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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2016)
Polk County News Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 16, 2016 3A Two new faces join Falls City council DEADLINES NEWS DEADLINES For inclusion in the Wednesday edition of the Itemizer-Observer: Social news (weddings, engagements, anniver- saries, births, milestones) — 5 p.m. on Thursday. Community events — Noon on Friday for both the Community Notebook and Community Calendar. Letters to the editor — 10 a.m. on Monday. Obituaries — 4 p.m. on Monday. ADVERTISING DEADLINES Retail display ads — 3 p.m. Friday. Classified display ads — 11 a.m. on Monday. Classified line ads — Noon on Monday. Classified ads are updated daily on www.polkio.com. Public notices — Noon on Friday. CORRECTIONS The Polk County Itemizer- Observer is committed to pub- lishing accurate news, feature and sports reports. If you see anything that requires a cor- rection or clarification, call the newsroom at 503-623-2373 or send an email to ementzer@polkio.com. WEBSITE The Polk County Itemizer- Observer website, www.polkio.com, is updat- ed each week by Wednes- day afternoon. There, you will find nearly every story that appears in the print version of the newspaper, as well as some items, in- cluding additional photos, that do not appear in print due to space limitations. The Itemizer-Observer is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Watch for breaking news, links to sto- ries, sports scores updates and more. WEATHER RECORDED HIGH LOW Nov. 8................ 68 Nov. 9................ 69 Nov. 10............. 58 Nov. 11............. 57 Nov. 12............. 61 Nov. 13............. 59 Nov. 14............. 59 41 49 44 50 43 42 53 RAIN .00 .01 .00 .02 .08 .17 .84 By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Sheriff Mark Garton, center, talks with a visitor at the Polk County Fair in August. Garton won his first election for the office by a wide margin on Nov. 8. Garton takes decisive win By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Mark Garton, Polk County’s newly elected sheriff, said his first election was an enlightening experi- ence. He recommends people interested in serving run for office just to experience democracy in action. He en- joyed the process, but that isn’t to say he wants to do it again right away. “Not tomorrow, but in four years,” he said following the Nov. 8 election, in which he received 70 percent of the vote (22,125 votes) to 28 per- cent (8,903) for opponent Todd Whitlow. Garton has four years be- fore another election night and plenty to do between now and then, he said. With campaigning in his rearview mirror, Garton can refocus on the new pro- grams his office has launched in the time since he was appointed to fill in for former sheriff Bob Wolfe in December. Those programs include assigning a deputy to out- reach efforts in schools, hiring a mental professional to work in the Polk County Jail, train- ing programs to help those being released from jail find jobs, and the newly estab- lished mobile crisis team pair- ing a deputy with a mental health counselor on patrols. Garton, whose family is from Pedee, said the amount of support he received in the election was “very hum- bling.” “It validates the things that we’ve been doing,” he said. Garton gives credit to Whitlow for giving him com- petition for the office. “Todd is very competitive. He made me better,” Garton said. “He made me work for Rainfall during Nov. — 2.12 in. Rain through Nov. 14 — 37.07 in. Resource center expands hours Itemizer-Observer staff report INDEPENDENCE — The Cen- tral Community Resource Cen- ter, 1610 Monmouth St., Inde- pendence, is now open Tues- days and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. New agencies, includ- ing Easter Seals and West Valley Housing Authority, will offer services out of the center. For more information: 503- 606-2310. it, and it gave people choic- es.” Whitlow said he saw the election as a win-win for him in that he would have been honored with the op- portunity to serve as sheriff. If not, he could continue his career with Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, where he be- lieves he has been success- ful. “I called and talked to Mark and wished him all the best,” Whitlow said. The election was his first campaign, too, and he hasn’t ruled out another run in four years. “We will see what hap- pens four years from now,” he said. “It’s a little bit early to tell.” Now Garton wants to make sure the office’s service remains up to Polk County residents’ expectations through constant evaluation and seeking feedback. In the long-term, he said he’s going to make sure the property taxes Polk County voters approved for the pub- lic safety levy in May 2015 go to good use. “I want to show them that what we are doing is worth what they are paying for it.” FALLS CITY — The two new Falls City city coun- cilors who will take their seats in January know they need to hit the ground running. Soon-to-be new coun- cilors Cliff Lauder and Charlie Flynn won seats in the Nov. 8 election, joining incumbent Den- nis Sickles to fill the three seats up for election. Lauder said the council should be making decisions about infrastructure needs, namely updating the sewer system, sooner rather than later. He said he was asked to run for city council after vol- unteering to lead on community projects. A retired car- penter, he’s lent his expertise and leadership. Some thought that his knack for moving projects along would translate well to serving on a council that must make critical decisions soon, he said. “You’ve got to use common sense. I don’t think things that should take too long,” he said. “Small things seem to drag on and when stuff drags out, nothing gets done.” Flynn also said the city has several issues to tackle in the short-term. He said among those are the sewer system, code en- forcement, dealing with the transient population, and curtailing drug activity in town. Flynn said since filing his candidacy, he’s been get- ting up to speed on the issues coming before the coun- cil — and those it may be dealing with in the future — so he can be an effective councilor from day one. “I’m glad I get this chance to work with people who are as committed to guiding Falls City into the future as I am,” he said. Running unopposed, Terry Ungricht was re-elected as Falls City Mayor with 374 votes (92 percent). “I have not retired.” — Clara Nimmo, Owner 223 Birchwood Dr., Dallas Behind the bowling alley, 3rd house on right, white picket fence. Hours: 8-5 T/W/Th and 8-5:30 Fri • Alterations • Dress Making • Tailoring • Repairs Friday & Saturday November 25 & 26 • 9 am - 5 pm FREE ADMISSION Food available on site. Donations gladly accepted. TWO BUILDINGS FULL, Over 100 Craft Spaces with a variety of handmade crafts. Polk County Fairgrounds 520 S. Pacific Hwy W., Rickreall • 503-623-3048 Visit our website, www.polkio.com ...for local news, sports and community events. Windermere’s 2016 “Share the Warmth” Coat & Blanket Drive is coming up soon and this year we would like to get an early start on it! This year’s donation drive will start on Monday, November 7 and go until Friday, December 9. Seven Locations; Windermere – Monmouth; Windermere – Dallas; Monmouth Fitness; Les Schwab – Monmouth; Independence Library Les Schwab – Dallas; World Gym Crab Feed $30 All you can eat 3 course crab feed with wine pairings. Space is limited. Call to buy tickets. 503-623-6181. at the winery Nov. 25 - Dec. 31! Huge savings in the tasting room. Open Thanksgiving weekend and offering free food pairings with your wine tasting. www.chateaubianca.com Black Friday Deals!!! Dallas Domino’s is OPEN! Please excuse our mess. 772 Main St, Dallas 503-623-8888 We apologize for any inconvenience.