Polk County
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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 31, 2016 4a
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EDITORIALS
Election letters
begin next week
Starting Sept. 7, our next issue of the Itemizer-Observer,
we will begin printing election-related letters. We know the
election season has been going all year, but with the final
applications for local offices turned in, and final decisions
on who is going out for what bonds made, we declare this
the official opening of our local election season.
We have already received endorsement letters and other
election-related letters in our office, and we wanted to take
a moment to remind our readers about our letters to the
editor policy on election letters.
Letter writers are allowed one election-related letter per
election season. All election letters are limited to 100 words
or less.
For the sake of open discussion, we define “election let-
ter” strictly. A letter making general observations about the
nation would not be labeled as an election letter.
Any mention of the election, candidates, measures or
bonds will be considered an election letter.
Election letters are not accepted from anyone living out-
side of Polk County, so please, be specific about where you
live. As always, addresses and phone numbers are required
when submitting letters to the editor, as is the name of the
letter writer. If you live in West Salem, please clarify that
rather than saying you live in Salem.
We do not accept guest columns. All opinions submitted
must fall into the guidelines outlined in the letters policy.
We maintain our policy to allow as many people a voice
on our opinion page as possible.
As writers, we understand how difficult it can be to nar-
row down your thoughts into the allowed word count — in
fact, we’ve seen many of you are talented writers, and have
had trouble narrowing down your word counts on occa-
sion, too.
But we feel that the long-standing policies of the Itemiz-
er benefit everyone in the long run. We want to help the
conversation, and we’re proud to be partners in this com-
munity.
We look forward to as clean an election as possible — at
least locally.
For more information or if you have any questions:
Emily Mentzer, 503-623-2373 ext. 117 or ementzer
@polkio.com.
—
In last week’s editorial thanking our volunteer firefighters
for keeping us safe, we failed to mention a part of that team:
Falls City Fire Department.
Falls City has a volunteer force 35 members strong and
they deserve as much credit as any other department.
As is the case for other fire crews in Polk County, call vol-
umes are up in Falls City and training requirements contin-
ue to increase. So far this summer, the department respond-
ed to two major house fires, an unusual occurrence in a city
so small.
To you volunteers who respond to calls in Falls City, we
apologize for the oversight and thank you for your service.
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
actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
wEDnESDay, aug. 31
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
TuESDay, SEPT. 6
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 S.
Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Dallas urban Renewal advisory Committee — 5:30 p.m.,
Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3565.
• Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC office, 850 Main St., Dallas.
503-623-8173.
wEDnESDay, SEPT. 7
• Monmouth Historic Commission — 6 p.m., Volunteer Hall,
144 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
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.
GOVERNOR
gov. Kate Brown (Dem.)
160 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4582
Email: via website,
http://governor.oregon.gov/
—
STATE LEGISLATORS
Sen. arnie Roblan
(District 5, Democrat)
S-417 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
sen.arnieroblan@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/roblan
Sen. Jackie winters
(District 10, Republican)
S-301 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1710
sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/winters
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Indy Landing noise
will hinder building
The Independence Land-
ing redevelopment site has
a noise pollution problem
from unmuffled motor
boats on the Willamette
River.
No, this is not your
grandpa’s fishing boat or
even modern manufactured
ski boats.
Think a dragster motor
on the back of a racing boat,
and they are just as loud at
120+ decibels.
What tourist would stay
at a hotel, feet from the
equivalent of a drag strip?
What homebuyer would
purchase a condo in a loca-
tion where their children are
subject to permanent hear-
ing loss when they go out-
side to play?
What developer would in-
vest in such a risky site?
The Polk County Marine
Patrol has admirably tried to
control the worst offenders,
but current law ties their
hands.
The laws to control noise
from these craft are old and
inadequate.
For example, in the nar-
row case when violators are
cited, only Oregon boaters
can be penalized by the
courts and the Oregon State
Marine Board.
For out-of-state boaters,
there are neither conse-
quences nor penalties.
In a spring 2016 survey of
unmuffled boats on the
Willamette River at Inde-
pendence, one of every
three unmuffled boats were
registered in California.
The solutions are too
complex for this short note,
but require legislative action
to solve the many inadequa-
cies of the unmuffled boat-
ing laws in Oregon.
Unless and until the noise
pollution problem from un-
muffled boats on the
Willamette River is solved,
development partners for
Independence Landing may
be hard to find.
Mike Lippsmeyer
Independence
What is that awful
smell in Rickreall
Why does our small town
of Rickreall smell like rotten,
dying, fermented stench?
I know the dairy smells,
but this is different and the
smell doesn’t go away.
It makes me wonder if the
air is even safe to breath.
This has been happening
the past few years, and each
year it seems to last longer.
