THINK
THINK
DALLAS FOOTBALL
FIRE SAFETY Page 8A EARNS WINS
Page 11A
Volume 141, Issue 45
www.Polkio.com
November 9, 2016
$1.00
Familiar Dallas sight soon to be no more
Now a liability, the decades-old
building is being dismantled
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Crew began tearing down the grain elevator on property owned by Valley Life Center
last week. The building has fallen into disrepair and considered a safety hazard.
DALLAS — Jack Posey
watches with interest as a
5,000-pound wrecking ball
strikes what is left of the
grain elevator behind Valley
Life Center on Miller Street
in Dallas.
The impact makes the
whole building shudder and
a cloud of dust bellows out.
“There it goes,” he said,
focusing on the next swing
of the wrecking ball.
Within minutes, a big
chunk of the wood structure
collapses with a crash and
even bigger cloud of dust.
“We are looking at 40-
year-old dirt,” Posey said.
“It’s been in there for years.”
Decades, likely.
The grain silo was built in
the 1940s or 1950s, say dis-
mantling onlookers and the
property’s owner, Valley Life
Center.
Those who live near Miller
Street in Dallas know the
sight well.
But within a few weeks, it
will be no more.
Last week crews began
tearing it down. Unfortu-
nately, what some in town
consider a local icon had be-
come an attractive nuisance
for the owner. It’s no longer
part of a farming operation,
so it sits vacant all year.
“It’s been a liability. We
couldn’t keep people out of
there,” said Chris Barker, the
pastor of Valley Life Center.
He said people have gone
in the grain elevator and lit
candles or engaged in other
potentially dangerous activi-
ties.
It’s poor structural condi-
tion has become a safety
hazard, especially during
wind storms.
“Metal (siding) kept flying
off,” Barker said, adding the
church’s neighbors weren’t
thrilled about that.
Barker said the contractor
taking the building down
will recycle some of the ma-
terial. Clean up will probably
be the most time-consum-
ing part of the project.
Those who wish to take a
last look or photo of the old
grain silo should do so soon.
The dismantling has been a
slow, careful process thus far,
but that will change.
“We didn’t give them a
time limit,” Barker said, but
added: “The last part will go
faster.”
He said the crew has done
a number of similar projects
in the Willamette Valley in
recent years, perhaps a sign
of the changing agricultural
practices.
See SILO, Page 7A
Home-field disadvantage?
By Lukas Eggen
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE —
When Dallas’ football team
celebrated its 50-14 win over
Eagle Point on Friday, the
team turned toward their
home fans.
But it wasn’t the familiar
confines of Gillespie Stadi-
um that they saw — it was
Panther Stadium at Central
High School.
The Dragons’ home play-
off game was moved be-
cause of field conditions at
Dallas.
“It was too muddy,” ath-
letic director Tim Larson
said. “Unless it was a pro
field, I don’t think any grass
field would have been in
good condition with all the
rain we had. There would be
no traction for either team.”
Larson said the decision
to move the game was the
school’s choice – they were
not forced to by the OSAA.
Dallas did host Lebanon
on Oct. 28 – a game that de-
cided the Mid-Willamette
Conference league champi-
on.
“It didn’t seem like it was
in that bad of shape, but
once the players got on it, it
was pretty clear,” Larson
said.
Dallas football coach
Tracy Jackson said he under-
stood the decision.
“I would say that I felt like
the mud took away some
things that make us a little
more special,” Jackson said.
“The mud can turn players
like Tanner (Earhart) or
Aaron (White) and make
them regular. I felt being on
turf gave us the best chance
of being successful.”
See FIELD, Page 12A
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Imag-
ine a country at war. Our
country, in fact. As youths and
men sign up to join the fight
overseas, they leave behind
women, children and the eld-
erly to hold down the fort.
In Polk County, that
meant harvesting crops,
selling land to Camp Adair
at rock-bottom prices —
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
and later buying it back at
inflated ones — letters to
and from loved ones over-
seas, rationing and trying to
keep spirits bright in the
toughest of times.
