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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 23, 2016)
Polk County News Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 23, 2016 5A Western invites community input University works to gather perspectives from on, off campus for new strategic plan By Emily Mentzer The Itemizer-Observer MONMOUTH — When Rex Fuller was first hired as Western Oregon University’s president in April 2015, he anticipated having conver- sations with the campus community and residents of the surrounding area. This year, those conversa- tions took a more formal ap- proach. In April 2016, a committee of 25 people rep- resenting a cross-section of campus started working in earnest on a new strategic plan for the university. The old plan was found on a shelf and was five years old, Fuller said. All the goals with the new plan point to student suc- cess. At a town hall on Nov. 16, about a dozen members of the community mingled with strategic plan commit- tee members to discuss WOU’s mission and goals. Dave Foster, professor of psychology, has a back- ground in industrial organi- zation psychology and has experience helping govern- mental entites through the strategic planning process. He sits on WOU’s plan- ning committee and said one of the things they hope to address is how to keep 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. EMILY MENTzER/ Itemizer-Observer Cec Koontz, middle, speaks with Marshall Guthrie, left, and Paul Sieber, right, about WOU’s goals. Koontz and Guthrie are both on the Western Oregon University board of trustees, as well as on the strategic planning committee. WOU relevant in a changing world. “We and all public univer- sities find ourselves in a time of tremendous change,” he said. “With the dissolution of the Oregon State University System, we now have our own board.” With uncertainty sur- rounding the future of higher education — specifi- cally the funding — the goal of strategic planning is to help point the university in a direction that’s sustain- able and successful, Foster said. Fuller said once the plan is adopted by the board in January, it will not sit on a shelf and collect dust, but rather be put to use right away in the budgeting process for 2017-18, which has been revised to include 3rd Annual Salem Health West Valley Hospital Holiday Craft Sale Tues, Nov. 29th & Wed, Nov. 30th 7:30 am - 3:30 pm 525 SE Washington St, Dallas Conference Room 1 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 A Pleasant Place to Buy or Sell Your RV CALL TODAY FOR A NO-CHARGE EVALUATION. OPEN WEEK! A Y 7 DA S • Sat 9-5 i 9-6 Mon-Fr un 10-4 S Rick 503-437-5398 Ruben 503-915-2080 4075 NE Three Mile Lane, McMinnville, OR www.macrvsales.com Next to the Spruce Goose Aviation Museum macrvsales@gmail.com a university-wide budgeting committee. “They’ll consider that (the strategic plan) as we make final decisions,” Fuller said. “That alone will open up the dialogue. Right now, the budget’s a little bit of a black box.” The new plan is more spe- cific than the old one was, said Laurie Burton, faculty member on the strategic planning committee. “I think this time we’re a little more encompassing of our campus in the process,” she said. The old plan wasn’t integrated into university life the way the new one will be, she added. Monmouth Mayor John Oberst said he has noticed the upward trend in com- munity engagement be- tween the city and WOU. Students and professors help with workshops at the Monmouth Senior Center, and Monmouth City Manag- er Scott McClure helps teach a public policy course using real challenges faced by the city of Monmouth. “People don’t realize the opportunities that are pres- ent because this university is here,” Oberst said. “Or there’s an attitude that I’ve heard expressed — and I’ve West Valley Housing Authority will hold their Work Session Meeting on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 beginning at 11:30 a.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. The Regular Meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. An Executive Session pursuant to ORS 192.660 will be held immediately following the Regular Meeting, if required. Agenda for the meeting is posted on the Housing Authority website at www.wvpha.org. The location for the meeting is handicapped accessible. Please advise the West Valley Housing Authority if you need any special accommodations to attend the meeting. For information, please call 503-623-8387, TDD 1-800-735-2900. Visit our website, www.polkio.com ...for local news, sports and community events. Follow us on Solution on Page 9A Ben Meyer, AAMS ® Bob Timmerman Financial Advisor Financial Advisor 503-606-3048 503-623-5584 193 E. Main Street Monmouth, OR 97361 159 SW Court Street Dallas, OR 97338 Kelly K. Denney Financial Advisor 503-623-2146 244 E. Ellendale, Suite 2 Dallas, OR 97338 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. 15............. 59 Nov. 16............. 50 Nov. 17............. 54 Nov. 18............. 50 Nov. 19............. 59 Nov. 20............. 57 Nov. 21............. 56 RAIN 45 43 37 37 44 50 43 .29 .10 .00 .T .03 .29 .03 Rainfall during Nov. — 2.86 in. Rain through Nov. 21 — 37.81 in. heard it here tonight — that all I get for going to Western is a parking ticket.” Western Oregon and its facilities contribute enor- mously to Monmouth and the surrounding communi- ties, Oberst said. “Just for the stuff that’s available on WIMPEG chan- nel 17,” he said. “If you watched that for an hour a night for a month, you’d be so much smarter. It’s amaz- ing.” The strategic plan is still coming together. The com- mittee is still taking commu- nity input. To participate in the process and to learn more: wou.edu/planning. Dallas chamber hosts PB drive DALLAS — The Dallas Cham- ber of Commerce is hosting a peanut butter drive to benefit Dallas Christmas Cheer. Food and gift boxes are delivered to familes in need on Christmas Eve. This year, organizers hope to collect 350 jars of peanut butter to make sure every fami- ly gets at least one jar. Deliver jars or cash to pur- chase jars to the Dallas cham- ber office, 168 SW Court St., by Dec. 21. For more information: dalla- soregon.org.