CASTING A LINE FOR
VETERANS
Volume 141, Issue 15
SAMUEL COLE READY
Page 6A
TO BREAK OUT
Page 10A
www.Polkio.com
April 13, 2016
75¢
School district faces million dollar loss
enrollment with the actual
number of students who
attended has the district
losing money, to the tune
of $1 million in this fiscal
year, which ends June 30.
That significantly impacts
the 2016-17 budget plan the
district is working on now,
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Budgeting just
got trickier for Dallas School
District.
A pattern of declining
enrollment and how the
state reconciles projected
but shouldn’t affect this
school year.
On Monday, Business
Manager Tami Montague
updated members of the
Dallas School Board on how
the financial picture had
changed for the district.
“Obviously we had hoped
to go into next fiscal year on
a more stable financial posi-
tion with a higher ending
fund balance,” Montague
said.
She noted that the district
like, all government entities
in the state, would likely be
hit with Oregon Public Em-
ployee Retirement System
rate increase in 2017-18.
Montague said predic-
tions for the next two years
have enrollment continuing
to fall, with an estimated loss
of 138 students in 2016-17
and 63 students in 2017-18.
See LOSS, Page 13A
New VSO may come to Polk County
County budget committee approves money for local veterans support officer
IN
YOUR
TOWN
DALLAS
Dallas resident David
Wales collects video
game consoles, now on
display at Dallas Public
library.
»Page 3A
By Jolene Guzman
FALLS CItY
The Itemizer-Observer
Falls City looks to
make room in schools
with the help of a bond.
DALLAS — For decades,
veterans in Polk County who
needed help with their ben-
efits claim had to go into
Salem, where the closest
Veterans Affairs office is lo-
cated.
In early 2017, that may
change.
Last week, the Polk Coun-
ty Budget Committee ap-
proved $40,000 to hire a
county veterans’ service offi-
cer and staff a local office.
The state will also pitch in to
open an office.
While all other counties
have long had veterans’
service officers Polk and
Marion counties have not,
due to their proximity to
Salem. The state decided
local offices weren’t need-
ed.
The logical behind the de-
cision was that veterans
from Polk and Marion coun-
ties could get assistance at
the state office in Salem,
said Polk County Adminis-
trator Greg Hansen.
Now Polk County has
about 8,000 veterans, and
that system isn’t working as
well as it may have in the
past.
“In an effort to target our
veterans more and dedicate
services more to them ... it
was felt that it is was not
»Page 2A
InDePenDenCe
Central High School
students make build-
your-own covered wag-
ons with fourth-graders
from Independence el-
ementary School.
»Page 14A
MOnMOUtH
monmouth City
Council looks to finish
Senior Center expan-
sion.
»Page 3A
JOlene Guzman/Itemizer-Observer file
Starting in January, vets in Polk County will have a local veterans service officer to help them with their claims.
overdue, but it was time to
do that,” Hansen said.
While the budget is only
tentatively approved at this
point, the new program has
the support of county offi-
cials.
Commissioner Jennifer
Wheeler said a group of vet-
erans and vet advocates
brought the issue to the Polk
County Board of Commis-
sioners about three months
ago.
They said a local office —
and more importantly, a
local service officer — is
greatly needed, she said.
“A lot of the veterans who
might have transportation
issues, might not know the
services are available, or for
whatever reason, are reluc-
tant or unable to get to the
state office,” Wheeler said.
A main component of a
local program is the ability
for a service officer to go to
the veterans by setting up
events or “satellite” loca-
tions throughout the coun-
ty. Hansen said the state
office doesn’t have the ca-
pability to do much of that
now.
“The state’s really trying
to do the state work and
not the county work for
Marion and Polk,” Hansen
said. “They realized they
can’t do the job that a
county employee can who
lives here and goes out into
the community. You have
to go to them if you want
the service.”
Wayne Crowder, a veteran
and advocate for veterans,
said that vets living in Polk
County have wondered why
Polk didn’t have its own offi-
cer.
He believes the program
will greatly improve services
to vets in the area, and it
didn’t take much to con-
vince the budget committee
when he spoke before the
group on April 5.
See VeterAnS, Page 13A
Facilities bond would help repair failing buildings
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Fair Manager Tina An-
dersen often jokes that parts of the
buildings out at the Polk County Fair-
grounds are “held together with
paint.”
She’s kidding — mostly.
There are some glaring mainte-
nance issues at the fairgrounds and
at the county’s complex on Main
Street in Dallas, a combination of
the county’s historic courthouse and
newer addition.
“There are needs, and I see it as
the strongest remaining need in the
county,” said County Administrator
Greg Hansen.
The Polk County Jail is still fairly
new and the Academy Building re-
cently had a major remodel, so
those buildings should be in good
shape, he said.
“This building and the historic
building are in much greater need of
a facelift and then some,” Hansen
said of the courthouse complex dur-
ing Thursday’s final budget hearing.