Take a walk down memo-
ry lane with the Itemizer-Ob-
server’s newest endeavor
with the Polk County Histor-
ical Society in this week’s
special edition of Home
Front: When a nation was at
war.
DALLAS
Sheriff’s office under-
goes special training.
»Page 2A
FALLS CITY
City council to dis-
cuss installing barri-
cades at Michael Hard-
ing Park.
»Page 6A
INDEPENDENCE
Central football de-
feats Sandy in the first
round of the state play-
offs.
»Page 11A
MONMOUTH
Western Oregon to
perform stylized, in-
sightful play.
»Page 13A
SCHOOLS
Dallas theater pro-
gram to perform “Much
Ado About Nothing.”
»Page 14A
SPORTS
Dallas sophomore
Trevor Cross places
37th at state.
»Page 11A
Man killed
trying to cross
Highway 22
Itemizer-Observer staff report
LUKAS EGGEN/ Itemizer-Observer
Muddy conditions on Ron August Field led Dallas athletics officials to move the Drag-
ons first-round playoff football game to rival Central High School’s facility.
Life during wartime illustrated in ‘Home Front’
By Emily Mentzer
IN
YOUR
TOWN
The stories and photos
are taken from oral histories
and newspaper clippings
from both the I-O and the
Monmouth Herald, provided
by the historical society,
about how the residents of
Polk County experienced
World War II.
It’s an interesting look at
life during an epic war, and
begs the question, could we
do it again?
While the entire world is
not at war, many are still left
behind today as loved ones
go overseas. Polk County is
wed
thu
fri
sat
Veterans will be
honored this morn-
ing during a Mass
and breakfast at
Mid-Valley Christian
Academy.
8:15-11 a.m. Free.
Network with other
Young Professionals
at an after-hours
gathering at Old Mill
Feed and Seed in
Dallas.
5:30 p.m. Free.
Happy Veterans
Day! The Independ-
ence Elks Lodge
hosts a dinner, free
for veterans and
their spouses.
6 p.m. Guests: $5.
Take a stroll through
downtown Willam-
ina and enjoy the
annual Coastal Hills
Art Tour, with a
chance to win art.
9 a.m. -5 p.m. Free.
Rain/sun
Hi: 62
Lo: 47
Partly sunny
Hi: 62
Lo: 50
Rain
Hi: 59
Lo: 48
Showers
Hi: 59
Lo: 46
no longer near any military
facilities, but with an active
National Guard and young
people joining the military,
families continue to worry,
send care packages, and
look for words from their
service members — though
usually it’s more instant
than the U.S. Postal Service.
We don’t have to use ra-
tion stamps to buy gro-
ceries.
See HOME, Page 7A
sun
Grab breakfast at
the Buell Grange
and take a break
from cooking this
morning.
8-11 a.m. $6.
Rain
Hi: 57
Lo: 50
WEST SALEM — A
pedestrian was killed
Thursday night while try-
ing to cross Highway 22
just west of West Salem.
Oregon State Police
troops responded to a re-
port of a pedestrian versus
vehicle crash at about 7:55
p.m. on the highway near
Frontage Road.
OSP said the prelimi-
nary investigation re-
vealed a 50-year-old man,
who has not been identi-
fied pending notification
of his family, was attempt-
ing to cross the highway
south. He was struck by a
2016 Chevrolet Cruz
sedan traveling west-
bound and then hit by a
second vehicle, a 2007
Toyota Corolla.
The area of the high-
way is not lit by street
lights and there is no des-
ignated crosswalk, police
said.
OSP was assisted by the
Polk County Sheriff's Of-
fice and the Oregon De-
partment of Transporta-
tion.
This is an active investi-
gation and more informa-
tion will be released as it
becomes available, police
said.
mon
tue
Save a life; donate
blood with the
American Red Cross
blood drive at West-
ern Oregon’s
Werner center.
10:30 a.m. -4 p.m.
Looking for some-
thing to do with
your young one? In-
door Play Park in
Dallas is open Tues.
through Fri.
9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Rain
Hi: 58
Lo: 47
Partly cloudy
Hi: 57
Lo: 45