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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 2016)
Polk County Sports Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 24, 2016 11A Gone Golfing 14th Annual Fall Fling A Gardening Festival Educational Gardening Event LUKAS EGGEN/Itemizer-Observer Dallas High School Principal Steve Spencer attempts to sink a putt on hole No. 9 at Dallas Golf Club at the Dallas Quarterback Club’s 22nd annual golf tournament on Saturday morning. The four-person scramble raised money for Dallas youth football programs. Miller: Central finished 12-14 overall in 2016 Continued from Page 10A While Miller went above and beyond his duties to help his student-athletes, Central also had a major im- pact on him during his tenure. “I tell the players all the time that they don’t realize how great of a place Central is because they’ve grown up here, but as an outsider, you don’t find many places like here that support, care and love their sports like the Panther community,” Miller said. “I will miss that, but look forward to being a fan and supporter from afar.” From his leadership guid- ing the baseball team to vol- unteering in the fall and winter, Miller leaves a posi- tive legacy at Central. “We’re certainly going to miss him,” Hedrick said. “He was really easy to work with and was a committed Panther.” Hedrick said the school has begun searching for a new coach and hopes to make a hire as soon as possi- ble. “We want to allow that person to come in and work with the kids in the class- room and weight room,” Hedrick said. “That way, when the spring hits, they’re not coming in totally new.” Wolves: Gott was as an assistant at Chico State Continued from Page 10A Gott served as an assistant coach at Chico State prior to arriving at Western Oregon. WOU gave him his first chance at being a college head coach, though he may have a difficult challenge ahead of him. He inherits a program that has won 13 games over the past two seasons, but he sees a team that is hungry to change its course. “I think right now we’re seeing a group of girls who are hungry,” Gott said. “They are dedicated and willing to do the hard work and put in the time.” The Wolves bring forth an inexperienced roster, with just four players — Alisha Bettinson, Sheila Limas De La Cruz, Sydney Blankinship and Christie Colasurdo — returning from last year’s squad. Bettinson led WOU in kills in 2015, while Colasur- do led the Wolves in digs — but WOU’s starting lineup remains up for grabs for now. “I think the big thing is establishing what our stan- dards are and what we are trying to accomplish every day in the gym,” Gott said. “We’re starting to get estab- lished a little bit who we think some of our starters could be, but we’ll be play- ing around with lineups.” Western Oregon opens its season at the Concordia Labor Day Tournament Sept. 1-3 in Portland. Until then, the Wolves will be hard at work finding the right mix of players. The Wolves have been one of the GNAC’s bottom dwellers in recent seasons, but Gott sees reasons for optimism and he believes WOU has what it takes to surprise the competition. “I think we have a strong base,” Gott said. “We have a talented team. We’re going to be able to do a lot of good things this year. We have a system that is a good fit for this type of pro- gram and university and I think we’ll see their confi- dence grow throughout the season.” Jones: Coach hopes to build soccer program up Continued from Page 10A The Dragons have long been one of the Mid- Willamette Conference’s worst teams. Getting his players to believe they be- long while building the pro- gram up is a balancing act Jones works on each and every practice. “Culture is one of the most difficult things to change, but having a very different team this year will help,” Jones said. “As we work hard, the team will have to decide there is no reason they shouldn’t win.” That can be something Jones presses on his team but ultimately, his players will decide whether they buy into it or not. Jones hopes to lead Dal- las’ soccer program into contention in the MWC. That’s a goal that will likely take time to work up to. The Dragons took the first, if small, steps forward in 2015. Jones hopes to help continue that progress for- ward. “I’ve enjoyed watching some of the more experi- enced players take the younger players and en- courage and work with them,” Jones said. “I love to see the team trusting each other and having higher ex- pectations of each other. We still have a lot to work on, but I see improve- ment.” Soccer: Plans began to pick up steam in 2014 Continued from Page 10A Getting the land ready to become a soccer field posed challenges — mainly ensur- ing the ground’s composi- tion was suitable for a sports complex. “I would say (the biggest issue) was the rocks,” Penna said. “It had been a river bottom, historically. There was a fair amount of river rock mixed with dirt that had to be either re- moved or covered with more dirt.” Volunteers finished plac- ing goals and painting lines over the weekend — just in time for the opening party on Saturday. The fields will be open to the community. Clyne said Academy FC will host tournaments and games on the fields. The YMCA has expressed an in- terest in using the fields, while Central Youth Sports has expressed possible inter- est, he added. The path to the Inde- pendence Sports Park has been a long one — but with the unveiling just days away, all those responsible for bringing the park to fruition hope it will be well worth the wait. “This is very exciting,” Penna said. “It’s been a work in progress for many years and the community’s pa- tience and persistence is about to be rewarded.” Sat., Sept. 17, 2016 Must register by Sept. 2 Door Prizes and a Silent Auction with a $100 shopping spree, Art, Wine Tastings and Wine Tours Speakers at the event this year are: Toni Gattoni will present “You Can Garden for Life!” A Master Gardener, teacher and small business owner, her presentations are packed with information and delivered with passion. Learn how you can make a few changes in your gardening techniques to save you time, money and energy and allow you to continue your hobby into your golden years. Ann Ralph will show you how to grow your own fruit trees even in a tiny yard. Ralph was hooked on growing fruit trees from the moment a slice of fresh nectarine touched her tongue. Author and avid pruner, she has been creating small scale trees for years and speaks about it with an evangelical zeal. Maggie Stuckey will present “The Bountiful Containers.” Author of 11 books about gardening and cooking, She will share tips and techniques to grow edible treats you’d usually find in a regular garden — from containers. She knows this firsthand, since she has “a handkerchief-sized patio.” Additional afternoon educational options and workshops range from $10 to $25 depending on your selection. ★ Bee All You Can Bee •Tips on how you can help pollinators. • Rich Little will discuss the 800 species of bees in Oregon • How you can enhance your yard and garden to protect bee habitats. $15. ★ Successful Solutions for Problem Areas in your yard or garden. Al’s Garden Center presents local TV gardening celebrity Judy Alleruzzo, who wil address successful solutions for common yard and garden problems. $10. ★ Salad Trays and Tables, learn to build your own! Don Huff of Red Baron Box Company in Dallas will demonstrate how to build a salad tray. Workshop fee will provide you with a “ready to assemble” kit and directions. You can build it with help from Huff – or take it home and build it there. $25. The event is sponsored by: Old Mill Feed & Garden, Capitol Auto Group, Les Schwab Tires (Dallas, Independence & West Salem), Citizens Bank in Dallas, and Petals & Vines in Monmouth Polk County Master Gardeners is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The Oregon Master Gardener Program is one of the oldest in the nation. It was started in 1976. $30 Pre-Registration Required (includes catered lunch) Must register by Sept. 2 No Registrations at the Door • Limited Enrollment Register online at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/polk/2016-Fall-Fling, download a registration form at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/ polk/mg or pick one up at the OSU Extension, Polk County Master Gardener office 289 E. Ellendale, Suite 301, in Ellendale Plaza, Dallas Event will be held at the National Guard Readiness Center 12830 Westview Dr., Dallas, OR