Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 11, 2017
Community shares desires for new superintendent
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — The
comments were extensive,
compiled in a binder about
one-inch thick.
Where does the commu-
nity want Central School
District to be in five years?
And what qualities does the
next superintendent need to
get the district there?
Good listener, seasoned,
diverse, understands the
needs of the community, in-
vested in the community,
good leader, good communi-
cator, decisive.
These are just a few of the
desires of people who partic-
ipated in the initial stage of
the superintendent search.
Representatives from
McKenzie Group Search
Consultants spoke with
about 300 people at 11 com-
munity forums in the last
month, in addition to about
100 responses via an online
survey.
Greg McKenzie and Mike
Taylor presented the results
to the board.
“You can see a summary
of where we went, who we
talked to, what they told us,”
McKenzie said. “Then you
will see a section called ‘con-
sultant recommendations.’
We tossed (the feedback)
into a mixing bowl, stirred it
up and tried to find com-
mon themes.”
The basic results were that
Central is made up off two
close-knit communities
working together for the
schools, McKenzie said.
“It has a great location
and proximity to other major
cities, also the coast and the
mountains,” he said.
McKenzie said priorities
were similar to other dis-
tricts: No. 1 was to lower
class sizes.
Also, provide more career
and technical education, as
well as science, technology,
engineering and math
courses.
Some things unique to
Central include the issues at
the high school, Taylor said.
“The topic does come up
at the high school about
consistent leadership,” he
said. “People perceive this as
a cycle, and could we figure
out how to bridge those.”
During a community
meeting at Central High
School on Thursday, former
superintendent Forrest Bell
said the high school was
unique in many ways.
“People who teach in this
high school don’t live here,”
he said. “That’s a different
dynamic. The superinten-
dent is going to hire a new
principal. It would be really
nice if (he or she) could find
a place to live in the commu-
nity.”
Another issue at the high
school involved the teachers
union, Central Education As-
sociation, Bell said.
“This is an old-school
union,” he said. “They’re
going to protect their worst
people, and the communi-
ty’s going to get frustrated
with that, and the union in
Salem is not going to care.”
Bell said teachers will fight
whoever is hired as superin-
tendent “tooth and nail.”
“They’re going to under-
mine them the best they
can,” he said. “He or she
needs to keep a calm spirit
to deal with it.”
Independence City Man-
ager David Clyne said at
Thursday’s forum that he
wants someone who is cul-
turally diverse and bilingual,
and someone who would re-
open Henry Hill as an ele-
mentary school.
McKenzie said that find-
ing a bicultural, bilingual ad-
ministrator is a tall order be-
cause Central cannot offer as
much money as larger
school districts.
“We don’t want a lesser
candidate just because
they’re bilingual,” Bell said.
“We want an outstanding
candidate who is also bilin-
gual.”
The school board ap-
proved the qualifications
survey and adopted a salary
range of $127,000 to
$137,000, just above the cur-
rent mean and average for
districts Central’s size.
Before the next school
board meeting on Feb. 6, the
board will appoint about 15
people to help with the
search committee.
Board chair Steve Love,
who used Skype to attend
the meeting, said he has had
people contact him to be a
part of the search commit-
tee, including administrators
and Clyne.
events in Dallas.
In her 80s, she discovered
word processors and got a
kick out of sending out in-
termittent volumes of the
“Family Noospaper” that she
created, containing news,
history, and whatever else
came to her mind.
Linda Holmbo, Delaine
Tankard and Pat Easterly
were a big help to Lillian as
she grew older.
She spent her last 2 3/4
years, and was cared for
with excellence, by the many
caring people at the Dallas
Retirement Village Health
Center, and also in her last
days, by the nurse and musi-
cal therapists from
Willamette Valley Hospice.
Lillian was the last of her
generation in the Chrapla
and Kaczka families.
She was preceded in
death by her husband Chet
and her son Joe.
She is survived by her son
John; grandchildren Mary
and Eli; and great-grandchil-
dren Maggie, Kiley, and
Penny.
A memorial Mass will be
held at St. Phillip’s in Dallas on
Thursday, Jan. 12 at 11 a.m.
Lillian will be interred
alongside her husband Chet
in Phoenix, Ariz., at a later
date.
Dallas Mortuary Tribute
Center is handling the
arrangements. We appreci-
ate the help provided by the
Bollman family and their as-
sociates.
The family suggests that,
if you are so inclined, me-
morial donations be made
in Lillian’s name to an or-
ganization that does a good
job of working for a cause
that is important to you.
