16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 22, 2015
Polk County Education
SCHOOL NOTES
BPA offers grants in science/energy
POLK COUNTY — The Bonneville Power Administration will
offer grants in science and energy education to nonprofit organi-
zations, schools and others in support of work to educate students
in grades K-12 about energy systems of the Pacific Northwest.
Funded projects could focus on hydroelectricity, wind and
other sources of electric power, methods of conserving electricity,
or studies of energy and environment, for example.
Applications for project funding are due May 8. Funding will
be awarded in June.
For more information: 503-230-5131 or www.bpa.gov.
From left, Daniel
Torres, Matthew
Peyton and Kyle
Reed stand in the
dump truck filled
with ivy after their
class finished
pulling the invasive
species at Ritner
Creek Park. Two
classes spent five
hours helping clear
ivy in partnership
with Luckiamute
Watershed Council.
Perrydale auction tickets on sale
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
LVCS students help clean park
Middle schoolers work with watershed council to tackle ivy
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
PEDEE — Luckiamute Val-
ley Charter School seventh-
grader Chris Seiber wore his
favorite pants to school on
April 14. That was a mistake.
By the afternoon, he was
covered in mud — along
with the rest of his class.
Dodging rain and hail, LVCS
seventh- and eighth-graders
helped staff from the Luckia-
mute Watershed Council
(LWC) remove invasive ivy
from Ritner Creek Park on
Gage Road near Pedee.
“You should have made
the announcement sooner,”
Seiber said to teacher Steve
Diehl, referring to the warn-
ing about attire for the after-
noon’s project.
Diehl reminded Seiber
that the school did, in fact,
provide enough notice for
the kids to plan. But Seiber
didn’t seem to mind much;
the mud was for a good
cause, after all.
“I love to help people,”
Seiber said as he pulled on a
stubborn piece of ivy hang-
ing from a tree in the park.
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Seth Ellingsworth helps Robbie Phillips pull ivy away
from a tree on April 14 at Ritner Creek Park. LVCS stu-
dents removed the ivy as a community service project.
“Ivy looks natural, but it
would be much nicer if there
were flowers or other plants
growing here.”
Suzanne Teller, LWC’s out-
reach specialist who organ-
ized the work party, couldn’t
agree more.
Ivy had taken over the
park on one side of the creek
and had jumped the bound-
ary onto private property.
Teller and the two classes
spent five hours working in
two shifts clearing the ivy —
which means raking it, clip-
ping it and pulling it off the
ground and out of trees.
“As you can see, it’s the
carpet around here,” Teller
said, pointing to the ivy-in-
fested ground. “We are really
lucky it stayed on this side of
the creek.”
Covered in mud and
wielding rakes and clippers,
the students made the most
of the soggy day. They cut
the ivy out of trees as high as
they could reach, as well as
have clearer space around
trees to keep it from growing
back. Teller said the rest will
die and fall to the ground.
On the ground level, they
raked the ivy loose and
pulled it out.
“Even though we are on
them to keep working,
they’re actually doing pretty
well,” Diehl said. “Our school
has been trying to look for
community projects to get
involved in.”
Once the students were
finished with the manual
labor, the area will be
sprayed with herbicides in
See IVY, Page 15A
PERRYDALE — Tickets are now on sale for Perrydale Parent’s
Club annual dinner and auction, slated for May 16.
This year’s dinner will be built around the theme “Taste of Italy.”
Proceeds from the annual event support school activities, such as
field trips, educational assemblies and career exploration oppor-
tunities for students. PPC also has assisted with upgrades in the
school’s science lab and purchasing playground equipment.
Auction and dinner tickets are on sale online at www.perry-
daleparentsclub.com or in the school office for $22 per person or
$160 for a table of eight. The deadline to purchase tickets is May 12
For more information: Perrydale School, 503-623-2040.
Community health fair is Thursday
INDEPENDENCE — Talmadge Middle School will host its ninth
annual Biannual Community Health Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. on
Thursday in the gymnasium and cafeteria.
The event is open to the community and will include interac-
tive health exhibits, dental and medical information, and fitness
and recreation booths. The Central Lions Club will check people’s
vision and blood pressure, while volunteer health professionals
will be on hand to test for diabetes and glaucoma.
A free dinner will be available from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
For more information: Cheri Higgins, 503-606-2462, or via
email at chiggins@central.k12.or.us.
DHS thespians earn state honors
DALLAS — Two Dallas High School thespians brought home
awards from the Oregon State Thespians State Festival in Salem
held April 9-11.
Junior Alicia Scherer took first place in the Short Film division
for the second film she directed, “The Kiss.” Senior Rachel Tilgner
took second place for her work as stage manager — her first
stint in a non-acting role — in the Dallas High School production
of “Our Town.”
Senior Selena Harris also competed at state in duo dramatic
acting with Tilgner in a scene from one-act play, “Miss Polly’s In-
stitute for Criminally Damaged Young Ladies Puts on a Show.”
Budget meeting set for Monday
DALLAS — Dallas School District’s Budget Committee will
meet on Monday at 6 p.m. at the district office, 111 SW Ash St.
The meeting will include the budget message for the district
and discussion on the 2015-16 budget.
A copy of the budget will be available at the district office
Tuesday.
For more information: 503-623-5594.
FFA plant sale Friday, Saturday
INDEPENDENCE — The Central FFA plant sale is 1 to 6 p.m. on
Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Central High
School greenhouse. Plants for sale include tomatoes, peppers,
zucchini, squash, strawberries, herbs, flowers, hanging baskets
and more — all ready to plant in the garden. Proceeds go to the
FFA and horticulture classes at CHS.