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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 10, 2017)
Polk County News 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. 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 Polk County Itemizer- Observer is committed to pub- lishing accurate news, feature and sports reports. If you see anything that requires a cor- rection or clarification, call the newsroom at 503-623-2373 or send an email to ementzer@polkio.com. 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. The Itemizer-Observer is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Watch for breaking news, links to sto- ries, sports scores updates and more. WEATHER RECORDED HIgH LOw May 2................. 67 May 3................. 81 May 4................. 84 May 5................. 56 May 6................. 60 May 7................. 65 May 8................. 73 51 52 55 45 38 40 39 RaIn .02 .00 T .16 T .00 .00 Rainfall during May — 0.18 in. Rain through May 8 — 31.10 in. WOU to host annual Spring Dance Concert Wednesday through Saturday MONMOUTH — The annual Western Oregon University Spring Dance Concert will be Thursday through Saturday in Rice Auditorium. Curtain will be 7:30 p.m. each day. Guest choreographer Timo- thy Cowart, from Allentown, Penn., will present a piece, “En- tanglement” that is a swirling work of choreography based on the physical phenomenon de- scribed in Quantum Entangle- ment. In this piece, dancers en- tangle and intertwine in mo- mentum-based partnering work that keeps them connect- ed to one another, even from across the stage. Valerie Bergman and Darryl Thomas, artistic directors of Rainbow Dance Theater, have choreographed “Earth Angel,” featuring aerial choreography. Sharon Oberst, a WOU dance professor, developed, “Bach on Top,” an ensemble tap piece in honor of her teacher, Janet Wynn Descutner, who died in 2010. Several student choreogra- phers will be featured as well. Tickets are $12 general; $10 students; $7 students with ID. Tickets may be purchased at the box office or in advance by calling 503-838-8462. Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 10, 2017 3a NEWS IN BRIEF Tuesdays on the Square return in June DALLAS — The city of Dallas will kick off its second season of Tuesdays on the Square on June 13. This year, the city will host three events in June, July and Sep- tember. Skipping August will allow the focus to be on the Great American Eclipse on Aug. 21. “We going to hold three of these this year, not four,” said City Manager Ron Foggin. “You recall that we decided that the (August event) would be not a Tuesday on the Square, but a whole week- end and Monday for the eclipse.” On June 13, the theme will be city services. Dallas has invited Republic Services, Pacific Power, the Dallas School District, the American Red Cross, and Salem Health West Valley to participate alongside all city departments. Sleepy driver crashes, no serious injury DALLAS — Fatigue was the cause of an early morning crash near Cross Creek Golf Course on May 3. Deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to the single-vehicle crash at 4:38 a.m. According to police, the vehicle had left the roadway, rolling at least once into the driveway. The driver told deputies that he had fallen asleep and was taken to the hospital with apparent minor injuries. Damage to the car was extensive, and police said the driver was fortunate not to have been more seriously hurt. The sheriff’s office said that sleepy driving can be as dangerous as impaired driving, and advises people to pull over, take a nap or drink coffee if feeling tired behind the wheel. Indy arrests five for DUII in April INDEPENDENCE — During the month of April, five driving under the influence of intoxicants arrests were made by Inde- pendence officers. One of the DUII arrests was the result of a traffic crash where the impaired driver hit a car full of teenaged passen- gers. No serious injuries were reported in this case. Overtime hours are given to officers in part with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Grant for extra patrol. Inde- pendence officers will continue to dedicate time to have an extra officer patrolling for impaired motorists, especially during Memo- rial Day weekend in May. For more information, visit the High-Vis- ibility Enforcement Campaign Headquarters at www.StopIm- pairedDriving.org. Third property tax payment due Monday POLK COUNTY — The Polk County Tax Office reminds taxpayers who pay their property taxes in trimester payments, the third in- stallment is due by Monday. Payments may be made by mail or in Dallas at the tax office. Credit and debit cards, and e-Check payments may be made online or by phone. Call 1-888-643-8041 or visit www.co.polk.or.us, select Online Services, then Tax Services. Payments that are mailed must bear the May 15 postmark to avoid interest. Monmouth PD to make extra patrols MONMOUTH — Monday through May 28, Monmouth Police Department will join other law enforcement agencies throughout the state by conducting specialized traffic safety enforcement op- erations. Officers will also work to emphasize the importance of proper safety belt use, including child seat use. This enhanced enforcement is made possible through grant funding of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, ad- ministered by the Oregon Department of Transportation. Children younger than 1 or weighing less than 20 pounds must ride in a rear-facing child seat. A child heavier than 40 pounds must use either a child seat or booster until he or she reaches the age of 8, or 4-foot-9, and the adult belt fits them properly. Indy PD issues six tickets for ped safety INDEPENDENCE — Independence Police Department issued six citations, 24 warnings, and educated a number of citizens in its re- cent campaign to improve