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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 2016)
Polk County Voices Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 4, 2016 4A LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Vote Beth Jones for District 23 the city of Dallas, that they also have a list of streets that are identified as the ones to be repaired. I think it would be a responsible act for the city to publish a list of all the streets destined to be repaired, or maybe the ones that aren’t, whichever list is shorter. Could we tax- payers see that list before the voting begins? Articulate, thought pro- voking, compassionate, and informative describe Beth Jones. Those who experi- enced firsthand her thoughtful responses to questions at April 24’s de- bate came away with a new appreciation for her passion for public service. HD 23 could be the recipient of her many skills should you de- cide that she’s for you and your community. Vote for Beth Jones; she’s the leader we are searching for who can bring back the voices of Dallas and surrounding areas to the state legislature. Patt Taber Dallas Pay it forward by fixing streets now Jo Ann Sample Dallas Wheeler deserves your vote for office Commissioner Jennifer Wheeler has done a great job representing Polk Coun- ty and deserves your vote. She has proven herself as a leader in touch with vot- ers, and a person that un- derstands the need to look forward to the future of the county. She works well with the other commissioners and is respected by county department heads as well as county employees; a valu- able skill that keeps the county moving forward. She makes decisions with the best information available with the desire to do what is right by voters of Polk County. I urge you to join me in re-electing Wheeler. Anna Scharf Perrydale Editorial gets it right on economy Thank you for your en- lightened editorial opinion “Time to step into the 21st Century” (April 20). I wholeheartedly agree that it is time to stop flogging the early 20th century timber horse in order to get more federal subsidies for county coffers. The O & C Lands issue is a fun and interesting anom- aly regarding the use and revenue of public timber lands, but the fact of the matter is that since 1937, the O & C Counties have re- ceived far more revenue than if those lands had stayed in private hands. Suing the federal govern- ment now for “mismanage- ment” of the use of our public land, when the land managers have already agreed to increase timber harvest above last years’ limit, have been more than generous for over 70 years, and are now trying to navi- gate the diversified use of the land dictated by Con- gress, appears to be a folly, and a genuine waste of the funds that the county does have. Mom can’t take care of us forever. It is time to look for and support new sacred cows. It is time to grow and move on. Danny Jaffer Independence County needs Wheeler in office I am supporting Jennifer Wheeler in her bid for re- election as a Polk County commissioner. I have worked with her on several important issues within Polk County and have found her to be hardwork- ing, honest and dedicated to the needs of our county. That has included difficult conversations and issues such as suing the federal government over timber is- sues. She supports public safety, protecting private property rights and manag- ing tax dollars in a fiscally responsible manner. Robert Brannigan Dallas Residents should vote yes on streets Many of the organized opposition to the Dallas street bond do not live with- in the Dallas city limits. By contrast, I am a resident of Dallas and feel a strong con- nection to this community, a community with so many volunteers and people who maintain their homes and yards with such pride. That’s why it is so important to support our community with funding for street re- pairs and maintenance. Please vote yes to fix our streets. Lynnette Henshaw Dallas or treasure, events, dona- tions and a few long-forgot- ten projects. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the Ford Family Foundation, The Meyer Me- morial Trust, The Oregon Community Foundation and The Collins Foundation for their extraordinary help in their grant assistance. And to the city of Mon- mouth city council for their vote confidence and trust in carrying out their commit- ment to the senior citizens of Monmouth and sur- rounding area. And this leads me to the “Ram Rod” of this outfit, Sue Teal. This lovely lady has led this Cen- ter for 27 years. Her leader- ship and perseverance over this time has led us to where we are. We are all very proud to have her in her position as director. The senior center has been in existence for 30 years working for us “oldies but goodies,” and the ex- pansion should keep our promise to our senior citi- zens for another 20 more years. Our seniors are a vital element in our society and should never be forgotten or set aside. Their experi- ences are important to the future seniors that are some day going to be using this center for the Saturday breakfasts, soup and pie, line dancing, playing cards, programs, birthday parties, potlucks and just getting to- gether to chat. All of these organizations can be well proud of what you have done for your seniors and community. Jack Hinkle, president Monmouth Senior Center Friends Board Senior center reaches goal Our goal has been reached. The expansion project for the Monmouth Senior Center is now off and running. There are so many people and organizations to thank for the opportunity to ex- pand this center. We started planning for this project some 12 years ago with Sat- urday breakfasts, sales, trash City budget should focus on streets Luxuries vs. necessities is the dilemma before our city. Safety and road mainte- nance are two top priorities of the city yet we have (county) levies and bond measures to fund what should be funded through our budget process. Why? Perhaps it is because we are taking money from our gen- LAST CALL FOR ELECTION LETTERS The primary election is Tues- day, May 17. The last chance for you to submit election-related letters will be Monday, May 9, by 10 a.m. for the May 11 issue of the Itemizer-Observer. Remember all election letters are limited to 100 words or less. All letter writers are