Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • April 27, 2016
Dallas schools look
at increased privacy
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WEATHER
RECORDED
HIGH LOW
April 19............. 85
April 20............. 78
April 21............. 76
April 22............. 66
April 23............. 61
April 24............. 56
April 25............. 61
RAIN
51
48
46
49
47
47
38
.00
.00
.30
.36
.14
.15
.T
Rainfall during April — 1.95 in.
Rain through April 25 — 19.04 in.
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
PETE STRONG/ Itemizer-Observer file
Paul Mannen, left , was given Dallas’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
MANNEN’S LEGACY
Paul Mannen left a mark that won’t be forgotten
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Officially, Paul
Mannen served as athletics
director at Dallas High
School for three years.
But Mannen, who died on
April 12 at the age of 82, left
a legacy with Dallas athletics
that extends far beyond his
tenure.
When Mannen became
athletics director at Dallas
High School in 1996, he al-
ready had decades of experi-
ence, though that wasn’t
what impressed his col-
leagues. It was his desire to
help student-athletes in any
way possible.
“He had a burning desire
to help kids and to help our
coaching staff run top-notch
programs,” said Kathy Voves,
former instructor and coach
at Dallas High School.
“There was absolutely no
quit in this man. He was al-
ways willing to help.”
Whether that meant im-
proving field conditions or
cleaning benches, Mannen
was always there.
“He took care of as much
of the outside stuff so all the
coaches had to do was
coach,” said Grant Boustead,
former Dallas athletics direc-
tor and longtime coach of
multiple sports. “He worked
endless hours on facility
maintenance so the coaches
or district maintenance per-
sonnel could spend their
valuable time doing other
meaningful tasks.”
Mannen took great pride
in Dallas’ athletics programs
and wasn’t afraid to show-
case the Dragons’ talent and
facilities.
“Paul felt DHS needed to
do their part in offering non-
league tournament opportu-
nities that could not only
benefit our programs, but
provide other schools op-
portunities to get quality
competition on a more local
basis,” Boustead said. “Vir-
tually every DHS sports pro-
gram had their own tourna-
ment, and some sports of-
fered two invitationals. …
Paul just wanted to provide
some recognition to Dallas
High School and to the com-
munity of Dallas.”
At the core of his seem-
ingly endless work was a de-
sire to help student-athletes
succeed.
“He understood how
much kids need to be sup-
ported,” Voves said. “He did
that by his actions, going to
games and events and, if
there was anything he could
do to help, he would do it.”
He was one of the first to
publish statistics showing
academic benefits through
participation in athletic/
extra-curricular activities,
Boustead said.
He also worked behind
the scenes to develop a clos-
er relationship with the Dal-
las Booster Club to help find
ways to keep sports funded,
even when money became
tight, and to find volunteers
to help run events.
His willingness to do
whatever he could to ensure
the success and develop-
ment of youth and programs
earned him recognition
from his peers across the
state. Mannen was part of
the first class inducted to the
Oregon Athletic Directors
Association’s Hall of Fame in
2009.
Health issues forced Man-
nen to step away from his
position after the 1999 school
year, though he came out of
retirement to serve as a vol-
unteer athletic director at
LaCreole Middle School in
2002-03. Boustead became
athletics director in 2000 and
quickly followed the blue-
print established by Mannen.
“I patterned my way of
performing the duties of AD
after how Paul did the job,”
Boustead said. “He was rec-
ognized around the state as
one of the all-time best ADs,
so I learned from the best.”
Once Mannen stepped
down as AD, he remained a
fixture at the high school, at-
tending games whenever he
could.
It’s those moments that
stand out to those who knew
him best — proof that Man-
nen was one of those who
truly cared about his school.
“He brought his experi-
ence and his passion to
DHS,” Voves said. “He was a
man of commitment. … One
of the things that stands out
was how quickly he and (his
wife) Carol were embraced
by the community. It was be-
cause of who they were. The
community fell in love with
him almost immediately. He
was a great, likeable person.
He was down to earth and a
hard worker. A servant would
be one of the key words to
describe both he and Carol.”
See Page 6A for obituary.
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DALLAS — The Dallas
School board heard recom-
mendations from the Su-
perintendent Facilities
Committee at its Monday
meeting to provide more
privacy for all students.
The board took no action
Monday because it and Su-
perintendent Michelle
Johnstone are waiting for
further instructions on ac-
cess of transgender stu-
dents to restrooms and
locker rooms from the Ore-
gon Department of Educa-
tion.
Recommendations in-
clude converting existing
single-stall restrooms used
by school staff into gender
neutral restrooms available
to students and creating
private spaces in locker
room changing areas and
showers.
Restroom facilities
throughout the district will
be remodeled to create
more privacy for all users.
Restrooms stall doors and
walls will be replaced with
taller doors and walls that
eliminate gaps that can be
seen through.
At Dallas High School,
the existing coaches’ show-
er and locker room space
could be converted to a
gender neutral facility.
“Team rooms” in the locker
rooms could also be
changed into private
changing areas. Single-stall
restrooms in the theater
wing at DHS could be con-
verted to gender neutral.
