Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 29, 2015 9A Polk County Living COMMUNITY CALENDAR Continued from page 8A KYM POKORNY / for the Itemizer-Observer A fruit tree trains on an espalier, which can make the fruit easier to pick because it is at a lower level. The practice takes patience. Training a fruit tree into an espalier Espaliered trees bring fruit down to eye level. They allow for easy picking and taking advantage of small spaces. But don’t kid yourself into thinking espaliers are any easier than regular-sized trees, said Ross Penhallagon, a horticulturist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “Espalier is one of many ways to prune — or design — a fruit tree,” he said. “It’s beautiful; it doesn’t take up a lot of room in the yard. There are a lot of reasons to do it, but it takes dedication and time. It’s like growing grapes or wisteria correctly.” In espalier, tree branches are typically trained flat along the wires of a trellis, which may be of several types, depending on how difficult an espalier project you want to attempt. In ad- dition to a trellis, trees can be supported by a wall, wooden fence, or deer or cattle fencing. If the trellis will be at- tached to a building, consid- K YM P OKORNY Your Garden er how it will look. Even though the trellis may be re- moved once the tree has reached its final, rigid state, it will need to remain in place long enough to sup- port the tree, which can be up to 10 years. The most important as- pect of growing an es- paliered tree, which can be any type of fruit but is usual- ly an apple, is pruning. Un- like an open canopy tree, Penhallagon said, an es- palier must be pruned sev- eral times during the grow- ing season to keep in con- trol. “That’s a lot of cutting,” he said. “Most people don’t know how to prune, so it’s important to do your re- search before beginning.” Penhallagon offers the following instructions for the simplest way to espalier an apple tree: • Build a trellis by setting posts 8 feet apart and stretch 12-guage or heavier galvanized wire between them 18 inches from the ground. At that time you can add more levels of wire, typ- ically three, each 18 inches taller than the other. Alter- natively, you can wait until the following years when it’s time to train another level to add additional wires. • Buy a 1- or 2-year-old tree, preferably a dwarf vari- ety, and plant in the middle of the trellis, usually in Feb- ruary. Attach two supple branches, which are called laterals, to the first level of wire, one going left and one going right. Prune out the thickest branch, which is generally in the middle and called the leader, and any other branches. • As the season goes on, weak branches — called suckers — will grow straight up. These need to be re- moved regularly. If they are young enough, rub off with your thumb or, if too thick, cut them off. Also appearing will be stubbier shoots — called spurs. Leave one about every 6 inches and cut off the rest. As they begin to grow, prune the spurs down to three leaves. This is where fruit will form after two years. • The year after beginning the espalier, start another level by training two lateral branches along the next level of wire and cutting off any additional branches. The following year, add an- other level. • After four years, cut off all spurs along one of the branches along the bottom wire to allow new ones to form. The next year, prune off spurs on the other branch on that same wire. In subsequent years, do the same thing, working your way up each level of the es- palier. For more information on espaliering, check out the Extension guide called Training and Pruning Your Home Orchard. MI TOWN Su m m e r t i m e — a n d when tempted to complain about my labors while work- ing in a very warm kitchen, I think about those who are working in the fields and on highway construction proj- ects. It helps keep things in perspective until the next batch of jam jars need to be removed from the boiling water bath. This summer is proving to be an excellent one for all garden goodies; and the apple trees and grapevines promise even more bountiful delights in the weeks to come. — Be sure to mark your cal- endars for Aug. 6 through 8 for the upcoming Polk County Fair. You can find all the information you need on the website: w w w. c o. p o l k . o r. u s / f a i r, about Blue Jeans and Coun- try Dreams – this year’s fair theme. There’s also a list of P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist contributors who help make this wonderful event possi- ble who would welcome your support. The Polk County Fair is just about my favorite event of the sum- mer, and I can’t wait to enjoy corn on the cob from the FFA Alumni booth. Fairgoers of all ages will have some- thing wonderful to see and do, and it’s always such fun to discover the talents of our friends and neighbors as we visit the exhibits throughout the fairgrounds. — Those of us who were 4-H kids, as well as others who learned about the benefits of 4-H membership, have seen our children and grandchildren enjoying learning so many good things about their commu- nities, the world beyond our borders and a renewed in- terest in science and space exploration. This year’s Polk County Fair will showcase accomplishments and tal- ents of MI Town’s 4-Hers and those who participate in this worthwhile program throughout Polk County. Be sure to stop by the 4-H Building to meet these youngsters and the leaders who have generously donat- ed their time and talents to yet another generation. — We’ve so enjoyed watch- ing our great-grandson, Austin Keel, whose baseball team from Milwaukie won third prize in their recent state tournament, and granddaughter, Nicole Luk- inbeal whose ASA softball team beat teams from Salem and Houston last Thursday. It’s great to share the team- work, sportsmanship and enthusiasm with