CODY AND JENIFER
SUPER SIBLINGS
Page 12A
Volume 142, Issue 14
www.Polkio.com
April 5, 2017
$1.00
Kubista selected as Central’s super
Jennifer Kubista will start as the district’s lead administrator in July
By emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Jen-
nifer Kubista is not the type
of person to jump for the
sake of jumping.
So when she heard from
her search agent that a “gem
of a district” was looking for
a superintendent, she did
her own snooping.
“I came down and literally
walked all the schools,” Ku-
bista said. “It was pouring
down rain that whole day.
We’re with umbrellas, look-
ing into windows, looking at
classrooms. I just wanted to
see. You can tell a lot just
seeing into the buildings.”
It was the same day Cen-
tral High School hosted the
state thespian competitions,
so Kubista was able to tour
around the entire high
school — and enjoy per-
formances from students.
She walked through Mon-
mouth, Independence, and
toured Western Oregon Uni-
versity.
“I asked questions,
‘What’s great about this
town,’” Kubista said. “A lot of
people said people work
hard here. They’ve had some
difficult times, but even dur-
ing difficult times, they pull
MOnMOUTh
Andy Avgi chases his
football dream.
»Page 12A
SPORTS
Siblings challenge,
encourage each other.
»Page 12A
eDUCATIOn
Wyatt Button is ready
for the stage.
»Page 12A
Deputies arrest
man in stabbing
Itemizer-Observer staff report
EMILy MENTzEr/Itemizer-Observer
Jennifer Kubista is eager to make connections with administrators, teachers, students and the community.
together. It’s a very inclusive
environment for both towns,
welcoming to everyone.”
She said she heard that
same message over and over
again and decided to put her
application for Central
School District’s next super-
intendent. On Monday, the
board approved her con-
tract. She starts the job in
July, after Buzz Brazeau re-
tires at the end of June.
Kubista grew up in Taco-
ma, Wash., and, when she
star ted her education,
planned on working toward
being a college athletics di-
rector.
See CenTRAl, Page 11A
Pennies for prevention
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Don’t
know what you can do to
prevent child abuse and
neglect?
The Collective Change
Campaign, running through
the month of April — child
abuse prevention month —
gives you an easy way to
help. It’s as simple as drop-
ping your spare change into
a jar.
Polk and Yamhill counties
decided to form a partner-
ship this year to hold more
activities in hopes of raising
awareness. In Polk County,
the cause had been recog-
nized with a walk and “pin-
wheel garden,” the symbol
of child abuse prevention.
“We have this great early
childhood and Mid-Valley
parenting program and be-
cause we do a lot of partner-
ing with Yamhill County, we
got both counties together
to say what we could do for
JOLENE GUzMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
The Polk County Awareness Walk began at the Courthouse on Tuesday afternoon.
our region,” said Brent
DeMoe, the director of the
Family & Community Out-
reach program for Polk
County. “We got together
with those partners and we
said what can we do that is
more than just one walk in
one place?”
Collective Change is one of
the new ideas debuting in
both counties. Change jars
will grace the front counters
of as many businesses and or-
ganizations that will take
them across the two counties.
“We want to have them in
every business, every
agency, every school that
wants them throughout Polk
C o u n t y,” D e Mo e s a i d .
“Someone could contribute
a penny and they would
know that penny is going to
go to a program that helps
prevent child abuse and
neglect or serves kids who
have been abused.”
This year, 100 percent of
the money collected goes to
relief nurseries in both
counties. In Polk, Family
Building Blocks provides re-
lief nurseries in Dallas and
West Salem. DeMoe said
next year, another organiza-
tion working to prevent
child abuse will be picked at
the beneficiary.
See PInWheelS, Page 2A
Foscoli set to tackle Dallas economic development
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — AJ Foscoli is
ready to join Dallas’ busi-
ness development “team.”
Foscoli, selected to serve
as the city’s economic devel-
opment director, has worked
in the region as the Strategic
Economic Development
Corporation business reten-
tion and expansion coordi-
nator for Polk and Yamhill
counties since 2014.
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
IN
YOUR
TOWN
He’s familiar with Dal-
las — and even has family
living here.
“Working in Polk and
Yamhill counties, I was able
to get to know many of the
communities,” Foscoli said.
