Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 9, 2016
Falls City to block cars FEMA grant keeps firefighters
Council to seek costs preventing parking at park
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — Installing
barricades blocking vehicle
access to Michael Harding
Park — and how to pay for
them — will be a topic of
discussion at Thursday’s
Falls City City Council
meeting.
Previously, the council
decided to pursue blocking
nonemergency vehicles
from the park adjacent to
the falls on the Little Lucki-
amute River.
On Thursday, Mayor
Terry Ungricht will present
cost estimates for purchase
and installation of the bar-
ricades.
Based on bids from Ad-
vantage Precast, the four
barricades needed to close
off the parking lot would
Learn more
The Falls City City
Council meets at 7 p.m.
on Thursday at the Falls
City Community Center,
320 N. Main St.
For more informa-
tion: 503-787-3631.
cost $250 apiece.
Weyerhaesuser donat-
ed large boulders to line
the street next to the park
to keep cars out. Placing
the barriers and boulders
is projected to cost
$1,333.
Ungricht said filling the
barricades with cement
and gravel and installing a
gate for emergency re-
sponse would cost at most
$1,000, but he believes with
volunteer labor, that cost
could be reduced.
The parks budget would
be challenged to pay for the
work, Ungricht said.
“Looking over the parks
budget, I can come up with
$2,800, but this will leave us
struggling to finish the year
if there are any problems,
such as vandalism,” he
wrote in a memo to the
council.
He added that the coun-
cil will need to decide how
much in general fund re-
sources should be used for
park projects.
Also on the agenda for
Thursday is a code enforce-
ment update, results of the
2015-16 financial audit, and
a resolution to approve use
of grant funds to repair the
Dutch Creek crossing on
Mitchell Street.
Dallas Fire & EMS hires two for daytime emergencies
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Two seasonal
firefighters hired by the city
of Dallas for the summer
and early fall months will be
stay longer.
That is thanks to a two-
year grant from FEMA’s
Staffing for Adequate Emer-
gency Response program.
The program provided
Dallas Fire & EMS enough
funding to hire two full-time
firefighters for two years.
Fire Chief Fred Hertel said
the department did a
statewide search for candi-
dates, but it didn’t have to
look far.
“We found the best candi-
dates in-house,” Hertel said.
Hertel introduced Austin
Champ, a paramedic, and
Jesse Friedow, an EMT, at
Monday’s Dallas City Coun-
cil meeting. They began
working on Tuesday.
“What started out, as the
chief mentioned, as season-
al employees, basically sum-
mer and early fall daytime
response, turned into two
years,” said City Manager
Ron Foggin. “We are excited
to see how they can help us
because we need all the help
we can get during the day,
those peak hours.”
Foggin noted many of the
department’s volunteers are
not available during the day-
time hours due to working
out of town.
Friedow and Champ, who
were both volunteers previ-
ously, were hired to help
through fire season and im-
prove response times.
In other business, the
council:
• Heard an update on
planning for the August
2017 solar eclipse. City staff
is working on a proposal to
allow tent camping in Roger
Jordan Community Park,
near the Dallas Aquatic
Center.
Campers would be able
to use the showers and
bathrooms at the center.
The council would have
to approve using the park
for that purpose.
Foggin said there are
plans for selling viewing
glasses and T-shirts for the
event.
“We are going to have a
downtown party like we’ve
never had before and never
going to need to have
again,” Foggin said. “This is
probably the biggest tourist
event we will see in a long,
long time.”
court reporter and a com-
puter technician. She retired
after a combined 36 years of
dedicated service.
Karen and Merle attended
Fa i t h Fre e Eva n g e l i c a l
Church. Karen loved to gar-
den and raised a bountiful
vegetable garden, and a vari-
ety of berries.
She enjoyed canning and
sharing with her family.
Karen loved and raised hors-
es at their home in Dallas.
