Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 4, 2015 11A
Polk County Living
BIRTHS
MI TOWN
Looking out the window
upon the beginnings of what
should be a glorious day of
sunshine and blue skies
overhead, reality (accompa-
nied by the upcoming
weather forecast) tells me
that raindrops may be falling
all over MI Town before this
week’s Itemizer-Observer hits
print.
Whatever the case may
be, we’ve sure had a wonder-
ful break in the usual winter
doldrums and many oppor-
tunities to think about the
days to come.
Seed and plant catalogues
are everywhere online and in
mailboxes. I saw my first lit-
tle purple violet along the
front walk last week, and the
daffodils look ready to burst
forth in glorious bright color.
Don took advantage of the
beautiful day and mowed the
lawns, vowing yet again to
remove a certain old apple
tree that threatens to impede
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
his progress.
—
Punxsutawney Phil was
poked and prodded from his
warm and cozy den on Mon-
day for Groundhog Day, and
all of those weather gurus
speculated whether we have
six additional weeks of win-
ter or if an early spring is on
the horizon. I’m not in any
big hurry to try on the latest
in spring and summer fash-
ions quite yet. No matter
what Phil’s weather friends
have to say, we’ll have days
and weeks of bundling up
before we venture outdoors
in shorts and T-shirts.
—
Whether Punxsutawney
Phil saw his shadow — or
not — the best way to warm
up this Saturday morning is
to enjoy the community
breakfast at the Monmouth
Senior Center. Servings are
generous and are sure to
please — pancakes, scram-
bled eggs, sausage, and bis-
cuits and gravy are served,
along with juice, coffee and
tea. The hours are 8:30 to
10:30 a.m., and the cost is $6
for adults and $3 for kids
under 12. See you there.
—
MI Town author and my
neighbor, Scott McArthur,
will speak about “Three Un-
usual Parts of Monmouth
Past” at the Monmouth Sen-
ior Center’s February potluck
lunch on Feb. 13. All seniors
(over age 50) are welcome to
attend what should be a fun
and interesting afternoon.
Lasagna will be the main
dish. The potluck begins at
noon, followed by the pro-
gram at 1 p.m. Attendees are
asked to bring a salad, bread,
veggie or dessert to share.
—
Graduation statistics for
Oregon high schools were
recently released by the De-
partment of Education, and
while the results show some
improvement over last year,
there is plenty of room for
improvement.
Central High School infor-
mation showed a graduation
rate of 73 percent (last year’s
stats were 68.7 percent),
while Dallas was 66 percent
(52 percent last year), Falls
City 50 percent (20 percent
last year) and Perrydale 87
percent (90 percent last year).
The statewide graduation
rate was 73 percent, and in-
cluded students with modi-
fied diplomas as well as
those attending a fifth year
in order to take advantage of
college credits offered.
PEDEE NEWS
Betty Forry celebrated
turning 102 on Jan. 19 —
Martin Luther King Day —
with a drive down Kings Val-
ley Highway to see the wind
damage from a previous
storm, then on to McGrath’s
in Corvallis to have a dinner
of scallops with her daugh-
ter, June Clark.
Then on Jan. 21, a bou-
quet arrived fresh and moist
from Hawaii, including an-
thuriums, Tropic Fleur Heli-
conia, gingers, orchids and
Hawaiian foliage. She does
like to remember the many
trips she and her husband
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
took to Hawaii, land of
warmth and beauty.
—
Dallas High School senior
Paige Cochrane, daughter of
Mickey and Debbie
Cochrane, received the good
news that she has been ac-
cepted at Willamette Univer-
sity in Salem, where she will
possibly study law. She’s an
outstanding student who
was a cheerleader last fall
and just finished an intern-
ship at West Valley Hospital
in Dallas.