limited to one election-related letter per election season. With another election around the corner in November, we will open the election letters again for the Sept. 7 issue of the Item- izer-Observer. Thank you to our readers for your spirited debates. eral fund in order to main- tain the aquatic center. The amount needed for its maintenance is almost equal to what is necessary for our roads. We must pro- vide for our needs before we fulfill our wants. If roads are the priority, they must be funded first. Alan Minton Dallas Support riders for Christ at car wash The Dallas Riders For Christ club has continued its 2016 ride season after our big move last fall. 101 thanks would not cover it all for what the youth, parents and volunteers have given to this club over the 13 years functioning mostly around Dallas. It is your continued support to this motorcycle — dirt bike — youth and family club that keeps us rolling and the vol- unteers giving to these youth around the valley. So we ask for your further sup- port in our first 2016 fundraiser, a car and truck wash on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Dal- las Alliance Church parking, 775 E. Ellendale Ave. Also check us on Facebook. Thank you coming by and, if you’re retired and know a little about motorcycles, please show the youth your caring spirit. Myron Kliewer Dallas Voters should see list of streets first I’m assuming since the street bond measure has been thoroughly vetted by I moved to Dallas in 1967. Over the years the city has proposed levies and bonds to provide a safer commu- nity. Members of the com- munity have supported the betterment of our commu- nity through their votes. We are now in need of major street repairs which benefits everyone living in our com- munity. Take pride in your town and pay it forward for our next generation. Vote yes on the street bond. Pre- serve Dallas; help show oth- ers our pride. values, vehicle mainte- nance, community safety and livability. We must make significant repairs very soon or future costs will be even higher. While not totally fixing all issues, these funds will enable the city to substantially impact our long-overdue street re- pairs. Please join me in vot- ing yes. We love Dallas; let’s keep it beautiful. Kevin and Carol Marshall Dallas Streets not as bad as they appear I am voting no on the $10-million street bond. A pro-street tax brochure had a photo of a street which they said was in need of re- pair. I recognized the street on which I drive every week. It is half a block long. It is not that bad. We need to wait till the economy re- covers before upgrading cosmetics. Vote no. Reg Wiensz Dallas Bill Hahn Dallas Street bond will hurt businesses Nearman still best candidate for HD23 It will hurt Dallas busi- nesses if the street bond passes. Businesses owning real estate will have in- creased taxes. Businesses leasing real estate will have rent increases. The street bond is anti-business. The bond has hidden costs due to the fact that businesses will raise prices to compen- sate for the higher real es- tate taxes. Residents of Dal- las should vote no on the bond measure. Please support Mike Nearman in continuing the work he is doing for House District 23. Last primary, Mike beat out Jim Thomp- son because Jim changed his thinking about marriage being between a man and a woman. Now, he wants to run as an Independent but standing on the same belief. I am not sure why Beth Jones is running when Mike stands for all the things Beth is for except he has al- ready been doing a great job in the House in opposing the liberal left. Please vote for Nearman. He will con- tinue fighting for the values of this District. Ron Post Dallas Put streets as top concern for Dallas I urge the citizens of Dal- las to vote yes for the street bond. During the downturn in the economy, property values have decreased, gasoline sales have dimin- ished and, subsequently, tax revenues earmarked for streets and other infrastruc- ture have dropped signifi- cantly. Poor street condition negatively affects property John Frei Dallas Don’t wait for good streets, fix them Leaving a gift of great streets to our children and grandchildren is a great goal, but I would like to walk on streets now that are smooth and avoid potholes that can hurt the tires and alignment of my car now. The “No New Taxes” group chooses to ignore our crumbling residential streets in the hopes some- one else will deal with the problem. We live here now; we need to take responsibil- ity now and fix our streets. Please vote yes on the street bond. Ann and David Hurd Dallas WANT TO WRITE A LETTER? letters to the editor are lim- ited to 300 words. longer let- ters will be edited. election-related letters of all types are limited to 100 words. Writers are limited to one elec- tion-related letter per election season. election letters from writers outside of Polk County are not accepted. each writer is restricted to one letter per 30-day period. letters that are libelous, ob- scene or in bad taste will not be printed. Attacks by name on businesses or individuals 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-Observer does not guarantee the accuracy of facts presented by letter writ- ers; dissenters are welcome to respond. letter writers who disagree with other published letter writers should maintain a civil discourse and address the subject, not the author. letters, like all editorial ma- terial submitted to the news- paper, 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 numbers are used for verifica- tion purposes only. letters must be submitted from individuals, not organiza- tions, and must be original submissions to the I-O, 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. letters submitted may not be retractable 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. Office: 147 Se Court St., Dal- las. HOW TO REACH US nEWSROOM emily Mentzer ..............editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com Vol. 141, No. 18 (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 SUBSCRIPTION RATeS: Polk County — One Year $35 Other Oregon Counties — One Year $40 Outside of Oregon — One Year $45 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Polk County itemizer-Observer, P.O. 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