SPECIAL SECTION
DHS, CHS WRESTLE FOR
MONEY TALKS
DISTRICT
TITLE
Section C
Page 12A
Volume 141, Issue 7
www.Polkio.com
February 17, 2016
75¢
Sheriff
L
IFETIME
forming
citizens’ ACHIEVEMENT
Ron Lines honored posthumously
advisory for lifelong work in Dallas, parks
group
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY —
Sheriff Mark Garton is
looking for Polk County
residents to serve on his
office’s soon-to-be formed
volunteer Sheriff’s Adviso-
ry Team.
“The advisory team is in
place to provide advice
and guidance as it per-
tains to the relationship
between the office of the
sheriff and the citizens of
the county,” Garton wrote
in a description of the
team’s mission.
The team will consist of
nine members, five of
which have already been
selected by the sheriff. The
remaining four at-large
spots will be selected by
the existing members.
The five members al-
ready appointed are:
Grand Ronde Tribal Coun-
cilor Denise Harvey; Dal-
las City Councilor Bill
Hahn; West Salem Neigh-
borhood Association Co-
chairman Evan Sorce;
West Salem resident Angie
Hedrick; and Falls City
resident and Dallas busi-
ness owner Amy Hough-
taling.
Applications are available
for the other four spots.
Candidates have until
March 9 to apply.
Once up and running,
Garton said the team will
be reviewing issues relat-
ing to law enforcement,
quality of life in each part
of the county and the of-
fice’s programs, such as its
reserve program.
He’s hoping to have
each region of the county
well-represented and will
rely on the team’s insight
to improve the service the
office provides to county
residents.
“I will be going to all of
those meetings, so there
will be a direct connec-
tion,” Garton said.
Tean members will be
expected to attend regular
meetings, monthly or
quarterly, and will be ap-
pointed to a two-year
term. Ongoing training
will be provided.
Those selected to serve
will receive a minimum of
10 hours of training in the
first six months and will
need to undergo a back-
ground check. Ongoing
training will be required.
For more information
about the team or to
apply, contact Sheriff
Mark Garton at
Garton.Mark-
@co.polk.or.us, or 503-
623-9251. Applications
also can be found at
http://www.co.polk.or.us/
ms/volunteer-application.
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
DALLAS — Enjoyed a visit
to a park in Dallas lately?
Much of the credit for that
belongs to the late Ron
Lines, Dallas’ parks supervi-
sor for many years.
Lines, 50, died suddenly
last month, but in a life that
was far too short, Dallas City
C o u n c i l P re s i d e n t Ji m
Fairchild said Lines had a
positive impact on many.
“Here’s a guy, he has done
a good job in everything that
he’s tried,” Fairchild said.
Fairchild was Dallas’
mayor when the city hired
Lines in its parks depart-
ment, but had known him
since he was in elementary
school. Lines and Fairchild’s
daughter were in the same
t i g h t - k n i t c l a s s. L a t e r,
Fairchild would teach Lines
at Dallas High School.
He describes Lines as fun-
loving but “a well-rounded
student” who might have
been known to cause some
trouble from time to time.
Fairchild remembers him
more for another trait: com-
munity mindedness.
“If he could help you, he
stopped whatever he was
doing and he would help
you,” he said.
That showed in what
Lines choose to do in his free
time. He was a Scout leader
and Kids Inc. softball coach.
Lines spent most of his life
in Dallas, graduating from
DHS in 1983. He left Dallas
after graduation but quickly
returned, working for a
number of local businesses,
including Praegitzer Indus-
tries and Dallas Planing Mill.
Soon he started his own
business, Ron’s Lawns, and
eventually took a job with
the Dallas School District on
grounds maintenance.
Fairchild said with every
role he took on, Lines steadi-
ly worked his way to the top.
When Lines joined the city
parks crew, he did the same.
“It wasn’t very long before
he was the head of the park
system,” Fairchild said. “He
did it well and was more
than willing to put in the
extra time.”
Friday, Dallas will honor
that legacy by posthumously
presenting Lines with the
Lifetime Achievement Award
at the 59th annual Commu-
nity Awards Banquet hosted
by the Dallas Area Chamber
of Commerce.
See AWARDS, Page 6A
IN
YOUR
TOWN
DALLAS
New bill will allow
Dallas High School’s Ex-
tended Campus to con-
tinue.
»Page 14A
FALLS CITY
Falls City may get
help from FEMA to re-
build Dutch Creek
Crossing.
»Page 5A
INDEPENDENCE
Independence con-
tinues to work with
technology companies
to bring innovation to
town.
COURTESY OF DALLAS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH
Burgerville will host
its irst monthly Family
Literacy Night, com-
plete with stories, color-
ing and free kids cones.
»Page 14A
SPORTS
Dallas junior Jolie-
Rae Ford and senior
Elizabeth Dressel are
headed to the OSAA
Class 5A Swim State
Championships.
»Page 12A
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer file
Ron Lines, left, helps plant trees in Dallas, boosting the city’s“Tree City USA” designation.
Going back in time
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Come to Western
Oregon University
and hear author
Maren Anderson
read from her new
book, “Fuzzy Logic.”
3 p.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 57
Lo: 42
thu
The Independence
Elks Lodge hosts a
monthly veterans
night, complete
with dinner and
speakers.
6:30 p.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 50
Lo: 43
Elementary
students raise
money for balls
Itemizer-Observer staf report
A crowd gathered in downtown Dallas Thursday to see the relighting of the Blue Garden sign. More on Page 7A.
wed
»Page 3A
Ron Lines moves some dirt at a Dallas park.
MONMOUTH/INDEPEN-
DENCE — A pair of classes
at Monmouth and Inde-
pendence Elementary
Schools are holding a spe-
cial fundraiser.
Ms. Ward’s fourth-grade
class at MES and Mrs.
Olsen’s ifth-grade class at
IES recently completed a
unit on energy.
Both classes are hold-
ing fundraisers to pur-
chase soccer balls that
convert kinetic energy
into light.
Mrs. Olsen’s class is
holding an “Energy Store”
to purchase balls, which
can be used as a light
source in third world
countries.
Ms. Ward’s class is hold-
ing a penny drive through
the end of February.
The class set a goal of
10,000 pennies to pur-
chase balls.
For each soccer ball
purchased, a soccer ball is
sent to a country in need.
For more information:
aolsen@central.k12.or.us;
or kward@central-
.k12.or.us.
More information will
be available in next
week’s issue of the Itemiz-
er-Observer.
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Thought about
quilting but the idea
of squares is too
much? Join Arlene
Kovash for classes at
the senior center.
1 to 4 p.m. Free.
Indulge in a little his-
toric mystery at the
museum as tom
Branigar shares the
story of Polk County’s
irst murder.
1:30 p.m. Free.
Learn to ly without
the risk at Dallas
Wingdingers RC Fly-
ing Club at Whit-
worth Elementary
School gym.
1 to 3 p.m. Free.
Donate blood and
help save a life at
the American Red
Cross blood drive at
First Presbyterian
Church in Dallas.
12:30-6:30 p.m. Free.
Take your old ba-
nanas and make
some bread to cele-
brate National Ba-
nana Bread Day,
celebrated every
Feb. 23.
Rain
Hi: 49
Lo: 38
Showers
Hi: 54
Lo: 39
Cloudy
Hi: 54
Lo: 40
Showers
Hi: 55
Lo: 43
Showers
Hi: 59
Lo: 46