To share an online condo-
lence go to www.dallastrib-
ute.com.
May she rest, in peace.
Wagoner, of Salem. Also
three grandchildren: Jacob,
of Spokane, Wash., and
Jaden and Ella, of Billings.
He had six brothers and one
sister, Mar-
l i n Wa g -
oner (Geor-
gia), Ed-
mond Wag-
o n e r
(Lenora),
Reba Skaug
(Harold),
Lonnie Wagoner and Robert
Wagoner.
Predeceased Brothers:
Delmar Wagoner and Larry
Wagoner.
He worked for Willamette
Industries in Dallas for 25
years. He enjoyed wood
crafting, putting airplane
models together, and he was
an avid Rock Collector.
A memorial service is Jan.
14 at 1 p.m. at First Freewill
Baptist Church, located at
1390 45th Ave NE, Salem.
Reception following service;
food provided by church
members.
OBITUARIES
Cora Roylene Elder
April 13, 1962 – Dec. 29, 2016
Cora Roylene Elder, 54, a
resident of Dallas, died
Thursday, Dec. 29, 2016, in
the Salem Hospital. She was
born on April 13, 1962, in
McCloud, Calif., the daugh-
ter of Clyde F. and Myrtle
Wion Thomas. She was
raised in Sacramento and
graduated from the Lassen
High School in Susanville,
class of 1980.
Cora received an associ-
ate degree in nursing from
Lassen Community College
in 1982. She went on and
earned a bachelor’s degree
in nursing from Humboldt
State University in 1988.
She is survived by her
husband, Dale, of Dallas;
daughter, Shasta Hodge, of
Independence; mother,
Myrtle Thomas, of Janeville,
Calif.; and brother, Darrell
Thomas, of Janeville.
At Cora’s request, there
will be no services. Memori-
als are suggested to the
charity of the donor’s choice.
The Dallas Mortuary Tribute
Center is caring for the fam-
ily. You may leave a message
or memory for the family at
www.dallastribute.com.
Dorothy Joyce
Baker
Oct. 1, 1932 – Jan. 1, 2017
Dorothy Joyce Baker of
Dallas, died Jan. 1, 2017, at
the age of 84. She was born
In Polk County, Nebraska,
on Oct. 1, 1932, to Fred and
Margaret (Mitchell) Byrom.
Dorothy moved to Dallas as
a young child where she at-
tended school and later met
her husband of 63 years,
Francis Baker.
She and Francis enjoyed
traveling and mule-packing
together, but she also en-
joyed reading.
Dorothy is survived by her
children, Sherry Hale, Teri
Lynn and Jim Baker; four
grandchildren; two great-
grandchildren; and two
great-great-grandchildren.
The family will have a pri-
vate inurnment in Arizona
at a later date. Dallas Mortu-
ary Tribute Center is caring
for the family.
To leave and online con-
dolence go to: www.dallas-
tribute.com.
Dave and Helen enjoyed
traveling in their motor
home and living the Snow-
bird life between Oregon
and Arizona. Dave also
loved to deep sea fish on his
boat at Newport.
Dave did not want any fu-
neral or memorial service,
and none will be held.
Lillian Clare
Kaczka
Aug. 10, 1917 – Jan. 5, 2017
David H. Schultz
Jan. 24, 1928 – Jan. 4, 2017
David H. Schultz, of Cor-
vallis, passed away on Jan. 4,
2017, at Samaritan Regional
Medical Center in Corvallis.
Dave was born in Marion,
S.D., to Susan Fast and Rev-
erend D. P. Schultz. He was
sixth of seven children.
The family moved to Ore-
gon in 1940.
Dave was married to his
High School sweetheart
Helen Neufeld on March 5,
1948, and
would be
celebrat-
ing their
69th wed-
ding an-
niversary this coming March
5.
Dave is survived by his
wife Helen; daughter Pam
Blair and son-in-law Jim
Blair, of Salem; son Greg
Schultz, of Lebanon; grand-
daughter Kellie Grant, of
Salem; sister, June Heinrich
and husband Dr. Gene
Heinrich, of Sanger, Calif.;
and sister Ann Friesen, of
Reedley, Calif.; and numer-
ous nieces and nephews.
During his work life, Dave
was a sheet metal journey-
man with Local 16 working
residential and commercial
jobs throughout the
Willamette Valley. He served
in the Army from 1946 to
1947 in Germany.
