Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 21, 2015 4A
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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
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Outside of Oregon — One Year $38
POSTMASTER:
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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
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