Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 6, 2016 9A
ODA offers food safety tips for summer
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
It’s the season for pinics, barbecues, camping — and sage food handling practices
TUESDAY, JULY 12
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club — 6 to 7 p.m.
weigh-in, 7 to 8 p.m. meeting, First Christian Church basement,
1079 SE Jefferson St., Dallas. Meetings offer programs and activ-
ities aimed at losing weight. Open to anyone. First meeting is
free.
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health
West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group
meets in the quiet room/chapel immediately inside the emer-
gency entrance on Clay Street. Dee Ann White, 971-718-6444.
—
By Bruce Pokarney
Oregon Dept. of Ag
Now that summer has ar-
rived, Oregonians are likely
to do a lot more outdoor
cooking and eating. The po-
tential for food-borne illness
increases in July and Au-
gust. Proper food handling
and preparation is never
more important as families
flock to picnics, barbecues,
and campouts. The Oregon
Department of Agricul-
ture’s Food Safety Program is
offering seasonal advice on
how to enjoy a problem-
free summer of eating.
“The number of food-
borne illness outbreaks typ-
ically goes up in the sum-
mer because people are
cooking outside, eating out-
side, and changing their
habits a bit,” says ODA Food
Safety
Specialist
Susan Kendrick.
Most of the same rules for
food handling, preparation,
and storage apply for
both outdoors and indoors.
Outbreaks of E. coli and sal-
monella in raw produce in
recent years should not
deter people from enjoying
fresh fruits and vegetables
this summer.
“We’d like to emphasize
that you wash the produce
when you get it home,”
says Kendrick. “Even if it’s a
cantaloupe — you aren’t
going to eat the exterior
rind but you are going to
slice into it. So it’s still a
great idea to wash the whole
cantaloupe before eating it.”
Melons are grown on the
ground where the rind can
come into contact with ani-
mal waste used as fertilizer.
When melons are cut, the
knife may transfer bacteria
to the inside of the fruit.
The cook needs to be cer-
tain that raw meat is thor-
oughly cooked.
“It’s a good idea to thaw a
product like hamburger in
the refrigerator prior
to cooking,” says Kendrick.
“You want to make sure you
d o n’t h a v e a p o c k e t
inside the hamburger that is
still frozen and may
take longer to cook. The en-
tire burger needs to be
cooked evenly and thor-
oughly.”
Ideally, a thermometer
should be used to make
sure the proper cooking
temperature of the meat on
the grill is reached. But that
isn’t always practical. At the
very least, cutting into the
meat, or close to the bone in
the case of chicken, will en-
sure there isn’t any pink in-
side. Cooking temperatures
should reach at least 165 de-
grees Fahrenheit.
Any time raw meat and
fresh produce are both part
of a meal preparation, cross-
contamination is always a
possibility. When handling
any raw meat product — ei-
ther taking it to a barbecue
or another preparation area
— make sure any tongs,
spatulas, scoops, and the
platter carrying the meat are
Photo from iCLIPART
Melons are grown on the ground where the rind can
come into contact with animal waste used as fertilizer.
Wash the whole cantaloupe before eating it. When mel-
ons are cut, the knife may transfer bacteria to the inside
of the fruit.
all exchanged with a fresh,
clean utensil or platter to
carry the cooked product
back to the table. Cutting
boards used in food prepa-
ration are also a potential
source of problems. Using
the same board to cut up
chicken and then to chop
salad ingredients should be
avoided. The raw products
have organisms that could
produce illness if spread to
ready-to-eat products. Of
course, a good cleaning and
sanitizing of the cutting
board after chopping up raw
meat products will mini-
mize the risk.
Handwashing is not as
practical in the summer, but
it is just as critical as other
times of the year.
Food needs to be kept out
of the temperature danger
zone — which is 40 to 140
degrees Fahrenheit — for as
long as possible. Bacteria
begins to grow rapidly as
the temperature warms up.
Foods that need to be
cooked should stay refriger-
ated or be prepared as soon
as possible.
Most summer food safety
recommendations are just
common sense. As long as
people are careful about
how food is handled, pre-
pared, and stored, cam-
pouts, picnics, and barbe-
cues can be fun, safe,
and delicious.
Visit ODA’s Food Safety
web
page
at
<http://go.usa.gov/3dpC3>.
Continued from page 8A
WEDNESDAY, JULY 13
• 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.
• Monmouth-Independence Chamber Luncheon — Noon-
1 p.m., Monmouth Public Library, 168 Ecols Street S., Mon-
mouth. Western Oregon University President Dr. Rex Fuller will
present. www.micc-or.org.
• 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 S. Warren St., 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.
Monmouth 2016
Music in the Park
Main St. Park Amphitheater
Every Wednesday through August 31 ~ 6:30pm
MUSIC, FOOD, BEER & WINE GARDEN
Look for
Music in the Park
Series on Face-
book for more in-
formation about
this year’s artists.
MI TOWN
In MI Town we all cele-
brated our beloved United
States of America’s Birthday
on Monday. It was a very
busy weekend with our
communities hosting
friends and family mem-
bers as we celebrated Inde-
pendence Day. Beginning
on Friday, Independence’s
Western Days began with
the carnival booths and the
movie “Jurassic World”
shown that evening. Main
Street Park in Monmouth
was transformed into a
community marketplace on
Saturday morning, with
booths and displays and
something for everyone to
enjoy. The new Main Street
Park Amphitheater in Mon-
mouth and Independence’s
Riverfront Park Amphithe-
ater were both busy all
weekend, with music and
entertainment for all.
