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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2016)
UNEXPECTED VISITOR DANIEL GLADE TRIES TO ENJOYING SNOW RETURN TO FORM Page 7A Page 10A Volume 140, Issue 1 www.Polkio.com January 6, 2016 75¢ First snow IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS Greg Ellis works to market Dallas to resi- dents and outsiders alike. »Page 6A FALLS CITY Dallas Police and Polk County Sherif deputies serve a search and seizure warrant at a Falls City residence. »Page 14A INDEPENDENCE Monmouth-Indepen- dence YMCA restruc- tures membership dues to relect household in- comes. LUKAS EGGEN (TOP) EMILY MENTZER (RIGHT)/Itemizer-Observer Kids enjoyed an unexpected snow day on Sunday, the irst widespread snow Polk County has seen since February of 2014. Total precipitation amounted to 0.29 inches, but it was enough to keep the sleds moving and the laughter coming. »Page 3A Above: Alexandrea Cavan (left) and Sadie Pond enjoy a trip down a hill at Dallas City Park on Sunday morning. The pair went sledding until their sleds broke, along with Sienna and Zoey Pond. MONMOUTH Casa Burrito Tequila Grill ofers a range of Mexican dishes, from combination plates to oferings at the taco cart in front. Right: Caleb Duncan, 4, doesn’t have to go far for a wild ride. The drive- way on his quiet street in Monmouth will work just ine. He and his sib- lings played with friends and family on Sunday, throwing snowballs and making the trip up the driveway to sled back down. »Page 5A Soggy December weekends means fewer trees sold All in all, it’s a good year for Christmas tree growers, big and small, as owners get ready to replant By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The record December rains — 15.24 inches in all, 6.86 above what’s considered “nor- mal” — didn’t spoil the Christmas tree harvest too much. “We had a pretty soggy year with all the rain,” said Ken Brown, co- owner of Brown’s Westwinds Farms in Dallas. “We were down a little bit on the number of trees sold, but it was really a good year.” The long, hot summer did not hurt the fir trees much, Brown said, because they got enough moisture in spring. “We do worry if it stays particular- ly dry into the harvest season,” he said, adding that the fall rains was enough so trees didn’t suffer. However, the heavy rains, partic- ularly during the weekends, kept a few cut-your-own-tree folks away. “Of course, that slows things down pretty dramatically,” Brown said. But overall, he said, “We were only down maybe 20 trees from the year before.” With a U-cut farm, any trees that don’t sell aren’t wasted, Brown said. “Not like somebody on the (park- ing) lot that has a few trees leftover,” he said. “They’re not worth a thing the day after Christmas. Mine, I can use mine again.” The wholesale tree growers weren’t as affected by the late rains, as their harvests were already in trucks and on boats to retail sellers. The summer heat affected some trees, said Tom Norby, past-presi- dent and member of the Oregon Christmas Tree Growers Association. “Those first trees that we sent overseas really needed a bit more moisture for them,” he said. “The ones we cut in November for do- mestic were a lot healthier.” Wholesale tree growers start their harvests in late October and keep pushing right through Thanksgiving, Norby said. See TREES, Page 13A Cyclist dies in car accident on Hoffman By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — No ci- tations have been issued, but the investigation is on- going in Dec. 30’s fatal acci- dent involving a bicyclist and car. Polk County Sheriff’s Of- fice said bicyclist John Shap- ley, 52, of Independence died in the accident that occurred in the 9000 block of Hoffman Road, on the outskirts of Monmouth city limits. At about 6:40 p.m., Polk County deputies responded to what was reported as a vehicle versus pedestrian crash on Hoffman Road be- tween 16th Street North and S o u t h H i g h w a y 9 9 W. Deputies were told CPR was in progress. THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK Courtesy of the POLK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE A man died in an accident on Hofman Road on Dec. 30. Additionally, officers from Monmouth and Independ- ence responded to the call. Polk County Fire District No. 1 EMS personnel arrived wed Pick up your knitting needles and crochet hooks and join oth- ers making clothing and accessories for those in need. 3-5 p.m. Free. Showers Hi: 39 Lo: 32 on the scene at 6:46 p.m. and soon determined that Shapley had died as a result of the crash. Police said Shapley was thu The Dallas Lions Club welcomes everyone to its twice-monthly meetings at Hong Kong Restaurant. 11:30 a.m. Free. Cloudy Hi: 40 Lo: 31 struck from behind while riding a bicycle west on Hoffman Road, causing sig- nificant damage to both the bicycle and the in- volved vehicle, driven by Daniel Major, 40, of Falls City. It was believed Shapley was killed upon impact. The investigation showed a secondary impact with Shapley's body by a separate vehicle had occurred, but it was not thought to be a fac- tor in his death. All parties remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. Sheriff Mark Garton said that stretch of Hoffman Road is dark with no street lights. It has very little shoul- der with no bike lane. Shapley had been wearing dark clothing. Garton said. Speed didn’t appear to be a factor in the crash. No criminal charges have been filed thus far in the in- vestigation, which is ongo- ing, Garton said. Both the Polk County Medical Examiner's Office and the Polk County District Attorney's Office had per- sonnel respond to the scene. Law enforcement arriving on scene closed Hoffman Road between 16th Street North and South Highway 99W. The road was closed for several hours while deputies conducted an investigation, which included assistance from Oregon State Police, at the request of the sheriff’s office. SPORTS Former Western Ore- gon wide receiver Tyrell Williams caught his irst pass in the NFL. The San Diego Charger scored on an 80-yard touch- down against the Den- ver Broncos. »Page 11A SPORTS Central sophomore Krista Omlid has transi- tioned quickly from in- experienced newcomer to a leader. »Page 12A Dallas fire put out quickly Itemizer-Observer staf report DALLAS — A small ire was mostly extinguished by a resident of a recre- ational vehicle at 573 E. El- lendale Ave. on Friday, but when personnel from Dal- las Fire & EMS responded, it was still smoldering. The ire department was on scene for about an hour working to com- pletely extinguish the ire. The occupant was as- sessed by Dallas medics for possible smoke inhala- tion. The ire appears to have been started from smok- ing materials, said April Welsh, Dallas Fire & EMS community liaison. “There was no informa- tion as to how much dam- age there was to the RV,” she said. fri sat sun mon tue Bring your new elec- tronic devices to free community technology courses at Dallas United Methodist Church. 10-11:30 a.m. Free. Pentacle Theatre will present “Mary Pop- pins” at Central High School, a fundraiser for the community theater. 2 and 7:30 p.m. $15-20. Head to Buell Grange Hall, just of Highway 22 north- west of Dallas, for all-you-can-eat breakfast. 8-11 a.m. $6. With the excitement of resolutions and holidays behind you, it’s time for National Clean Of Your Desk Day, the second Monday of the year. Are you a caregiver, or know someone who is? A support group meets at West Valley Hospital to ofer help. 2-3:30 p.m. Free. Partly cloudy Hi: 41 Lo: 31 Showers Hi: 40 Lo: 31 Partly cloudy Hi: 41 Lo: 30 Showers Hi: 40 Lo: 33 Showers Hi: 43 Lo: 36