Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 22, 2017
The art of the tattoo comes to Dallas
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Denise Allen
decided it was time for a
change.
Allen, the owner of the
new MD Tats & Oddities in
Dallas, had been living in
Utah with her husband,
Barry Allen, when she an-
nounced her conclusion.
“One day she said, ‘I want
to move to Oregon,’” Barry
recalled. “I said ‘OK.’”
Neither had visited Ore-
gon, but decided to head
here anyway.
“It was just intuition,”
Denise said. “Apparently, it
was meant to be.”
The couple first moved to
Independence, and then to
Dallas.
“It’s better than I expect-
ed; I love it,” Allen said of her
new home. “I will never
move back to Utah. I love
the rain.”
A lifelong artist, Denise
took a chance on dabbling
in a new medium: tattoos.
She enrolled at ATA Tattoo
School in Salem, and this
month opened her tattoo
and art studio, 261 SW
Washington St., in Dallas.
The Dallas Area Chamber
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Denise Allen opened MD Tats & Oddities at the beginning of March on Washington
Street in Dallas. Allen also sells art, all of her own making, at the shop.
of Commerce held a ribbon
cutting at the shop on St.
Patrick’s Day, where she re-
vealed her goal to get involved
in her new community.
“I’m just excited to be
here, and I’m just looking
forward to being a part of
the community — and being
successful, I’m hoping,”
Denise said. “I like to be in-
volved. I’m a volunteering,
involving kind of person.”
Denise said her inspira-
tion for opening her studio
is her art.
“I’ve pretty much always
been an artist,” she said.
“I’ve never had any profes-
sional training. It’s always
been natural.”
DEADLINES
NEWS DEADLINES
For inclusion in the
Wednesday edition of the
Itemizer-Observer:
Social news (weddings,
engagements, anniver-
saries, births, milestones) —
5 p.m. on Thursday.
Community events —
Noon on Friday for both the
Community Notebook and
Community Calendar.
Letters to the editor —
10 a.m. on Monday.
Obituaries — 4 p.m. on
Monday.
MD Tats & Oddities has
examples of her work for
sale, including drawings,
glass designs, jewelry and T-
shirts.
That centerpiece is tat-
tooing, and she’s had plenty
of practice putting designs
on her friends and family,
especially Barry.
“He’s my practice canvas,”
she said.
Denise said she’s had sev-
eral clients and hopes to see
business increase.
She said most of her
clients bring her photos of
work they want done — and
she’s willing to use her cre-
ativity to personalize or im-
prove on those designs or
produce a replica.
Denise said she prefers to
use her creativity.
“That’s what I try to do,”
she said. “Some people let
me, and some won’t.”
Denise said her new artis-
tic outlet is addicting, for the
recipient and the artist, and
it has an advantage over
other art forms.
“It’s better than putting it
on canvas,” she said. “You
get to put it on everyone.”
Hours are 10 a.m. to 7
p.m. Monday through Satur-
day; call 503-751-1600.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES
Retail display ads — 3
p.m. Friday.
Classified display ads
— 11 a.m. on Monday.
Classified line ads —
Noon on Monday. Classified
ads are updated daily on
www.polkio.com.
Public notices — Noon
on Friday.
CORRECTIONS
The property owner on
Pedee Creek Road does not
own the horses which have
been seized by the Polk Coun-
ty Sheriff's Office. The woman
who owns the horses rents
the property on Pedee Creek
Road, where the horses live.
The I-O regrets the error.
WEBSITE
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer website,
www.polkio.com, is updat-
ed each week by Wednes-
day afternoon. There, you
will find nearly every story
that appears in the print
version of the newspaper,
as well as some items, in-
cluding additional photos,
that do not appear in print
due to space limitations.
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and Instagram. Watch for
breaking news, links to sto-
ries, sports scores updates
and more.