—
Pedee Church just padded
their pews — which makes a
lot of people happy. They’re a
deep purple to complement
the carpeting. On Jan. 25,
several members and friends
of the church gathered to
plan Thursday night events,
as that time has been very
popular to get together, have
a meal and participate in var-
ious activities such as jam-
ming, learning new skills like
crochet and quilting, and vis-
iting. Prayer time is at 5 p.m.,
dinner is at 6 and most activ-
ities start at 7. I haven’t made
it before 7, but did learn to
crochet. Coming up is a class
about selling on eBay.
—
Sam Guida’s funeral will
be March 7 at 11 a.m. at
Pe d e e C h u rc h , w i t h a
potluck lunch following.
Check out his obituary in the
Jan. 28 Itemizer-Observer if
you missed it.
Arnold
Grant Edward Arnold was born to Jason and Theresa
Arnold of Dallas at 5:27 a.m. on Dec. 9 at Good Samaritan
Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.
He weighed 10 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 23 inches
long.
Grant joins Paige, 22 months.
Grandparents are Jay and Betsy Arnold of Dallas and
Marty Warner of Independence.
Ojeda
Genevieve Millianne Ojeda was born to Salvador and
Rachael Ojeda of Independence at 4:43 a.m. on Jan. 12 at
Salem Hospital Family Birth Center.
She weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces, and was 20 inches
long.
Genevieve joins Vivianne, 5.
Grandparents are Shane Skinner of Cathlamet, Wash.,
Dawna Tews of Independence, and Erasmo and
Guadalupe Macias of Independence.
Brown
Myla Zoe Brown was born to Travis and Rachel Brown of
Turner at 4:38 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Salem Hospital Family
Birth Center.
She weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 20 inches
long.
Myla joins Lola, 4.
Grandparents are Bob and Paula VanElverdinghe of Dal-
las, David and Tammy Lantis of Veneta, and Victor and
Lynn Brown of Turner.
Great-grandparents are Bob and Gloria VanElverdinghe
of Dallas.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Itemizer-Observer publishes engagement, wedding, an-
niversary (in five-year increments starting with the 25th), birth,
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nouncements for their community news value. The deadline for
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the following Wednesday’s edition.
Announcement forms are available online at www.polkio.com
or by visiting the Itemizer-Observer office at 147 SE Court St. in
downtown Dallas.
Photographs may accompany engagement, wedding, an-
niversary and milestone birthday announcements. They should
be submitted at the same time as the announcement.
Announcements, like all news printed in the Itemizer-Observ-
er, are subject to editing for style, content and length.
Individuals who desire a customized announcement should con-
tact an Itemizer-Observer advertising representative at 503-623-2373.
Location key when choosing spot for houseplants
Gardeners hear it often
enough: right plant, right
place.
It’s a fundamental rule of
gardening, said Heather
Stoven, a horticulturist with
Oregon State University’s Ex-
tension Service, and one that
applies to houseplants just
as much as outdoor ones.
“Make sure you buy for lo-
cation,” she said. “That will
help solve many problems
that can come down the
road.”
In Stoven’s office, a tropi-
cal-looking anthyrium
thrives in a south-facing
spot with bright but indirect
light, where it gets very
warm in summer. Across the
room, a peace lily looks just
fine in a cooler, darker spot.
Both are where they do best.
If they weren’t, problems
could range from burned or
yellowed foliage, dropped
leaves and death. Environ-
K YM
P OKORNY
Your
Garden
mental stress sets a plant up
for aggravation from pests
and diseases. Keep it healthy
with appropriate light expo-
sure, watering schedule and
temperature, Stoven said,
and insects and pathogens
are less likely to attack.
Figuring out what is what
when it comes to lighting
can give a person fits. Usual-
ly, you can rely on direction-
al clues. A window facing
south receives the most in-
tense sun, west and east ex-
posures rank in the middle
and a north-facing window
is considered low light.
Be cautious not to put
plants too close to or touch-
ing a window, where tem-
perature variations and cold
drafts can damage leaves.
