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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2016)
Polk County Voices Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 13, 2016 4A LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Evans represents district in parade The Fourth of July is a time to celebrate our na- tion’s independence with our families and friends. In Monmouth and Independ- ence, the parade reminds us of what community really means. I was so glad to see our state representative, Paul Evans, in the parade. He is an asset to our area and has accomplished much in Salem to benefit those of us who live outside major cities. Paul is a friend to local farmers, small busi- ness, and families. I am proud of the work he has done in our community and in Salem. Paula Baldwin Monmouth Americans must regain freedoms Apparently, certain mem- bers of the political class can be accused of a lack of judgement when found to be not complying with the laws of the country, while the rest of us have to make bail or routinely pay exorbi- tant fines for our indiscre- tions. We have allowed a privi- leged political class to as- sume a dictatorship posi- tion and declare that our free speech rights are sub- ject to various degrees of political correctness that they determine and en- force. This political class has re- fused to follow the rules that this country was estab- lished with, and routinely ignores the will of the peo- ple. The liberties established in our Constitution and Bill of Rights are being rational- ized and whittled away on a daily basis, and people who protest these actions are deemed to be dangerous to the established society and in violation of one rule or another so that they can be either ridiculed or penal- ized. The laws of the country should be worded so that the citizens can understand them and know what the penalties are for not obey- ing them, or be allowed to petition their representa- tives to rewrite them so that there is no question about when a law is not being fol- lowed. And each law should apply to all residents in the United States of America. There should be no privi- leged ruling class, nor ex- ceptions of any kind. All res- idents of the country should be made aware of the laws and enforcement penalties for not abiding by them. It is time for Americans to throw off the yoke of politi- cal correctness and regain their freedoms. Richard C. Evans Monmouth Rodriguez sets example to all Courage permits one to face extreme dangers and difficulties without fear, without a second thought, and without question. Those who possess courage also possess selflessness, heroism. They are great hearted, and full of virtue. It is rare to find a person who displays all of these traits every day. So we feel much honor to know such a per- son. Our dad, Jim Rodriguez. He diligently and faithfully served this community for 27 years as a police officer. However, he has been much more to so many. Whether he was handling a serious crime or a simple disagreement, he knew that everyone goes through hardships and makes mis- takes. He offered them under- standing and often times an open ear to listen or even a shoulder to cry on. Most importantly, he withheld judgment and gave every- one the respect they de- served. He’s taken on many roles as a police officer; working as a school re- source officer, acting as problem solver and liaison to the youth of this commu- nity. He was also a member of the SWAT team for many years, putting his life on the line to ensure the safety of this community. Never once expecting a thank you but just satisfied inside knowing he did his part. Being a bilingual officer, he has had the ability to build trust and rapport with all members of our community. He has given countless hours wearing the badge, patrolling the streets and keeping the citizens of this community safe. Whether on or off duty, he would go above and beyond the call to serve people from all walks of life, often times leaving a lasting impression on their lives. There aren’t enough words to say about how we feel. He’s our biggest hero and we are so proud of you dad! Love, your kids. Robert, Shane and Nikki Rodriguez Dallas Fourth of July celebrations were special Here in Polk County, we live in small towns, and we like it like that. On Independence Day, there were a number of spe- cial events. The annual July Fourth parade in Mon- mouth and Independence was, as usual, noteworthy. The Monmouth-Indepen- dence Rotary Club has been sponsoring this parade for a number of years, and they had a very successful event again this year. Then in the evening in Dallas, we were fortunate to have a spectacular fire- works show. Both events were well attended by peo- ple from not only Polk County, but outlying areas as well. Thanks to the M-I Rotary and to the city of Dallas and the Dallas Fire Department for making Independence Day a special occasion for all of us who enjoyed these commemorations to a spe- cial day. We all look forward to more of the same, or even better, in 2017. Food bank thanks community The Dallas Food Bank would like to thank the community of Dallas for your continuing generosity and support. You enable us to feed approximately 960 hungry individuals each month. The widespread support ranges from Safeway, Wal- mart, the Dollar Tree, Dallas Community Foundation, Dutch Brothers, the post of- fice, The Itemizer-Observer, local churches and local businesses, to many private citizens from our area. With summer here and the children home from school, our food needs are growing and challenging. We are still unable to pur- chase basics, such as body soap, laundry soap, toilet paper and dish detergent. If you can help, please call the Food Bank at 503- 623-3578, or bring dona- tions to 322 Main St., Suite 180, Dallas. Mona Ordonez Food Bank volunteer Dallas Solution for peacock problem I read the recent letter to the editor about relocating excess peacocks from Mon- mouth to some other loca- tion outside the city. This has been done in the past and I am the recipient of these