Polk County
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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 30, 2015 4A
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
A tale of two
neighbors
On Dec. 10 during a
strong storm, a large oak
tree in our front yard fell,
prompting contrasting ac-
tions from our extended
neighbors.
Fortunately, damage was
minimal — a small section
of sidewalk. We contacted
the city and set to work
clearing the tree away. For
the next two days, in the
worst rains in years, our
son, Carter, nephew, Lee
and Carter’s friends, Sterling
and Morgan, worked to-
gether with neighbor, Floyd,
who stopped with his wife
to help. Tuesday saw our
neighboring lot clear of all
large debris and the tree
mostly gone.
A good feeling for all.
Then we were steered to
the Royal Order of Red Sus-
penders, a group of volun-
teers that gathers and splits
fallen trees to distribute to
families in need of winter
heat. They took all but the
large root wad.
The last piece of our
Christmas tale fell into
place when Micah, from
Falls City, stopped to offer
help because something
told him he should.
Clearing fallen trees is
part of his trade; Micah had
all the equipment and
know-how to lift that heavy
root. That same afternoon,
with his friend Harley,
Micah removed the root
and lowered the undam-
aged piece of pavement
back into place.
Along with all the good-
hearted efforts came a less
helpful one. An email was
sent to the city to prompt it
to investigate our broken
sidewalk: surely by someone
who believes in Christmas
miracles if the expectation
was to have the huge mess
cleared in a more timely
manner. “Yes, Virginia, there
is a Grinch!”
Still, nothing spoils the
kind acts of the many and
the goodwill manifested.
Thank you all.
Dallas shines. As a firm
believer in what you sow
you will reap, I know good
things will come your way.
Jan Rickert
Dallas
day a little brighter.
Everyone who heard the
story got a tear in their eye
and a lump in their throat.
To the mysterious woman
in Wal-Mart: Thank you.
Your gift of listening to a
stranger, understanding
frustration, having a sense
of humor while dealing with
holiday crowds, and giving
with love was the greatest
Christmas present we could
have received. And then to
top it off, you wrapped it all
up with a sweatshirt on my
wish list.
Ami Braden
Dallas
Dallas officers find
missing bicycle
All students’
privacy matters
Let us honor every stu-
dent because we realize all
persons are image bearers
of the holy and sacred, and
let us conduct ourselves
with kindness as the Dallas
School District (DSD) and
the Oregon Department of
Education (ODE) seek new
school policies which re-
spect the right to privacy for
all students.
Article 16 in the U.N.
Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC) states
children have a right to pri-
vacy. (United Nations Con-
vention on the Rights of the
Child www.ohchr.org/
en/professionalinterest/pag
es/crc.aspx)
If children do not wish to
see nor be seen by a
child/student of the oppo-
site anatomical gender as
they dress or undress, that
is within their rights.
Columbia Law in Privacy
for Children attests:
“... Children need physi-
cal privacy in order to de-
velop their individuality,
their independence and
their self reliance ... and
other attributes important
to personal development.
The fact that children need
privacy from individuals
and entities external to the
family is well recognized,
both in law and academic
literature. There is a wide
recognition that children
need privacy to protect
them ....” (Benjamin
Shmueli and Ayelet Blecher-
Prigat, PRIVACY FOR CHIL-
DREN, Columbia Law
School, http://www3
.law.columbia.edu/hrlr/hrlr
_journal/42.3/Shmueli_Blec
her.pdf)
Public school policy must
protect the needs of the
many, never just the one,
while yet including the one.
School policies have com-
pletely different needs than
municipal policies. Children
aren’t consenting adults,
and some school districts
are currently making poli-
cies which violate the rights
of the children entrusted to
them.
The community, DSD,
and ODE face a challenging
task, but we must find a so-
lution for all. We need edu-
cated and kind citizens,
DSD leaders, and students
to create a peaceful resolu-
tion. In our modern era, we
face questions never before
asked of us. It’s time to find
compassionate solutions for
all, which violate the rights
of none.
Kim Conolly
Dallas
Christmas angel
helps fill wish list
My husband had tried
Salem department and
nearby stores desperately
searching for a Portland
Timbers sweatshirt for me
for Christmas with no suc-
cess.
On Christmas Eve, he was
doing some last-minute
shopping at Wal-Mart in
Dallas. There, he saw a
woman shopping with her
kids wearing a Timbers
hoodie. He introduced him-
self and asked where she
had gotten it and where he
might get one, telling her of
his search.
He thanked her for the in-
formation and said, “Good-
bye, Merry Christmas.”
Later, as he was waiting
at the checkout, the
woman’s son approached
him, said, “Merry Christ-
mas,” and handed him the
folded hoodie he had ad-
mired earlier.
My husband asked the
boy where his mother was.
The son pointed her out
and he went over. They
talked; she would not ac-
cept payment for the hood-
ie, saying that sweatshirt
obviously meant more to
my husband than it did for
her, and Merry Christmas.
She smiled and walked
away.
The smile my husband
had on his face when he got
back from shopping was
priceless. He said he had a
story to tell, but could not
tell it until Christmas morn-
ing.
On Christmas morning,
while opening presents, he
told the story of the woman
giving him the shirt off her
back to make a stranger’s
Thank you Dallas Police
Department. They found
my bike. I had mine since
December 1964, so I have
been riding my old Schwinn
for 51 years.
Last year, the Itemizer-
Observer told my story of
my 50-year-old bike on the
front page.
Tuesday, Dec. 22, I need-
ed to go to the doctor for a
blood draw. It was not rain-
ing, so I decided to walk
down to Dallas Family Med-
icine. I left my bike under
the carport padlocked to my
house. My son’s bike is on
racks in the rafters, also
padlocked to the wall. When
I got home a little past 10
a.m., my bike was gone. My
son’s bike was hanging on
one wheel on a hook, still
locked to the wall. They
broke my padlock on my
bike.
My bike was gone. I start-
ed to cry. I grabbed my
phone, called 911, told them
what happened. They took
down the information.
At 11:11 a.m., I got a call
from the Dallas police. He
said he was at Wal-Mart. He
was driving through Wal-
Mart’s parking lot.
He saw a bike parked
there and already two men
were off to jail on other
charges. He said he would
call me back to make sure it
was mine. Then the police-
man put my bike in his po-
lice car. He drove to my
house. Thank you for find-
ing my bike.
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
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
Alice Down
Dallas
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—
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.
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
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. 52
(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
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Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street
Dallas, Oregon 97338
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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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