Polk County News
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monday.
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Retail display ads — 3
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Classified display ads
— 11 a.m. on monday.
Classified line ads —
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ads are updated daily on
www.polkio.com.
Public notices — noon
on Friday.
CORRECTIONS
matt Garrett is the director
of the Oregon Department of
Transportation.
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.
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The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer website,
www.polkio.com, is updat-
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WEATHER
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HIGH LOW
Dec. 27.............. 49
Dec. 28.............. 41
Dec. 29.............. 47
Dec. 30.............. 46
Dec. 31.............. 37
Jan. 1.................. 42
Jan. 2.................. 35
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RAIN
.22
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rainfall during Dec. — 5.15 in.
rain through Dec. 31 — 47.01 in.
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 4, 2017 3A
Chamber director ready to jump in
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
MONMOUTH/INDE-
PENDENCE — Ryan
Kingsella has a passion for
helping his community in
positive ways.
“There’s no cooler feeling
than knowing that I’ve really
helped a business succeed,”
he said.
Kingsella, 28, started his
job as director of the Mon-
mouth Independence
Chamber of Commerce and
Visitor’s Center on Sunday,
though the work didn’t really
start until Tuesday.
“I can’t wait to meet all
the business owners in
town,” he said. “I already
have relationships with a lot
of them just working with
Genesis Marketing.”
Genesis is a company
Kingsella started while at-
tending Western Oregon
University.
A mix-up with his finan-
EmIly mEnTzEr/ Itemizer-Observer
Ryan Kingsella is the new MI chamber director.
cial aid meant he had to find
other ways to make ends
meet.
Marketing has always
come easy to Kingsella.
“I used to be the manager
of marketing and leasing for
a triple A apartment com-
munity in the South,” he
said. “My dad has always
been in advertising, so I
kind of grew up in the in-
dustry. I think I knew the
word ‘demographic’ before I
was 12.”
Now, he hopes to take his
passion for helping small
business and expand his
focus to the communities
through the chamber.
“I think that’s why I fell in
love with this town, because
I know Rick at Rick’s Coffee,
and I know Ray, my barber,
and I love the personal con-
nection that all these small
businesses offer, so helping
them succeed and grow —
it’s going to be a lot of fun,”
Kingsella said.
He said he loves the focus
of the chamber and its
board of directors: member-
ship engagement and bene-
fits.
“It’s the first time I’ve
taken a project or worked for
a company whose mission is
truly to help,” Kingsella said.
“Every company says that,
but it’s a tag line on, ‘we
need to make profit.’”
Many of the chamber pro-
grams that former director
Jean Love put into place will
remain, Kingsella said, but
that’s not to say he doesn’t
have some ideas.
Increasing membership
and engagement, as well as
tourism are top on his list.
“For me, the best way (to
increase membership) is to
go out and meet business
owners and talk to them,
hear their stories face-to-
face and figure out what
their needs are,” Kingsella
said.
Kingsella has a degree
from Western Oregon in
early childhood education
and sociology.
He comes from a military
background, having served
in the Air Force, and found-
ed WOU’s Veteran’s Center,
as well as started the Stu-
dent Veterans of America
chapter at WOU.
With his new job, he will
pass management of his
marketing company to his
wife, Allison.
Food: Bank set up like regular grocery store
Continued from Page 1A
Every two months, neigh-
borhood coordinators with
the food project collect
green bags with donations
for the food bank, said Linda
McBurney, who started the
project in Monmouth and
Independence.
“We’ve been doing it since
2013,” she said. “Our first
food pickup was 750
pounds. Now we’re averag-
ing over 2,000 pounds every
other month for the food
bank.”
McBurney asks Nevue
what the greatest need is
and gets the word out to all
who participate in the proj-
ect, which is one reason the
bank has a greater stock of
canned fruit right now.
In addition to the green
bags, food drives and the
Marion-Polk Food Share,
local grocery stores, restau-
rants and farmers donate
regularly to Ella Curran. That
means those in need have
access to eggs and milk;
fresh, seasonal fruits and
vegetables; as well as fresh-
baked rolls and sliced bread.
“Sliced bread is always a
gem, because people like
sliced bread,” Nevue said.
Really, everyone needs to
eat, and the food bank can
help, Nevue said.
“We’re very welcoming,”
she said. “We realize that
coming here sometimes for
people can be humbling, and
we want to make sure they
feel welcomed, and that they
At a glance:
What: Ella Curran Food Bank, 870 n. main St., Independ-
ence.
Mission: To end hunger by providing emergency food to
community members in the monmouth and Independence
area.
The food bank is a private 501 C 3 nonprofit operated and
managed completely by volunteers, and is a partner with
the marion-Polk Food Share.
Hours: monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 9 to 11:30 a.m.,
and a new time: Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Where does it come from? Food comes from donations
from marion-Polk Food Share, businesses, churches, schools,
special food drives, libraries, farmers, the mon Indy Food
Project green bag drives, and individuals.
