Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 21, 2016 9A
MI TOWN
Mother Nature brought
us a winter wonderland last
week which gave us an op-
portunity to bundle up in
layers of warm clothing, dig
out those boots, and see
what was going on in our
world. It’s always reassuring
to see our city utility folks
driving through the neigh-
borhoods to be sure all is
going as well as possible.
Thank you for helping keep
the lights on and our streets
cleared and running water
available at the turn of a
tap, despite the rain and
snow. We appreciate our
newspaper and mail deliv-
eries especially when in-
clement weather keeps us
from venturing far from
home.
—
At this time of year, when
stormy days and nights are
more frequent than not, it is
somehow reassuring to me
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
to see the bright lights from
the beautiful tree on the
Western Oregon University
campus as we drive along
Highway 99. No matter how
busy the day or what tasks
await us in the evenings, MI
Town’s Christmas tree is
beckoning through the rain
and the fog to say, “Wel-
come Home,” from our
travels.
—
Home for us the past 16-
plus years has been a sweet
old house within walking
distance of the college cam-
pus, where we love to take
frequent walks with our
dogs. It’s in a community
where a special combina-
tion of college students and
working people, newcom-
ers and long-time residents,
retirees and young children
can share the experiences
of life in a small town with-
out the stress and frustra-
tion of too much traffic and
too many people and too
much crime activity in the
big city.
—
In MI Town, we share
more than a couple of ZIP
codes with our neighbors.
We get to know one another
on walks around town, at
the libraries, in the grocery
stores, at our jobs and in
local restaurants. We are all
affected by what happens
to people who live down the
street or around the corner.
We grieve one another’s
losses and try to try to help
relieve their suffering. We
share our joy and happiness
and congratulate each
other when good things
happen, because we care
about each other. We share
a sense of community.
—
We’ l l b e c e l e b ra t i n g
Christmas with children,
grandchildren and great-
grandchildren. We’ll drive
over the river and through
the woods to Portland and
Scappoose, where we’ll
share love and laughter
with those we love, and
share stories of college,
work, as we share food and
beverages, and how grateful
we are to have each other in
our lives. We’ll talk of plans
and hopes and promises of
the new year to come.
—
May the holiday season
bring everyone joy and
laughter and the love of
family and friends.
PEDEE NEWS
Christmas is on Sunday
this year and what better
way to celebrate than going
to church to celebrate the
b i r t h o f Je s u s ? Pe d e e
Church is having a commu-
nity Christmas service at 10
a.m. Christmas Day and is
being led by Ron Diller,
whose guitar music the
community has enjoyed for
several years now. The chil-
dren’s play will be at the
Christmas Eve candle light-
ing service at 7 the night
before.
—
On Saturday night, Dec.
10, or early Sunday morn-
ing, someone threw a very
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
big rock through one of the
windows at Pedee Church,
hitting the Christmas tree
and even denting the wall
on the other side of the
room and scattering glass
throughout the room and
into the sanctuary. It meant
the church was quite cold
when everyone got there,
but the hole was soon
patched up with clear pack-
ing tape. If anyone reading
this knows who did it, tell
him (her?) the congregation
prayed for him and wishes
him well.
—
Nothing like snow days.
Heather Traglia and kids
had a great one. They went
to the school and took the
classroom guinea pig Elijah
aka “Pig,” home so he’d stay
warm in case the power
went out, then took a nap,
played in the snow, made
hot cocoa and popcorn,
watched Christmas movies,
then took more naps. It was
chicken and dumplings for
dinner around a cozy fire,
then another nap. Jenae,
Wyatt, Lilah, and Kailey
thought they were living the
dream, and can’t wait for
the next snow days.
—
Dave and Suzanne re-
ported six inches of snow,
although we got more like
two. It was 20 degrees here
Friday morning, which
meant knocking holes in
the water for the cattle and
working hard to get the
tractor going. What did the
rest of you do? Contact me
at kovasha@gmail.com if
your snow days were fun (or
not).
LIBRARY CALENDAR
DALLAS
950 Main St. •
503-623-2633
www.ci.dallas.or.us/library
• Wednesday, Dec. 21, 4 p.m. — PAWS
to READ (Davos).
• Thursday, Dec. 22, 10:30 a.m. — Chil-
dren’s Story Time.
• Tuesday, Dec. 27, 10:30 a.m. — Morn-
ing Children’s Story Time.
• Tuesday, Dec. 27, 3:30 p.m. — After-
noon Children’s Story Time.
• Wednesday, Dec. 28, 4 p.m. — Kid’s
Book Club (“Lowly Order of the Worms”).
—
EARLY DEADLINES
INDEPENDENCE
175 Monmouth St.
503-838-1811
www.ci.independence.or.us/library
• Wednesday, Dec. 21, 10:30 a.m. —
Family Story Time.
• Wednesday, Dec. 21, 3 p.m. — Wacky
Wednesdays (Movie, “Secret Life of Pets”).
• Tuesday, Dec. 27, 5:30 p.m. — Cuentos
en Español.