Johnstone said she’s
been asking ODE for its de-
cision, which was sup-
posed to be released this
month, but hasn’t heard
back yet. That guidance
may be affected by a recent
federal appeals court ruling
that said Title IX protec-
tions include transgender
students.
“Last I’ve known is that it
was held up at the Depart-
ment of Justice,” she said.
“I’m hoping that the court
cases that have been re-
cently heard will help push
it through just a little bit
more.”
LaCreole Middle School
ended up being a problem
because of the layout of the
school.
“I’m not sure at LaCreole
that we ever came up with
a good, solid solution,” Fa-
cilities Manager Kevin
Montague said. “I believe
we did for the restroom
piece of it, but the shower
component is a challenge.”
He said private changing
areas are available, but not
private access to showers.
All three elementary
schools and Morrison have
single-occupancy rest-
rooms that could be con-
verted.
Montague said touring
the facilities revealed that
attitudes toward privacy
has been changing for
decades. He said evidence
is at all three of the elemen-
tary schools, which had
functioning showers in the
past.
“At one point in time we
showered in the elemen-
tary levels and, culturally,
we have shifted away from
that,” he said.
Montague sees the con-
cern over locker room and
restroom use as less to do
with gender identity than a
cultural shift toward want-
ing more privacy for every-
one.
“I believe that the trans-
gender discussion is not
the driver of this,” Mon-
tague said. “I think it’s the
flashpoint, but I think cul-
turally this shift has been
happening for a long time.”
Co m m i t t e e m e m b e r
Dave Hunt agreed.
“The number of students
who actually take advan-
tage of the shower at the
middle school, minimal,”
he said. “That is true of the
high school, except for the
sports teams … and even
they aren’t entirely com-
fortable with how that is set
up.”
Some remodeling of the
restrooms — mostly replac-
ing stall walls and doors —
was already planned
through a maintenance
bond before the privacy
issue was raised late last
year. Those improvements
were estimated at $200,000.
The additional work would
add about $300,000.
Montague said he be-
lieved the maintenance
bond could be used for the
remodels, but wanted the
district to check with its at-
torneys.
Four people commented
on the recommendation
Monday, all in favor of it.
Rickreall resident Shirley
Bushnell, a transgender
woman who spoke before
the board Monday, said she
appreciated the effort the
district put into examining
how to accommodate stu-
dents, especially in light of
limited resources.
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2016 Relay For Life Of Polk County
Heroes Abound Here
When other Relay folks from around the state ask how it’s possible that a county no bigger than Polk County consistently has around 50
sponsors, who collectively contribute between $25,000 and $30,000, my answer is simple ~ heroes abound here. For the third year in a row,
I have the privilege of acknowledging 54 sponsors, all of whom are so determined to beat down cancer that they’ve raised $29,660! The
impact this will have on research for cures and treatments, along with patient services, warrants the title of “Hero” to each and every sponsor
of Relay For Life of Polk County.
Please join me in thanking our ten most recent sponsors of Relay For Life of Polk County:
♥ Hancock Forest Management ♥ Dallas Family Medicine ♥ Dallas Fire & EMT Association
♥ Pfaff-Karren Insurance ♥ First Community Credit Union ♥Woolsey Family Dental
♥ B.P.O.E. Independence #1950 ♥ Dallas Rotary ♥ The Three Legged Dog ♥ Republic Services
West Valley Hospital
West Valley Physicians & Surgeons Clinic/
Dr. John Hadley
West Valley Surgical Specialty Clinic/
Dr. Alison Smith
Monmouth Medical Center/
Dr. Charles Essex
The Majestic/Ray Stratton
White’s Collision Service
City of Independence
Bollman Funeral Home
Dr. Michelle Hasbrook. DDS
Central Lions Club
Brandt Sanitary Service
Royal Flush/Tony Teal
MINET
Mid Valley Ford
Dallas Aquatic Center
Mitch Ratzlaff State Farm
James W. Fowler Co.
Statewide Rent-A-Fence
Her & Him Events Wedding Planner and DJ
Les Schwab Tire Centers of Dallas,
Independence and West Salem
H & R Block of Dallas, Monmouth
Polk County Association of Realtors
Monmouth-Independence Rotary
Western Days
Pressed Coffee & Wine Bar
Limeberry Frozen Yogurt
Polk County Itemizer-Observer
Washington St. Steakhouse & Pub
Eola Hills Wine Cellars
Rolling Prairie Farms
Dutch Bros Coffee
Team Perrydale
Dallas Retirement Village
Bookey Strong
West Valley Taphouse
NW Natural
Partnerships In Community Living, Inc
Salem Sand Club
Avenue Mortgage
Buhler & Meyer CPA’s
Farnstrom Mortuaries
Relay For Life of Polk County will take place at Riverview Park in Independence June 4~5.
If you or someone you know is interested in sponsorship, contact Lyla Bruce at 503-508-9277,
or online at aquarius1251@yahoo.com, or visit our website at www.relayforlife.org/polkcountyor
DATE: Saturday, May 7th, 2016
TIME: From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Polk County Works (820 SW Ash St., Dallas)__
SPONSORED BY: Polk County, The Cities of Dallas,_______
Independence, Monmouth and Salem