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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2015)
Polk County Voices Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 21, 2015 4A How to Contact Officials EDITORIALS Working together for a better community Want to find a place that knows how to respond to a need? Look no further than Falls City. The weekly Friday produce giveaway at Mountain Gospel Fellowship Church in Falls City is just one example how citizens of Polk County’s smallest city rally to help their neighbors — with caring and without judgement. The program serves up 120 families — as many as 450 people out of a town of less than 1,000 — each week, pro- viding them with a wide selection with fresh produce they may not have access to on a regular basis. It started small, like many efforts in Falls City, simply using available resources. But when organizers saw a larger need than was being met, they answered the call once again. The program expanded. When original organizers Angie Varney had to step away and Wayne Kester died suddenly, the program could have ended. That didn’t happen. Someone was there to take the reins, and a call for volunteers to keep the now-vital give- away going was answered. Go to Mountain Gospel Fellowship on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. and you will see not only people receiving nutritious food, but emotional support. You see friends helping friends and hear laughter — “A party atmosphere,” as one person described it. You see community. The giveaway is trying to expand further by applying for grant money to start cooking classes to teach people to use the food they receive weekly. Organizers have been re- sourceful, appealing to a culinary school to have students teach basic cooking classes. We hope to see the grant awarded and that effort get off the ground in this next year. But here’s betting the people leading this program will find a way to accomplish that goal even if the funding doesn’t come through on the first attempt. GOVERNOR Gov. Kate Brown (Dem.) 160 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-378-4582 Email: via website, http://governor.oregon.gov/ — STATE LEGISLATORS Sen. Arnie Roblan (District 5, Democrat) S-417 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1705 sen.arnieroblan@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/roblan LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Do your research on U.S. Constitution It blows my mind that people have lived in these United States for maybe as long as 100 years and still don’t know what the “sepa- ration of church and state” is. No, I am not going to tell them. It would do no good as there are too many milk drinkers and meat eaters (I Corinthians 3:2). I can see a lot of head scratchers. Anyway the reason I am writing this is because of the news ad on TV about these kids singing songs at the Grotto. They won’t let them anymore because the milk drinkers don’t understand the “separation of church and state.” Just gave you head scratchers something to think about. Dan Marion Dallas Author needs help with local history PUBLIC AGENDA Public Agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov- ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County. To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via fax (503- 623-2395) or email (ionews@polkio.com). — WEDNESDAY, OCT. 21 • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. • Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0722. FRIDAY, OCT. 23 • Rickreall Watershed Council — 1 to 3 p.m., Delbert Hunter Arboretum House, Dallas City Park. 503-623-9680. MONDAY, OCT. 26 • Independence Library Board — 4 p.m., Independence Public Library, 175 Monmouth St., Independence. 503-838-1811. • Dallas School Board — 6:30 p.m., Dallas School District of- ice, 111 SW Ash St., Dallas. 503-623-5594. TUESDAY, OCT. 27 • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. • Independence City Council — 7:30 a.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk County Courthouse, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. I am writing a book and I wondered if anyone remem- bered Mrs. Kate Buss Willis. She died in the area on July 1972, when she moved to join her daughter, Sybil. Her daughter married the pastor of the St. Hilda’s Epis- copal Church, Monmouth. I would also be grateful for her daughter’s married name. Kate Willis was a survivor of the Titanic sinking and came from my home county here in England. Please help if you can. Thank you. I am just trying to get my facts correct before publica- tion. Anyone with information can email mikegunnill @mac.com. Mike Gunnill Upchurch, Kent UK DAS music jams off to good start Many thanks to the many performers and music lovers who helped kick off the ninth season of Dallas area Seniors Music Jam in September. For the last nine years, we’ve invited all ages of singers, musicians and music lovers to come and have one of the longest-run- ning, all-volunteer, free sec- ular music showcases in Dallas. The level of musicianship and comradery continues to improve with age. This Thursday at 6:30 p.m., we are hosting our ninth annual Halloween Jam. I would expect nothing but the most imaginative costumes and epic perform- ances of nostalgic to con- temporary harvest-themed novelty songs. This is a splendid oppor- tunity for our community to come together and cele- brate this special time of year with music on an inter- generational level. I am grateful to the Dallas Area Seniors for allowing me the honor of hosting this great program for all these years. While I know we had all hoped to be celebrating in the new Dallas Senior Cen- ter by now, we are still rock- ing in the current location, in back of the Dallas City Li- brary building. Michele Griffin-Campione Dallas Senior Music Jam host Dallas Sen. Jackie Winters (District 10, Republican) S-301 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1710 sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/winters Sen. Brian Boquist (District 12, Republican) S-305 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1712 sen.brianboquist@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist Rep. David Gomberg (District 10, Democrat) H-471 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1410 rep.davidgomberg@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg Rep. Paul Evans (District 20, Democrat) H-281 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1420 rep.paulevans@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/evans Rep. Mike Nearman (District 23, Republican) H-378 State Capitol 900 Court St. NE Salem, OR 97301 503-986-1423 rep.mikenearman@state.or.us www.oregonlegislature.gov/nearman — U.S. CONGRESS Sen. Ron Wyden (Dem.) 221 Dirksen SOB Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-5244 Fax: 202-228-2717 Salem oice: 707 13th St. SE, Suite 285, Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-589-4555 Email: via website, www.wyden.senate.gov Sen. Jef Merkley (Dem.) 313 Hart SOB Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-3753 Fax: 202-228-3997 Salem oice: 495 State St. SE, Suite 330, Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-362-8102 Email: via website, www.merkley.senate.gov WANT TO WRITE A LETTER? Letters to the editor are lim- ited to 300 words. Longer letters will be edited. Election-related letters of all types are limited to 100 words. Writers are limited to one elec- tion-related letter per election season. Election letters from writers outside of Polk County are not accepted. Each writer is restricted to one letter per 30-day period. Letters that are libelous, ob- scene or in bad taste will not be printed. Attacks by name on businesses or individuals will not be printed. Letters to the editor that are obvious promotions for a busi- ness, products or services will not be printed. The Itemizer-Observer does not guarantee the accuracy of facts presented by letter writers; dissenters are welcome to re- spond. Letter writers who dis- agree with other published letter writers should maintain a civil discourse and address the subject, not the author. Letters, like all editorial mate- rial submitted to the newspaper, are edited for length, grammar and content. Letters must include the au- thor’s name, address and tele- phone number. This includes letters submitted via the I-O’s website. Names and cities of res- idence are published; street ad- dresses and telephone numbers are used for veriication pur- poses only. Letters must be submitted from individuals, not organiza- tions, and must be original sub- missions to the I-O, not copies of letters sent to other media. Letters of thanks to busi- nesses, individuals and organi- zations are limited to 10 names. The deadline for letters to the editor is 10 a.m. Monday. Let- ters submitted may not be re- tractable after this deadline. — Reach us at: Mail: Editor, Polk County Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108, Dallas, OR 97338. Fax: 503-623-2395. Email: ionews@polkio.com. Oice: 147 SE Court St., Dallas. Rep. Kurt Schrader (Dem.) 108 Cannon HOB Washington, D.C. 20515 Phone: 202-225-5711 Fax: 202-225-5699 Salem oice: 544 Ferry St. SE, Suite 2, Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-588-9100 Fax: 503-588-5517 Email: via website, www.schrader.house.gov — POLK COUNTY Board of Commissioners 850 Main St. Dallas, OR 97338 Phone: 503-623-8173 www.co.polk.or.us — CITIES Dallas 187 SE Court St. Dallas, OR 97338 503-623-2338 www.ci.dallas.or.us Falls City 299 Mill St. Falls City, OR 97344 503-787-3631 www.fallscityoregon.gov Independence 555 S. Main St. Independence, OR 97351 503-838-1212 www.ci.independence.or.us Monmouth 151 W. Main St. Monmouth, OR 97361 503-838-0722 www.ci.monmouth.or.us HOW TO REACH US Vol. 140, No. 42 (USPS) - 437-380) The official newspaper of Polk County • Serving Polk County families since 1875 Winner of 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 General Excellence Awards from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, OR, Independence, OR and Monmouth, OR. Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street Dallas, Oregon 97338 Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Polk County — One Year $27 Other Oregon Counties — One Year $33 Outside of Oregon — One Year $38 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Polk County Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108, Dallas, Oregon 97338 The Polk County Itemizer-Observer assumes no inancial responsibility for errors in adver- tisements. It will, however, reprint without charge for the portion of an advertisement which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault. NEWSROOM Nancy Adams ...............Publisher/Editor .............................................................nadams@polkio.com Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com Emily Mentzer ..............Monmouth/Independence Reporter ..................ementzer@polkio.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING Heidi Leppin .................Display Advertising Manager ....................................hleppin@polkio.com Rachel Best ....................Display Advertising.............................................................rbest@polkio.com Karen Sanks...................Client Services ...................................................................ksanks@polkio.com CLASSIFIED LINE ADVERTISING Dawn Ohren .....................................................................................................................ioads@polkio.com PRODUCTION Kathy Huggins ..............................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Karyn Pressel .................................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Web: www.polkio.com Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395
