A SUMMER OF MUSICAL
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Volume 140, Issue 26
www.Polkio.com
75¢
July 1, 2015
IN YOUR TOWN
DALLAS NEWS
10
The Dallas School Board may consider a propos-
al in July to raise athletic fees.
The board discussed possibly raising the fees —
now at $125 for all sports except cheerleading,
which is at $75 per season (fall and winter) — at its
meeting on June 22.
“My thought is, if we are not increasing year
after year, we kind of lag behind, especially if we
have some needs. We have a lot of needs in the
athletic arena,” said then-board chairman Mike
Blanchard at the June 22 meeting.
Things
To
Know
»Page 15A
FALLS CITY NEWS
Pot: What’s legal, what’s not
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — OK Oregonians,
Wednesday (today) our state has offi-
cially joined the handful of others that
allow adults to grow, consume — and
soon buy — recreational marijuana.
Oregon’s law is
complicated and sub-
ject to change as the
State Legislature con-
tinues to refine Meas-
ure 91, which made
recreational marijua-
na legal. As the law
takes effect, there are
still plenty of ques-
Wolfe
tions to be answered
for consumers, regulators and police
agencies.
“There are an enormous number of
gray areas and I’ve heard every one of
them,” said Tom Towslee, spokesman
for the Oregon Liquor Control Com-
mission, the organization tasked with
regulating the state’s recreational mari-
juana program. “We ask people to be
responsible, be smart, know the law
and do the right thing.”
In June, Polk County law enforce-
ment agencies met to establish how
they would enforce the law.
They collectively decided to stay as
close to the letter of the law as possible,
knowing that it will be a moving target
for a while, said Polk County Sheriff
Bob Wolfe.
“It’s still going to have numerous
challenges to face and sort out,” Wolfe
said. “They are still working on it.”
Local police agencies also would like
to remind people to think before they
light up, especially if trying marijuana
for the first time.
Wolfe said he suspects Oregon will
follow the pattern of legal pot forerun-
ners Washington and Colorado in see-
ing an increase in DUII arrests relating
to marijuana, at least in the first few
months after the law takes effect.
First-time users will not be accus-
tomed to how marijuana affects them
mentally and physically and may be-
lieve they are not impaired or not too
high to drive, Wolfe said.
He suggests using caution until you
know how marijuana will affect you.
“If you are going to try it for the first
time, just be careful,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know as
Oregon takes its first steps in the world
of legal recreational marijuana:
What is the age limit? As of
Wednesday, (today) adults 21
and older can possess and grow
marijuana. How much can I possess?
One ounce of usable marijuana (ready
to smoke) in public and eight ounces at
home. As far as plants go, you can grow
four plants per household, but be sure
to not grow more than legal amounts.
Can I buy or sell marijuana or
plants? For the time being, no,
not until OLCC licensed retail
outlets open sometime late next year.
However, the Oregon Legislature is
working on a bill to allow medical mar-
ijuana outlets to sell to recreational
users this year until retail outlets are set
up.
The current bill, Senate Bill 460,
would allow medical dispensaries to
begin selling Oct. 1.
Until one or the other happens, you
can grow your own or have marijuana
given to you. It’s the same deal with
seeds and starter plants. You will have
to find someone to give them to you.
See WEED, Page 13A
1
2
Fireworks, parades, barbecue, Oh my
Polk County prepares to celebrate America’s 239th birthday
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — There really is no
better place to celebrate the Fourth of July
than in Polk County. With two nights of
fireworks displays in three different cities,
a small hometown parade or a grand one,
a professional barbecue competition and
a watermelon-eating contest — we really
know how to throw a party.
Festivities start on Thursday at
Riverview Park and Amphitheater,
where a carnival opens at 7 p.m. and the
movie, “Into the Woods” will play at 10.
Friday is when the patriotic spirit re-
ally comes out.
Falls City’s Third of July tradition
started out as a way for first responders
to celebrate the holiday on the eve of
the big day. This year, events will be
spread out at Upper Park and North
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
Inside:
See Section C
for Polk County’s
Fourth of July
Celebration spe-
cial section.
