UNWIND, BREATHE
MOCKERY AND MAYHEM
FERN HILL LODGE PRO WRESTLING
Page 7A
Volume 140, Issue 25
Page 10A
www.Polkio.com
June 24, 2015
75¢
Picnic tables get facelift
IN YOUR TOWN
Dallas teenager fixes up 50 aged tables at city park
DALLAS NEWS
By Jolene Guzman
The Dallas School Board adopted its 2015-16
budget with the addition of more staff, thanks to a
better-than-expected May state revenue forecast.
The Oregon Legislature promised to dedicate a
percentage of unexpected revenue in the forecast
to schools when it approved the 2015-17 K-12
budget, which it split 50-50 over the two years. In
the past, funding was split 49-51 to account for
cost increases.
Dallas set aside $565,000 to compensate for the
even split.
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — If you are sit-
ting at a new-looking picnic
table at Summerfest’s Break-
fast in the Park this July,
thank 2015 Dallas High resi-
dent Matthew Dindinger.
Dindinger recently com-
pleted his Eagle Scout proj-
ect, refurbishing 50 picnic
tables in Dallas City Park. He
raised money, bought mate-
rials, and with the help of
volunteers, replaced the
wood on the picnic tables —
over the course of about two
weeks.
“I wanted to do something
to help out the community,”
Dindinger explained of his
extensive project.
He said it started smaller.
He just wanted to build a few
tables for Kingsborough Park
and contacted the city to see
if that was possible. That’s
where the idea came up of
refurbishing tables in the
much bigger Dallas City Park.
Dindinger agreed and the
project grew from there.
“It went from six to 50 ta-
bles, which is a big differ-
ence,” he said.
»Page 15A
FALLS CITY NEWS
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Matthew Dindinger leads a group of volunteers on his Eagle Scout project to replace
50 of the aging picnic tables in Dallas City Park. He also raised money to buy materials.
Indeed. Dallas Parks Su-
pervisor Ron Lines said he’s
more than impressed with
Dindinger and the amount
of time and professionalism
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Maryanne Shinkle, left, and Logan Breece attach table
frames to new tabletops and benches during a work party.
he brought to the project.
“It was an undertaking,”
Lines said. “He actually did
very well.”
Eagle Scout projects are a
test of leadership, and in
Lines’ opinion, Dindinger
scored high.
Dindinger had to col-
lect donations —
The Dallas Ro-
tary Club, host
of Breakfast in
the Park, con-
tributed about 75
percent of the
cost — to purchase
materials from local re-
tailers and organize a work
crew. Then he had to learn
to take apart and put back
together the tables, and
apply a weather sealant.
“He was like a project
manager,” Lines said. “He
had to see the project
through from beginning to
end. He was very professional
when he left the park. He did-
n’t leave a mess. There was
nothing to do when he left.”
Lines said Dindinger was
able to negotiate deals on
materials that reduced the
cost of repairing the tables
to $35 per table, lower
than the $40 to $45 he
estimates if the
city tried to do
the same
thing.
And the city
would have had
to soon. The
wooden tabletops
and benches on
some of the tables were well
overdue for replacement.
Lines said the city was try-
ing to figure out a way to re-
pair them when Dindinger
approached staff with his
idea. At the end of the proj-
ect, he repaired about half of
the tables in need of TLC.
See EAGLE, Page 5A
Public to take a peek at clinic
Central Health Center readies to welcome public on tours
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — It’s been more
than a year since students in Falls City
have had access to medical care in
their own city.
Since the nurse practitioner’s office
there closed in May last year, there has
been no health care available in town,
said Jack Thompson, Falls City School
District superintendent.
“It’s been difficult,” he said. “The last
couple of years, we’ve had the dental
van come help the kids out, but we
have not had any health care available
to the kids. There’s a lot of people in
our community who don’t have access
to cars to get their kids to the doctor.”
With the opening of the Central
Health and Wellness Center, all that will
change.
