Polk County
Voices
Polk County itemizer-Observer • December 14, 2016 4A
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EDITORIALS
Offer chamber fixes,
not just problems
Don’t talk behind our back. Just tell us. Help us get bet-
ter.
That is JD Shinn’s request of the Dallas community. The
new chief executive officer of the Dallas Area Chamber of
Commerce isn’t afraid to hear compliments or complaints.
He’s heard plenty of the latter: Communication is bad.
Follow through is lacking.
Don’t join the chamber; they don’t do anything worth-
while.
“That one hurts, but it’s a real perception,” Shinn said
during his “state of the chamber” address on Monday.
“‘There is nothing applicable to business going on there.’ If
that is true, this thing needs to blow up and go away. I don’t
think it’s true, but it’s a real perception.”
Shinn wants to find the truth behind those perceptions
and address it.
In the spirit of collaboration — something Dallas is good
at when it gives it an honest effort — Shinn also asks a
favor of those who lodge complaints: provide solutions.
If something is off, tell him or a chamber board member
how, in your opinion, it can be fixed.
Rebuilding — and the chamber does need to be re-
built — is intricate business and more ideas, not fewer,
make the work easier.
Shinn appears to want to piece together solutions one
conversation at a time; keep what is working and change
what is not.
We think that is wise — more so than tearing the whole
thing down and starting over.
Shinn used a timely analogy about losing control while
driving on ice; you over correct, you will crash your car.
He appears to have a steady hand on the wheel. Let’s
help him steer the car through this icy patch because he
can’t do it by himself.
If you have concerns and suggestions, seek Shinn out, if
he hasn’t found you already.
Dallas, and its chamber of commerce, will be better for
it.
PUBLIC AGENDA
Public Agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov-
ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County.
To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the
actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
WedNesdAy, deC. 14
• Independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m.,
independence Heritage museum, 112 S. third St., independ-
ence. 503-838-1212.
• Monmouth Library Advisory Board — 7 a.m., monmouth
Public library, 168 Ecols St. S., monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun-
teer Hall, 144 S. Warren St., monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
THuRsdAy, deC. 15
• Monmouth Arts and Culture Commission — 7 p.m., Vol-
unteer Hall, 144 S. Warren St., monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Independence Parks and Recreation Board — 6 p.m., in-
dependence Civic Center, third floor, 555 S. main St., independ-
ence. 503-838-1212.
• Polk County Fair Board — 8 a.m., Polk County Fairgrounds
and Event Center, main Building, meeting room no. 2, 520 S. Pa-
cific Highway (99W), rickreall. 503-623-3048.
• Rickreall Watershed Council — noon. Hancock Forest
management office, independence. 503-623-9680.
MoNdAy, deC. 19
• Independence Tourism and events Commission — 6:30
p.m., independence Civic Center, 555 S. main St., independence.
503-838-1212.
TuesdAy, deC. 20
• Independence Historic Preservation Commission — 4
p.m., independence Civic Center, 555 S. main St., independence.
503-838-1212.
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 S.
Warren St., monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• dallas Parks Advisory Board — 5:30 p.m., Dallas City Hall,
187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3502.
• Falls City school Board — 6:30 p.m., Falls City High School,
111 n. main St., Falls City. 503-787-3521.
• Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC office, 850 main St., Dallas.
503-623-8173.
GOVErnOr
Gov. Kate Brown (dem.)
160 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-378-4582
Email: via website,
http://governor.oregon.gov/
—
StAtE lEGiSlAtOrS
sen. Arnie Roblan
(District 5, Democrat)
S-417 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1705
sen.arnieroblan@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/roblan
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank you Polk
public works
Just wanted to let you
guys know how hard work-
ing the road department is
in this county. I’ve been lis-
tening to these guys work-
ing all hours of the day and
night, making sure they
have plowed and sanded
the roads for us. Thank you,
road department.
Tina Smith
Dallas
Deptula shows
integrity, decency
The final, final results are
in, and I was elected to the
Monmouth city council by a
mere five-vote margin over
Stephen Deptula.
