Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 4, 2016 9A
Encourage kids to explore garden
When grubby little hands
grip your pant leg as you
head for the garden, put
them in the soil and they
may dig up a lifetime of
learning and pleasure.
“One of the keys to getting
kids interested in gardening
is to get them engaged,” said
Joy Jones, Oregon State Uni-
versity Extension Service
master gardener coordinator
in Tillamook County. “Let
them explore what catches
their attention, especially
small children.”
Stimulating a child’s imag-
ination can be as simple as
filling a dishpan with dirt,
passing them a hand lens
and letting them delve into
the world that lives under-
ground, she said. If it’s gross,
so much the better.
“They love that,” she said
with a laugh.
When teaching kids about
gardening, Jones watches
them blossom.
“We started a summer day
camp about 20 years ago
when there were kids inter-
ested in gardening, but no
one was interested in being a
4-H club leader,” said Jones,
who is also the county 4-H
youth program leader.
“Some of those kids went on
to careers in horticulture.”
Projects vary, but a fa-
vorite is starting a miniature
salad garden in a cedar box
they build themselves. The
kids plant fast-growing
greens and perhaps onions
and short carrot varieties,
which are ready to harvest
just in time to enter in the
K YM
P OKORNY
Your
Garden
August county fair.
Dish gardens are popular,
too. Jones said to think of a
theme and go for it. One year
she used blue bowls with
seashells, whitewashed sand
and succulents to make an
ocean-themed mini-land-
scape. This year they’ll make
a forest with dinosaurs.
“The kids have things
they’ve made that they’re
proud of and can take care
of and share with other peo-
ple,” she said. “And it’s not
overwhelming.”
The benefits of teaching
children to garden are well
documented. If they learn to
grow their own fruits and
vegetables, they’re far more
likely to eat them. And it gets
PHOTO BY ICLIPART
Kids are more likely to eat vegetables and fruits if they
grow their own.
them outside away from
their phones.
“I read recently that work-
ing in the soil releases a feel-
good hormone,” Jones said.
“Getting kids out working in
the soil, unplugged for a
while, feeling and looking
and being curious is really
important.”
Jones’ tips for gardening with kids:
• Start small. Don’t give children too many choices or they’ll get overwhelmed. Do a veg-
etable container or small garden plot. Allocate it just for them.
• Opt for fast-growing plants. Kids tend to have a short attention span, so have them plant
carrots, onions, radishes and lettuce, which germinate and grow quickly. Slow-growers like
corn, peppers or tomatoes will frustrate them.
• Don’t be free labor. Teach kids how to garden and they’ll be empowered to do it them-
selves.
• Get scientific. Soak a couple of different kinds of seeds overnight. Place between napkins
and let them start to germinate. Have kids draw pictures of what they see.
• Plan for success. Plant vegetables or other plants in the right conditions and water cor-
rectly so they stay healthy and kids aren’t disappointed. For containers, use a drip pan to catch
water so soil doesn’t dry out as quickly. Don’t plant too many seeds in a pot or there won’t be
enough room for plants to grow.
• Don’t be in a rush. If kids want to look at worms, let them look at worms.
MI TOWN
Last Sunday we turned
the calendar page to the
brand-spanking-new
month of May, and what
happy news for those of us
who love springtime and all
the goodness it brings. The
flowers are blooming, there
are more blue-sky days than
not, and burdens somehow
seem lighter when the sun
shines brightly.
—
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo
at the Independence Public
Library from 6 to 7 p.m.
Thursday, where everyone is
welcome to get together in
the meeting room to make
paper flowers and other tra-
ditional crafts and enjoy
treats. People of all ages are
invited to this event.
—
Tomorrow evening, the
First Thursday Adult Color-
ing Club meets at the Mon-
mouth Library from 5:30 to
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
7. It’s a fun, very informal
group of people who have
discovered that coloring
and drawing is a wonderful
stress reliever, and it’s also
lots of fun. All supplies and
snacks are provided, and a
good time is guaranteed.
—
Mark your calendars for a
busy weekend, beginning
with the Friends of the Mon-
mouth Library’s annual
spring book sale on Friday.
