Polk County News
10A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 30, 2016
Falls City waits Homeless student count holds steady
on sewer grant
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — News about whether the city of Falls City
will receive a Community Development Block Grant to
upgrade its sewer system hadn’t come in as of Monday,
but should soon.
The city applied for a $2.5 million grant, which would
cover most of the cost of the $3.3 million improvement
project. Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority took the
application to the second level of review and will notify
the city if the application is successful and how much it
will be awarded before the end of this year.
Mayor Terry Ungricht said an income survey showing
that more than 55 percent of residents on the system fall
into low- or moderate-income brackets bodes well for the
city’s chances of getting approved.
If given the full amount, that still leaves a gap of
$800,000, half of which could be covered by a smaller
grant. Given the condition of the facility and amount of
money required in repairs recently, Ungricht has warned
that rates will need to be increased to pay for loans to
complete project.
He will recommend a rate increase in next year’s budget
and hopes to keep the rates around $60 per month.
“We would be financing about $400,000, which would
add about $10 to everyone’s bill. That’s the plan,” Ungricht
said. “I’m making every effort to keep the rates in the $60
mark. I don’t know if I’m going to be successful.”
In other business, the Falls City City Council and Falls
City School District board will meet to discuss funding op-
tions for the Wagner Community Library on Dec. 8 at 6
p.m.
POLK COUNTY — People
who are homeless are diffi-
cult to track. They tend to be
transient in nature, moving
wherever they can find a
roof or job.
Homeless students are no
different.
The Oregon Department
of Education released the
homeless student count last
week, showing 35 homeless
s t u d e n t s i n Fa l l s C i t y
schools; 81 in Central and 60
in Dallas.
“The number doesn’t fluc-
tuate dramatically unless
we’re in a huge economic
downturn,” said Central Su-
perintendent Buzz Brazeau.
Central’s homeless liaison
Angie Aguirre said there are
probably more students who
are homeless, but they can
fall through the cracks.
It’s those students who
give Brazeau the most con-
cern.
“I’m more concerned that
there may be some home-
less kids that we don’t know
POLK COUNTY — Polk
County is among nine coun-
ties suing the state over the
requirement to provide paid
sick leave.
The plaintiffs claim that
the forcing local govern-
ments to provide paid sick
time to employees without
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know — I don’t know if
they’re just embarrassed to
say they’re homeless, I don’t
know — but once they know
I’m here to help them out
any way that I can, oh,
they’re so grateful,” she said.
In Falls City, homeless
students are offered access
to showers in the gym and
use of the laundry facilities,
Thompson said.
“Last year, I ran into
some teachers from one of
our elementary schools
who were down shopping
for kids in their schools who
were homeless,” Brazeau
said. “Here at the district of-
fice, we’ve adopted 17 stu-
dents who are on (a giving)
tree. People go by and grab
a ticket and bring those gifts
in, and we get those out to
those kids.”
Homelessness affects
every district, Thompson
said.
“It’s difficult,” he said.
“The kids have so many bat-
tles already in their world:
trying to get their homework
done, get a project done for
school — and then you go
home to a situation — not a
conducive living situation.
Getting your homework
done is not going to be a top
priority. That’s not unique to
Falls City; that’s everywhere
you go.”
While there is no easy so-
lution or answer to home-
lessness, Thompson said
Falls City is particularly
tough when it comes to
finding a job.
“Every homeless family I
have ever spoken to is not
proud of it, and would love
to have something different,”
he said. “The bottom line is it
comes down to employ-
ment, being able to find that
employment. Homeless peo-
ple are not lazy, they’ve just
been dealt a tough hand.”
In Falls City, jobs are
scarce — more so than in
other Polk cities.
“People have to drive 10
miles to get to a job,”
Thompson said. “If I’m
homeless, I can’t afford a car,
can’t afford insurance, gas,
can’t get to work. We don’t
even have a bus that comes
out here.”
Polk part of case suing over sick time
Itemizer-Observer staff report
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about, kids who are maybe
couch-surfing or doing
other things, that don’t iden-
tify themselves,” he said. “If
they don’t identify them-
selves, we can’t track them.”
Falls City Superintendent
Jack Thompson agreed.
“I would say probably the
number (of homeless stu-
dents) is higher, but that’s
how many we’re able to re-
port,” he said. “We have
some that we suspect, but
we have to have confirma-
tion.”
School districts have vari-
ous resources available to
help homeless students, in-
cluding extra help with
homework, transportation
and food.
“I have a lot of volunteers
that bring me donations of
school supplies, sometimes
backpacks,” Aguirre said.
“We get money to buy them
clothing or help with sports
or extracurricular activities.”
Aguirre said she acts like a
social worker, mediating be-
t we e n t h e p a re n t a n d
teacher.
“A lot of parents don’t
required abide by the law
passed in 2015, because the
state constitution doesn’t re-
quire local government to
spent money “for a new pro-
gram or increased level of
service for an existing pro-
gram until the state appro-
priates and allocates to the
local government reim-
bursement for any costs in-
curred to carry out the law,
rule or order.”
The plaintiffs claim that
the sick leave law creates a
new program.
The state filed a motion to
dismiss. The next court date
in the case is scheduled for
December.
an war. After his service, Bob
returned to Nebraska to
earn his master’s degree in
education from the Univer-
sity of Nebraska — Omaha.
Bob married Norma Jean
Thayer in 1956 in Omaha,
moving shortly thereafter to
Wayne to teach at the Wayne
State elementary school.
Bob and Norma made the
big decision to relocate to
Oregon with their family
when he accepted a position
teaching at the Campus Ele-
mentary School at (what
was then known as) the Ore-
gon College of Education in
Monmouth. Bob enjoyed a
successful career teaching at
Campus Elementary and
Talmadge Middle School, re-
tiring in 1990.