“The more you know the
community, the more your
confidence level is going to
be higher.”
He’s interested in focusing
on the entire Dallas commu-
nity, not just the traded-sec-
tor industry that he’s work-
ing with at Sedcor.
Foscoli said he’s ready to
assist the Dallas School Dis-
trict with it career & techni-
cal education program,
companies with training
and recruiting skilled work-
ers and the Dallas Area
Chamber of Commerce in
supporting business.
“Economic development
is a team sport,” Foscoli
said. “The more people who
work together, the higher
likelihood of success.”
wed
thu
fri
Monmouth Police
officers invite chil-
dren and their
adults to Craft with
a Cop at the depart-
ment.
2-4 p.m. Free.
Put on your thinking
cap and meet with
other strategically
thinking youths at
Independence li-
brary’s Chess Club.
4:30 p.m. Free.
The Makey Makey
inspires kids to cre-
ate and learn about
technology, and will
be at the Dallas Pub-
lic Library today.
4 p.m. Free.
Rain
Hi: 59
Lo: 45
Rain
Hi: 58
Lo: 45
Showers
Hi: 56
Lo: 41
Dallas City Manager Ron
Foggin said Foscoli’s back-
ground in economic devel-
opment and knowledge of
the Dallas area were two rea-
sons he was selected for the
post, a new position for the
city.
“AJ has a great reputation
in our region and has played
an active role in the city of
Dallas's economic develop-
ment efforts,” Foggin said.
“He has already worked
closely with a number of our
sat
The MonIndy Food
Project will pick up
green bags for the
Ella Curran Food
Bank. Don’t forget
to set yours out.
9 a.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 50
Lo: 37
industrial and commercial
businesses as well as the
(Dallas Area) Chamber of
Commerce and other city
stakeholders.”
Before working with Sed-
cor, Foscoli spent 12 years
in Tokyo, Japan working
with businesses that im-
ported merchandise from
the U.S. or lecturing young
entrepreneurs in the coun-
try about Western business
practices.
See FOSCOlI, Page 2A
DALLAS — On Mon-
day, just after midnight,
the Polk County Sheriff’s
Office, assisted by officers
from the Dallas Police De-
partment and the Oregon
State Police, responded
to a report of a man who
had been stabbed in the
chest at 392 N. Kings Val-
ley Highway, outside of
Dallas.
Upon arrival, deputies
encountered the victim, a
39-year-old resident of
the home, with a serious
stab wound. He was
transported by Dallas Fire
& EMS medics to Salem
Hospital.
The victim was unable
to give much information,
but implied that it was a
stranger who stabbed
him, according to a re-
lease from the sheriff’s
department. Deputies
began investigating the
timeline for the victim’s
night, and discovered
that he had recently been
in the company of David
Tabler, 54, who also
resided on the property.
Through investigative in-
terviews deputies learned
that Tabler and the victim
were in an argument
leading up to the stab-
bing.
According to the re-
lease, deputies learned
that Tabler was staying in
another building only
steps from the main resi-
dence and they located
him in that building.
Tabler was interviewed as
part of the investigation
and provided statements
regarding a conflict with
the victim. Tabler also
was found to have a sig-
nificant amount of blood
on his hands and cloth-
ing.
Tabler was arrested for
first-degree assault, a
Measure 11 offense, and
unlawful use of a weapon,
and lodged at the Polk
County Jail. A search war-
rant was subsequently
granted to search the
property and the likely
weapon used to stab the
victim was located.
If any person has infor-
mation regarding this in-
cident: Deputy Mike
Smith, 503-623-9251.
sun
mon
tue
Have breakfast at
the Buell Grange on
this Palm Sunday.
The grange is on
Mill Creek road,
northwest of Dallas.
8-11 a.m. $6.
Have overdue fines?
All Polk County li-
braries kick off a
week of Food for
Fines. Donate food
for fine reductions.
4:30 p.m. Free.
James2 Community
Kitchen offers free
meals at St. Philip’s
Dallas and at Falls
City United
Methodist today.
4:30-6:30 p.m. Free.
Showers
Hi: 52
Lo: 39
Showers
Hi: 52
Lo: 37
Partly cloudy
Hi: 57
Lo: 44