Friends’ members pre-sale is
from noon until 2 p.m. in the
Library Community Room. If
you’re not a member, you
can join right there at the
door. The sale is open to the
public from 2 until 6 p.m. on
Friday, and from 9 a.m. until
3 p.m. on Saturday.
—
The Polk County Master
Gardeners’ annual plant
sale also begins Friday. This
is a great opportunity to get
a head start on spring plant-
ing, with various fruit and
vegetable plants for sale at
reasonable prices. Many
knowledgeable people will
share valuable information
and answer most — if not
all — of your gardening
questions. (Full disclosure:
I’ve been very happy with
tomato plants and raspber-
ry starts from this sale for
many years.) Sale hours are
from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
both Friday and Saturday at
the Polk County Fair-
grounds on Highway 99W.
—
Bring your family mem-
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
Furutani and, their two
daughters Sara and Rachel
are here from Redondo
Beach, Calif.; daughter Beth
and Will Turtle with their
children Eric, Nicole, and
Gregory from Seattle; and
son Scott is here from Min-
nesota. Skid will be buried
at Womer Cemetery. Dona-
tions in his name can be
made to the Pedee Women’s
Club, where Juandeane is
still very active.
Snyder-Westendorf
Hannah Snyder and
Mychal Westendorf, both
of Corvallis, announced
their engagement. The
couple will be married
on June 25 at Log House
Garden in Keizer.
Hannah is the daugh-
ter of Julie Snyder and
Brian Snyder, both of
Lebanon. She graduated
from East Linn Christian
Academy in 2012 and
from Cornerstone School
of Ministry in 2014. She is
the assistant manager at G3 Sports and Fitness in Corval-
lis.
Mychal is the son of Dena Westendorf and Dan Westen-
dorf, both of Dallas. He graduated from Perrydale High
School in 2012 and will receive his bachelor’s in forestry
engineering from Oregon State University in 2016. He will
work for Weyerhaeuser in Lebanon.
Westendorf-Davidson
Emily Westendorf and
Ben Davidson, both of
Redmond, announced
their engagement. The
couple will be married on
July 9 at Salt Creek Sa-
loon in Amity.
Emily is the daughter
of Dena Westendorf and
Dan Westendorf, both of
Dallas. She graduated
from Santiam Christian
High School in 2014 and
a t t e n d s E c o l a Bi b l e
School. She is a server at
Crouton’s Restaurant in Redmond.
Ben is the son of Mary Davidson and Don Davidson,
both of Redmond. He graduated from Redmond High
School in 2011. He is working toward a bachelor’s in com-
puter science at Oregon State University Cascades. He
works as an IG unit fabricator at Central Oregon Glass in
Redmond.
BIRTHS
bers and your appetites to
the Monmouth Senior Cen-
ter on Saturday for the
monthly community break-
fast. The doors open at 8:30
a.m. Prices are reasonable
($6 for adults, $3 for children
younger than 12), servings of
scrambled eggs, sausage,
pancakes, biscuits and gravy
are generous, and it’s a great
way to begin a busy week-
end. See you there.
—
It’s wonderful to see stu-
dents of all ages participat-
ing in spring sports, and
these athletes show us
every day how hard work
and competition keeps
them healthy and fit. We
can learn valuable lessons
in teamwork and positive
attitudes just from being
around our kids and watch-
ing them participate in
competitions around the
community and state.
PEDEE NEWS
Former Pedee resident
Skid Skidmore died April 26.
Skid, 89, died of heart fail-
ure and dementia, peace-
fully and in no pain. He and
his wife Juandeane moved
to Pedee from Los Angeles
in 1974, and lived here until
2008, when they moved to
Dallas. Their children are
h e r e w i t h Ju a n d e a n e :
daughter Teresa and Roy
ENGAGEMENTS
—
The Bethel Mountain
Bluegrass Band will be in
c o n c e r t a t t h e Pe d e e
Church on May 22 at 6 p.m.
They are based in Salem,
have played throughout the
U.S. and Europe, and are fa-
mous for their gospel har-
monies. I hear they’re great.
You can check them out on
YouTube.
Monmouth~Independence Rotary Club
Fields
Richelle Jane Fields was born to Stacy and Jim Fields, of
Salem, on April 25 at Salem Family Birth Center.