—
Activities kept everyone
busy and entertained and
happy all weekend with
food and fun, car shows
and vendors and arts and
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
crafts for adults and chil-
dren. It was impossible to
attend every event — and
everything was so enjoy-
able, especially the Sunday
presentation of patriotic
songs by the Willamette Val-
ley Concert Band.
—
Our appetites were whet-
ted and ready for the fire-
man’s breakfast early on the
Fourth of July, where we en-
joyed meeting and greeting
friends and neighbors for a
hearty breakfast of scram-
bled eggs, pancakes and
ham served by firefighters,
volunteers and their fami-
lies. MI Town’s Cub and Boy
Scouts were there to keep
things neat and tidy, and
they courteously assisted
everyone as we came
through the line and to our
tables.
—
This year, I was a partici-
pant — as a member of the
Chemeketa Chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. It was a thrill to
reflect upon those brave
men and women who
founded our great nation.
There is nothing quite like
this parade for the sheer joy
and fun of seeing our
friends and neighbors get
together and share in the
pure happiness of celebra-
tion and honoring our great
nation’s birthday. The
Fourth of July festival and
Western Days celebrations
give us all an opportunity to
celebrate and share in the
very best MI Town can be —
and to be able to spend a
couple of days showing
friends and family and
neighbors what truly con-
stitutes the good life.
—
July marks the second
annual Paws for a Cause Pet
Drive, in memory of Sgt.
Performing Tonight
July 6
Ben Rice
Blues Band
FREE AND OPEN
TO THE PUBLIC
Randy Whittaker. Dona-
tions of new and gently
used pet supplies, including
treats, toys, collars, leashes,
pet dishes and food are
being collected all month
and will be donated to local
animal shelters. Items can
be dropped off at the Polk
County Sheriff’s Office, sec-
ond floor reception area at
the Academy Building,
Community Corrections,
and the Polk County Fair-
grounds. For more informa-
tion, please contact Jody
Germond at the Polk Coun-
ty Jail, 850 Main St., in Dal-
las, 503-831-1733.
Bring
your chairs
and blankets and
we’ll see you in
the park!
For More Information Contact:
Mark Fancey 503-751-0147
Visit our
website,
www.polkio.com
...for local news, sports
and community events.
Music from the Redgate Winery & Fieldhouse
It is a “stroke of good luck” to
have a second beginning with you.
All the work you have dedicated to
my person and the new normal.
Appreciate all you do! Kim
Fri. July 8, 6-9 PM
featuring
Dave Upton
$5.00 cover
Must be 21 • Food Available
Tasting fees & glasses of wine $5.00
8175 Buena Vista Road
Independence • 503-428-7115 • www.redgatevineyard.com
“45 yr. old stroke survivor,
L-sided hemiplegic”
To recognize strokes, contact the
National Stroke Association.
www.stroke.org
presented by
Monmouth
Performing July 8th Show begins at 7:30
HIGH STREET BAND
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 - Wednesday July 8 - July 13
INDEPENDENCE DAY:
(1:30 4:10)
RESURGENCE (Digital) (PG13)
THE SHALLOWS (Digital) (PG13)
LEGEND OF TARZAN (Digital) (PG13)
(11:40 2:15 4:50)
MIKE AND DAVE NEED
(12:15 2:40 5:05)
WEDDING DATES (Digital) (R)
FINDING DORY (Digital) (PG)
(11:30 2:00 4:30)
SECRET LIFE
(12:00 12:25 2:15 2:40 4:30 4:55)
OF PETS (Digital) (PG)
THE BFG (Digital) (PG)
(11:25 2:00 4:40)
(11:45 2:10 4:35)
PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (Digital) (R)
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (Digital) (PG13
6:50
7:25
9:30
9:55
7:30
7:00
9:45
9:30
7:10 9:25
7:20 10:05
7:05 9:40
6:45 9:25
This Week’s FREE MOVIE:
Showing July 7 • 9:45
Hotel Transylvania 2
JULY 15 Concert: Ty Curtis - 7:30 PM
JULY 14 Movie: Jumanji- 9:45 PM
Thursday July 14
INDEPENDENCE DAY:
(1:30 4:10)
RESURGENCE (Digital) (PG13)
THE SHALLOWS (Digital) (PG13)
(11:40 2:15 4:50)
LEGEND OF TARZAN (Digital) (PG13)
MIKE AND DAVE NEED
(12:15 2:40 5:05)
WEDDING DATES (Digital) (R)
SECRET LIFE
(12:00 12:25 2:15 2:40 4:30 4:55)
OF PETS (Digital) (PG)
GHOSTBUSTERS (PG13)
THE BFG (Digital) (PG)
(11:25 2:00 4:40)
(11:45 2:10 4:35)
PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (Digital) (R)
FINDING DORY (Digital) (PG)
(11:30 2:00 4:30)
Lawn Seating — Bring blankets & chairs
6:50
7:25
9:30
9:55
7:30
9:45
7:10 9:25
7:00 9:25
7:20 10:05
7:05 9:40
7:00 9:30
• VENDORS • BEER & WINE GARDEN
Riverview Amphitheater, Independence, OR
Visit our website: independenceamphitheater.com
