16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 22, 2015
Polk County Education
District considers
options to expand
Dallas School Board looks at various
lots for future elementary school needs
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
SCOTT GRIMM/for the Itemizer-Observer
Zachery Warner as Orlando and Ollie Bergh as Touchstone prepare to duel as Julia Sjakous as Rosalind looks on.
WOU theater takes it outside
Valley Shakespeare Company to perform ‘As You Like It’ at outdoor stage
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH — For one
weekend only, Western Ore-
gon University’s outdoor
stage will be transformed
into a Shakespeare festival,
or at least kind of like that.
“One weekend doing the
same show does not a festi-
val make,” said David
Janoviak, director of “As You
Like It.” “But we want to cre-
ate a festival environment.”
“As You Like It” will be
produced by WOU’s Valley
Shakespeare Company, a
new endeavor headed by
Janoviak.
“We’ve been talking about
doing summer Shakespeare
in the outdoor theater for
years,” Janoviak said. “I
come from a strong back-
ground in outdoor Shake-
Enjoy the show
What: Western Oregon University’s Valley Shakespeare
Company presents, “As You Like It,” by William Shakespeare.
Where: WOU’s outdoor amphitheater, outside of Rice Au-
ditorium.
When: Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. on July 29 through Aug. 1.
Admission: Free.
Of note: Bring a chair or blanket to enjoy lawn seating at
this festival-like show. Seating starts at 6:30 p.m.
speare, and really wanted to
give it a try.”
Per for mances, which
begin at 7:30 p.m. July 29
through Aug. 1, are free to
the public.
The show features lawn
seating.
Performing Shakespeare
has inherent challenges.
Add to that the unknowns
of outdoor theater, and the
actors involved are in for a
change of scene.
“As You Like It” is one of
Shakespeare’s easier-to-un-
derstand works, Janoviak
said.
The play has been set in
the 1920s dustbowl era.
And, if the actors are
doing their jobs well, audi-
ence members of all ages will
understand what’s going on.
Western’s summer show is
always different, said Janelle
Davis, who plays Celia.
Davis has never played a
lead role in a Shakespeare
play, nor has she performed
in an outdoor setting.
That goes for fellow actor
Belladina Starr, who plays
Phebe.
“All the things that could
happen,” Starr said of the
outdoor stage. “Birds, bugs,
traffic (noise), audience,
sweat.”
“Sweat!” Davis and actor
Ollie Bergh, who plays
Touchstone, chimed in.
“I’ll be wearing an argyle
sweater,” Bergh said.
“Luckily, we start later in
the evening,” Starr noted.
As for the play itself,
Bergh said Shakespeare
takes a different sort of com-
mitment than other plays he
has done.
See THEATER, Page 14A
DALLAS — The Dallas School Board approved at a real
estate option agreement that allows the district flexibility
in selecting a future school site — if needed — in Dallas’
Barberry node development.
Approved earlier this year, the 122-acre mixed use devel-
opment had a condition of approval to include space for
parks and/or a school site. The original plan was to offer
the district a chance to purchase The Motor-Vu Drive-In
property to fulfill that condition.
In the agreement still includes that option, but offers an
alternative that allows the district to select another nine-
acre site elsewhere in the development at a future time.
Also, purchasing the drive-in property would need to
happen within 18 months and cost $1.25 million, with
nonrefundable two confidence payments of totaling
$100,000 paid before that deadline to keep the option
open. Only $60,000 would be applied to the purchase price
if the sale is made.
If the district does not purchase the drive-In property,
the first right to buy the property moves to the city of Dal-
las. The city would also have 18 months to purchase the
property or the option terminates.
The district’s alternative, option B, allows it to select a
parcel of nine acres at some point in the future, as long as
it is before the last phase construction begins.
No specific location is provided in the agreement be-
sides that it be “in the northern one-third” of the develop-
ment. A purchase price is defined as “fair market value” at
the time the district gives notice it wants to purchase prop-
erty.
Also under that option is an alternative to split the prop-
erty with the city, with the district buying six acres and the
city three to use as park space.
Assistant Superintendent Dennis Engle said the agree-
ment went through several revisions before the version the
board approved Monday.
“Option B meets several needs of the district,” he said.
“It allows the option to acquire property for an elementary
school-sized footprint within the planned Barberry node,
should in fact, that need arise.”
The second option doesn’t require the district to buy
land or any up-front investment by the district do so.
In other business, the board:
• Approved Dennis Engle’s performance evaluation for
the time he served as interim superintendent during the
2014-15 school year. Engle led the district through the
transition between former superintendent Christy Perry
and new Superintendent Michelle Johnstone.
“The board commends Dennis for his outstanding work
during the interim period, and for maintaining the high
standards of the district,” the evaluation read. “His leader-
ship provided stability in a time of transition and kept the
district focused on meeting the needs of the children en-
trusted to our care.”