Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 23, 2016
Horses: Neighbors concerned about animals
Continued from Page 1A
Those conditions, com-
bined with the seemingly
non-stop rain, has turned
parts of the pasture into a
soupy mess, especially
where the animals are fed
twice a day and other areas
they congregate.
Owner Katlynn Conway
said she had to move the
horses to the location quick-
ly after her family sold its
farm. She leases the proper-
ty.
She admits the situation is
far from ideal, but said it will
be remedied as soon as the
weather improves.
Materials have already
been purchased to build a
shelter, but with the ground
as soggy as it is now, Conway
is afraid it wouldn’t be sta-
ble.
“I just don’t want to put
something up and have it
fall,” she said.
Some drainage work has
been done, but it hasn’t been
enough to keep the low
areas of the field and heavy
traffic areas from becoming
muddy.
Conway seeded the pas-
ture and some new grass is
coming up, but what is really
needed is a break from the
rain.
“I don’t like that they are
out here,” Conway said
Monday, acknowledging the
field is looking bad right
now.
She said given the situa-
tion, she is on the lookout
for conditions that could
stem from extended expo-
sure to the elements.
“We are doing everything
we can,” she said.
Conway said she appre-
ciates the concern neigh-
bors have shown for the
horses and the offers of
help, but refused assistance
because the issue isn’t fi-
nancial.
She can afford to care for
her animals, but needs the
proper conditions to fix
drainage problems and
build them shelter.
While some interactions
with concerned people have
been unpleasant, Conway
said she doesn’t want to in-
terfere with people reporting
what they believe to be neg-
lect.
Garton said Conway has
been cooperative with the
investigations.
“She’s allowed us to go on
the property without a war-
rant and to have the vet go,
so we are doing what we
can,” he said.
He also wants people to
report what they believe are
issues.
“They are trying to be
helpful; they are trying to do
the right thing, but you also
have to respect the current
laws,” he said. “We are here
to enforce those.”
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Horses in a field near Independence have raised concerns from neighbors during the
heavy rain this winter. The field is muddy, but the horses have been deemed OK.
Session: New wage law could be taken to court
Continued from Page 1A
Evans said the law reflects what
he and other legislators learned
from businesses, economists and
others during the public hearings.
“It’s the beginning of a really
good plan,” he said. “Because it’s a
legislative fix, not a constitutional
fix, we can tweak it and adjust it as
necessary.”
Boquist said the law is against
the Oregon constitution because it
presents a class system.
“Why does a reporter for the
Hillsboro Argus get $14.75 mini-
mum wage, and $13.50 here, and
the Blue Mountain gets less than
that, at $12.75?” Boquist said. “The
minimum wage will get challenged
in court and will probably get
struck down in court because of
the three classes.”
Evans said the classes were cre-
ated because of cost of living dif-
ferences and because business
owners outside of Portland did not
want to pay the same rates as in
Portland.
He said the increase to mini-
mum wage will help working fami-
lies get ahead and increase their
purchase power.
“The middle class wage struc-
ture had not been keeping up with
productivity and wealth genera-
tion,” Evans said. “Meaning the
companies in the United States are
actually relatively profitable, but
that profit and productivity and
the value therein has not been
equally distributed, and that gap’s
getting bigger.”
Both Boquist and Evans said
that because the bill was passed, a
minimum wage measure will not
be on the ballot in November.
Evans said if the measure had
appeared, polls showed it would
have passed with overwhelming
support throughout the state.
Boquist said voters in Portland
would have caused it to pass.
The measure would have in-
creased the minimum wage
throughout the state to either
$13.50 or to $15 with a three-year
timeline.
Evans said business owners tes-
tified they were happier to have
more time to phase in the higher
wages.
Rep. Mike Nearman, represent-
ing House District 23, did not re-
spond to a request for comments
about the 2016 session.
OBITUARIES
Ralph Weston
Nov. 28, 1938 - March 15, 2016
Ralph Weston, 77, of Mon-
mouth, died March 15 in
Monmouth.
He was born in Hot
Springs, Ark., to Oscar Ho-
race and Opal Ella Lee
(Mathews)
Weston.
Ralph
graduated
from Cen-
tral High
School in
1958. He
married
Martha Dell Palmer in Inde-
pendence, and they raised
three children.
He worked at Boise Cas-
cade as a dryer tender and
in maintenance until his re-
tirement in 2002.
He enjoyed his family
farm, track, camping, roos-
ter fights, and fishing, as
well as raising raspberries
and guppies.
He was a regular at the
breakfast club at McDon-
ald’s and at the casino.
His family was his priori-
ty, and they always came
first.
He was preceded in death
by his brothers, Doyle and
Horace Weston.
Survivors include his chil-
dren, Sheila Raber, of Salem,
David Weston, of Mon-
mouth, and Dell Weston, of
Dallas; sister, Mary Carver;
three grandchildren; and
two great-grandchildren.