varmints. Monmouth has removed an irritant from there and moved the irritant to here, which is Cooper Hollow. They began to show up a while back and soon outlived their wel- come (sound familiar Mon- mouth?). As Monmouth is aware, these varmints are loud, roost on cars (scratch- ing paint), eat anything they find such as gardens and food for outside cats/dogs/wild birds/chick- ens. Then they do the natu- ral thing: poop. Great piles of the stuff lying around waiting to be stepped in by anyone that is not looking at the ground at all times. I am offering another so- lution to this problem. Turn it into an opportunity. My uncle had a ranch outside Reno many years ago and had a lot of peacocks run- ning around the place. He often ate them — said they tasted a lot like turkey. So, how about offering the ex- cess peacocks to, say James2 for their meals? This would solve the problem and provide three pluses: free meat for meals and re- moval of the pest from Monmouth and prevention of further varmint invasion of Cooper Hollow. Sounds like a winner to me. David Moellenberndt Monmouth Thank you for a great Fourth We want to thank all of you that were a part of or- ganizing and presenting the fireworks display in Dallas on July 4. It was terrific and gets better each year. We appreciate your time and effort. Al and Vi Mohr Dallas Leave peacock population alone In response to the fear and danger of the peacocks causing traffic jams, acci- dents and disturbing the peace of our neighborhood. I have lived here for 13 Della Katon Monmouth Random act of kindness We would like to thank the anonymous people who paid for our lunch at Wash- ington Street Steakhouse on Sunday. This happened be- cause we simply exchanged tables with some other guests that needed more room. Thank you for being so kind. We were blessed. Sandy and Kevin Smith Dallas Sheriff grateful for support I would like to offer my thanks to the citizens of Polk County that have dropped by or called the Sheriff’s Office to show their support for the men and women of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after the re- cent events in Dallas, Texas. Your kind words and thoughtfulness are impor- tant to those in the Sheriff’s Office and are very much appreciated. The members of the Sheriff’s Office were enlightened and energized by the support from the community. Thank you for letting the staff of the Sher- iff’s Office know how much they are appreciated and cared for. Also, our thoughts and prayers are with the Dallas (Texas) police officers and their families. Mark Garton Polk County Sheriff Dallas WANT TO WRITE A LETTER? PUBLIC AGENDA Public Agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov- ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County. To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the meeting date via email (ionews@polkio.com). — WEDnESDAy, July 13 • Independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m., Independence Heritage Museum, 112 S. Third St., Independ- ence. 503-838-1212. • Monmouth library Advisory Board — 7 a.m., Monmouth Public Library, 168 Ecols St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun- teer Hall, 144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. Jerry Wennstrom Dallas years and the most enjoy- able and happy times I have had has been watching the habits and behaviors of the peacocks. The mommies bring their babies to my back door like they are saying, look what I have brought for you to enjoy. My kids, grandkids and now great-grandkids have watched them and taken pictures and clapped their hands at the antics of the young ones. People from other areas come to take pictures. The peacocks are probably the most pho- tographed item in Polk County. If you don’t like them in your yard, spray them with the hose. They don’t like water. Granny 2 Toes was the leader, and she kept the kids in line. After she had her last chick and he was able to fend for himself, she disap- peared. As far as I know, there are two mating males and one female in the adult range, two young males and one young female. I would ask that you leave them alone. Letters to the editor are lim- ited to 300 words. Longer letters 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 writers; dissenters are welcome to re- spond. Letter writers who dis- agree with other published letter writers should maintain a civil discourse and address the subject, not the author. Letters, like all editorial mate- rial submitted to the newspa- per, are edited for length, gram- mar 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 num- bers are used for verification purposes only. Letters must be submitted from individuals, not organiza- tions, and must be original sub- missions 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., Dallas. HOW TO REACH US Vol. 141, No. 28 (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. Box 108, Dallas, Oregon 97338 nEWSROOM Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com DISPlAy ADVERTISInG Heidi Leppin .................Display Advertising Manager ....................................hleppin@polkio.com Rachel Best ....................Display Advertising.............................................................rbest@polkio.com Karen Sanks...................Client Services ...................................................................ksanks@polkio.com ClASSIFIED lInE ADVERTISInG Dawn Ohren.....................................................................................................................ioads@polkio.com PRODuCTIOn Kathy Huggins ..............................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Karyn Pressel .................................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com The Polk County Itemizer-Observer assumes no financial responsibility for errors in advertise- ments. It will, however, reprint without charge for the portion of an advertisement Web: www.polkio.com which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault. Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395