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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2016)
Polk County Voices Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 2, 2016 4A EDITORIALS Local events achieve something rare The Mid-Valley AgFest and Polk County Home and Gar- den Show proved to be a smashing success last weekend — and perhaps for a bigger reason than you might expect. The two-day events attracted attendees of all ages — and they didn’t leave disappointed. The kids had plenty to keep them busy. From watching a model train set, to getting their faces painted and taking a seat on a tractor or covered wagon, to receiving a balloon and enjoying tasty treats, this was a truly family-friendly event. But this wasn’t just a kids affair. The AgFest helped urban and rural life connect. Satur- day Market vendors and small farms showed off their hand-crafted products and food. Speakers and seminars provided information about the world of agricultural, the challenges it is facing and what is changing. The AgFest was a unique opportunity for families to connect through one of the county’s defining features. The Home and Garden Show provided inspiration and information to help kickstart people’s latest projects. From flooring to furniture, spas to window coverings, the Home and Garden Show gave the community a chance to find what’s new in the world of home improvement. Those green thumbs found plenty at the show as well. Garden treasures like birdhouses and other decorations were on full display, as well as a variety of plants. Presentations from author Gretchen Anderson and the State of Oregon assistant veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholtz gave adults important information on raising a flock of chicken and on avian influenza. The Polk County Museum gave the public a chance to discover the county’s history and heritage. The AgFest and Home and Garden Show was more than a chance to shop, eat and learn. It was a unique opportuni- ty for families to come together, one that truly had things to interest you, no matter what your age. In a time when families seem to have countless things happening all the time, events that can give everyone in something to look forward to are a rarity. That may be both shows’ greatest triumphs. 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, MARCH 2 • 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, MARCH 7 • Central School District Board of Directors — 6:30 p.m., Henry Hill Education Support Center, 750 S. Fifth St., Independ- ence. • Independence Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Independ- ence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212. • Dallas City Council work session — 5:30 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3502. • Dallas City Council — 7 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3502. TUESDAY, MARCH 8 • 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, MARCH 9 • Independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m., Independence Heritage Museum, 112 S. Third St., Independ- ence. 503-838-1212. • Monmouth Library Advisory Board — 7 a.m., Monmouth Public Library, 168 Ecols St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun- teer 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. • Polk Soil and Water Conservation District Board — 6 p.m., USDA Service Center, 580 Main St., suite A, Dallas. 503-623- 9680, ext. 5. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR More trouble for Oregon retirees KOIN 6 NEWS reported a story about the 10 worst states for retirees, and guess what, Oregon is in the top 10. Huffington Post listed Oregon eighth worst place for seniors, due to high taxes and low income. Kiplinger Report listed Oregon eighth also for the worst place for seniors to retire due to the cost of living, which is 14.3 percent higher than the na- tional average. The average household income for seniors in the state of Oregon is 18.1 per- cent less than the national average, and the state and local tax burden is 10.1 per- cent, which is above the na- tional average according to the tax foundation. Bank rate.com lists Ore- gon as the 10th worst place for seniors. The state has the seventh highest cost of living in the nation according to retail statistics from the Council for Community and Eco- nomic Research. Now some of our state representatives and our gov- ernor are going to raise the minimum wage to $14.25 per hour by 2022 in Port- land. The current minimum wage is $9.25. If a person only works 20 hours a week, this gives them an extra $400 per month, approxi- mately. Do you honestly feel that your Social Security will rise that fast to meet the cost of living? Now let’s look at the city of Dallas. Dallas City Coun- cil is looking at a gas tax; isn’t gas higher here in town than in Salem? So besides you paying more taxes or fees, the store or restaurant you frequent most likely will pass on the cost to you. We don’t care about your shortfall; we have our own cash flow problems. Kenneth Mayer Dallas Raising minimum wage is right thing There are so many rea- sons why raising the mini- mum wage was the right thing to do. It helps the working poor climb out of poverty. It puts more money into the pockets of working fam- ilies. It can stimulate the economy. It demonstrates to workers that their service is both valuable and valued. Corporations and business- es will always say that they can’t afford an increase, but the reality is that they can. Decades of opposition to a minimum wage increase would have resulted in pal- try salaries that in no way could keep up with the cost of living. And what kind of society would that be? Simple — one in which the rich get richer at the expense of, and on the backs of, the working poor. I am glad I voted for Rep. Paul Evans. He prom- ised to help working fami- lies, and by supporting the minimum