Ralph’s life will be cele-
brated on Saturday at the In-
dependence Women’s Club,
340 S. Third St., Independ-
ence, with a reception fol-
lowing. Inurnment will be at
Hilltop Cemetery.
Farnstrom Mortuary of
Independence handled
arrangements.
To send an online tribute:
www.FarnstromMortuary.
com.
Claire Marie
Angers
July 3, 1955 – March 15, 2016
Claire Marie Angers, 60, of
Monmouth, died March 15
in Monmouth of cancer.
She was born in Lewiston,
Maine.
Claire graduated from
Lewiston (Maine) High
School in 1974. She earned
higher education degrees
from Central Maine Voca-
tional, Pitt Technical, Uni-
versity of
Maine, and
George Fox
University.
She was a
registered
nurse with
a Bachelor
in Arts in
nursing, and was a certified
case manager.
She had been employed
in a variety of direct care
and administrative nursing
capacities in the Willamette
Valley since 1991, with her
most recent employment as
an RN at Salem Hospital.
Survivors include Jack
“Andy” Hardwick, Rita
Angers, Henry Gaisson III;
and a large extended family.
Contributions are sug-
gested to St. Bernard Rescue
Foundation, Marion-Polk
Food Share, Kora Shriners
(Lewiston, Maine) and
James2 Community
Kitchen.
Bollman Funeral Home in
Dallas handled arrange-
ments.
To send an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Michael A. Moran
June 24, 1968 – March 17, 2016
Michael “Mike” Moran,
47, of Salem, died March 17
in Salem after a brief battle
with Stage 4 Adenocarcino-
ma of the
lung.
He was
born in Eu-
gene to
Denis and
G r i e k e
Moran.
M i k e
grew up in
M o n -
mouth,
where he
graduated
from Cen-
tral High School in 1986. He
attended Western Oregon
University and Chemeketa
Community College, where
he took fire science/rescues
classes for two years and
earned Oregon Emergency
Medical Technician Level 2
status. Mike began working
at Polk County Fire District
No. 1 as a firefighter/EMT in
1986. He did that through
1994. During this time, he
joined the Coast Guard Re-
serve as a small boat opera-
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503-623-0290
Personally involved
and invested in the
Dallas community
tor crew member and spent
two summers on active duty
at Newport Oregon Station,
Yaquina Bay.
In 1990, Mike started
working as a 911 dispatcher
for Polk County. In 1991,
Polk County consolidated
with Marion County. At that
time Mike started working
for the city of Salem as a 911
dispatcher, where he worked
up until the onset of his ill-
ness in November of 2015.
From 1994 to 2001, Mike
was a reserve police officer
in Independence, which he
loved and found very satisfy-
ing.
In September 1994, Mike
married Katie Roe, and
moved to West Salem in May
of 1996.
Mike always enjoyed
watching the boys play
sports.
When his work schedule
allowed, he loved helping
coach his boys’ teams as
well. Mike also enjoyed tak-
ing them fishing, to the
movies, and to Oregon
Ducks football games.
He was preceded in death
by his father, Denis.
Survivors include his wife
of 21 years, Katie; sons,
Blake and Mason; mother,
Gr i e k e, o f Mo n m o u t h ;
brother, John (Shawna), of
Salem; sister, Monica, of
Salem; and a large extended
family including numerous
relatives in Belgium, The
Netherlands and England.
Funeral service is
Wednesday (today) at 1 p.m.
at St. Paul’s Episcopal
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Church, 1444 Liberty St. SE,
in Salem. Interment is at
English Cemetery.
Farnstrom Mortuary in
Independence handled
arrangements.
To send an online tribute:
www.FarnstromMortuary.
com.
Viola Inez May
March 19, 1917 – March 14, 2016
Viola Inez May, 98, of
Salem, formerly of Dallas,
died March 14 in Salem.
She was born near Ar-
mour, S.D.
S h e
m o v e d
with her
parents to
Salem in
1932, and
graduated
from Salem
H i g h
School. She lived in Salem
for 17 years until moving to
Dallas in 1950, and then
back to Salem in 1993, and
lived at Capital Manor for 23
years.
She married Carl May on
Feb. 19, 1946. He preceded
her in death in 1992.
Viola worked nine years
for the State Revenue De-
partment, and 23 years for
the U.S. Department of Agri-
culture. She retired in 1980.
She enjoyed bowling,
traveling and people. She
accepted Christ as her Sav-
ior in December 1929.
For many years she was
an active member of the Salt
Creek Baptist Church in Dal-
las.
Survivors include her
daughter, Kathi (May) Men-
coni; son, Curt May (Sharon);
and extended family.
Memorial service is Mon-
day at 2 p.m. at Salt Creek
Baptist Church.
Private family graveside
service will be at Salt Creek
Cemetery.
Contributions are sug-
gested to Salt Creek Baptist
Church Building Fund or a
charity of choice.
Bollman Funeral Home in
Dallas handled arrange-
ments.
To send an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.