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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2016)
Polk County Living Polk County Itemizer-observer • April 20, 2016 7A Slug expert helps combat slimy pests Oregon farmers battling slugs in their fields will soon have a new ally in Rory Mc- Donnell, a slug and snail ex- pert who joins Oregon State University’s College of Agri- cultural Sciences this sum- mer. McDonnell comes from a research position at the Uni- versity of California at River- side, where he studies novel ways to control the trouble- some mollusks. His position is new, one of several made possible by a $14 million legislative investment in re- search and Extension work based at OSU. McDonnell plans to con- tinue his studies on environ- mentally friendly slug con- trol methods, including plant essential oils and bio- logical control agents such as parasitoid flies and soil- dwelling nematode worms. His appointment also in- cludes an Extension compo- nent, so he’ll be partnering with Oregon farmers to try some of his methods in their fields. Slugs are shell-less land- dwelling mollusks that crawl on their stomachs, and they’re a chronic pest in Oregon’s farms and home gardens. The main culprit, said McDonnell, is the gray field slug (Deroceras reticu- latum), a non-native species that was inadvertently brought into the U.S. from Europe. The slimy critter causes extensive damage in grass seed fields, “but it also feeds on many other crops: brassi- cas, a wide range of other vegetables, fruits, clovers, hops and nursery plants,” McDonnell said. “In effect, it competes with us for food. Just about anything we grow, slugs love to feed on.” Another molluscan pest, ENGAGEMENTS Marx-Harrington Gail Wells Ronald S. Marx and Racee R. Harrington, both of Rickreall, will be married on May 14. Ronald’s parents are Ronald and Janice Marx, of Rickreall. Racee’s parents are Larry and Mary Har- rington, of McMin- nville. The wedding will be at 2 p.m. at Cres- cent Lake Lodge in Crescent City, Calif. Guest Columnist the European brown garden snail (Helix aspersa), infests nursery crops. The snail is a quarantine species in Ore- gon and California, which means plants shipped out- side those states’ borders must be snail-free. Poison bait is the main- stay of agricultural slug and snail control, McDonnell said, but it can be expensive to use over large acreages, especially if it doesn’t work — which happens often, he said. “So one aspect of my research has focused on identifying new attractants that could aid in trapping pest slugs.” And yes, slugs do love beer — not the alcohol so much as the sugar and yeast, McDonnell said. “Re- search has shown that the water, sugar and yeast to- gether do the trick.” He is also investigating natural predators, including certain flies, some of them native to Oregon, that prey on slugs. Another potential natural enemy is nema- todes, microscopic soil- dwelling worms. McDonnell is currently studying one that kills pest slugs and snails. Developing more envi- ronmentally friendly control strategies, he said, will help not only farmers and gar- deners, but Oregon’s native slug and snail species, which are beneficial to the envi- ronment. “The banana slug is one Northwest native species that most people would rec- BIRTHS Winn PHoTo BY CoNoR DoLAN Rory McDonnell, OSU’s new slug expert, tracks his wily quarry in his native Ireland. ognize,” McDonnell said. “Banana slugs perform im- portant functions in forest- ed ecosystems, helping to break down decomposing vegetation and return nutri- ents to the soil.” A native of Ireland, Mc- Donnell has a doctorate in environmental science and has worked to conserve na- tive slugs and snails in his home country. He became fascinated with slugs as a child, when he learned that they have teeth sharper than those of sharks and can crawl unharmed over bro- ken glass. “I know slugs are not as attractive as butterflies or colorful beetles,” he said, “but I guess I just followed my passion. As a result, I am one of the few people in the world who works exclusively on slugs and snails.” He will join the OSU fac- ulty on July 16. “This is a dream position for me,” he said. “Oregon is a great place to be a slug per- son.” The Oregon legislature in 2015 allocated $14 million in additional funds to Oregon’s three statewide public serv- ices, all headquartered at OSU: the OSU Extension Service, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and Oregon Forest Research Laboratory. The funding boosts a base budget of $118 million for 2015-16 and makes possible new research, development and outreach work in such areas as specialty