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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 13, 2015 15A Polk County Education Perrydale choir competes at state DSD board talks Small, but mighty Perrydale’s choir takes six singers to competition By Jolene Guzman By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer PERRYDALE — Kacie Ryden, a freshman at Perry- dale High School, smiles when she recalls her reac- tion to learning the school’s choir had qualified for state. “I was jumping up and down in the bus,” Ryden said. That was Feb. 18 after a choral festival at Linfield College. In order to qualify, choirs to have at least two scores of 80 or more out of a 100 possible points. The choir — six singers strong — had two marks above 90 and all three were above 80. As opposed to most team sports, choirs are compared to a standard, not each other, when qualifying for state competition. “For choirs to go to state, they have met that standard, so you know that these guys are good,” said Director Misty Matthews. “Everyone who goes to state is really good.” Those scores — and Thursday’s trip to the state competition in Salem — was a validation of the hard work and extraordinary chemistry the small, but mighty group developed throughout the year. Matthews said this is the smallest group she has taken to state – Perrydale has qual- ified the last three years — but also the most cohesive. “There girls work really well together,” Matthews said. “They are a very talent- ed bunch,” That isn’t to say they weren’t intimidated facing much larger choirs, the ma- jority of which were mixed groups of girls and boys. “A lot of us were very nervous,” Ryden said. “Here comes a group of six girls looking to blow everybody’s mind.” Rilley Syphers, one of the three seniors in the group, said that with such a small choir, that wasn’t her expec- tation at the beginning of the year. She figured with construction tax The Itemizer-Observer JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Misty Matthews, Perrydale’s choir director, conducts the group during class last week before the state choir competition in Salem. There are just six singers in the choir this year, making it the smallest group Matthews has taken to state in recent years. three freshmen singers, they may be a little green. That perception changed quickly. “I feel like we will do really well (at state),” she said May 6, the day before the compe- tition. “We are doing better than I thought we would.” Choirs were graded on a number of factors, including quality of sound and musi- cality. The group has been working on its five-song set, four of which are in Latin or another foreign language. The fifth song is a chill-in- ducing spiritual. As the group went through final preparations, May 6, there were mixed emotions in the room, espe- cially among the freshmen. “It hasn’t really hit me yet,” Kacie Grado said. In contrast, Ryden chimed in that she couldn’t sleep the night before. “I’ve been thinking about it all week,” she said. Syphers’ prediction about their ability to compete with the best in the state was cor- rect. The choir placed sixth out of 12 groups in the 1A/2A contest. Veritas School, from New- berg, took first place in the competition. Matthews was proud of their performance Thursday. “The girls did great,” she said. DALLAS — The Dallas School Board is consider- ing implementing a “con- struction excise tax” on new construction in the district. Authorized by the state legislature in 2007, the tax would be dedicated to “capital improvements,” including land acquisition, school building improve- ments, and equipment purchases. The board initially dis- cussed imposing the tax in 2008, but the economic downturn made the option impractical. Interim Superintendent Dennis Engle said at the board’s meeting Monday with the economy recover- ing and building picking up in the district, he thought the tax was worth proposing to the board again. For the 2014-15 school year the tax amounts to $1.17 per square foot on residential construction and 58 cents per foot on nonresidential construc- tion. The tax would be paid as part of building permit fees. Business Manager Tami Montague estimated on re s i d e n t c o n s t r u c t i o n alone, the district would have earned about $80,000 during 2014 if the tax had been imposed. Before possibly taking action, the board requested more precise information about what the tax would cost to developers and property owners and how many school districts have adopted the tax. Locally, Central School District has implemented the tax. “It would be good to know how much we are tacking on,” said board member Jon Woods. To impose the tax, the district would have to pass a resolution and then es- tablish intergovernmental agreements with the city of Dallas and Polk County. “Can we find out how many school districts have actually done this?” asked Mike Blanchard, the board’s chairman. “And where it has been success- ful and where it hasn’t?” SCHOOL NOTES MV Christian celebrates 10 years MONMOUTH — Mid-Valley Christian Academy will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. There will be a reception to honor past graduates, staff, board members, students, parents, friends and supporters. The students will enjoy a carnival to celebrate the event. Call the office at 503-838-2818 to RSVP. The school address is 1483 16th St. N., Monmouth. ■ PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF SALE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY UNDER LANDLORDS POSSESSORY LIEN. JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer From left, Kindle Spivey, Rilley Syphers, Lyric Spivey, Clea Mouraux, Kacie Ryden, and Kacie Grado rehearse a song in the group state competition set on May 6. Personal property left in the following units have been seized for non-payment of rent and will be sold at The Storage Depot. 902 SE Uglow Ave, Dallas OR. 97338 The following units are available for viewing at 12 pm. On May 26, 2015. They will be sold to the highest bidder. Eric Clanfield - V0007, Eric Clanfield - B0308, Raven Marlett - B0313, Lila Pomeroy - B0322, Elizabeth Stapleton - B0315. (May 13, 20, 2015)