Please bring this to atten-
tion and get whatever is
causing it to stop.
My family can’t even
enjoy summer outdoor ac-
tivities because the smell
keeps us indoors.
If it were only a couple
days, it wouldn’t be so bad,
but it’s weeks.
Why doesn’t someone do
something to stop the
smell? It has to be a viola-
tion to our environment.
Sherry Garcia
Rickreall
What is the holdup
with senior center
I am writing in regards to
a letter a couple of weeks
ago by June Krause about
the hold up of our senior
center.
Many people have voiced
the same opinion as to why
the hold up.
I feel that the citizens of
Dallas that have lived and
worked here, and raised
their children here, and now
retired here are being set
aside and being ignored
when it comes to getting a
decent senior center for
them to use and have func-
tions in.
It really is a shame that it
has taken so long to move
things along.
Dallas has so many sen-
iors that live here and more
all the time. Just look at the
growth of new apartments
at the village.
Other towns close by
have such nice places for
the seniors to gather and
hold their functions.
So what is the problem
with Dallas? Why the long
hold up? Our seniors are as
important as anyone else
and deserve to have a nice
meeting place like other
towns.
They have worked long
and hard for it.
So come on, the people
holding this up should stop
and think that they, some-
day, will be senior citizens
and would like a new place
with a decent location to go
to and visit, play cards and
have functions.
I have been hearing for
two or three years about the
plans for a new senior cen-
ter, so what is the hold up?
Someone is not doing
their part to make this hap-
pen and I say shame on
whoever is responsible for
treating this with such little
importance.
We would like to see
some action on this and get
it done.
Carol Chaney
Dallas
Dallas Rotary Club
thanks community
Members of the Dallas
Rotary Club would like to
thank the community of
Dallas and Polk County who
supported our recent Break-
fast in the Park and Tom
Newton Memorial Car
Show. Because of your sup-
port, the club will be able to
continue its tradition of
serving Dallas.
Money raised by these
club events is used to spon-
sor various Dallas activities
such as putting interpretive
signs on the Rickreall Creek
Trail and building Rotary
Park, the Rotary Stage and
tennis courts at Roger Jor-
dan Community Park. We
also provide scholarships to
students at Dallas High
School and Morrison Cam-
pus and to participants in
the Rotary Youth Exchange
Program.
On July 31, Dallas Rotari-
ans served more than 1,400
meals at the breakfast and
had 172 car show entrants.
We presented 50 beautiful
fused glass trophies to car
show winners. This was made
possible through the efforts
of club members and more
than 50 local businesses and
individual sponsors. The tro-
phies were custom made by
Lynda Barrett Art Glass. Roger
Pope provided poster design
and car show photography
services. Focal Point Photog-
raphy printed car show win-
ner photos for us.
Thank you to all who
helped with Summerfest ac-
tivities, the Rotary Breakfast
in the Park and the Tom
Newton Memorial Car
Show. Most of all, thanks to
the members of our com-
munity who attended these
events and support Rotary
Club services in Dallas.
Sen. Brian Boquist
(District 12, Republican)
S-305 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1712
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist
Rep. David gomberg
(District 10, Democrat)
H-471 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1410
rep.davidgomberg@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg
Rep. Paul Evans
(District 20, Democrat)
H-281 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1420
rep.paulevans@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/evans
Rep. Mike nearman
(District 23, Republican)
H-378 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1423
rep.mikenearman@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/nearman
—
U.S. CONGRESS
Sen. Ron wyden (Dem.)
221 Dirksen SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5244
Fax: 202-228-2717
Salem office: 707 13th St. SE,
Suite 285, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-589-4555
Email: via website,
www.wyden.senate.gov
Russ Dimberg,
Dallas Rotary President
Dallas
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Dem.)
313 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Salem office: 495 State St. SE,
Suite 330, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-362-8102
Email: via website,
www.merkley.senate.gov
Rep. Kurt Schrader (Dem.)
108 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5711
Fax: 202-225-5699
Salem office: 544 Ferry St. SE,
Suite 2, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-588-9100
Fax: 503-588-5517
Email: via website,
www.schrader.house.gov
—
POLK COUNTY
Board of Commissioners
850 Main St.
Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-623-8173
www.co.polk.or.us
—
CITIES
Dallas
187 SE Court St.
Dallas, OR 97338
503-623-2338
www.ci.dallas.or.us
Falls City
299 Mill St.
Falls City, OR 97344
503-787-3631
www.fallscityoregon.gov
independence
555 S. Main St.
Independence, OR 97351
503-838-1212
www.ci.independence.or.us
Monmouth
151 W. Main St.
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-0722
www.ci.monmouth.or.us
HOW TO REACH US
Vol. 141, No. 35
(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
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