• Wednesday, Dec. 28, 10:30 a.m. —
Family Story Time.
• Wednesday, Dec. 28, 3 p.m. — Wacky
Wednesdays (Make some New Year’s Fun)
—
MONMOUTH
168 S. Ecols St. • 503-751-0182
www.ci.monmouth.or.us/library
• Thursday, Dec. 22, 2 p.m. — Movie
(“The Secret Life of Pets”).
• Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2 p.m. — Movie
(“The BFG”).
—
WAGNER COMMUNITY LIBRARY
111 N. Main St., Falls City
503-787-3521, ext. 319
www.facebook.com/
WagnerCommunityLibrary/timeline
• See the library’s Facebook page for up-
coming events.
Our office will be CLOSED Dec. 26th
News Department:
Social News Wedding, Engagements, Births, etc. .................Wednesday, Dec. 21, 4pm
Community Events Business, School, Community News ........Thursday, Dec. 22, Noon
General News............................................................................Thursday, Dec. 22, Noon
Letters to the Editor/Obituaries................................................... Friday, Dec. 23, 10am
Advertising Department:
Legals ........................................................................................Thursday, Dec. 22, Noon
Display Main news advertisements/inserts ...............................Thursday, Dec. 22, Noon
Classified Display ......................................................................... Friday, Dec. 23, 11am
Classified Line Ads ....................................................................... Friday, Dec. 23, noon
Itemizer-Observer
147 SE Court St., Dallas • 503-623-2373
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Community Calendar is a listing of upcoming events
taking place in Polk County that are open to the pub-
lic. To submit an event for calendar consideration,
please send it at least two weeks before the actual
event date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 21
• Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon,
Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth. For
eligible community members; available every Wednesday. 541-
404-6517.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Day-2-Day Diabetes Support Group — 3 to 4 p.m., West
Valley Hospital (main conference room inside main entrance),
525 SE Washington St., Dallas. 503-623-7323.
• Brew and BS: The New Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on
New Testament figures. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea,
chai, beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.
—
THURSDAY, DEC. 22
• Monmouth-Independence Rotary Club — Noon, First
Baptist Church, 1505 Monmouth St., Independence. Visiting Ro-
tarians, guests and prospective Rotarians are welcome to these
luncheon meetings. Free. 503-838-4884.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., Dallas
United Methodist Church, 565 SE LaCreole Drive, Dallas. Free;
everyone welcome. 503-623-8429.
—
FRIDAY, DEC. 23
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly Club Meeting — 9:45 to 11 a.m.
Church of Christ, 127 Heffley St. N., Monmouth. First meeting is
free. 503-930-7936.
• Altered Attitudes Alcoholics Anonymous — Noon, Dallas
United Methodist Church, 565 SE LaCreole Drive, Dallas. 503-
399-0599.
• Guthrie Park Acoustic Music Jam Session — 6:30 to 10
p.m., Guthrie Park Community Center, 4320 Kings Valley High-
way, Dallas. Free (donations accepted). 503-623-0809.
—
SATURDAY, DEC. 24
• Polk Community Free Clinic — 7 to 11 a.m., Trinity Luther-
an Church, 320 SE Fir Villa Road, Dallas. Free medical and men-
tal health care for uninsured and underinsured. Held on the first
and fourth Saturday of the month. 503-990-8772.
—
MONDAY, DEC. 26
• Central Lions Club — Noon, Independence Elks Lodge
1950 Dining Room, 289 S. Main St., Independence. 503-606-
2150.
• Willamette Valley New Horizons Orchestra — 6:30 to
8:30 p.m., Monmouth Senior Center, 180 Warren St. S., Mon-
mouth. Local orchestra for beginning through intermediate
musicians. Meets every Monday. Players of all levels welcome.
$25 monthly fee to cover expenses. 503-838-4884.
—
TUESDAY, DEC. 27
• Indoor Play Park — 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., First Presbyte-
rian Church, 879 SW Levens St., Dallas. Open to children pre-
kindergarten and younger with parent/adult. Tuesdays through
Fridays. Free.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., St.
Philip Catholic Church, 825 SW Mill St., Dallas. Free; everyone
welcome. 503-623-8429.
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club — 6 to 7 p.m.
weigh-in, 7 to 8 p.m. meeting, First Christian Church basement,
1079 SE Jefferson St., Dallas. Meetings offer programs and activ-
ities aimed at losing weight. Open to anyone. First meeting is
free.
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem
Health West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support
group meets in the quiet room/chapel immediately inside
the emergency entrance on Clay Street. Dee Ann White, 971-
718-6444.
—
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 28
• Helping Hands Emergency Food Bank — 10 a.m. to noon,
Monmouth Christian Church, 959 Church St. W., Monmouth. For
eligible community members; available every Wednesday. 541-
404-6517.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Painting, Canvas and Cocktails — 7 p.m., The Boondocks,
318 N. Main St. Fall City. All supplies, paint, canvas and instruc-
tion provided. No experience necessary. $30, snack and cocktail
included. 503-787-2700.
• Brew and BS: The New Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series on
New Testament figures. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea,
chai, beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.