Polk County
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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 3, 2016 4A
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EDITORIALS
Minet board should
reconsider options
The board of directors of Monmouth Independence
Networks (Minet) decided Thursday to indefinitely table
an idea of the telecommunications company providing
free WiFi access to residents and visitors of both cities in
exchange for possible debt relief from the two cities.
Board president Scott McClure said he didn’t want Minet
Executive Director Don Patten to put any more time into
looking at the details: how much it would cost Minet, how
much debt relief they would request from the cities, or how
much time and manpower it would take, or whether
grants are available to help build the system.
He implied that it would be a waste of Patten’s time to
continue to look into it, comparing it to if he suggested
to the Monmouth City Council that they sell Main Street
Park.
His reasoning didn’t seem to come from the debt for-
giveness, but from a fear that people would drop their In-
ternet services from Minet and just use free WiFi.
It’s great for using a cellphone or other devices, because
it can help you save on data. It’s also great for accessing the
Internet in the park or at a coffee shop. But it’s generally
spotty. It’s not secure. It’s is no replacement for secure data
access.
As for the debt forgiveness Patten suggests in exchange
for providing such a service, this is a matter that should be
discussed by the councils and, more importantly, the citi-
zens — and it should be something Minet’s board, who
should be working on behalf of the company, is interested
in.
Ratepayers of Monmouth and Independence already
contribute to the debt that was incurred to help build
Minet. The two cities are the ones who took out the money
to build the company, and it is the cities’ responsibilities to
pay it back.
We realize that the idea was that Minet would one day
be able to afford its operating costs and pay back the $25
million in debt, but the fact is that that isn’t happening. In
December, the two cities covered 80 percent of Minet’s
debt payment.
That means the power customers in Monmouth and the
water customers in Independence paid 80 percent of
Minet’s debt in December.
We think it is worth investigating. We think the board of
Minet should pass this one over to the people and the city
councils and let them decide: is free WiFi worth taking
some of the pressure off Minet to repay the millions of dol-
lars the cities took out to build them?
It has been a long time — roughly a decade — since any-
one has asked the public what they think about Minet. The
least they could do is ask now.
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, FEB. 3
• Monmouth Historic Commission — 6 p.m., Volunteer Hall,
144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, irst loor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
MONDAY, FEB. 8
• Hops and Heritage Festival Commission — 6 p.m., Independ-
ence Elks Lodge, 289 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
• WIMPEG Board of Directors — 7 p.m., 150 N. Knox St.,
Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Dallas School Board — 6:30 p.m., Dallas School District of-
ice, 111 SW Ash St., Dallas. 503-623-5594.
• Southwest Polk Fire Protection District Board — 7:30
p.m., Rickreall Fire Station, 275 Main St., Rickreall. 503-831-3530.
TUESDAY, FEB. 9
• Independence City Council — 7 p.m., Independence Civic
Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
• Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC oice, 850 Main St., Dallas.
503-623-8173.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, irst loor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
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
Help promote live
music in the area
My name is Bob Rause; I
am a member of a musical
group called Parish Gap. I
would like to help promote
live music in Dallas.
We are probably the
longest continuously per-
forming band in the state of
Oregon. The band has
swapped out a few musi-
cians over the years, but the
line-up of bass, guitar, keys,
vocalists and percussionist
hasn’t changed in several
decades. We have worked
across America and Canada.
On Saturday, we will be
playing at Tony’s in Dallas at
9 p.m.
I am on a personal cru-
sade to get live music hap-
pening again in our area. I
remember a time when
there were a lot of places
having live music, every-
thing from country to jazz
regularly. I miss those days
and would like to see them
happen again.
We have been having
phenomenal crowd reac-
tions at every place we have
played in the past couple of
years with many people
making a point to tell us
that we really put on a great
show and gave them a really
special evening of entertain-
ment. Our history is long,
storied, and we believe a
great human interest story
as well as a testament to
dedication to great musical
art.
We have two full-length
albums to our credit and are
constantly adding to our
own music legacy catalog.
Your consideration and
help would be greatly ap-
preciated, and we feel your
own reading public would
enjoy hearing our story. It
has been a fun, and often
heartwarming ride.
Bob Rause
Albany
Watch out for your
rights this season
Dangerous bills are being
introduced.
These are dangerous bills
that remove your constitu-
tional rights without due
process. If the Legislature
can do it here, they can do it
to all other rights. Even if
you don’t own firearms,
your other rights are at risk.
Article 1 Section 27: The
people shall have the right
to bear arms for defense of
themselves and the State ... .
Senate Bill 1551: Under
this bill, a person with no
mental health credentials,
who may have never even
met you, can take away your
right to acquire a firearm
with an anonymous call to
the state police. The state
police are not allowed in-
form you that your rights
are gone, not allowed to re-
veal who made the accusa-
tion and are not allowed to
reveal how long your rights
are suspended.
House Bill 4147: This bill
prohibits transfer of a
firearm without the ap-
proval of the Oregon State
Police. Currently a dealer
may transfer a firearm to a
buyer after three days if the
state police issues a delay.
This bill will prohibit that
and allow the OSP to delay
you literally forever.
Stand up for your rights
or lose them.
Gary Weis
Dallas
Today is National Day the Music Died Day
The Day the Music Died Day is always ob-
served on Feb. 3. This day we remember the
unfortunate and untimely death of singers
22-year-old Buddy Holly, 17-year-old Richie
Valens, and 28-year-old J. P. Richardson, aka:
“The Big Bopper.” These three singers died
in an airplane accident on Feb. 3, 1959, near
Clear Lake, Iowa. Their pilot, Roger Peterson,
also died in the crash.
The Day the Music Died was dubbed so by
Don McLean’s song “American Pie.”
Buddy Holly’s band was on tour and had
played at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.
They were headed to their next destination
in Moorhead, Minnesota. For this leg of their
journey, they decided take a charter plane
rather than go with their tour bus. Richard-
son “The Big Bopper,” had swapped places
with Waylon Jennings, taking the latter’s
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
place on the plane and Tommy Allsup had
lost his place to Ritchie Valens in a coin toss.
Not long after takeoff, they were no longer
able to be reached by radio and they did not
reach their destination.
The aircraft was reported missing. The
next day, the wreckage was found less than 6
miles northwest of the airport in a cornfield.
Poor weather conditions and pilot error were
determined, during investigation, to have
been the cause of the pilot losing control of
the plane.
This event has echoed through history for
over 50 years. Visitors still make the pilgrim-
age each year to Clear Lake, the resort town
about 110 miles north of Des Moines, as this
was the point of their last concert before the
fatal accident.
— Source: NationalDayCalendar.com
WANT TO WRITE A LETTER?
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The deadline for letters to the
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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. 141, No. 5
(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
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