seed breeding, seafood safety, rangeland ecology, juniper harvest and manufacturing, and community economic development. Arllin Dean Winn was born at 9:52 a.m. on April 5 to Jessica Sullivan and Jeremy Kern, of Polk County, at the Salem Family Birth Center. He weighed 6 pounds and was 18 inches long. Arllin is the couple’s first child. Grandparents are Tom and Shara Sullivan, of Polk County, Donnie Winn, of Polk County, and Sheila Lulns- ford, of Marion County. COMMUNITY CALENDAR Continued from page 6A — WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 • Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon, Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth. For eligible community members; available every Wednesday. 541-404-6517. • Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank — 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E, Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members. 503-831-5634. • Painting, Canvas and Cocktails — 7 p.m., The Boondocks, 318 N. Main St., Fall City. All supplies, paint, canvas and instruc- tion provided. No experience necessary. $30, snack and cocktail included. 503-787-2700. • Brew and BS: The Old Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on the old Testament. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea, chai, beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304. 24 hour Service Pick up & Drop Off MI TOWN It’s great to be back in MI Town again after a weeklong visit with my sisters, Sue and Barbara in Sierra Vista and Bisbee, Ariz. It’s been a week of laughter and re- membrance, days of reading good books on sunny after- noons, visiting funky old thrift and antique shops, and evenings watching the high desert sunsets and just thankful we are together again. — We will remember the not-so-relaxing days at the beach, when keeping little children safe from harm, tending to mosquito bites and other incidents, none of which were serious. Those laughing, sunburned chil- dren we so fretted over now have children of their own, ranging in age from elemen- tary school to college. It doesn’t seem that long ago, P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist but the years have passed more quickly than we all can comprehend. — We’v e s a i d t e a r f u l farewells to our parents and to many friends and family members, we’ve welcomed daughters and sons-in-law, precious grandchildren and good friends along the way. We’re experiencing those in- evitable signs of aging — graying hair, aches and pains and occasional mem- ory lapses. We have learned to value the little things — time spent in good conver- sations with those we love and respect, a simple sup- per, a beautiful flower or a poem long-remembered. We enjoyed a baseball game at a historic stadium in Bis- bee, where well-known stars like the legendary Satchel Paige once played many years ago. We’ve set aside perceived snubs and slights from long ago, realizing that in these times we want to concentrate on the future, while remembering all the good things. — A week of relaxation and conversation has given us time and energy to really focus on hopes and aspira- tions, future events and cur- rent plans. A realization that as the years pass, even more changes will occur in our lives and the lives of those we love. None of us want to recapture our “lost youth,” nor do we want to go gentle into that good night. Not yet. There are still new memories to be made and shared. — Springtime is truly a sea- son of renewal, of new life and hopes and ideas. Shar- ing time with those we love brings even more goodness and opportunity to discover that we have the freedom to spend the time to enjoy the simple things and share them with those we love. — Returning home is some- times the best part of get- ting away, watching for the fields and farms surround- ing the Eugene airport as the plane comes nearer to the landing strip. There is nothing better than being welcomed by warm and lov- ing hugs and big dogs with wagging tails on a spring- time afternoon. PEDEE NEWS Sixteen guys from the Pedee area drove to Willow Springs Guest Ranch near Paisley for a weekend of hunting rats, fun, and fel- lowship April 8-10. The trip, sponsored by Pedee Church and coordinated by Tim Barnhart, included Alex Russell and Leo Mellein who went on their first hunting trip with their fathers, Daniel Russell and James Mellein. Each was thrilled to bag a rabbit which they fried up at later meals. They were quick to offer meat to anyone who wanted it as it tasted too wild for them. The teens (Levi Bault, Glenn Mitchell, and Ryan McNab) didn’t bother to cook theirs. Civil War re-enactors