VISITING MRS. MORGAN
TANNER TALLAN
VOLUNTEERING SHOWS HEART
Page 10A
Page 7A
Volume 140, Issue 28
www.Polkio.com
75¢
July 15, 2015
IN YOUR TOWN
DALLAS NEWS
Joe Card Jr. loved flying.
He took a thrilling plane ride with famous “barn-
stormer” and stunt pilot Tex Rankin in 1937. Card
saved money for a year to begin flying lessons at
Salem Airport, learning a half-hour at a time until
he earned his pilot’s license.
Saturday at 10 a.m. Dallas remote control plane
group Dallas Wingdingers RC Club will rededicate
what remains of the airpark. The event will include
the first take off of a plane — albeit remote con-
trol — from the airpark in years.
»Page 16A
FALLS CITY NEWS
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Michelle Johnstone, Dallas School District’s new superintendent, took over the job July 1.
HAPPY TO BE HERE
Johnstone delighted to be at helm of Dallas School District
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — After her first
interview for the superin-
tendent’s job in Dallas
School District, Michelle
Johnstone wasn’t too confi-
dent about her prospects.
The next day, the district’s
superintendent search coor-
dinator, Greg McKenzie,
called her to ask how the in-
terview went.
“I really like it (Dallas),
but I don’t think I did very
well,” Johnstone recalls say-
ing to him. “He said, ‘No you
did fine. Keep it up.’”
He was right. Johnstone
was named a finalist and in-
vited for a second interview
and visit. She knew right
away she wanted to work in
Dallas. It didn’t take the
board much longer to come
to the same conclusion. She
was hired in March to take
Photo courtesy of Michelle Johnstone
Michelle Johnstone, left, and her husband, Bruce, are ex-
cited to spend time exploring Oregon and their new
home of Dallas. They already have made trips to the coast.
over the job July 1, begin-
ning her 19th year in educa-
tion.
Now after her first weeks,
Johnstone couldn’t be happi-
er her gut feeling about the
first interview was wrong.
“Dallas is amazing and I
have absolutely been delight-
ed at every corner,” she said.
—
Johnstone, 52, said she al-
ways wanted to pursue a ca-
reer in education, it just took
her some time to get there.
She got married soon
after high school and had
three kids, Sue, Bekkie, and
Mark. Eventually, she felt it
was time to go back to
school to fulfill her goal of
becoming an educator.
“I was one of those late
bloomers. I think I was ready
at that point. I don’t think I
was one of those kids who
could have gone to college
right out of high school,”
Johnstone explained.
She wanted to become a
teacher, and later an admin-
istrator, “to change the fu-
ture for children,” and it
wasn’t long before she real-
ized just how much of a dif-
ference education — and
educators — could make.
Her first teaching job was
at Kemp Elementary School
in Commerce City, Colo. The
school was in a tough part of
town. She took it purpose-
fully.
See DALLAS, Page 13A
Successes, struggles in first session
Evans talks about what went well, what didn’t during freshman term
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
SALEM — The first Legislative ses-
sion for representatives Paul Evans
(District 20) and Mike Nearman (Dis-
trict 23) is under their belts.
With it brought some victories, chal-
lenges and disappointments.
The Itemizer-Observer followed up
with both representatives to find out
what they thought of it all. Nearman
did not respond.
Evans said it was a historical session
because of both internal and external
events.
“Our transition of governor, internal
politics between rural and urban, and
an end game largely between the
House and the Senate,” all presented
some challenges, he explained.
The difference between the House
and the Senate was illustrated when
the $30 million Capitol bonding meas-
ure failed. Members of the Senate,
THE NEXT
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DAYS
PLANNING
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WEEK
many of whom have been elected
longer than those in the House, had
been a part of the conversations and
assumed the bonding would go for-
ward, Evans said.
“The House, Republicans and De-
mocrats, were concerned about the
message it would send if we were put-
ting money into the Legislature rather
than schools or seismic investments or
other bonding because of electoral
consequences across the country,”
Evans said. “The fact of the matter is
we can do both.”
He said the bonding is important,
particularly when Oregon experiences
that 9.0 earthquake.
“Everyone knows this building is
something more than just a building,”
he said. “There are certain symbols
that we need back up and running
again.”
