MEDICAL WESTERN OREGON’S DIRECTORY Section C PITCH PERFECT Page 10A Volume 140, Issue 14 www.Polkio.com 75¢ April 8, 2015 IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS NEWS Thursday Dallas High School’s brightest acting and technical theater performers will test their skills against the state’s best at the Oregon Thespi- ans State Festival in Salem. This year, Dallas’ contingent consists of three stu- dents: Selena Harris, Rachel Tilgner and Alicia Scherer. The partnership between Harris and Tilgner arose from DHS drama teacher Blair Cromwell’s suggestion. She saw something in their work ethic that made her think they make a good match. »Page 17A FALLS CITY NEWS JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Dallas High School’s crowded hallways will become the norm with decreasing school budgets. NOT ENOUGH? State 2015-17 school budget comes up short By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — One Polk County school district will be making cuts while others should keep programs in- tact, but not much else with the 2015- 17 school’s budget now awaiting Gov. Kate Brown’s signature. The Oregon Senate passed the budg- et Monday afternoon in the amount of $7.255 billion, about $600 million more than in the current biennium. The House voted last week to ad- vance the budget, contained in House Bill 5017. Both cham- bers voted on party Thompson lines, with Democrats supporting the proposal and Republi- cans asking for more. School leaders from across the state asked for more, too. Falls City Superintendent Jack Thompson described the $7.255 billion biennial budget as “a slap in the face to education.” He said the state began what he thought was reinvesting in ed- ucation in the current two-year budget. To him, it was like being taken off life support, but now he believes the state has taken a step backward. “We will be on life support again,” he said. “I will be able to maintain exactly what I have, less any pay raises. If it goes through at $7.255 billion, I will have to make some cuts.” That isn’t considering a long list of programs that had to be eliminated, deferred maintenance projects on buildings, forgone equipment purchas- es, and athletic uniforms in need of re- placement. “It saddens me. It does,” Thompson said. “I have higher hopes for Oregon than what we are providing our kids.” In other school districts, the figure probably won’t result in cuts, but cer- tainly not much in the way of hoped- for program expansions. In Dallas, the district will be able to pay for full-day kindergarten, though not with as much classroom support as originally planned for. The newly re- vived electives at LaCreole Middle School should stay. “We believe we will be able to con- tinue programs that we have,” said In- terim Superintendent Dennis Engle. School officials had hoped to see a figure closer to $7.5 billion. “We would feel much better and be able to continue supports into the sec- ond year (of the biennium) and per- haps consider adding back some of what was lost,” Engle said. That would have been the case in Central School District, as well, if the figure had been higher. Superintendent Buzz Brazeau said the district has bene- fited from enrollment growth and changes to the formula used t o c a l c u l a t e h ow much money districts receive for students, so it won’t be making cuts. Brazeau said if Brazeau more funding was on the way, the district would have con- sidered adding to foreign languages, a marketing program at Central High School and programs such as FBLA and DECA that were eliminated when cuts began. “Unfortunately, at this funding level we will not be able to do those things,” he said. Perrydale Schools are in a unique position of being able to add some- thing back into its budget. Superinten- dent Eric Milburn said it’s not a huge increase — the agricultural teacher/FFA adviser post will be in- creased from part-time to full-time — but it’s part of a long-held goal to ex- pand the program. See BUDGET, Page 5A More background checks not the answer Come football season, the Falls City Mountaineer faithful purple and gold-clad fan base will brave any weather conditions to see its favorite team play. But beginning next season, that will be a little easier, as work building a cover over the bleachers at the Falls City High School football field will be underway shortly, if it hasn’t already begun. Last week, the lumber was delivered to build the cover, one of the final steps in a project that has been on the district’s to-do list for a number of years. »Page 3A INDEPENDENCE NEWS Whether opening a new business or honing skills