wage increase, he did. Oregon needs more leg- islators like him. Amanda Deyerle West Salem Vote ‘no’ to a Clinton dynasty In Harper’s Magazine of November 2014, I realized that Hillary Clinton’s major goal in this election is to be- come the first female presi- dent of our still evolving democratic republic. Bernie Sanders’ goals are to make our government genuinely of, by, and for its many millions of struggling citizens. Also, as viable life on our planet is threatened by our and natural abuses, it is for- tunate that Bernie has the acumen to deal with all na- tional emergencies. So I say: No way, Hillary and always Bernie. Walden Joura Dallas Think about what candidates say Why am I not surprised that Chris Christie endorsed Donald Trump in the GOP race? Mostly it’s because both of them are bloviating bullies who use insult over logical argument in their dealings. Plus, they both are completely disdainful of any person or group which does not slavishly follow their line of ill-conceived thought. But, I should not be so limited in my think- ing. All of the members of the GOP primary clown bus seem to be at an elementary school level of thought. Dr. (believe it or not) Ben Carson stated that the pyra- mids were built as grain stor- age sites, even though the available cubic area within this structure is microscopic. When my older grandson’s age was in the late single digits he was, as all boys are, enormously humored by bodily functions. Sadly, the GOP clown bus passengers have not gotten over this adolescent fascination. Marco Rubio, supposedly one of the slightly more sane passengers, claims that Don- ald Trump “... wet his pants ...” during a recent debate. Those of you who plan to vote for one of these awk- ward choices sincerely need to stop, take a deep breath and listen to exactly what the candidates are saying out loud. Christians are sup- posed to be all about love and forgiveness. Do you see any of that, especially as ap- plied to gay people, immi- grants, Muslims, refugees and the poor? The real question here is who does the right-wingers not hate. The list is very short. Fred Brown Dallas Council shows leadership A shout out and salute to the Dallas City Council. As the I-O reported on Feb. 24 in words of Councilor Wil- son, “This has got to be taken care of.” “This” being decades of underfunded street mainte- nance. So thank you to the Dal- las City Council for demon- strating community leader- ship by asking Dallas voters to come forward and sup- port the repair of your dete- riorating streets. It is great to learn that Dallas citizens recognize that good infrastructure promotes civic pride, and that good infrastructure sustains and attracts indus- try and commerce in your community. E.M. Easterly West Salem WANT TO WRITE A LETTER? It’s that time of year again, with an election around the cor- ner. With the ballot to be inal on March 8, we will start our election letter season in the March 9 issue. Letters regarding anything having to do with the election will be limited to 100 words. Let- ter writers are allowed one elec- tion letter per election season. The Itemizer-Observer sticks strictly to these guidelines in an efort to allow as many people to express their opinions on our opinion page. Election letters from outside Polk County will not be accepted. Let’s try and keep it clean this season. When responding to a letter writer, please be courteous and address the topics rather than take shots at the writer. Also, please remember the following about letters: Non-election letters to the editor are limited to 300 words. Each writer is restricted to one letter per 30-day period. Non-election letters that are libelous, obscene or in bad taste will not be printed. Attacks by name on businesses or individ- uals will not be printed. Letters to the editor that are obvious promotions for a busi- ness, products or services will not be printed. The Itemizer-Ob- server does not guarantee the accuracy of facts presented by letter writers; dissenters are wel- come to respond. Letter writers who disagree with other published letter writ- ers should maintain a civil dis- course and address the subject, not the author. Letters, like all editorial mate- rial submitted to the newspa- per, are edited for length, grammar and content. Letters must include the au- thor’s name, address and tele- phone number. This includes letters submitted via the I-O’s website. Names and cities of residence are published; street addresses and telephone num- bers are used for veriication purposes only. Letters must be submitted from individuals, not organiza- tions, and must be original sub- missions, not copies of letters sent to other media. Letters of thanks to busi- nesses, individuals and organi- zations are limited to 10 names. The deadline for letters to the editor is 10 a.m. Monday. Let- ters submitted may not be re- tractable after this deadline. — 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. HOW TO REACH US Vol. 141, No. 9 (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 DISPLAY ADVERTISING Heidi Leppin .................Display Advertising Manager ....................................hleppin@polkio.com Rachel Best ....................Display Advertising.............................................................rbest@polkio.com Karen Sanks...................Client Services ...................................................................ksanks@polkio.com CLASSIFIED LINE ADVERTISING Dawn Ohren.....................................................................................................................ioads@polkio.com PRODUCTION Kathy Huggins ..............................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Karyn Pressel .................................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Web: www.polkio.com Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395
