2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 13, 2015
DEADLINES
NEWS DEADLINES
For inclusion in the
Wednesday edition of the
Itemizer-Observer:
Social news (weddings,
engagements, anniver-
saries, births, milestones) —
5 p.m. on Thursday.
Community events —
Noon on Friday for both the
Community Notebook and
Community Calendar.
Letters to the editor —
10 a.m. on Monday.
Obituaries — 4 p.m. on
Monday.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES
Retail display ads — 3
p.m. Friday.
Classified display ads
— 11 a.m. on Monday.
Classified line ads —
Noon on Monday. Classified
ads are updated daily on
www.polkio.com.
Public notices — Noon
on Friday.
CORRECTIONS
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer is committed to
publishing accurate news,
feature and sports reports. If
you see anything that re-
quires a correction or clarifi-
cation, call the newsroom at
503-623-2373 or send an e-
mail to nadams@polkio.com.
WEBSITE
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer website,
www.polkio.com, is updat-
ed each week by Wednes-
day afternoon.
The Itemizer-Observer is
also on Facebook and Twit-
ter. Watch for breaking
news, links to stories, sports
scores updates and more.
WEATHER
RECORDED
HIGH LOW
May 5................. 63
May 6................. 65
May 7................. 73
May 8................. 80
May 9................. 84
May 10.............. 73
May 11.............. 58
46
44
38
42
46
48
50
RAIN
.01
.07
.00
.00
.00
.00
.15
Rainfall during May — 0.31 in.
Rain through May 11 — 14.19 in.
Polk County News
Lanes brings leagues, kids to forefront
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Before taking
over Starlite Lanes in Dallas,
Mike Reed had done every
job there is to do in a bowl-
ing alley — except own one.
Now he can cross that off
his list.
“I’ve always wanted my
own place,” Reed said.
Reed got his start working
in or for bowling alleys, co-
incidently, at Starlite Lanes.
“I started out as a pin
chaser in high school,” he
said.
After Starlite Lanes, he’s
worked in bowling alleys in
Silverton, Wilsonville and
Alaska.
“I worked in (an) eight-
lane bowling center in Alas-
ka,” Reed said, smiling. “I
couldn’t get away from it.”
Including jobs in which he
installed lanes and equip-
ment in bowling alleys, Reed
counts about 30 years of ex-
perience in the industry.
There’s not much he hasn’t
encountered when it comes
to running a bowling alley.
“And I’m not afraid to pull
it (machines) apart if I don’t
know it,” he said. “That’s the
way I’ve always been.”
It seems natural that
eventually, he would own
one, and it turns out, his re-
turn to Starlite was timed
perfectly.
“I know Loren (Faxon)
and Loren knows me,” Reed
said, referring to the former
owner. “It was a little negoti-
ation and it worked out.”
Since officially taking the
reins late last year, Reed has
hired more employees and
made some repairs to ma-
chines. He’s made a few
changes to the hours and
schedule as well — includ-
ing adding “cosmic” karaoke
to the lineup.
Now Reed is focusing on
building the customer base
and expanding the alley’s
leagues. Starlite is also par-
ticipating in the Kids Bowl
Free program this summer,
which offers two free games
per day in an effort to en-
courage children to be more
active.
“I would like to see our
junior league grow,” Reed
said. “They are our future.”
Success with last year’s
Dallas High School bowling
team bodes well for that fu-
ture.
The team placed at the
state competition, and Reed
is hoping to have team
members return for next
season.
“Loren came in and
helped them,” Reed said.
“Pretty good, talented group
of kids.”
Reed said there will be
more changes over time, in-
cluding launching a website
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Mike Reed went from pin chaser to owner of Starlite Lanes in Dallas.
for Starlite.
In the meantime, though,
he’s hoping to make a few
more converts to the game
he’s grown to love.
“It’s just the fact that
you’re always participating,
you’re not sitting on the
bench or waiting to play,”
Reed said. “It’s something
that you get to do from (the
age of 6) until you die.”
Bowl a game
What: Starlite Lanes.
Where: 394 Main St., Dallas.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and
10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Contact: 503-623-4267, or on Facebook, www.face-
book.com/starlitelanes.
Of note: For more information or to register for the Kid
Bowl Free program, go to kidsbowlfree.com.
Indy looks to add positions with 2015-16 budget
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Things are
looking up for the city of Independ-
ence as far as the budget is con-
cerned, Budget Officer and Finance
Director Gloria Butsch said at the
April 29 budget meeting.
“With this budget, we continue
the climb back to fiscal health,” she
said. “In this budget, we can see the
positive impacts of our improving
economy.”
Butsch noted an increase in
building in both residential and in-
dustrial areas as one reason for the
improving economy, but noted that
the city will proceed with some cau-
tion as it rebuilds its workforce.
The city will continue its collabo-
ration with the Central School Dis-
trict in providing a school resource
officer position, with hopes that
Monmouth will get on board to help
pay for the officer, Butsch said.
New this year, the city will replace
the contracted event center coordi-
nator, add a half time officer and
two quarter-time officers, increase
the police maintenance position to
full time, add two hours to a part-
time library assistant and increase a
part-time accounts payable clerk to
full time.
Cost-of-living increases also are
budgeted for all employees.
A capital improvement plan will
be jump-started with $2 million
worth of projects to be implemented
in 2015-16.
The capital improvement projects
are a compilation of needs from
each department.
The 2015-16 budget remains con-
servative, Butsch said.
“It will take careful consideration
and due diligence in the coming
years to get ahead of the deferred
maintenance curve,” she said. “This
budget attempts to begin that
process.”
The Independence Budget Com-
mittee will meet Wednesday (today)
at 6 p.m. at the Independence Civic
Center, 555 S. Main St., Independ-
ence. All meetings are open to the
public.
The committee will receive an-
swers to questions about the num-
bers in the budget and will either
approve it and move the document
to the council for adoption, or re-
quest further meetings.