Richelle weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces.
Grandparents are Curtis and Joyce Morely, of Salem,
and Jim and Esther Fields, of Independence.
Stambaugh
Tristan Alexander Stambaugh was born to Angeline
Cline and Eric Stambaugh, both of Monmouth, on April
16 at Salem Family Birth Center.
Tristin was 8 pounds, 2 ounces.
Grandparents are Travis and Ethel Cline; Daniel Stam-
baugh, of Monmouth; and Becky Porter, of Billings, Mont.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
—
TUESDAY, MAY 10
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health
West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group
meets in the conference room immediately inside the front
doors.
—
WEDNESDAY, MAY 11
• 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.
• Polk County Republican Women — 11:30 a.m., Oak Knoll
Golf Course, 6335 Highway 22, Independence. No-host lunch
available; everyone welcome. 503-623-5759.
• 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.
• Free Blood Pressure Check Clinic — 2 to 3 p.m., West Val-
ley Hospital (surgery admitting area), 525 SE Washington St.,
Dallas. 503-623-7323.
• Monmouth Senior Center Music Jam — 6:30 p.m., Mon-
mouth Senior Center, 180 Warren St., S, Monmouth. Open to
the public; musicians of all types welcome. 503-838-5678.
• 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.
• Dallas American Legion Post No. 20 — 7 p.m., Academy
Building, Room 108, 182 SW Academy St., Dallas. 503-831-3971.
STRAWBERRY SALE
Relay for Life Event
Saturday, May 7
1 to 3 pm
$5.00 per person
Try many different teas & scones!
Bring your wedding dress no matter what
shape. Prizes for oldest wedding dress, ladies
who can still wear their dress and for bringing
the most people.
Corner Stone Church
4395 Independence Hwy.,
Independence
Itemizer-Observer
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.
From the same club that has been doing this for over 25 years.
30 lb. Container of Fresh
Oregon-Grown Strawberries
$ 50
Yummy, stemmed,washed, sliced,
ready to eat, freeze or cook.
DEADLINE TO ORDER JUNE 1
PICKUP: INDEPENDENCE, DALLAS, or CORVALLIS
To place your order email:
strawberry@mirotaryclub.org
or call: 503-838-6687
www.mirotaryclub.org
Please leave your phone or email.
We will notify you when they’re ready.
TO BENEFIT ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAMS
Visit our website, www.polkio.com
for local news, sports
and community events.
Friday & Saturday May 6 - May 7
RATCHET AND CLANK (Digital) (PG)
THE BOSS (R)
ZOOTOPIA (Digital) (PG)
THE JUNGLE BOOK (Digital 2D) (PG)
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
CIVIL WAR (Digital) (PG13)
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
CIVIL WAR (Digital) (PG13)
KEANU (Digital) (R)
HUNTSMAN:
THE WINTER’S WAR (Digital) (PG13)
MOTHER’S DAY (Digital) (PG13)
(12:15 2:35 5:00) 7:25
9:35
(11:40 2:10 4:45) 7:20 9:40
(11:35 2:05 4:35) 7:05 9:25
(11:30 2:45) 6:00 9:15
(1:45 5:00) 8:15
(12:20 2:40 5:05) 7:30 9:50
(1:30 4:10) 6:50 9:25
(11:25 2:00 4:30) 7:10 9:45
Sunday - Thursday May 8 - May 12
RATCHET AND CLANK (Digital) (PG)
THE BOSS (R)
ZOOTOPIA (Digital) (PG)
THE JUNGLE BOOK (Digital 2D) (PG)
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
CIVIL WAR (Digital) (PG13)
CAPTAIN AMERICA:
CIVIL WAR (Digital) (PG13)
KEANU (Digital) (R)
HUNTSMAN:
THE WINTER’S WAR (Digital) (PG13)
MOTHER’S DAY (Digital) (PG13)
(12:15 2:35 5:00) 7:25
9:35
(2:10 4:45) 7:20 9:40
(2:05 4:35) 7:05 9:25
(2:45) 6:00 9:15
(1:45 5:00) 8:15
(2:40 5:05) 7:30 9:50
(1:30 4:10) 6:50 9:25
(2:00 4:30) 7:10 9:45