Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 3, 2017 9A
Wet weather invited crane flies to invade lawns
Brown and bare spots on
lawns in western Oregon –
some spanning large areas –
are the result of a heavier-
than-usual crane fly out-
break.
“Some years are worse
than others for crane fly in-
f e s t a t i o n s ,” s a i d A l e c
Kowalewski, turfgrass spe-
cialist for Oregon State Uni-
versity Extension Service.
“Because of the especially
wet fall and spring, they are
bad this year.”
On the OSU campus, the
damage is obvious in several
areas. In one, the European
crane flies migrated to the
sidewalk and died – proba-
bly because they wanted to
escape the overly wet soil
and couldn’t find their way
back, said Brian McDonald,
senior research assistant in
the turfgrass program. If you
discover the same thing, he
recommends blowing them
into piles and using a shovel
to scoop them up.
“They will die soon so
there’s no need to spray,”
McDonald said. “But I
would dispose of them be-
cause they’ll begin smelling
really bad once they’re
dead.”
Short-lived adult Euro-
pean crane flies – people
often call them mosquito
K YM
P OKORNY
These Polk County groups would welcome individuals
who have time or expertise to volunteer. Organizations that
would like to be added to this list should call 503-623-2373
or email IOnews@polkio.com.
Your
Garden
eaters, though they aren’t –
emerge in August to lay eggs
in lawn. The eggs hatch into
the wormlike larvae or
“leatherjackets,” which feed
on the roots and crowns of
the grass in late fall and
early spring.
“To repair from the dam-
age these insects have
caused, the best thing to do
is to start building your lawn
back up with seed and fertil-
izer,” Kowalewski said.
“Proper mowing, fertiliza-
tion and irrigation will in-
crease your lawn’s tolerance
to the pest, preventing visi-
ble damage in the future
even when pest populations
are relatively high.”
Now through Memorial
Day is the optimum time to
broadcast seed over the bare
spots. Fertilize four to six
times a year in spring and
fall.
To check for an infesta-
tion next fall, dig up a 1-
square-foot area of lawn
about three inches deep and
count the crane fly larvae. If
FLICKR
Crane fly larvae feed on the roots and crowns of grass,
leaving bare spots that can be rejuvenated with seeding
and fertilizing.
there are 25 to 50 insects,
you’ll want to start a control
program. They’ll be small
and harder to see than at
this time of year, but easier
to kill.
Turning off irrigation
around Labor Day will help
keep populations to a mini-
mum because that’s when
the adults lay eggs in moist
soils.
MI TOWN
We’ve turned the calendar
page to the brand-spanking
merry month of May, which
promises to bring flowers
and sunshine and many
outdoor programs, and
we’re all wishing on stars
and dandelion fuzz and
four-leaf clovers that we can
finally get outdoor projects
underway, especially in our
rain-soaked vegetable gar-
den beds.
—
It’s wonderful to see stu-
dents of all ages participat-
ing in baseball, track and
other spring sports, and
these dedicated athletes
show us every day how hard
work and competition keeps
them healthy and fit. We can
learn valuable lessons in
teamwork and positive atti-
tudes just from being
around our kids and watch-
ing them participate in
competitions around the
community and state.
—
Springtime at Western
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
Oregon University gives us
all an opportunity to attend
music, dance and theater
presentations ranging from
vocal recitals to orchestra
performances. We are so for-
tunate to have so many
bright and talented shining
stars right in our midst —
and it’s truly a pleasure to
enjoy an afternoon or
evening in the company of
such young and enthusiastic
performers. Many programs
are free to the public or the
admission price is very rea-
sonable, and an opportunity
to show the students how
much we appreciate such
talent, knowledge and dedi-
cation.
—
May is National Historic
Preservation Month — and
MI Town residents and visi-
tors are fortunate to not only
live in historic communities,
but we have access to all
kinds of information that’s
available to everyone.
—
Restore Oregon magazine
recently published an article
featuring the recent restora-
tion of the J.S. Cooper Build-
ing in Independence. The
article is easily accessed
from the city of Independ-
ence web site (www.ci.inde-
pendence.or.us). Tab to His-
toric Independence, then
click on the article. Many
other Restore Oregon arti-
cles are available on their
web site.
—
This Saturday’s Mon-
mouth Senior Center Com-
munity Breakfast has an
added treat in store for
everyone. The doors open at
8:30 a.m. for those hungry
for both local history and
outstanding food. From 9:30
until 11 a.m., you’ll have the
opportunity to meet Kyle
Janssen, who for merly
worked with the Oregon
He r i t a g e C o m m i s s i o n .
Janssen will share his stories
of online research about our
communities, using
archived information from
copies of historic Mon-
mouth newspapers from
days gone by. Polk County
Cemetery Savers will speak
of restoration projects of
local private cemeteries.