Five bills were presented regarding
Measure 91, the legalization of recre-
ational marijuana, passed by voters in
November. Evans said he voted no on
all of them.
“The people of Oregon voted on the
Measure,” he said. “I may not have un-
derstood or agreed with some elements
of it, but I didn’t want to get in the way.
Most members (of the House and Sen-
ate) tried to do a very good job of refin-
ing it, but sometimes when the com-
mittee gets together to make a horse, it
ends up with a camel. I didn’t want to
be a part of that.”
When it came to investing in educa-
tion and veterans, Evans is pleased
with his progress.
“I think the state of Oregon will look
back on this session and say we did a
lot of really important investments,” he
said. “We put close to $300 million in
seismic investments between schools
and public buildings; we created a state
resilience officer (emergency prepared-
ness); we put about a million more dol-
lars into veterans outreach.”
See SESSION, Page 5A
Without more financial support, Falls City’s July 3
fireworks show may not happen in 2016.
Jenn Drill, a Falls City city councilor, said at its lat-
est meeting the Falls City Fire Department board
decided it would not put on the show without
more support from the city or other sources.
Drill said the department would need at least
$3,000 in outside support to make the show finan-
cially feasible in 2016. This year’s display cost
$7,000 and donations taken on July 3 amounted to
$400.
»Page 3A
INDEPENDENCE NEWS
Talmadge Middle School will get a larger freezer
next year.
Cec Koontz, Central School District business man-
ager, said at Monday’s school board meeting that
the food service budget had money to increase the
storage capacity at the middle school.
“We’re going to double the freezer capacity at Tal-
madge, which will be a huge benefit to them,” she
said. “They serve a lot of kids there. It’s great to be in
a position to make those huge investments.”
The high-end freezer will have a copper condenser
rather than plastic, so it will last much longer, about
20 years rather than eight or nine, Koontz added.
»Page 13A
POLK COUNTY NEWS
After along absence, a rodeo is back in the lineup
for the 2015 Polk County Fair.
Wild West Events, based out of Creswell, will be
bringing in a group of professional cowboys and
cowgirls to compete in bareback and saddle bronc
riding, barrel racing, bull riding and mutton bust-
ing. The last time the fair had a full rodeo was in
the late 1990s. After that, the fair hosted a youth
rodeo for about 10 years.
“But even that got to the point where it was real-
ly expensive to put on,” said Tina Andersen, fair
manager.
»Page 16A
SALEM NEWS
The landscape of statewide assessments — cur-
rently Smarter Balanced Assessments — is in ques-
tion after Gov. Kate Brown signed a law allowing
parents to more easily opt children out.
The law is not without controversy, as roughly
$140 million in federal funding statewide is de-
pendent on at least 95 percent of students partici-
pating in the standardized tests.
Last year, only about 10 students were excused
from the tests in Central School District, said Buzz
Brazeau, superintendent. Whether or not the new law
will affect participation rates next year is hard to say.
»Page 2A
wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Companies will be
at the Job Fair look-
ing for workers
today, as well as re-
sources to people
find jobs.
Meet the new
owner of Blue Gar-
den at a reception at
Pressed and hear
about his plans for
the building.
7 p.m. Free.
Enjoy a barbecue to
honor Randy Whit-
taker and support
the Correctional
Peace Officer Foun-
dation.
Cook in a solar pow-
ered pizza oven or
use a coffee can to
flip pancakes at Step
up to 4-H’s outdoor
cooking class.
10 a.m.-2 p.m. $8-$10.
Dallas Area Cham-
ber of Commerce
hosts a luncheon at
the Majestic. Have
lunch and network
with others.
11:30 a.m. $12.
IDA and Ash Creek
Arts Center host Art
in the Park in down-
town Independ-
ence. Fun art
projects for all.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. $5.
Hawaii comes to
Western during its
15th annual luau
auction and picnic, a
benefit for the Smith
Fine Arts Series.
4:30 p.m. $35.
Sunny
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Lo: 56
Mostly Sunny
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Sunny
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Sunny
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Partly Cloudy
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Lo: 54
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Free.
Sunny
Hi: 81
Lo: 55
Sunny
Hi: 92
Lo: 60
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free.