She had been active with
Polk County 4-H. Karen also
e n j oye d s c ra p b o o k i n g ,
stamping and making cards
with her friends. Karen and
Merle enjoyed traveling to
the Oregon coast.
Karen loved her twin
granddaughters and rarely
missed any of their sporting
and school events in Eu-
gene.
She was a dedicated
grandmother.
Karen was full of love and
was always giving to others
who were in need and made
a difference in countless
lives.
She is survived by her
husband, Merle; son, Todd
(Shanna) Bitikofer; daugh-
ter, Tami Dettwyler; grand-
daughters, Ashlyn and
Amber Bitikofer; along with
sisters, Kathy, Peggy and
Bonnie.
Funeral Services will be
on Wednesday, Nov. 9,
(today) at 11 a.m. at Dallas
Mortuary Tribute Center.
Entombment will be at Rest-
lawn Mausoleum.
Memorial contributions
may be made to Salem
Dream Center in care of Dal-
las Mortuary Tribute Center
who is caring for the family.
To leave an online condo-
lence for the family go to
www.dallastribute.com.
Cemetery. Farnstrom Mor-
tuary handled arrange-
ments. Online memories
and condolences at Farn-
stromMortuary.com.
OBITUARIES
Lynda Carrol
Johnson
March 14, 1946 – Oct. 21, 2016
Lynda Carrol Johnson,
formerly Hedrick and origi-
nally Werline, died Oct. 21,
2016. Lynda disliked veal,
needlessly complex ques-
tions, and
obituaries
that omit-
ted the
cause of
death. She
loved na-
ture, her
dog, and
obituaries that were funny.
Having expected to die
tight-rope walking, she
would be disappointed to
learn that she instead died
of complications from a re-
cent stroke.
Her family is grateful that
she is with her Lord and sav-
ior, Jesus, but shall miss her
dearly.
A lifelong resident of In-
dependence, Lynda was
born March 14, 1946, to
John Werline and Marjorie
Locke Werline.
As the eldest child of three
siblings, Lynda was a natural
leader, quite dictatorial in
disposition, and paradoxi-
cally loved for her sense of
humor.
Her youth was spent lov-
ingly tormenting her sister
and serving as a fill-in par-
ent for her younger brother.
Her first marriage produced
three children and one di-
vorce, which was followed
by a second marriage and
two more children.
Lynda always loved her
two stepdaughters, Angie
and Holly.
The beauty of Lynda’s
blonde hair and green eyes
was matched only by her
hard work ethic.
She was a very dedicated
and diligent house cleaner
for several families in the In-
dependence area, and took
pride in her ability to oblit-
erate filth from every nook
and cranny as if she were
Mr. Clean with better hair
and a more fetching figure.
She cleaned until her fin-
gers were sore, and vacu-
umed out of a house back-
ward so that a home’s only
footprints would belong to
its owners.
She loved her job and her
clients. Her career ended
shortly after being diag-
nosed with Multiple Sclero-
sis.
Joining Curves helped re-
store her strength. She loved
the ladies there, and worked
out nearly every day in order
to earn prizes — except Sun-
days, when she would al-
ways remind her family that
they were closed.
Lynda was very proud of
most of her children. Having
her eldest child when she
was only 17 resulted in her
learning to be a better par-
ent as she aged.
She loved watching her
eldest son and daughter
grow into hardworking and
confident adults.
Lynda’s pride and joy was
always her youngest daugh-
ter, Kasey. The love and at-
tachment between these
two was very strong, and oh
so loving. They knew each
other’s hearts and have a
bond that no distance can
break.
Better late than never,
Lynda became a follower of
Jesus and attended Calvary
Chapel in Independence. In
2012, she was thrilled to be
baptized, surrounded by
friends and family.
Her faith grew stronger in
the following years, and her
presence there will be
missed.
Lynda had a sharp tongue
and always had to tell the
“truth,” even when this was
unnecessary or flat out
wrong. She was a stubborn
woman and a loving mother.