Falls City to adjust historic landmark commission
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
FALLS CITY — The Falls
City City Council approved
the first step of opening the
city’s Historic Landmark
Commission to people who
are not residents, but only if
they have expertise in his-
toric preservation.
Commission members
voted Feb. 6 to recommend
that the city change its mu-
nicipal code to allow people
living outside the city to join
the commission.
“ T h e y ’r e o r g a n i z e d .
They’ve done a really good
job, but they are needing to
get some technical, experi-
enced people,” said Falls
City Mayor Terry Ungricht at
the council’s March 9 meet-
ing.
The change would allow
three members to be non-
city residents, giving the
commission the chance to
draw outside experts in
nominating more properties
to the National Historic Reg-
ister, with the consent of
Solution on Page 9A
owners. One under consid-
eration is Falls City High
School. The commission
wants to create a class for
students to help with the
nomination process.
Once a landmark is
added, the commission is
required to serve in a quasi-
judicial capacity when own-
ers request to make alter-
ations, consider demolition
or relocate the structure.
The commission also would
like to explore incentive pro-
grams and create historic
tourism opportunities
around town.
“Recruiting individuals
with expertise in historic
preservation will greatly
help our dedicated Historic
Landmark Commission ac-
complish these goals,” City
Clerk Domenica Protheroe
wrote in an agenda report to
the council.
No members of the com-
mission attended the meet-
ing, which left council mem-
bers with questions regard-
ing why the commission
chose up to three outside
members and if the com-
mission already had appli-
cants in mind.
Councilor Charlie Flynn
said he’s concerned that
having that many members
living outside Falls City, the
commission might lose its
local focus and knowledge.
Ungricht said he will ask
the commission to have rep-
resentatives at the council’s
April meeting to answer
those questions and con-
cerns before taking a vote on
the ordinance to amend the
city code.
The proposed amend-
ment reads: “At least three of
the members of the Historic
Landmark Commission
must reside in the city at the
time of their appointment
and at all times during their
term in office. Three non-
resident member may be
appointed and approved
when the mayor and the
city council determine that
such individuals have spe-
cial qualifications and ex-
pertise in the subject matter
of the commission, and
have expressed interest in
being appointed and serv-
ing and advancing the inter-
ests of the city.”
WEATHER
RECORDED
HIGH LOW
March 14......... 59
March 15......... 56
March 16......... 56
March 17......... 56
March 18......... 58
March 19......... 57
March 20......... 51
RAIN
53
45
35
36
39
32
40
Rainfall during March. — 5.64 in.
Rain through March 20 — 24.45 in.
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4th Annual
Survivor Dinner & Celebration
hosted by Eola Hills Winery
Presented by Relay For Life of Polk County & Team Perrydale
Saturday, April 1, 2017
at Eola Hills Wine Cellars
501 S. Pacific Highway 99W Rickreall
5:30 ~ Doors open, Meet & Mingle
6:15 to 8:00 ~ Dinner & Entertainment
Every survivor and guest will be our guests of honor at this wonderful event.
Please join us for an evening of food, fun and festivities.
Kelly K. Denney
Financial Advisor
503-623-2146
244 E. Ellendale, Suite 2
Dallas, OR 97338
Ben Meyer, AAMS ®
Bob Timmerman
Financial Advisor
Financial Advisor
503-606-3048
503-623-5584
193 E. Main Street
Monmouth, OR 97361
159 SW Court Street
Dallas, OR 97338
To RSVP your name and the name of one guest,
contact Jen Levesque at 503.837.0118 or jenniferlevesque01@gmail.com
RSVPs are encouraged by March 20, but are not required.
The opportunity to register for Relay For Life will be available.
Relay For Life ~ June 3-4, 2017 • Dallas High School, Dallas
www.relayforlife.org/polkcountyor
We’re excited to help your business grow!
Digital & Print
It’s easier and more affordable
than you think it is!
Give us a call!
503-623-2373
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Heidi Leppin ext. 115
Rachel Best ext. 110