TREE FARM OFFERS
DALLAS VS. CENTRAL
PUMPKIN PATCH FOOTBALL
Page 7A
Volume 141, Issue 40
www.Polkio.com
Page 11A
October 5, 2016
$1.00
No easy answers for Dallas pool
Higher rates, foundation may provide additional revenue, easing funding dilema
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer file
The Dallas Aquatic Center hosts events, including the Kids Triathlon..
DALLAS — A staff review of Dallas
Aquatic Center operations found no
magic bullet to eliminate the city’s
subsidy of the facility that didn’t re-
quire more money from taxpayers
through an operating levy.
It did find ways to close the gap by
adjusting rates and establishing a
foundation to raise money for the
center.
Jason Locke, the city community
development director, presented his
report to the city’s administrative
committee, made up of five Dallas
city councilors, on Sept. 26. During
the 2016-17 budget process, the
council voted to have city staff look
into ways to reduce or eliminate the
city’s support of the facility.
Last year, the center covered 56
percent of its expenses and required
$388,000 in general fund support
from the city.
The task was given to the commit-
tee to make a recommendation
based on the report before the cre-
ation of the next fiscal year budget.
The report briefly touched on
adding amenities, such as a weight
or workout area; establishing more
community partnerships; advertis-
ing and sponsorships; and establish-
ing a contract with an outside or-
ganization to operate the center.
See POOL, Page 6A
IN
YOUR
TOWN
DALLAS
Dallas water and
sewer rates set to in-
crease.
»Page 6A
FALLS CITY
Falls City volleyball
defeats C.S. Lewis.
»Page 13A
INDEPENDENCE
Time flies when you’re having fun
running helps
Zachary Meyer find
peace with himself.
»Page 6A
Liane Moser celebrates three decades at the Independence library, rolling with changes
By Emily Mentzer
Western Oregon’s
volleyball team offers
glimpse of potential
against Vikings.
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Thirty
years have gone by fast for
Liane Moser, technical services
and outreach at Independence
Public Library.
“There’s a lot of ways it’s
changed, and lots of ways it’s
stayed the same,” she said.
“Basically, libraries are about
getting people the informa-
tion and the materials they
want, and that’s what we still
are doing. It’s the tools and
how we do that —– and the
scale (that has changed).”
Moser said she has to keep
on top of ever-changing
technology, but looks on the
bright side.
“You used to have some-
one want a book, and you
had no way to look and see
what other libraries had it,”
she said.
Rather than an online
search, a note would go with
a courier to the Monmouth
Public Library, where staff
would see if they had it.
See MOSEr, Page 5A
»Page 11A
SPOrTS
Dallas boys soccer
team looks to turn cor-
ner during league play.
»Page 12A
ELECTIONS
Monmouth council,
mayor candidates;
meet sheriff candidates.
»Pages 2A, 3A
Dallas earns
award from
LOC
Itemizer-Observer staff report
EMILy MENTZEr/Itemizer-Observer
Liane Moser, center, works with daughters Kristie and Sandy, who volunteer at the Independence Public Library.
Mental health joins deputies on duty
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Polk
County Deputy Jacob La-
Combe and crisis counselor
Jennifer Leonard were off
and running on their first
day working as partners.
The pair make up one of
two mobile crisis response
teams working in the
county, joining law en-
forcement with mental
health professionals to an-
swer calls involving people
in crisis.
During their first shift, on
Sept. 6, they responded to
two calls regarding people
in mental crisis, LaCombe
said.
The calls haven’t stopped
since, something LaCombe
said he expected based on
his experience working with
the sheriff ’s office since
2015.
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
MONMOUTH
He said there are a lot of
people deputies encounter
who are dealing with or
have experienced mental
illness.
“Having this team out
there to work with those
people, I think, is a huge
need,” he said.
Leonard and LaCombe
and their counterparts —
Salem Officer Omar DeMar-
co and crisis counselor Dar-
rell Burton based out of West
Salem — work with all Polk
County police agencies to
provide for the needs of
people through a mental cri-
sis.
Paid for through an 18-
month state grant, the teams
are equipped to provide im-
mediate assistance and may
keep people out of jail who
would be better served
through mental health serv-
ices.
See TEAM, Page 6A
wed
Test your Scrabble
skills against other
spelling enthusiasts
at the Independ-
ence Public Library’s
Scrabble with Betty.
1 p.m. Free.
Showers
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Lo: 46
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Omar DeMarco, left, Darrell Burton, Jennifer Leonard and Jacob LaCombe are Polk
County’s two new mobile crisis teams. They have been on patrol since September.
thu
Meet candidates
from HD 20, as well
as for council and
mayor from Mon-
mouth and Indy, at
a forum at WOU.
7-9 p.m. Free.
Showers
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Lo: 48
SALEM — The League
of Oregon Cities present-
ed the city of Dallas with
the “Helen and Alan Berg
Good Governance Award”
during its 91st Annual
Conference last weekend
at the Salem Convention
Center.
The award recognized
the city for its Citizen En-
gagement Initiative.
Created in 1998, the
Good Governance award
honors city programs that
connect citizens within a
community.
The city of Dallas citi-
zen initiative includes
several programs de-
signed to engage com-
munity members, in-
cluding the City Depart-
ment Expo, where com-
munity members visit
representatives from
each city department
and the city’s new “Tues-
days on the Square”
events.
The award also recog-
nized the city’s “Take a
Closer Look” marketing
campaign and the Citi-
zens’ Academy, a free
training in which elected
officials and city staff
showcase the functions
of city government.
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Friends of the Dallas
Library will host its
second book sale of
the year today and
tomorrow at the
civic center.
3-7 p.m. Free.
Got hazardous
waste? Dispose of it
free at the haz-
ardous waste collec-
tion event at
riverview Park.
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.
Take the morning
off from cooking
and support the
Buell Grange at
breakfast, located
just off Highway 22.
8-11 a.m. $6.
Lions meet Monday
at the Indy Elks
Lodge or the first
and third Thursdays
at Hong Kong
restaurant in Dallas.
Noon. Free.
The first 100 dogs at
Dallas Dog Days will
receive a free mi-
crochip when their
owners purchase
city dog licenses.
4-7 p.m. Free.
Cloudy
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Lo: 49
Cloudy
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Lo: 50
Mostly cloudy
Hi: 68
Lo: 49
Showers
Hi: 66
Lo: 50
Partly cloudy
Hi: 68
Lo: 51