inde- pendence and cele- brate the window artist of the month. 2-4 p.m. free. Happy memorial Day to our readers. See Page 7A for events honoring those who have fallen in battle. Our office will be closed. James2 Community Kitchen serves meals to all who are hungry each Tues- day at St. Philip Catholic Church. 4:30-6 p.m. free. Cloudy Hi: 64 Lo: 45 Cloudy Hi: 62 Lo: 45 Showers Hi: 63 Lo: 46 Mostly cloudy Hi: 64 Lo: 46 Partly sunny Hi: 69 Lo: 47 Sunny Hi: 72 Lo: 48 Sunny Hi: 74 Lo: 49