SPRING HOME, GARDEN
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
AND CAR CARE
SECTION C
Volume 142, Issue 12
MENDAZONA
Page 10A
www.Polkio.com
March 22, 2017
$1.00
Central names top three
IN
YOUR
TOWN
English, Kubista, Tucker make final cut for superintendent
Itemizer-Observer staff report
INDEPENDENCE — The
Central School District
Board of Directors an-
nounced the three finalists
who have been selected for
further consideration to be
the district’s next superin-
tendent beginning July 1.
The finalists were chosen
after a screening committee
of board members, district
employees and community
members reviewed 36 appli-
cants. The board conducted
initial interviews with sever-
al candidates.
The finalists are:
• Greg English, who has
Meet the candidates
The Central School Board will host a meet-and-greet at 4
p.m. Wednesday (today) at Central High School’s cafeteria,
1530 Monmouth St., Independence.
been the principal at Tillam-
ook High School in the
Tillamook School District.
He also served for eight
years as an elementary
school principal. Tillamook
has an enrollment of about
2,250 students.
English also was an ele-
mentary principal for six
years at Neah-Kah-Nie
School District in Rockaway
Beach. English’s teaching ex-
perience includes elemen-
tary- and middle-school po-
sitions in Oregon and in Cal-
ifornia.
In 2008, he was voted
Tillamook County Educator
of the Year. He has a Master
of Education in teaching
from Azusa Pacific Universi-
ty, and a bachelor’s in reli-
gion and philosophy from
Northwest College.
• Jennifer Kubista has
been the director of student
life in Tacoma School Dis-
trict for the last six years,
where she is responsible for
implementing the “whole-
child initiative” districtwide,
among other duties.
The Tacoma district has
about 30,000 students. She also
served as the director of athlet-
ics and activities in Tacoma.
Kubista has served as the
commissioner of the Colum-
bia Empire Volleyball Associ-
ation in Beaverton and has
been recognized with the
Northwest Positive Behavior
Intervention and Supports
Network Champions Award.
She was named Athletic Di-
rector of the Year in 2010 by
Wa s h i n g t o n Se c o n d a r y
Schools Athletic Administra-
tors Association.
She has a doctorate in edu-
cational leadership from
Seattle University, and a mas-
ter’s in education from the
University of Connecticut.
• Tiana Tucker has been
an elementary principal in
the Lincoln County School
District in Newport for the
last six years. Her school has
450 students.
See FInalISTS, Page 5a
Flying drunk breaks window, goes to hospital
DallaS
Public Works Director
introduced to city
council.
»Page 3a
FallS CITy
City adjusts Historic
Landmark Commission
requirements.
»Page 2a
InDEPEnDEnCE
Central High School
students take part in
egg drop.
»Page 12a
By Jolene Guzman
MOnMOUTH
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
a late-night brawl on Friday left a window broken at
West Valley Taphouse in Dallas.
DALLAS — West Valley
Taphouse was in clean-up
mode Friday night after the
business’ front window was
smashed during a late-night
fight involving a group of
people.
“A g i r l w a s t h r o w n
through the window and
was pulled back out,” said
taphouse owner Sam Dufn-
er, describing the incident.
“They continued fighting.”
The taphouse was closed
at the time of the window
crashing, but three employ-
ees were getting ready to
leave for the night when the
incident happened.
“It sounded like a gun-
shot,” Dufner said. “The
window exploded and tables
and chairs were knocked
over.”
Dufner said he didn’t
think the damage was
caused intentionally.
“It was just random peo-
ple,” he said.
He called the police, but
wasn’t able to identify any-
one at the time. The crowd
Western Oregon
baseball earns a series
split against Central
Washington.
»Page 11a
SPORTS
Central junior Diana
Huerte opens tennis
season with a victory.
»Page 10a
that had gathered scattered
before police officers ar-
rived.
Dallas Lt. Jerry Mott said
the call came in at 11:36 p.m.
He said the investigation
is ongoing, and officers are
interested in talking to mul-
tiple suspects.
Because the investigation
still is open, he declined to
comment further on the in-
cident.
A repair estimate hadn’t
been determined Monday.
The window is boarded up
in the meantime.
Dufner posted a picture of
the window of the business’
Facebook page Saturday
morning.
“We appreciate all the
support we’ve been getting,”
Dufner said. “We invite peo-
ple to come draw on our ply-
wood while it’s still here.”
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
Kings Valley Charter
School students learn
to weave.
»Page 7a
Coons
sentenced to
seven years,
five months
Itemizer-Observer staff report
Dallas Fire & EMS make special delivery
DALLAS — It’s the kind of
call medic crews long for, but
rarely get to respond to — an
opportunity to help bring life
into the world instead of
fighting to save it.
On Feb. 17, a Dallas Fire &
EMS crew, along with the
coaching of a 911 dispatcher,
delivered little Hailey Marie
Haas.
“She’s a beautiful baby
girl. Mom was a champ,”
said Paul McCallum, the
paramedic who delivered
Hailey.
Medic crews don’t often
deliver babies — some may
go their entire career without
being part of a delivery, Mc-
Callum said.
Paramedics train for deliv-
eries, though not as much as
for more common incidents,
such as cardiac arrest.
See BaBy, Page 6a
EDUCaTIOn
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
The investigation into the broken window at West Val-
ley Taphouse is ongoing.
DALLAS — David
Michael Coons of Inde-
pendence was found
guilty of assault in the first
degree at the end of a
bench trial in which he
was charged with stab-
bing an acquaintance dur-
ing an altercation.
Coons, 38, was sen-
tenced to serve seven
years and five months in
prison by Judge Norman
R. Hill under Oregon's
minimum mandatory sen-
tencing laws.
The case was prosecut-
ed by the Polk County Dis-
trict Attorney's Office and
investigated by the Inde-
pendence and Monmouth
Police Departments and
Polk County Sheriff's Of-
fice.
Newsletter
APRIL WELSH/ for the Itemizer-Observer
The Dallas Fire & EMS crew reunited with Hailey Marie Hess and her family on March 8.
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wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Helping Hands
Emergency Food
Bank offers food as-
sistance to those
who are eligible
each Wednesday.
10 a.m.-noon. Free.
Have a new baby?
Mom and Me is a
breastfeeding sup-
port group at Salem
Health West Valley.
1 p.m. Free.
Head to Guthrie
Park for the acoustic
music jam session,
open to musicians
and listeners alike.
6:30 p.m. Dona-
tions accepted.
Go for a night out at
Ugo’s Pizza and help
fight cancer by ben-
efiting Polk County
Relay For Life.
4:30-8:30 p.m.
Crack your best joke
and help celebrate
National Let’s Laugh
Day.
Celebrate the start
of spring break at
the Independence
Public Library’s “Go
Fly a Kite” event.
3 p.m. Free.
Learn about jam
and biscuits at a 4-H
class at the Polk
County 4-H Exten-
sion office’s spring
break classes.
9:30-11 a.m. $2-$4.
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