“Then we have the fairgrounds. You
are all aware of the conditions of the
buildings out there.”
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
JOlene Guzman/Itemizer-Observer
Buildings at the Polk County Fair-
grounds need heavy mainte-
nance.
The county’s $20 million road
bond will expire in the 2016-17 fiscal
year, so the county is considering
asking voters pass a bond for about
half the cost to address some of
those infrastructure needs. Current-
ly, taxpayers are paying about 52
cents per $1,000 of assessed value
on properties for the road bond.
wed
monmouth Senior
Center will host a
music jam, open to
musicians and
music lovers of all
ages.
6:30 p.m. Free.
Mostly cloudy
Hi: 60
Lo: 40
Hansen said, if sent to the voters,
the new bond would be for about
half as much — between $9 million
and $10 million. During a discussion
Thursday, budget committee mem-
bers weighed using the money to
build a new facility or maintain ex-
isting buildings.
The driver for the conversation
was the designation of the Polk
County Fairgrounds as an emer-
gency “evacuation center.”
“I guess I have a concern that if
you’ve got an emergency evacuation
center and the big one hits, you
don’t have any buildings at the fair-
grounds for an evacuation center,”
said Norbert Hartmann, budget
committee chairman.
He said if the county is going to
say it’s an evacuation center, it
should live up to the name and sug-
gested adding a small building on
the complex that could withstand a
catastrophic earthquake.
“If that truly is the place we can go
to besides the jail, we need to have a
facility that can provide the support
necessary to make that happen,”
Hartmann said.
The Polk County Fair Board is look-
ing at a new building, but not just for
thu
fri
sat
a new program pro-
vides hotdogs,
hoops and home-
work at the Dallas
lDS church each
Thursday.
5-8 p.m. Free.
Gem and mineral
Show opens today
at the Polk County
Fairgrounds & event
Center and includes
a kids treasure hunt.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. $2.
Pick up a free book
at monmouth
montessori School.
additional books
may be purchased
with a donation.
10 a.m.-noon. Free.
Showers
Hi: 56
Lo: 41
Mostly cloudy
Hi: 61
Lo: 41
Partly cloudy
Hi: 70
Lo: 44
that purpose and not one that would
use bond proceeds, Andersen said.
“We need a bigger building be-
cause we are booked to capacity,” she
said. “We are turning events away.”
She said the fair board plans for a
multiuse facility, but would rely on
the Polk County Fair Foundation and
grants to build it, not property taxes.
Maintenance for existing build-
ings at the fairgrounds — that is a
different matter.
Andersen said the fairgrounds
can’t cover its expenses when build-
ing upkeep is factored in. The coun-
ty will transfer $75,000 to the fair for
the most necessary projects in the
next fiscal year, but that will just
scratch the surface.
“You could sink $1 million and not
even blink out there; you could
spend $2 million and not even blink,”
Hansen said. “The need is there.”
Hansen said as to the designation
of the fairgrounds as an “alternate
evacuation site,” it has the space for
emergency responders to set up, but
no buildings that would survive a
major earthquake.
“We don’t have anything out
there,” he said. “Maybe we quit say-
ing that.”
sun
Hang out with RC
pilots and learn
more about the
hobby at the
Wingdinger’s
monthly meeting.
1-3 p.m. Free.
Partly cloudy
Hi: 75
Lo: 49
SPOrtS
Western Oregon
sophomore Kaleb Dob-
son hurdles over
doubts.
»Page 11A
Two arrested
after pursuit
Itemizer-Observer staff report
DallaS — Officers ar-
rested two Dallas men
after a pursuit in which
the suspects fled in a
stolen vehicle Sunday.
at about 7:41 p.m., a
Dallas officer found a
Honda that had been re-
ported stolen in north Dal-
las. The officer attempted
to stop the vehicle, but the
driver refused. a Polk
County sergeant joined the
chase with Dallas officers.
In the 20000 block of
Highway 22, the Honda’s
engine was disabled and
the driver drove off the
highway. Both driver, Jef-
fery Rodgers, 22, and pas-
senger, morgan Swyers,
26, tried to flee on foot,
but officers caught them.
Swyers was charged
with unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle, second-de-
gree theft, and second-de-
gree criminal mischief. He
also had a warrant for his
arrest out of linn County.
Rodgers was charged
with unlawful possession
of methamphetamine, at-
tempting to elude in a ve-
hicle, possession of a
stolen vehicle, unautho-
rized use of a vehicle, at-
tempting to elude on foot,
reckless driving, reckless
endangering and driving
while suspended.
Both were taken to Polk
County Jail.
mon
tue
OK those of you
who like to wait to
the last minute, you
made it. State and
federal income tax
returns are due
today.
Dallas mat Club and
laCreole middle
School wrestling
are selling flower
baskets to be deliv-
ered on time for
mother’s Day.
Partly cloudy
Hi: 77
Lo: 46
Mostly sunny
Hi: 70
Lo: 46