The school-based health center,
which will host an open house for the
public from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday,
will provide health and wellness servic-
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
The show must go on — and it will on July 3 in
Falls City. Last-minute changes threatened Falls
City’s Fourth of July celebration, but several organ-
izations have stepped up to take over pieces of the
event so it can go forward as planned.
Planning to use the event as a fundraiser, the
Falls City Boosters opted not to proceed with or-
ganizing the annual tradition earlier this month
after learning it could not charge admission to the
event without incurring more liability.
Falls City city leaders were able to pull together
to keep July 3 on track.
»Page 2A
INDEPENDENCE NEWS
Work began on June 15 to ready the old Valley
Concrete site to market to developers.
Independence City Manager David Clyne said at
the June 9 city council meeting that the city will do
some basic cleanup of the riverfront property, in-
cluding grading the site, and has hired consultants
to help recruit the right developer.
Chris Zahas of Leland Consulting Group said he
is interested and intrigued to help the city find a
buyer of the 20-acre parcel of land, which cost the
city $800,000.
Zahas added that the economy is getting better,
making it easier to attract developers.
»Page 3A
MONMOUTH NEWS
Customers of Monmouth Power and Light will
see a decrease in their bills effective July 1. A 3 per-
cent decrease in rates was approved at the June 16
council meeting.
“We’re a public entity,” said City Manager Scott
McClure at the meeting. “We don’t need to make a
profit. We’re generating enough cash on an annual
basis.”
The power and light fund will still maintain a 36
percent contingency to use in case of emergencies,
McClure said, meaning the fund will still be in good
shape with the decrease in rates.
»Page 3A
POLK COUNTY NEWS
EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer
Buzz Brazeau and Brent DeMoe tour the infant-toddler center on Thursday.
es — including dental and mental
health — to students in Polk County, as
well as the community in Monmouth
and Independence.
“It will make a big difference,”
Thompson said. Plans are underway
wed
thu
Grab your yoga mat
and get ready to
find balance at
Rogue Farms during
Yoga in the Hopy-
ard.
6 p.m. Free.
Get your bicycle
checked for free by
Veal’s Bikes Plus at
Bounty Market at
the Academy Build-
ing lawn.
Sunny
Hi: 85
Lo: 54
Sunny
Hi: 86
Lo: 57
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free.
between Central and Falls City to pro-
vide school buses to get Falls City stu-
dents to the health center on a regular
basis, where they can get immuniza-
tions, or check on a sore throat.
See CENTER, Page 5A
fri
Arc of Polk County
hosts a dance and
karaoke night for
folks with intellec-
tual and develop-
mental disabilities.
6:30 p.m. $3.
Sunny
Hi: 95
Lo: 57
The Polk County Board of Commissioners was
scheduled to adopt the county’s 2015-16 budget at
9 a.m. today with minor changes to what was ap-
proved by the budget committee in May.
The biggest changes will be in the general, pub-
lic works and behavioral health funds. Each will re-
ceive minor increases.
In the general fund, County Administrator Greg
Hansen estimated the amount the county will re-
ceive in the second installment of the two-year ex-
tension of timber payments approved by Congress
earlier this year.
»Page 14A
sat
sun
mon
tue
Head down to Inde-
pendence to cheer
on the folks compet-
ing in the Independ-
ence Sprint
Triathlon.
9 a.m.
It’s going to be a hot
one! Head to the
Dallas Aquatic Cen-
ter or Independence
Community Pool;
stay hydrated and
cool today.
Celebrate National
Camera Day by
breaking out for a
hike and snapping
some pictures along
Rickreall Creek Trail
in Dallas.
James2 Community
Kitchen offers free
meals and company
at St. Philip Catholic
Church to all who
are hungry.
4:30-6 p.m. Free.
Sunny
Hi: 98
Lo: 60
Sunny
Hi: 88
Lo: 65
Sunny
Hi: 92
Lo: 61
Sunny
Hi: 93
Lo: 60