to run a long-standing one, a pep talk can be helpful. Promote Enterprising Performance workshops are back at Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce starting Tuesday. The series of six semi- nars will cover everything from developing and building a budget to marketing to fundraising. “The concept is to provide information, best practices, tips, things of that nature, to help busi- nesses and organizations in our community,” said Jean Love, executive director of the chamber. »Page 2A MONMOUTH NEWS Since April 1, four candidates for Western Ore- gon University’s next president have been on cam- pus visiting with students, faculty, staff and the community. Fernando Delgado, Christopher Ames, Margaret Madden and Rex Fuller each spent time in open fo- rums and answered questions about how they would shape the future of WOU. See daily coverage on open forums on the Itemizer-Observer’s website. A decision on the president should be made by Friday, with an announcement to be made by Mon- day or Tuesday. »www.polkio.com Sheriff, gun dealers speak out against SB 941 proposals By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — Gener- ally speaking, criminals don’t pay much attention to laws, including gun laws. “Guns that are used in crimes are typically either stolen or they’ve taken it from somebody without permission,” said Sheriff Bob Wolfe. Senate Bill 941 calls for background checks on pri- vate party transfers — that is, one individual selling a gun to another — but will do THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK nothing to make the com- munity safer, Wolfe said in a letter to Sen. Floyd Prozanski and the Senate Committee on Judiciary, which passed the bill Monday, sending it to the Senate for a vote. “It would simply add re- quirements and unneces- sary laws for our law-abid- ing citizens, which ultimate- ly would waste time and limited resources which could be better utilized ad- dressing the bigger issue: mental health issues and crimes committed by indi- viduals while using a gun,” Wolfe said in the letter. Under the proposal, pri- vate citizens would have to appear at a licensed gun dealer in person with both the person who wants to buy the gun and the person who wants to sell it. The gun dealer would be responsible for conducting the background search on the buyer to ensure he or she is not a felon or has a history of violent mental illness. The proposed measure makes exceptions for family members, law enforcement, inherited firearms and cer- tain temporary transfers. Gun laws about back- ground checks are already extensive. Each time some- one wants to buy a gun, a new background check is conducted, said Bryan Jobe, co-owner of Fifty1Fifty3 Tac- tical in Monmouth. “If someone consigns a weapon with us, it’s their g u n , t h e y ’re s e l l i n g i t through us,” Jobe said. “If they change their mind, we have to do a background check to give them their gun back.” See GUNS, Page 5A POLK COUNTY NEWS Polk County’s tentatively approved 2015-16 budget is a “tale of three budgets,” according to County Administrator Greg Hansen. “This budget is much better from a fiscal stand- point than what we’ve had in the past,” he said while delivering his budget message March 30, at the beginning of four days of budget hearings. “No layoffs are proposed in this budget.” But as Hansen characterized it, there are three distinct components to what will end up being the county spending plan for 2015-16. »Page 2A wed thu fri sat sun mon tue Learn how to care for those blueberry bushes at a Master Gardener workshop at Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas. 7 p.m. Free. Check out Eric Loftin’s new exhibit, “Mind the Gap,” at an artist reception at MaMere’s Bed and Breakfast. 5-7 p.m. Free. Fiddlers take the stage at the Oregon Old Time Fiddlers Association’s Fiddle and Variety show in Rickreall. 6:30 p.m. $3-$6. The final show of the 2014-15 Smith Fine Arts Series fea- tures Jose James and the Metropole Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. $11-$28. What’s new in home and garden? Find out at Spirit Moun- tain Casino’s Home & Outdoor show’s “outdoor paradise.” Noon-7 p.m. Free. Get inspired by the watercolor, ink and drawing artworks of Charlotte Lamb on display at Dallas Public Library. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Today is National Dolphin Day. Dol- phins live in pods of up to a dozen and are highly sociable animals. Mostly sunny Hi: 59 Lo: 38 Mostly sunny Hi: 66 Lo: 40 Mostly sunny Hi: 63 Lo: 42 Showers Hi: 55 Lo: 38 Showers Hi: 56 Lo: 37 Mostly sunny Hi: 59 Lo: 40 Showers Hi: 59 Lo: 35