How does it work? recipients get to select food for their
family. Fresh, canned and frozen vegetables and fruits; dairy,
meat, bread, cereal, peanut butter, baking supplies, soup,
prepared meals, toilet paper, coffee, sugar, salt, and laundry
and hand soap.
Of note: The OSU Extension Food Hero often will pick up
food from the food bank and create recipes. recipes of all
sorts — from how to use frozen kale to how to easily cook a
squash — are available at the food bank to help people pre-
pare the food available.
For more information: Patty nevue, 503-917-1681.
www.ellacurranfoodbank.org.
feel uplifted by coming.”
Patrons begin by answer-
ing two questions: Are you
from the area? Do you make
less than this?
Eligibility is determined
using the federal guidelines
for food stamps, Nevue said.
Many patrons make signifi-
cantly less than the qualifier
for food assistance, she
added.
Once they’ve answered
those two questions, people
are guided through the food
bank — which is set up like a
meals, and coffee, tea, sugar,
and salt — if it’s in stock.
Each family gets a birth-
day cake mix and frosting, as
well as a small toy for birth-
day months.
“It’s designed to be a good
week’s worth of food,”
Nevue said. “It’s not a box.
It’s really a lot.”
The entire thing is made
possible through volunteers,
she noted.
“The volunteers, some of
them have been here for
decades, they’re so dedicat-
ed,” Nevue said. “And the
donors are so generous. And
the people who come get
food are so appreciative.”
“People are struggling to
make ends meet; they need
food,” McBurney added.
“You never know when you
might be in the same place
yourself.”
Some things are always in
need, Nevue said, such as
adult diapers, toilet paper,
peanut butter, canned fruit
and canned corn.
Follow the Mon Indy Food
Project and the Ella Curran
Food Bank on Facebook to
keep up with the most cur-
rent needs at the food bank.
regular grocery store — by
volunteers.
Each person receives a
card detailing how much of
each item he or she may se-
lect based on the size of his
or her family. Then they
shop for milk, eggs, veggies
and fruits, breads, baking
supplies, cereal, condi-
ments — and more.
Each family has access to
adult and children’s diapers,
dog food, a bar of hand
soap, toilet paper, laundry
soap, grains, prepared
FINAL DAYS
to reserve your space in the
2017
WHO’S WHO
IN POLK COUNTY
A FULL COLOR GUIDE to businesses
serving Polk County!
Publishes January 18, 2017
Visit our website to see last year’s issue
of Who’s Who: www.polkio.com
Name of Business _______________________
______________________________________
Phone _________________________________
ContactName ___________________________
Phone _________________________________
❑ I would like to run the same ad for 2017
❑ I would like a new photo.
Call __________________________ to schedule.
Your Name/Number
❑ or Save $10 and use photo from last year.
❑ I would like to change my written information.
______________________________________
______________________________________
Website________________________________
WE WISH TO THANK OUR PARTNERS WHO HELPED MAKE CHRISTMAS CHEER 2016 PROJECT A HUGE SUCCESS!
Dallas Volunteer Fire Fighter’s Association
Polk County Search and Rescue
Polk County Sheriff’s Office/Jail
City of Dallas
Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce
and Visitor Center
Dallas Glass
Dallas School District
Dallas High School
LaCreole Middle School
Whitworth, Oakdale and
Lyle Elementary Schools
Faith Free Christian School
Falls City School District
Falls City Fire Department
Faith Evangelical Free Church
United Methodist Church
LDS
Dallas Cub/Boy Scouts
Los Caballeros 4-H
Dallas Emergency Food Bank
Godsey Secure Storage
Perrydale FFA & Feed America
Email Address __________________________
Bring this form in to our office:
147 SE Court St., Dallas
Fax it to 503-623-2395, or mail it to:
PO Box 108, Dallas, OR 97338
Itemizer-Observer
Rickreall Dairy
Safeway
Carl and Patty VanWell
Elliott Farms
Umpqua Dairy
Dave’s Killer Bread
Reser’s Foods
CHM2Hill
Eric Lamb – www.creativelamb.com
Dallas Starbucks
Squirrel Taxi Service
Domino’s Pizza
Dallas Branch—Bank of America
Hank Kliever Floor Covering—Abbey Carpet
Mid-Valley Ford
Anytime Fitness
Wall Insurance
Washington Federal
Itemizer Observer
VanWell Timber, LLC
And to all the private cash donations both
small and large along with families and
individuals who sponsored food items –
huge thank you!
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE 400+ VOLUNTEERS WHO CAME EARLY AND STAYED
UNTIL ALL WAS DELIVERED AND CLEANED UP — YOU ARE THE “HANDS AND FEET”
THAT MAKE CHRISTMAS CHEER A SUCCESS
W W W. D A L L A S C C . O R G