—
Be sure to visit the Inde-
pendence farmers markets
in the Umpqua Bank park-
ing lot and at the amphithe-
ater to get fresh fruits and
veggies for the upcoming
week, and don’t forget to
stop by the Friends of the
Monmouth Library spring
book sale in the meeting
room for great bargains on
books. The Monmouth Gar-
den Club sale will be right
outside the meeting room.
PEDEE NEWS
Betty Forry, our favorite
104-year-old, passed away
on April 21. She had lived
here in Pedee since 1965,
when she and her husband
Jim moved here from South-
ern California, which got Jim
out of the stress that con-
tributed to his high blood
pressure and allowed him to
have the Borzoi (dog) he had
dreamed of owning. Betty’s
life was dedicated to making
a happy and comfortable
home for Jim, which she did
until he died here in Pedee
in 1991. Daughter June
joined Betty here in 2002.
There will be a service for
Betty at Womer Cemetery on
Saturday at 2 p.m.
—
Pam Burbank just re-
turned from a week on the
A RLENE
K OVASH
Columnist
Hawaiian island of
Oahu. Her son and his wife,
Jon and Maiya Burbank,
gave her the trip for her
birthday. The best part of
the trip was swimming in
the ocean every day and at-
tending a luau. The worst
part was a six-mile hike,
rated strenuous. A walking
stick helped, but Pam re-
turned with a broken shoe.
One day they swam in
strong waves, where Jon lost
his wedding ring in the
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—
The Burbank family was
saddened to hear of the loss
of Aaron’s brother and sis-
ter-in-law Lyle and Terri
Burbank’s grandson, Cole
Burbank, 16. Cole was the
son of their youngest son
Ma t t h e w a n d l i v e d i n
Camas, Wash.
—
On Thursday, I went with
friends Jim and Donna
Wernz, of Philomath, to a
talk by David Brauner, OSU
Department of Anthropolo-
gy and Ft. Hoskins buff. His
talk was titled “Rebirth of a
Civil War Military Fort,” and
some of the talk was about
the Vandenberg’s old house
here on Pedee Creek Road,
commonly called the Sheri-
dan House, which was
moved back to the side of
the fort in 2013. Interest-
ingly, Phil Sheridan never
lived in the house, as he
was only a lieutenant when
he was stationed at Ft.
Hoskins, so the house is
now called, “The Comman-
der’s House,” as fort com-
mander Captain Christo-
pher Augur lived in it. Be-
cause of its ties to both
Sheridan and Augur, it is
considered one of the most
significant houses in Ore-
gon, Brauner told us. At this
point, the outside of the
house has gone through
much renovation at the Ft.
Hoskins site, and is sched-
uled to be renovated on the
interior in the near future.
SEEKING BIDS FROM INTERESTED BUYERS
The City of Monmouth
is seeking bids from
interested buyers for
the city’s property at
152 Warren St. N.
Bid Deadline: May 19,
2017 at 4:00 p.m.
Inquiries should be directed to Phyllis Bolman,
503-751-0145 or pbolman@ci.monmouth.or.us
SEEKING BIDS FROM INTERESTED BUYERS
Advertise in the
2017-2018 Polk County Telephone Directory.
www.polkio.com/polk-directory/
503-623-2373
Heidi, ext. 115 • Rachel, ext. 110 • Karen, ext. 118
VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES
The City of Monmouth
is seeking bids from
interested buyers for
the city’s property at
238 Jackson St. E.
Bid Deadline: May 19,
2017 at 4:00 p.m.
Inquiries should be directed to Phyllis Bolman,
503-751-0145 or pbolman@ci.monmouth.or.us
• AARP Foundation Tax-Aide — 503-930-7636
• After DARC — 503-623-9501
• American Cancer Society Road to Recovery
— 1-800-227-2345
• Arc of Polk County — 541-223-3261
• Ash Creek Arts Center — 971-599-3301
• Central School District — 503-838-0030
• City of Dallas — 503-831-3502
• City of Independence — 503-838-1212
• City of Monmouth — 503-751-0145
• Crime Victims Assistance Program — 503-623-9268
• Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce — 503-623-2564
• Dallas Fire Department — 503-831-3532
• Dallas Food Bank — 503-623-3578
• Dallas Kids, Inc. — 503-623-6419
• Dallas Police Department — 503-831-3582
• Dallas Public Library — 503-623-2633
• Dallas Retirement Village — 503-623-5581
• Dallas School District — 503-623-5594
• Delbert Hunter Arboretum — 503-623-7359
• Girl Scouts of Southwest Washington and Oregon
— 1-800-338-5248
• Ella Curran Food Bank — 503-838-1276
• Falls City Arts Center — 503-559-6291
• Falls City School District — 503-787-3531
• Family Building Blocks — 503-566-2132, ext. 308.