She is survived by her first
husband, Dale Hedrick; her
children Shane, Dawn, Eric,
and Kasey; by 14 grandchil-
dren; and by her siblings,
Janis and Johnny. She was
preceded in death by her
parents; her second hus-
band, Doug Johnson; and
their infant son, DJ.
In Lynda’s honor, there
will be a celebration of life
on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 2
p.m. at Monmouth Christian
Church, 959 Church St., in
Monmouth.
Please come prepared to
laugh and shares stories of
Lynda. She was a hoot! While
flowers are welcome, the
family invites mourners to
consider a donation to the
Marion County Dog Shelter,
where Lynda adopted her
companion dog, Sophie.
Lynda would love that!
Karen Kay
Bitikofer
Nov. 4, 1945 – Nov. 1, 2016
Karen Kay Bitikofer, a res-
ident of Dallas, died unex-
pectedly on Tuesday, Nov. 1,
in Salem Hospital.
Karen was born on Nov. 4,
1945, in McMinnville, the
daughter of Harold and Fay
Weigel Jordan.
T h e
f a m i l y
moved to a
Ra n c h a t
Pow e l l
B u t t e
where her
f a m i l y
r a i s e d
Brahman cattle.
Karen graduated from
Redmond High School. She
married Merle Bitikofer on
May 5, 1965, in Salem.
They lived in Salem and
Portland before settling in
Da l l a s i n 1 9 7 0 . Ka re n
worked for Polk County and
the state of Oregon as a
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Carl Edward
Newsom
April 11, 1941 – Oct. 31, 2016
Carl Edward Newsom, 75,
of Dallas, died on Oct. 31 at
Salem Hospital. He was born
on April 11, 1941, in Biscuit,
Ky., to Bert and Ray New-
som.
At Carl’s request, no serv-
ices will be held. Private in-
terment will be at Hilltop
Salem
412 Lancaster Drive NE
Salem, OR 97301
(503) 581-6265
Jeanne Shelton
Nov. 25, 1929 – Aug. 19, 2016
Jeanne Shelton, 86, of
Dallas, died on Aug. 19,
2016.
She was born in Pedee to
Katherine (Lacey) and James
Siddall.
The family will hold a cel-
ebration of her life on Nov.
20 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the
Polk County Historical Mu-
seum, 560 S. Pacific High-
way W., Rickreall, at the
south end of the Polk Coun-
ty Fairgrounds parking lot.
Remembrances at 2 p.m.;
buffet luncheon follows.
Arturo ‘Jimmy’
James Franco
June 29, 1980 – Sept. 18, 2016
Arturo “Jimmy” James
Franco, 36, of Dallas, died
because of cancer in Belling-
ham, Wash., on Sept. 18.
Military
service
with full
honors to
be held on
Friday, Nov.
11, at 9 a.m. at Willamette
National Cemetery in Port-
land. Celebration of life to
follow at Shilo Inn, 9900
Canyon Road, Beaverton.
Obituary
Information
Obituary information must
be submitted by 4 p.m. on the
Monday before publication to
be included in the newspaper.
Most funeral homes handle
obituary information and pro-
vide it to the newspaper. How-
ever, information can also be
submitted directly from family
members.
Obituaries cost $8 per 25
words (column inch) and in-
clude a photo and — for vet-
erans — a flag. Obituaries
placed by family members
must be prepaid.
Color and black-and-white
photos can be submitted, but
photos will only be published
in black and white.
The Itemizer-Observer uses a
flag logo in the obituaries of
people who served in the
armed forces.
Obituaries — like all infor-
mation submitted to the news
department — are subject to
editing for style, content and
length.
Information can be brought
or mailed to the Itemizer-Ob-
server, 147 SE Court St., Dallas,
OR 97338, or emailed to
ionews@polkio.com.
For more information: Emily
Mentzer, 503-623-2373.
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