Lillian was born to John
and Louise Chrapla, who
had immigrated from
Poland and began American
life in Neodesha, Kansas, in
1911.
Lillian was the youngest
of five children. She was
born in Collinsville, Okla.
The family eventually
moved and
settled in
East Chica-
go, Ind.
Growing
up, Lillian
was best
pals with
her brother
Adolph and had fond mem-
ories of “babysitting” her
niece Patty and possibly Ar-
lene also. She was the vale-
dictorian of her graduating
class at Roosevelt High
School.
She loved to play tennis,
and she and her future hus-
band Chet won trophies to-
gether. She began work as a
secretary, and maybe that
and her schoolin’ were the
beginnings of her lifelong
organizational skills.
She and Chet were mar-
ried on June 8, 1940, in East
Chicago.
After Chet returned home
from service in Europe in
World War II, they made a
pretty bold move to
Phoenix, Ariz., in 1948. Lil-
lian loved the “wide open
spaces” of Arizona.
The population of
Phoenix at the time was
roughly 90,000. They had a
house built in “the county.”
They both loved their new
life there, and they raised
their two sons in that house,
which is now in the midst of
other houses for 30 miles in
every direction.
In the mid-1950s, her
husband opened Chet’s
Paint and Wallpaper, and to-
gether they owned operated
what became a well-regard-
ed business for over 25
years.
Lillian would come into
work after the sons were off
to school, and be back home
by the time they returned.
She was a lifelong devout
Catholic and was active at
St. Agnes Church and St.
Agnes School.
Her family and friends en-
joyed the fact that some-
where along the way she be-
came an accomplished pi-
anist.
The Kaczka household
had an “open house” every
Christmas Eve where many
looked forward to, and en-
joyed, friendship and the
unending amounts of tradi-
tional Polish food prepared
by Lillian.
It was difficult for Chet to
get around to retiring, he
loved what he did, but he
did get around to it and they
successfully sold the paint
store and business.
He and Lillian began play-
ing tennis again, and en-
joyed travelling by car to
many far-off places in the
U.S., including trips to Ore-
gon to see their new grand-
daughter and then a grand-
son.
After Chet passed away
too soon in 1984, Lillian
spent much of her time in-
volved at St. Agnes Church
and had several extended
stays in Oregon.
She was a significant part
of her grandkids’ early years,
and we all have fond memo-
ries of those days.
In the mid-1990s, she
moved to Oregon for good.
She was fortunate and grate-
ful to make many friends at
St. Phillip’s Church in Dallas.
She was likely an inspiration
to many.
Lillian enjoyed going to
the summer outdoor music
Joyful Sound Hearing
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Personally involved
and invested in the
Dallas community
Harold Wayne
Wagoner
Feb. 22, 1939 – Jan. 2, 2017
Harold Wayne Wagoner
was born on Feb. 22, 1939, in
Dexter, N.M., to parents Al-
fred and Nora Wagoner, now
both deceased.
Harold is survived by his
wife of 50 years, Josie Wag-
oner, of Keizer; sons, Wayne
Wagoner ( Jennifer), of
Billings, Mont., and Adam
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Sherry Lynn
Creswell
Sept. 12, 1953 – Dec. 23, 2016
Sherry Lynn Creswell, 63,
of Dallas, died Dec. 23, 2016,
in the Salem Hospital.
She is survived by her
mother, Carol Creswell;
brother, Dean Creswell; sis-
ter, June Patterson; and ex-
tended family.
A memorial service was
held on Dec. 31, 2016, in The
Church Of Jesus Christ Of
Latter-day Saints in Dallas.
The Dallas Mortuary Tribute
Center handled arrange-
ments.
Obituary
Information
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be submitted by 4 p.m. on the
Monday before publication to
be included in the newspaper.
Most funeral homes handle
obituary information and pro-
vide it to the newspaper.
However, information can
also be submitted directly
from family members.
Color and black-and-white
photos can be submitted, but
photos will only be published
in black and white.
The Itemizer-Observer uses a
flag logo in the obituaries of
people who served in the
armed forces.
Obituaries cost $8 per 25
words (column inch) and in-
clude photos and flags for vet-
erans. Obituaries placed by
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Obituaries — like all infor-
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Information can be brought
or mailed to the Itemizer-Ob-
server, 147 SE Court St., Dallas,
OR 97338, or emailed to
ionews@polkio.com.
For more information: Emily
Mentzer, 503-623-2373.