Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 2, 2016
NEWS IN BRIEF
Salvation Army receives $2,000 grant
DALLAS — The Dallas Community Foundation has awarded
The Salvation Army a $2,000 grant to assist victims of domestic
violence in Polk County.
The funding helps those who have sufered from domestic
violence and want to begin life away from their abusers.
This is the third year the Dallas Community Foundation has
approved the request for this speciic funding and the need
continues. Hundreds of women and children in Polk County
have experienced and are experiencing domestic violence in
their homes.
The Salvation Army receives referrals for inancial assistance
for clients of Sable House and the Department of Human Serv-
ices. Clients can also self-refer themselves for inancial assis-
tance by contacting The Salvation Army Polk County Oice in
Dallas, 503-623-9664, ext. 2481.
Polk County parcel part of timber sale
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Elegant Floral owner Dennice Grover takes her home-based flower business and brings it to downtown.
FLOWERS AND MORE
Elegant Floral brings variety of gifts, shopping experience to downtown
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Dennice
Grover loves flowers.
The owner of Elegant Flo-
ral, which opened on Feb. 12
on Mill Street in Dallas,
seemed destined to be a
flower shop owner. It’s just
taken some time for her to
make that leap.
“I’ve been mystified by
flowers since I was 4 or 5
years old,” Grover said last
week. “I can remember pick-
ing in my grandmother’s
yard and knocking on the
neighbor’s doors to see if I
could pick their flowers, and
going back to my grand-
mother’s and trying to
arrange them.”
That fascination contin-
Fancy flowers
What: Elegant Floral.
Where: 135 SW Mill St.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9
a.m. to noon on Saturday. After hours by appointment.
Contact: 503-623-5683
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/ele-
gantloral1.
ued through high school,
when she worked in a local
floral shop for credit in her
career education class.
“I just made up my mind
then that I was going to pur-
sue floral work,” she said.
Since then, Grover has
worked in floral shops in the
area for 35 years and has
had a home business under
the same name for 16 years.
“We decided to take it the
Premier Sponsor:
next step, which would be to
work full time, and the logi-
cal thing to do is to open a
store,” Grover said.
Opening two days before
Valentine’s Day was by de-
sign. Grover wanted to get
Elegant Floral’s name and
location circulating.
It worked. She had three
times the business she
thought she would.
“I sold every flower I had,”
Premier Sponsor:
Doors Open For
Social Hour
at 5:30 pm.
For tickets or more information:
www.micc-or.org | 503.838.4268
Join the MI Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
as we celebrate businesses, organizations, and individuals
for their contributions and support of our community
during our 51st Annual Community Awards Banquet!
she said.
After the Valentine’s Day
rush, Grover said she’s had a
number of people walk in
the shop on Mill Street
across the street from the
Dallas post office to check
out her work.
“Visibility is really good
right here, with people going
to the post office and going
to the bank. I’m real thank-
ful,” Grover said.
Elegant Flower offers silk
and fresh flower designs and
arrangements for weddings
and other special events.
Customer designs are avail-
able. Grover sells green and
flowering plants.
By carrying higher-end
flowers and plants, gifts, and
gift wrapping, Grover hopes
Elegant Floral will replace
some of what downtown lost
with the closure of Plain &
Fancy Gifts.
“I plan to have a lot of ver-
satility,” she said. “I want to
have things that are little
unique and different that
you don’t see in everybody’s
flower shop.”
The third-generation Dal-
las resident would like to
help drive more traffic to
downtown.
“I want to do whatever I
can to help Dallas prosper
and have downtown be de-
sirable,” she said. “I don’t
want this place to turn into a
ghost town. This is my
hometown. I love it. I’m pas-
sionate about it.”
GRAND RONDE — A parcel in Polk County near Grand Ronde
was part of the Bureau of Land Management, Salem District
timber sale on Feb. 24.
The Rowell Creek Timber Sale, approximately 13.7 million
board feet was purchased by Hampton Tree Farms Inc. for
$4,274,576. The appraised price was $3,639,496.
Hampton Tree Farm purchased a second parcel in Linn
County (2.1 million board feet) to bring the total sale to more
than $4.76 million and 15.8 million board feet.
For more information on Salem BLM’s timber sale program
go to: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/salem/timber
sales/index.php.
Minet manager to receive raise
INDEPENDENCE — The Monmouth Independence board of
directors approved a 5 percent salary increase for Minet Gener-
al Manager Don Patten.
Thursday’s unanimous vote came after an executive session
to evaluate a public oicer and a brief summary of that meeting
provided in public.
“We want to convey that we’re really happy with your work,
happy with getting the business stabilized,” said Scott McClure,
Minet board president.
Patten took the opportunity to evaluate the board, saying,
“We at Minet are gaining a comfort level at bringing items that
we feel should have your input, because we’re comfortable that
you will address them appropriately.”
Board member Jon Carey requested that he be sent Minet’s
monthly reports that go to each city councilor in both Mon-
mouth and Independence in advance in case he gets calls from
other councilors with questions.
“I would like to be perceived as a person in the know,” he
said. “If I get a question about it, and I don’t know the answer,
it’s embarrassing.”
Transgender experience seminar on tap
DALLAS — Polk Community for Human Equality and Basic
Rights Oregon is hosting informational session “What’s the T?
Learning about the Transgender Experience” on Sunday.
The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Thomas Episcopal Church,
1486 SW Levens St., in Dallas.
For more information, or to RSVP, go to http://equalityfeder-
ation.salsalabs.com/o/35028/p/salsa/event/common/public/?e
vent_KEY=3652.
The Beatles music featured at WOU
MONMOUTH — The Western Hemisphere Voices presents
“Because, The Beatles,” at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Rice Audito-
rium at Western Oregon University.
The group is one of the premier, audition-only ensembles at
WOU. The program will feature music written by The Beatles, in-
cluding some original arrangements and some new takes on
classic songs.
Admission is $3 general, $1 for students and senior citizens.
WOU students are free with ID.