Bob and Norma enjoyed
their life in retirement in
Monmouth. He enjoyed gar-
dening, RV camping and
trips to area casinos. Bob
and Norma celebrated their
60th wedding anniversary in
2016.
Bob is survived by wife
Norma; daughters Lisa
(Scott Reynolds), Susan, and
Pam (Bruce Lathrop); son
Robert (Jackie); and four
grandchildren.
There will be a Celebra-
tion of Life service at St.
Marks Lutheran Church in
Salem, Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1
p.m. All are welcome to at-
tend.
In lieu of flowers, memo-
rial contributions can be
made to Special Olympics
Oregon: soor.org/donate; or
Willamette Valley Hospice:
wvh.org/donate, or to a spe-
cial cause of your choice.
Farnstrom Mortuary is
handling arrangements. Life
story, photos and online
guest book may be found on
Robert’s memorial website
at FranstromMortuary.com.
Dudley’s
Jan. 24, 1992 – Nov. 26, 2016
Sara worked for Washington
Street Steakhouse in Dallas.
She oversaw catering and
bookkeeping. She also had
her own house cleaning
business. Sara married Matt
Serry on Sept. 17, 2016. Matt
describes Sara as a modern-
day homesteader.
Sara raised poultry, had a
vegetable garden, and en-
joyed working on her prop-
erty. She made their meals
from scratch. They rarely
dined out because she loved
to cook.
She canned fruits and
vegetables, and even made
her own laundry soap. She
has a logo on her truck that
says, “A country girl can sur-
vive.”
She always had gifts for
her nieces and nephews’
birthdays and Christmas.
She always had one of her
nieces or nephews on her
hip. Of all her loves and in-
terests, above all came her
family.
The family is very grateful
to have spent Thanksgiving
with her and all of us togeth-
er.
She is survived by her
husband, Matt Serry, father,
Russ (Cindy) Brown, mother,
Eileen Cardwell, sister, Vir-
ginia (Paul) Marino, broth-
ers, Nathan (Ashley) Brown
and Ben (Emily), sister,
Kaylee Cardwell, grand-
mother, Sue Jacobs, aunts,
uncles, along with nieces
and nephews, and her dog,
Boone.
Funeral Service will be on
Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. at
the Evangelical Bible Church
on 1175 SW Howe St., in
Dallas. Interment will be in
Dallas Cemetery.
Memorial Contributions
may be made to a charity of
choice or to the family in
care of Dallas Mortuary Trib-
ute Center who is caring for
the family. To leave an on-
line condolence or share a
memory for the family go to
www.dallastribute.com
reimbursement is a violation
of the state constitution.
Gov. Kate Brown and
Labor Commissioner Brad
Avakian are named as defen-
dants in the suit, which was
filed in May.
Plaintiffs, which appeared
in Linn County Court last
week, argue that they are not
OBITUARIES
Jim DeVault
Sept. 1941 – Nov. 2016
Jim DeVault, 75, of Dallas,
was born in Coos County.
He passed away peacefully
at his home with family by
his side.
Jim and
Sue were
married
Oct. 29,
1965, and
just cele-
brated their
51st an-
niversary.
He was a loving husband
and father. Jim worked at
Willamette Industries in
Dallas for 30 years.
Jim is survived by his wife,
Sue; sons, Jeff (Laurie) and
Corey (Nancy); granddaugh-
ters, Brittany Lawson (Lako-
ta) and Mckenzie DeVault,
all of Dallas.
He will be greatly missed
by all.
A private graveside serv-
ice was held at Restlawn Fu-
neral Home. The service was
officiated by Pastor Chris
Barker, of Valley Life Center.
Arrangements were han-
dled by Bollman Funeral
Home.
Robert Gene Ogan
Oct. 6, 1928 – Nov. 22, 2016
Robert Gene Ogan passed
away Tuesday, Nov. 22 at his
Monmouth home, sur-
rounded by family. He was
88.
Bob was
born in
1928 in
Creston,
Neb. Bob
grew up on
the family
farm as the
youngest
of seven
children.
He gradu-
ated from
W a y n e
State College in Wayne,
Neb., after which he served
in the Army during the Kore-
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Sara Brown
Sara L. Brown-Serry, a res-
ident of Falls City, died on
Saturday, Nov. 26, in a motor
vehicle accident south of
Monmouth.
Sara was born on January
24, 1992, in
Dallas, the
daughter of
Russ and
E i l e e n
Brown.
Sara grew
up in the
c o u n t r y,
and developed a love for an-
imals and the outdoors. As a
child, she always looked for-
ward to family trips to Dis-
neyLand, Sea World, Six
Flags, and Knott’s Berry
Farm.
She loved theme parks,
but she especially loved the
thrill rides. Sara also enjoyed
hiking, camping, hunting,
skiing, horses and ATVs. She
was riding her own little ATV
at the dunes at a very young
age, practically as soon as
she could sit on the seat and
reach the handlebars.
Sara lived life to the
fullest, and made every mo-
ment count. Sara attended
schools in Dallas through
her sophomore year and
graduated in 2010 from Mt.
View High School in Bend.
Joanne Elise
Potter
Nov. 20, 1966 – Nov. 27, 2016
Joanne Elise Potter, 50, of
Falls City, died Nov. 27.
She is survived by her
mother Hazel Potter; broth-
er, Jim Potter; sister Jackie
Kroeker (Mike); daughter
Jennifer Scott; and four
grandchildren. She was pre-
ceded in death by her father
James Potter and her soul-
mate Joe Mott.
At Joanne’s request, there
will be no services. The Dal-
las Mortuary Tribute Center
handled arrangements. To
leave an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.