players, family members, coaches and volunteers while cheer- ing for young athletes who love to play baseball. — Independence High School graduates: the class of 1950 will mark 65 years since graduation with a clas- sic car rally at 11 a.m. fol- lowed by a luncheon at noon at Rock-N-Rogers Far- rol’s Restaurant on Friday, Aug. 21. The cost is $14.99. The following day, Aug. 22, the all-school reunion will be held at Henry Hill Educa- tional Support Center, locat- ed at 750 S. Fifth St., in Inde- pendence. Tickets are $15 and are available by contact- ing Al Oppliger at 503-838- 1353. — TUESDAY, AUG. 4 • National Night Out-Independence — 6 to 8 p.m., Mount Fir Park, on F Street between Seventh and Eighth streets. Meet McGruff the Crime Dog and tour the Inspiration Garden. Free. 503-838-1214. — WEDNESDAY, AUG. 5 • Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank — 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E, Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members. 503-831-5634. • Scrabble with Betty — 1 p.m., Independence Public Li- brary, 175 Monmouth St., Independence. Scrabble games first Wednesday of every month. Free; refreshments and prizes avail- able. 503-551-7687 or 503-838-1811. • Yarning for Others — 3 to 5 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. Knitters and crocheters gather to make clothing and accessories for those in need on the first Wednesday of every month. 503-689-7222. • Music in the Park — 6:30 p.m., Main Street Park, Mon- mouth. Roseland Hunters, New Orleans Funk. Free. www.ci.monmouth.or.us. NEWS IN BRIEF Dallas VFW honored nationwide DALLAS — The Dallas Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 3203 received top honors at the state and national levels this year. The all-State and all-American designations go to a VFW post that excelled in various areas during the 2014-15 membership year including membership, community service and participa- tion in VFW programs. Through recruitment drives and increased interest in veteran benefits and causes, the post’s membership has increased from 91 members last year to 123 this year. Post members donate their time and money to outside char- itable activities. Totals for time and money donated is 2,252 hours, driving 11,000 miles and $2,700 to assist others. The final criteria used to judge VFW posts is programs includ- ing “VFW in the Classroom” and national military service pro- grams. Post No. 3203 had entrants in all three of the programs that come under the “VFW in the Classroom.” Also, the VFW Post No. 3203 formally adopted the 162nd Ore- gon National Guard Unit. For more information about VFW: myvfw.org/Oregon. American Pickers to come to Oregon POLK COUNTY — Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz from the series, “American Pickers,” on the History Channel, will film in Oregon in September. The show is a documentary series that explores the world of antique “picking.” Wolfe and Fritz embark on road trips across the U.S. in search of the most valuable antiques from motorcy- cles, classic cars and bicycles to one-of-a-kind vintage memora- bilia. American Pickers is looking for leads. Producers are on the hunt for interesting characters with interesting and unique items. Some of what they look for: vintage bicycles, toys, unusu- al radios, movie memorabilia, advertising, military items, folk art, vintage musical equipment, vintage automobile items, early firefighting equipment, vintage clothing and pre-1950s western gear. To be considered for the show, email your name, number, ad- dress and description of the collection or photos to american- pickers@cineflix.com. PEDEE NEWS Portia Perkins flew to Davenport, Iowa, on July 14 to visit her sister Paula. Dur- ing the week, they put 2,000 miles on Paula’s car, travel- ing around visiting friends and family, some as far away as Blue Springs, Mo. They especially liked Galena, Ill., where they ate and shopped much, before going on. They did have a grand time being together for a week. — Meanwhile, James and Jenny Mellein and their kids Leo and Annika spent two weeks in Enterprise, Ala., with Jenny’s family. Coinci- d e n t a l l y, h e r b r o t h e r A RLENE K OVASH Columnist Michael was there on leave from his post in Afghanistan, which was a happy surprise. Also, James’s sister Melisa Clements and her two kids, Sammy and Lory, came up from League City, Texas, to see them. Jenny had been working at the Clemens Community Pool in Philomath for sever- al years, but had resigned in time to enjoy herself on the trip. — Bob and Lynda Schnekenburger traveled to Wisconsin to pick up a 1947 Chevy Coupe they pur- chased to give Bob a project to work on. They traveled through Yellowstone from east to west and saw some buffalo. They plan to go back and spend more time there. — Pedee Church’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) has just concluded a week of crafts, games, music, and fun, all 24 hour Service teaching about Jesus based on the theme “Weird Ani- mals.” The 29 children of all ages were taught and super- vised by teens and adults from both Pedee and Kings Valley. Each helper was so appreciated, I’m listing them all. Lyndsey and Rob Zarfas were in charge of the “zoo,” and helping them were Shelly and Erika Tarvin; Scott Castle; Ronnie Sim- mons; Pesa, Alyssa, and Abi- gail Makalea; Philip and Jacob North; Jenny Mellein; Allison Barnhart and Alicia Warren. I prepared and served refreshments during the week. Pick up & Drop Off A Division of Ernst Irrigation • CCB# 185365 • Residential Electrical • Agricultural Electrical • Well Pump Service and Replacement • Solar Water Pumping • Variable Frequency Drives Brock Blacklaw , Electrician Mobile: 503.757.8382 • Phone: 503.633.1111 • Fax: 503.633.1122 PO Box 490 • 20179 Main St. NE, St. Paul, OR 97137 www.ernstirrigation.com The Itemizer-Observer Your community news source