RESPECT OLD GLORY
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FLAG DAY
BASEBALL
Volume 140, Issue 23
Sheriff
Wolfe set
to retire
Page 7A
www.Polkio.com
June 10, 2015
Let Me Take A Selfie
DALLAS NEWS
In urgent need of a little something sweet?
A Little Donut Therapy has just the thing for you:
mini doughnuts.
Don’t worry — the tiny pastries still pack plenty
of flavor.
“They are kind of addicting. I think they are more
addicting than the regular-size doughnuts. They
stay softer and they have more flavor to them,” said
owner Wendi Uselman, adding, “but that is just my
personal opinion.”
Others may agree.
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
»Page 3A
FALLS CITY NEWS
The Falls City City Council will consider an ordinance
that would allow it to change tax rates charged on
marijuana sales at its meeting Thursday.
Now the tax rates are set at 5 percent for medical
marijuana sales and 10 percent for recreational sales.
Possession and consumption of certain amounts of
marijuana will be legal July 1. Falls City set its rates in
October 2014, before Oregon voters approved
Measure 91 in November.
The problem is that the legislation making recre-
ational use legal contains a prohibition on local ju-
risdictions taxing sales.
»Page 17A
LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer
As Dallas High graduates enter Gallaspy Stadium, Tyson Janssen stops
to take a selfie before finding his seat on Saturday afternoon. The hot
temperatures did little to stem the excitement and celebration of the
Class of 2015.
Congratulations Class of 2015
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — Seniors from
Falls City, Central, Dallas and Perry-
dale high schools graduated last
week, starting with Falls City on
Thursday; Central on Friday; and
Dallas and Perrydale on Saturday.
The graduates, their family and
friends endured some of this year’s
hottest weather so far, with the high
on Saturday getting up to 91 de-
grees.
Each school’s graduation cere-
monies had their own little touches,
from speakers to musical numbers.
Take a look through pages 13A
through 16A for photos and lists of
graduates, and a look back through
these students’ first 13 years of edu-
cation.
Morrison Campus Alternative
School graduates its seniors at 7 p.m.
on Thursday at DHS.
Western Oregon University’s Class
of 2015 graduates at 11 a.m. on Sat-
urday.
World War II veteran visits memorials in D.C. honoring his service
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
KAY DIXON/ for the Itemizer-Observer
Leonard Lonigan salutes at the statue at the U.S. Air Force memorial during a Honor
Flight trip to Washington, D.C. He was on a B-24 bomber crew during World War II.
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
INDEPENDENCE NEWS
The Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Ea-
gles program will be from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Sat-
urday at the Independence State Airport, EAA
Hanger, 4803 Airport Road, Independence.
Young Eagles, launched in 1992, gives interested
youths aged 8 to 17 an opportunity to learn about
aviation and take a flight in a general aviation air-
plane.
All Young Eagles receive ground school training,
a 15-minute flight, a picture and an official EAA
Young Eagles certificate.
Sporty’s Pilot Shop will provide all participants
with a Young Eagles logbook.
»Page 9A
MONMOUTH NEWS
HONOR BOUND
THE NEXT
75¢
IN YOUR TOWN
Sgt. Garten may replace
him as county’s top cop
POLK COUNTY — Polk County Sheriff
Bob Wolfe has announced he will retire at
the end of this year.
His last day on the job will be Dec. 31.
“It just became time,” he said Monday.
“My wife (Gail) and I will retire at the
same time.”
Wolfe has been in law enforcement for
39 years, all of those years in Polk County
with either the Independence Police De-
partment or the sheriff’s
office.
By the time he steps
down, Wolfe will have
served as sheriff for 16
years.
“I have surrounded
myself with good quali-
ty, dedicated people,”
Wolfe said of his career
Wolfe
with Polk County. “That
has made my job easy, and maybe made
me a better person.”
Seeing the county’s Polk County public
safety levy pass in May made his decision
to retire a little easier.
If the levy hadn’t been approved, Wolfe
said he would have stayed on another
year or two to guide the office through
potentially more downsizing.
Wolfe said he is going to recommend
Detective Sgt. Mark Garton be appointed
interim sheriff once he retires.
He said Garton plans to file for the of-
fice later this year, and an election will be
held next year to fill the post permanently.
Garton started with the sheriff’s office
as an explorer cadet and later was hired as
a part-time records clerk.
He has worked as a jail control room
tech and a jail deputy.
See SHERIFF, Page 2A
Page 10A
FALLS CITY — In Kay
Dixon’s experience, if you
were to ask World War II vet-
erans if they were heroes,
they would say “no.”
Dixon — whose father,
Leonard Lonigan, is a World
War II vet — respectfully dis-
agrees, and she isn’t alone.
Lonigan and Dixon re-
turned last week from an
emotional Honor Flight trip
to see the World War II me-
morial in Washington, D.C.
Honor Flight’s mission is to
take as many of the war’s vet-
erans as possible to see the
memorial dedicated to their
service.
“The goal of the program
is to make these men feel like
heroes. The truth of the mat-
ter is, none of them feel like
heroes. They all, across the
board, will say, we were just
doing our job,” Dixon said.
See FLIGHT, Page 5A
The city of Monmouth’s Urban Renewal District
will borrow $500,000 from Monmouth Power and
Light to help pay for the estimated $1.222 million
Main Street Park Amphitheater construction.
The money will be paid back over 10 years with
2.54 percent interest.
Monmouth City Council approved the move at
its June 2 meeting, with Councilor Royal Johnson
voting no.
Johnson preferred a five-year loan because the
10-year loan will last right until the end of the life
of the Urban Renewal District.
»Page 2A
POLK COUNTY NEWS
Heading down to the Willamette River for a
day on the water — or maybe just swim or
wade?
Take your life jacket — and don’t forget to use it.
That is the No. 1 water recreation safety tip from
state and local officials.
“We encourage people, if they are near the water
to use a life jacket,” said Dean Bender, Polk County
Sheriff’s Office Marine Program manager.
Also, if you are planning for a day on the water,
don’t go alone and always let someone else know
about your plans.
»Page 2A
wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
Learn all about
hardy succulents at
the Master Gar-
dener’s monthly
chapter meeting
tonight in Dallas.
7 p.m. Free.
Pick up all your fresh
fruits, veggies and
baked goods at the
Polk County Bounty
Market in Dallas on
the Academy lawn.
Stop by Walmart
and buy a hand-
made paper poppy
in honor of veterans
from the American
Legion Auxiliary.
Attention Young Ea-
gles: youths aged 8
to 17 head to the In-
dependence airport
to learn about flying
and take a free flight.
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Donation.
8:30 a.m.-noon.Free.
Flag Day was offi-
cially proclaimed by
Pres. Woodrow Wil-
son in 1916. In Au-
gust 1949, Congress
established June 14
as the day.
Sunny
Hi: 80
Lo: 50
Sunny
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Sunny
Hi: 74
Lo: 49
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mon
Learn about Camp
Adair during World
War II from history
buff Gary Richards
at the Independ-
ence Civic Center.
7 p.m. Free.
Mostly Sunny
Hi: 72
Lo: 49
tue
Check out the Polk
County Coin Club at
the Monmouth
Senior Center and
find out more about
the hobby.
7 p.m. Free.
Sunny
Hi: 70
Lo: 49