I got to know Stephen
during the election. You
won’t meet a nicer man, nor
one with a more distin-
guished background. He
and I were among nine can-
didates competing for four
spots on the Monmouth
council, but were the only
candidates who put up
signs, and that’s where
Stephen showed real decen-
cy and integrity. Stephen
and I had placed signs along
the S-curves leading
to/from Independence. One
day, someone came along
and pulled out all the cam-
paign signs there and tossed
them into brush and into
the street. Stephen gathered
his signs and put them back
up. He saw my signs in the
street had been run over by
cars. He collected them,
took them home, washed
them off, and then replaced
them where they would
continue to compete with
his own signs.
So it was that when the
election-night results came
in and I saw that Steve had
beaten me out for the fourth
spot on the Monmouth
council by nine votes that I
happily congratulated him.
It was great to see such a
terrific guy elected. But, by
the following morning the
vote tally had changed.
Through it all, Stephen
has been tremendously en-
couraging and supportive,
and is going to bring me up
to speed on the city's budg-
et (he serves on the Budget
Committee).
Surely it has occurred to
Stephen as it has to me, that
washing and replacing my
signs on one of the most
traveled sections of road
could have made that five-
vote difference.
The decency and integrity
it showed to put my signs
back and, having lost, to ex-
tend offers of help as I take
office, impress me to no
end.
Thom Steinke
Monmouth
Oh Joy to the World
Many years ago, when we
used to get comics in the
paper, I came across this
(B.C. comic by Johnny Hart)
and it so profoundly affect-
ed me, I clipped it and have
had it on my fridge for near-
ly two decades now.
Although the paper and
ink are faded and frayed,
the truth of the words are
immutable:
B.C. by Johnny Hart:
It seems to me that since
the “fall”
Without even thinking it
odd —
That man has had no
trouble at all
Believing he can be god.
How he would do this, I
cannot conceive,
Tho he certainly thinks
that he can
— and yet, he cannot
bring himself to believe
the God became ... a man.
Merry Christmas.
sen. Jackie Winters
(District 10, republican)
S-301 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1710
sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/winters
sen. Brian Boquist
(District 12, republican)
S-305 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1712
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist
Rep. david Gomberg
(District 10, Democrat)
H-471 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1410
rep.davidgomberg@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg
Rep. Paul evans
(District 20, Democrat)
H-281 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1420
rep.paulevans@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/evans
Rep. Mike Nearman
(District 23, republican)
H-378 State Capitol
900 Court St. nE
Salem, Or 97301
503-986-1423
rep.mikenearman@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/nearman
—
U.S. COnGrESS
sen. Ron Wyden (dem.)
221 Dirksen SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5244
Fax: 202-228-2717
Salem office: 707 13th St. SE,
Suite 285, Salem, Or 97301
Phone: 503-589-4555
Email: via website,
www.wyden.senate.gov
Carolyn Huff
Dallas
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polkio.com. Questions? 503-
623-2373 ext. 117.
sen. Jeff Merkley (dem.)
313 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Salem office: 495 State St. SE,
Suite 330, Salem, Or 97301
Phone: 503-362-8102
Email: via website,
www.merkley.senate.gov
Rep. Kurt schrader (dem.)
108 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5711
Fax: 202-225-5699
Salem office: 544 Ferry St. SE,
Suite 2, Salem, Or 97301
Phone: 503-588-9100
Fax: 503-588-5517
Email: via website,
www.schrader.house.gov
—
POlK COUnty
Board of Commissioners
850 main St.
Dallas, Or 97338
Phone: 503-623-8173
www.co.polk.or.us
—
CitiES
dallas
187 SE Court St.
Dallas, Or 97338
503-623-2338
www.ci.dallas.or.us
Falls City
299 mill St.
Falls City, Or 97344
503-787-3631
www.fallscityoregon.gov
Independence
555 S. main St.
independence, Or 97351
503-838-1212
www.ci.independence.or.us
Monmouth
151 W. main St.
monmouth, Or 97361
503-838-0722
www.ci.monmouth.or.us
HOW TO REACH US
NeWsRooM
Emily mentzer ..............Editor/monmouth/independence reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com
Vol. 141, No. 50
(USPS) - 437-380)
The official newspaper of Polk County • Serving Polk County families since 1875
Winner of 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 General Excellence Awards
from the Oregon newspaper Publishers Association
Periodicals postage paid at
Dallas, Or, independence, Or and monmouth, Or.
Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street
Dallas, Oregon 97338
Phone: 503-623-2373
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lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com
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