Heating vents and fireplaces,
should be avoided, too.
In winter, Stoven recom-
mends plants be watered
lightly only when the potting
mix is dry. Check by sticking
your finger into the soil up to
the second knuckle. Or pick
the pot up; if it’s light, the
plant needs water. Be sure to
use containers with drain
holes in the bottom, other-
wise water will settle at the
bottom and cause root rot.
Over-watering kills more
plants than under-watering,
she noted.
“There’s very little to do
once a plant gets root rot,”
Stoven said. “Unless it’s a
well-beloved plant, it could
be better to put up the white
flag.”
Plants can do without fer-
tilizer from November
through March when the
plant isn’t actively growing,
she said. In other times of
the year, feed in moderation
with a slow-release fertilizer
in granules, tablets or stakes,
which will last two or three
months, or a liquid version
every other week or accord-
ing to directions.
If you notice burning on
the tips of leaves or a white
crust on top of the potting
soil, you’re most likely fertil-
izing too much.
Indoor plants can get
pests and diseases just like
any other plant, Stoven said.
The dreaded three are
aphids, mealy bugs and
mites. Aphids are most fa-
miliar with their little green
bodies and usually congre-
gate on the undersides of
leaves. The white wax cover-
ing their body and egg sacs
that give them a cottony ap-
pearance distinguish mealy
bugs. Mites, of course, will
be quite small and are often
hard to see with the naked
eye, but speckles left from
their feeding can give the
plant a bronzed or yellow
look. In the worst-case sce-
nario, you’ll see webbing on
leaves.
If pests invade, snipping
off infested stems and leaves
can help control the spread
of insects. Then wash plants
off with a spray of water. Be
sure to spray undersides of
leaves as well. Stoven doesn’t
recommend using most
chemicals for indoor plants,
but said horticultural oils or
soaps are a good option if
you follow the directions.
You can also target pests di-
rectly with a wipe of alcohol
on a cotton swab and then
rinse with water.
But prevention is always
the soundest policy.
“The best thing to do to
manage any pest,” she said,
“is not to bring them into
your home in the first place.
Check plants carefully when
you buy them. And, if you
take them outside during the
growing season, when you
bring them back in, check
again.”
Stoven suggests these
houseplants for use in differ-
ent lighting situations:
• Low light: pothos*, snake
plant, lucky bamboo.
• Low to medium light:
peace lily *, dracaena *.
• Medium light: weeping
fig or ficus, African violet,
Boston fern, dumb cane *.
• Bright, indirect light: an-
thyrium *, spider plant, palm.
• Bright light: schefflera,
rubber tree, succulents,
cacti.
* — If you have kids or
pets, pass on these poisonous
plants or keep out of reach.
Did the stork visit you in 2014?
BABIES OF 2014
in Full Color!
Gemma Hawkins
Born Sept. 17, 2014
Baby’s Full Name ________________________________________
Showcase your little one with
his or her photo, birthdate and
names of proud parents.
Only babies born in 2014 are
candidates for BABIES OF 2014.
All babies submitted will appear
in a special full color section of
the Itemizer Observer on
February 25, 2015.
Please mail or drop off the form
at right, a photo and $25.00 to
our office by February 19th prior
to 2:00 p.m. (The photo may be
picked up after publication).
If you have any questions, please
call Dawn at 503-623-2373.
CLIP THIS FORM
(Please print clearly.)
Birthdate
______________________________________________
Birth Place ______________________________________________
Parent’s Name __________________________________________
Phone # ________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________
Remember to bring in a photo! Cost is only $25.00
!
Mom! Dad !
ts
Grandparen
Bring in
a photo!
All babies will
be entered into
a drawing for
FREE PRIZES from
area merchants!
will
All photos d DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 19
PUBLISH: FEBRUARY 25
be publishe
in color!
Itemizer-Observer
147 SE COURT ST. • DALLAS • 503-623-2373