Polk County
Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 24, 2016 5A
Reduced
lunches
now free
Back
to
school
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Joanna Sanabia, a volunteer with The Salvation Army, puts supplies in backpacks for kindergarteners at Dallas Family Night Out at host Dallas
United Methodist Church. About 500 backpacks were awaiting students to claim them at the event.
Local organizations, churches try to make ‘back to school’ a little easier for students
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Sorry
kids — it’s time.
Your days of carefree
summer fun are nearly over
as Labor Day approaches.
With the first day of
school just around the cor-
ner, organizations in Dallas
and Falls City were busy
helping the eager — or not-
so-eager — students get
ready to go back to class this
fall.
Dallas Family Night Out
had more than 500 back-
packs filled with school sup-
plies to hand out, as well as
free clothing, haircuts and
other resources available
last Wednesday.
The event, which began in
2012, paired up with the
Apple Tree supplies collec-
tion and The Salvation
Army’s “Tools for Schools”
program in an effort to reach
even more families this year.
A rush just after the event
opened indicated that may
have been the case.
Almost 50 service
providers and other agen-
cies attended, another sign
of growth.
“We just about fell over
when we did the count on
that,” said coordinator Sheri
Beehner.
She said the giveaway fills
a need she’s familiar with.
“I grew up poor and my
mom couldn’t afford a back-
pack,” she said. “That’s why I
want to do this. Families can
come here and not be pres-
sured to spend any money
at all.”
While the event was free,
that doesn’t mean Beehner
and crew didn’t know how to
make back to school fun.
Live music, a bounce house,
an up-close experience with
Dallas Fire Department en-
gines and dinner were of-
fered.
On Thursday, students in
Falls City were the guests of
honor at a similar event, a
partnership between The
Salvation Army and Mon-
mouth Christian Church.
The Tools for School Pro-
gram had 185 backpacks
ready to give away, more
than enough for every child
enrolled in the Falls City
School District. Halfway
through, volunteers were
afraid they were running out
of supplies, but they were
able to pull through.
“We were able to shuffle
things around and got
everybody a backpack,” said
Lacey Carlson, the Salvation
Army’s resource develop-
ment coordinator.
Dinner, clothing and hair-
cuts were available there
too.
Incoming seventh-grader
Ashton Harding decided to
get his back-to-school hair
cut in Falls City Thursday.
He was very specific about
what he wanted.
“I want an inch off the
back and the sides,” he said.
“I was asked not to touch
the top,” chimed in Duana
Robertson, of Hot Rod Hair
in Dallas who volunteered
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Volunteers sort through backpacks with supplies at “Tools for Schools”in Falls City.
for the event.
Ashton, who goes to
LaCreole Middle School,
had already picked up his
backpack by the time he
stopped by Robertson’s sta-
tion and seemed excited to
begin school again. He’s
ready to see his friends and
take part in drama class.
Besides getting his sup-
plies and haircut Thursday,
Ashton said he is only
changing one thing from his
summer routine to get ready
for school.
“Going to bed a little bit
earlier,” he said.
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Duana Robertson cuts Ashton Harding’s hair Thursday.
POLK COUNTY — It’s
time to fill out those forms
for free and reduced
lunch, even if you quali-
fied last year.
“You do have to do it
every year,” said Lisa
Miller, of Central School
District food services.
In fact, even if you aren’t
sure if you qualify, Miller
said you should fill one
out.
“You should always turn
one in because there’s a
possibility that you could
get reduced versus the
free.”
This year, a grant will
cover the costs of all re-
duced lunches in Oregon,
making those lunches free,
too.
Central schools also
offer free breakfast for all
students.
Falls City schools offer
free breakfast and lunch
for all students, but having
a free and reduced lunch
form filled out can help
with other things.
For example, many
youth sports programs —
including those at the high
school level — have lower
fees for student who qual-
ify for free or reduced
lunch.
“The high school has
testing fees that are
waived or reduced if a stu-
dent’s household qualifies
for free or reduced lunch,”
Miller said.
Miller said each year
she gets a list from the
state of families who have
been authorized for free
and reduced lunch, but
not all the siblings are al-
ways listed.
She has mailed out 500
letters to families in Cen-
tral School District who
are directly certified, but
said people need to check
and make sure all their
children are listed.
“If I don’t get an appli-
cation from the family, I
have no way of knowing
that Jonny is Teresa’s
brother until much later in
the year,” Miller said.
Sometimes this can cause
lunch bills to be sent un-
necessarily to families.
Forms for free or re-
duced lunch may be
found online or at any
school in the county:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/
nslp/national-school-
lunch-program-nslp.
Minor injuries and two structures lost in house fire
Resident, firefighter were treated on scene by Dallas EMS; crews saved residence from major damage
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — A garage and shed were lost
and two people suffered minor injuries in a
house fire in Dallas Saturday morning.
At about 11:06 a.m. Saturday, firefighters
were called to a home in the 400 block of
Southeast Uglow Avenue on a report of a
garage on fire.
According to Dallas Fire & EMS, the
homeowner had been working in the de-
tached garage when the fire broke out.
“The resident was grinding some metal,”
Dallas Fire spokeswoman April Welsh said.
“That what we initially think started the
fire.”
Firefighters arrived at about 11:17 a.m.
and had the fire under control by 11:50. The
fire had spread to a nearby shed and utility
room on the main house before crews were
able to contain it.
“The garage was a complete loss and the
shed was a complete loss,” Welsh said. “We
were able to keep the fire from going inside
the residence.”
One of the residents and a firefighter who
responded suffered minor inhalation in-
juries during the fire.
“Both the resident and the firefighter were
treated on scene,” Welsh said. “Neither were
transported.”
A Dallas fire chaplain helped the resi-
dents — two adults — connect with the
American Red Cross for assistance.
Welsh said this is yet another example
why people should be careful when working
APRIL WELSH/ for the Itemizer-Observer
Saturday’s house fire started in a detached garage at a home on the 400 block of Uglow
Avenue in Dallas. The garage and nearby shed were destroyed by the flames.
in dry and hot conditions.
“Be very conscientious about your out-
door activities,” Welsh said. “(This is) anoth-
er example of how something so minor can
create an issue.”
Fifteen firefighters and 20 total personnel
responded to the scene.
Dallas Fire was assisted on the scene by
Southwest Polk, Polk Fire No. 1, Dallas EMS,
and NW Natural. Polk County Sheriff’s Office
and Dallas Police closed the road while
crews put out the fire.
APRIL WELSH/for the Itemizer-Observer
The entry way and utility room were also
damaged in Saturday’s fire, but the fire
didn’t reach the main part of the house.