David Plett and his friend Kyle were also on the trip and demonstrated the use of A RLENE K OVASH Columnist muskets, which weren’t quite as efficient as modern weapons, but very interest- ing for the men to see. The trip was a terrific experi- ence and all the guys are excited about going to “Rat Camp” again next year. — The women of Pedee Church are planning their own event, a “ladies’ night out” on April 29, at Jenny Mellein’s house. There will be lots of food and fun, so call Heidi Russell at 503- 838-2129 to sign up. All women are invited — not just the church types. — Judy Guida and Jason Ronco were two of 10 members and friends of the Polk County Saddle-ites who went on a great trail ride on April 9, starting at Mill Creek west of Dallas and going up to the top of one of the coastal moun- tains. The trail climbed in elevation and by lunchtime they had a barbecue set up at the top and were enjoy- ing lunch with a view of Dallas, Sheridan, and the Independence airport, al- though they couldn’t see the Cascades because of the cloud cover. — It was a busy weekend. While Judy and Jason were riding and the guys were shooting rats on Saturday, I went with daughters Suzanne Burbank and Lor- ra i n e O d e l l , g ra n d s o n Derek Burbank and his fi- ancée Ashley Grucza, of Re d m o n d , a n d g ra n d - daughters Victoria and Christina Odell to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival near Woodburn. The tulips were dazzling, and the weather was good. I think m o s t o f Po r t l a n d h a d joined us for the event. — On April 10, an old du- plex on Cliff and Anne Bault’s property burned to the ground. It was at the back of their place near Anne’s grandmother Irene Jefferson’s old home. It was being used as a storage unit, so didn’t burn anyone out of their home, but the Baults were sorry to lose the contents. FIX OUR STREETS. TO SEE WHY, VISIT www.citizensforabetterdallas.com West Valley Housing Authority will hold their Work Session Meeting on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. The Regular Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. An Executive Session pur- suant to ORS 192.660 will be held immedi- ately following the Regular Meeting, if required. Agenda for the meeting is posted on the Housing Authority website at www.wvpha.org. The location for the meeting is handicapped accessible. Please advise the West Valley Housing Authority if you need any special accommodations to attend the meeting. For information, please call 503-623-8387, TDD 1-800-735-2900. Matinees are all shows before 6pm. New pricing for matinees are: Adult $7.25 Children $6.75 • Senior $7.00 Pricing does not reflect 3D showings. Friday - Saturday April 22 - April 23 BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT (Digital) (PG13) (11:40 2:00 4:35) ZOOTOPIA (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:40 2:10 4:45) THE BOSS (Digital) (R) (12:00 2:25 4:50) JUNGLE BOOK (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:35 2:05 4:35) HUNTSMAN: THE WINTER’S WAR (Digital) (PG13) (1:30 4:10) BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (Digital) (PG13) (11:50 3:00) GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 (Digital) (PG) (1:25) THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT (Digital) (PG13) (4:05) CRIMINAL (Digital) (R) (11:50 2:15 4:55) 7:10 7:20 7:15 7:05 6:50 6:10 9:15 6:45 9:20 7:25 9:50 Sunday April 24 BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT (Digital) (PG13) (11:40 2:00 4:35) ZOOTOPIA (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:40 2:10 4:45) THE BOSS (Digital) (R) (12:00 2:25 4:50) JUNGLE BOOK (Digital 2D) (PG) (11:35 2:05 4:35) HUNTSMAN: THE WINTER’S WAR (Digital) (PG13) (1:30 4:10) BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (Digital) (PG13) (11:50 3:00) GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 (Digital) (PG) (1:25) THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT (Digital) (PG13) (4:05) CRIMINAL (Digital) (R) (11:50 2:15 4:55) 7:10 7:20 7:15 7:05 6:50 6:10 6:45 7:25 Monday - Thursay April 25 - April 28 BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT (Digital) (PG13) ZOOTOPIA (Digital 2D) (PG) THE BOSS (Digital) (R) JUNGLE BOOK (Digital 2D) (PG) HUNTSMAN: THE WINTER’S WAR (Digital) (PG13) BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE (Digital) (PG13) GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 (Digital) (PG) THE DIVERGENT SERIES: ALLEGIANT (Digital) (PG13) CRIMINAL (Digital) (R) (2:00 4:35) (2:10 4:45) (2:25 4:50) (2:05 4:35) (1:30 4:10) 9:35 9:40 9:30 9:25 9:25 7:10 7:20 7:15 7:05 6:50 (3:00) 6:10 (1:25) 6:45 (4:05) (2:15 4:55) 7:25