• H-2-O — 503-831-4736
HART (Horses Adaptive Riding and Therapy)
— 971-301-4278
• HandsOn Mid-Willamette Valley — 503-363-1651
• Heron Pointe Assisted Living — 503-838-6850
• Independence Health and Rehabilitation — 503-838-0001
• Independence Public Library — 503-838-1811
• Kings Valley Charter School — 541-929-2134
• Luckiamute Watershed Council — 503-837-0237
• Luckiamute Valley Charter School — 503-623-4837
• Meals on Wheels — 503-838-2084
• Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce
— 503-838-4268
• Monmouth-Independence YMCA — 503-838-4042
• Monmouth Public Library — 503-838-1932
• Northwest Human Services — 503-588-5828
• Oregon Child Development Coalition — 503-838-2745
• OSU Extension Service - Polk County — 503-623-8395
• Perrydale School District — 503-623-2040
• Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of
Polk County Inc. — 503-623-8473
• Polk Community Development Corporation
— 503-831-3173
• Polk County Community Emergency Response Team
— 503-623-9396
• Polk County Museum — 503-623-6251
• Polk County Public Health — 503-623-8175
• Polk County Resource Center — 503-623-8429
• Polk Soil and Water Conservation District — 503-623-9680
• Relief Nursery Classroom — 503-566-2132
• SABLE House — 503-623-6703
• SALT (Senior and law enforcement together)
— 503-851-9366
• Salvation Army — 503-798-4783
• SMART (Start Making A Reader Today) — 503-391-8423
• Salem Health West Valley Hospital — 503-623-8301
• Victim Assistance Program-Polk Co. District Attorney’s
Office 503-623-9268 x1444
• Willamette Valley Hospice — 503-588-3600
• WIMPEG Community Access Television — 503-837-0163
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
—
TUESDAY, MAY 9
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:30 to 6 p.m., St.
Philip Catholic Church, 825 SW Mill St., Dallas. Free; everyone
welcome. 503-623-8429.
• James2 Community Kitchen Meal — 4:45 to 6:30 p.m.,
Falls City Methodist Church, 242 North Main St., Falls City. Free.
503-787-3371.
• Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) Club — 6 to 7 p.m.
weigh-in, 7 to 8 p.m. meeting, First Christian Church basement,
1079 SE Jefferson St., Dallas. Meetings offer programs and activ-
ities aimed at losing weight. Open to anyone. First meeting is
free.
• Community Lecture: Global Learning — Bringing the
World to WOU – 5:30 to 7 p.m., Western Oregon University In-
structional Technology Center, room 205, 345 Monmouth Ave.
N., Monmouth. Rob Troyer will present. Free. 503-838-8483.
• Overeaters Anonymous — Noon to 1 p.m., Salem Health
West Valley, 525 SE Washington St., Dallas. Support group
meets in the quiet room/chapel immediately inside the emer-
gency entrance on Clay Street. Dee Ann White, 971-718-6444.
—
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10
• Polk County Republican Women — 11:30 a.m., Murphy’s
Restaurant, 288 E. Ellendale Ave., Dallas. No-host lunch avail-
able; everyone welcome. 503-623-5759.
• Monmouth-Independence Chamber Forum — Noon to 1
p.m., Eola Hills Wine Cellars, 501 S. Pacific Highway, Rickreall.
Registration is requested to help host site prepare. Forum fea-
turing guest speakers on topics related to strengthening busi-
nesses and the community. 503-838-4268.
• Respite Care — 1 to 3 p.m., 182 SW Academy St., Suite 216,
Dallas. Free child care for parents who need time to run er-
rands, pay bills, etc. Free. Open for children ages 6 weeks to 5
years. 503-877-8473 to reserve space. Diapers are provided.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Free Blood Pressure Check Clinic — 2 to 3 p.m., Salem
Health West Valley (surgery admitting area), 525 SE Washington
St., Dallas. 503-623-7323.
• Monmouth Senior Center Music Jam — 6:30 p.m., Mon-
mouth Senior Center, 180 S. Warren St., Monmouth. Open to
the public; musicians of all types welcome. 503-838-5678.
• Dallas American Legion Post No. 20 — 7 p.m., Academy
Building, Room 108, 182 SW Academy St., Dallas. 503-831-3971.
Call us.
The Itemizer-Observer can help you expand
your market share and make your
business more profitable.
Call us at 503-623-2373 and
make an appointment with our
Advertising Consultants,
Heidi, Rachel or Karen.
ADVERTISING THAT WORKS.