Main Street.
What started out as just a fireworks
display has turned into an all-day event
unique to Falls City packed with small-
town charm. Vendors open on North
Main Street at 11 a.m. Maps to the an-
nual city-wide garage sale are available
at Frink’s General Store.
A spontaneous and whimsical pa-
rade begins at about 4 p.m.
“I kind of like the parade,” said Falls
City Mayor Terry Ungricht.
In Independence, Western Days
brings in about 6,000 people on Home-
town Day, this year on July 3, said Jan-
ice Thompson, chair of the Western
Days Commission.
The Mini-Marathon and grand pa-
rade both begin in Monmouth and end
at Riverview Park on Saturday.
Vendors and the carnival will open at
noon, and the newly improved youth ac-
tivities area will host all sorts of fun things
for families, including ice-cream making.
“We’re trying to get more family ori-
ented activities,” Thompson said.
One thing families can do together is
competitive watermelon eating. Live
music by Appetite for Deception and a
fireworks display wrap up Friday night
in Independence.
See FOURTH, Page 14A
King Arthur has problems. In his kingdom, he has
a giant with insomnia, a dragon with a toothache
and his castle is haunted by a forgetful ghost.
His subjects are looking to him for answers. Will
he save the day?
Students in Falls City’s FACES program worked all
last week to give the story a happy ending, taking
part in a Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) drama
camp.
The camp, led by two MCT drama coaches,
staged the show, King Arthur’s Quest in just five
days — from auditions to performances.
»Page 16A
INDEPENDENCE NEWS
The Monmouth Independence Networks
(MINET) board of directors will schedule a board
retreat to consider bylaws, board policies and a
code of conduct.
“No bylaws have ever been created by this
board,” said Marilyn Morton, MINET administrator,
at Thursday’s MINET board meeting. “There were a
couple mentions (by board members in recent
meetings) of board policies, and there are not
board policies anywhere.”
MINET officials recommend the board schedule
a retreat to undertake looking at proposed bylaws
and finishing them.
»Page 5A
MONMOUTH NEWS
The first phase of Monmouth Engaged — Mon-
mouth’s visioning process —is complete, and City
Manager Scott McClure said the findings have
been good.
“When you put it all together, you go to the
things that weren’t there, and people are pretty
happy living in Monmouth,” he said. “Are there
some areas that we could do better, sure. We could
have better cooperation with Western (Oregon
University), more amenities, more bike-pedestrian
safety. There’s always things you could do better.”
»Page 2A
POLK COUNTY NEWS
Polk County Oregon State University Extension
adopted a 2015-16 budget that will allow the pro-
gram to focus resources on marketing and growth.
The budget committee, consisting of the three
Polk County commissioners and three citizens,
adopted the budget on June 24.
The budget totaled $382,500, with $377,500
going to operations and $5,000 held in contin-
gency. The two biggest expenditures in the budg-
et are $260,000 (up from $250,000 in 2014-15) for
OSU staffing and programs and $60,000 for renting
fairgrounds facilities.
»Page 3A
wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Exercise your Scrab-
ble chops with Betty
at the Independ-
ence Public Library
on the first Wednes-
day of every month.
1 p.m. Free.
“Into the Woods”
plays at the
Riverview Park Am-
phitheater to help
kick off the Fourth
of July weekend.
10 p.m. Free.
What better way to
get into the spirit of
the holiday than at
Falls City’s Third of
July festivities, in-
cluding fireworks!
Dusk. $5 parking.
Happy Fourth of
July! Enjoy the pa-
rades, barbecues,
festivals and fire-
works, but be safe
about it. Don’t drink
and drive.
Rickreall Grange
Flea Market is back
at the grange hall,
perfect for grabbing
breakfast and find-
ing a hidden gem.
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.
Ever dreamed of
playing in an or-
chestra? Join New
Horizon’s and give it
a shot. The group
meets each week.
6:30 p.m. $25/month.
Head to your local
library and join the
summer reading
program: Every
Hero has a Story. it’s
not too late to join!
Free.
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