pedestrian safety. A four-hour campaign was held on April 27 that involved offi- cers in plain clothes at heavily used crosswalks in the city. IPD Sgt. Tino Banuelos said people should follow basic safe practices, including: Drivers should be on the lookout for and stop for pedestrians. Pedestrians should look both ways for traffic. “Remember that having the right-of-way does not prevent you from being seriously injured by a driver who is not paying atten- tion,” Banuelos said in a press release. “Traffic safety is everyone’s personal responsibility.” Dallas FFA to host drive-up barbecue DALLAS — The Dallas FFA is selling 2- to 3-pound barbecue tri- tips and about 1 pound of roasted potatoes for $25 on Friday. The proceeds of the fundraiser support Dallas FFA’s students traveling to Washington, D.C., for a leadership conference. People who buy dinners may pick them up at Dallas High School, 1250 Holman Ave., behind the school by the greenhouses between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. For more information: 971-241-9157. The West Valley Housing Authority (WVHA) is hereby inviting the public to review and/or provide comment on our Public Housing Annual Plan and Capital Fund Plans. Copies of the proposed plans will be available for review as of May 10, 2017 and can be obtained from our website at www.wvpha.org or any of the WVHA’s offices (main office address listed below). Comments will be received up through the public comment review hearing to take place on June 28, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at 204 SW Walnut Ave., Dallas, OR 97338. Written comments on the plan may be mailed to the attention of Executive Director, West Val- ley Housing Authority, 204 SW Walnut Ave., Dallas, OR 97338 or emailed to wvpha@wvpha.org. The meeting location is wheel-chair accessible. Call (503) 623-8387 during business hours if other accom- modations are required. Solution on Page 8 www.polkio.com Kingsella steps down from MI Chamber Itemizer-Observer staff report MONMOUTH/INDEPEN- DENCE — Ryan Kingsella an- nounced his resignation as the executive director of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. “Genesis, my drone-based aerial imaging, and GIS analy- sis company received an in- vestment offer as we recently made our drone services pub- lic,” he said. “I was not expect- ing the overwhelming large response to Genesis, nor were we actively seeking invest- ments. Because of that, I would not be able to dedicate my full attention to the MI Chamber of Commerce, which requires that I step down.” Kingsella has held the job since Jan. 1. During his time as director, the chamber has gained 20 new members. Gardeners plant sale Itemizer-Observer staff report RICKREALL — Thousands of plants, includ- ing 3,500 tomato starts, will line the tables of the 27th annual Polk County Master Gardeners sale on Mother’s Day weekend. The sale will be held 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Polk County Fairgrounds & Event Center in Rickreall. “We’ve added a greater variety of vegetable plants, more of them and have more room to display them,” said Darrell Ward, plant sale chair. In addition to the tomatoes, more than 1,500 other vegetables will be for sale, includ- ing squash, broccoli, eggplant, cucumbers, let- tuce, melons and more. The popular 6-pack size will be for sale this year. An impressive number of culinary herbs, annual and perennials flowers, hanging bas- kets, trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses will also be available, as will grafted vegetables. “You’ll be able to purchase some tomatoes we’ve grafted on a hardier root stock to grow bigger, faster, stronger and resist disease,” said Dale Jordan, Master Gardeners lead grafter. “Since we’ve done our own grafting this year, we will be able to offer the grafted tomatoes at an affordable price.” In addition to plants, the Country Store re- turns with yard art, tea pots, tools, bird cages, planters, pots and more. The plant sale will be held inside rain or shine. Admission and parking are free, and credit cards are accepted. Dallas industrial land for sale Itemizer-Observer staff report DALLAS — Four Dallas in- dustrial sites off Monmouth Cutoff Road have returned to the auction block with prices significantly reduced from a previous sale. Auctioneer Realty Market- ing Northwest is offering the properties, ranging in size from three acres to 19 acres, in its spring auction, with sealed bids due by May 24. “The seller has reduced prices by up to 55 percent from the last auction, with the added incentive of providing short-term financing with a 25 percent down payment, so that these remaining industri- al properties can be sold by the end of June,” said John Rosenthal, the president and principal broker at Realty Mar- keting Northwest. The following are the prop- erties up for auction: • Three-acre parcel with frontage on Southeast God- sey Road next to the Ameri- can Gas & Technology site (former Tyco Building). Pub- lished Reserve: $70,000 (previ- ous price, $150,000). • Four-acre parcel at the corner of Southeast Godsey and Monmouth Cutoff road next the American Gas & Technology site. Published Reserve: $100,000 (previous price, $195,000) • 13.75-acre site with frontage on Southeast Hol- man Avenue, with a rail spur on the northern boundary. Published Reserve: $250,000 (previous price, $500,000). • 19.2-acre site with frontage on Southeast God- sey Road. Published Reserve: $275,000 (previous price, $395,000). Rosenthal said the proper- ties are those leftover from an industrial land auction in 2015. After that process was un- successful, the owner contin- ued to list the properties for sale, but hasn’t been able to move them. Rosenthal said the owner decided to take them to auc- tion again this spring. “I recommended the prices come down and we’ve had three times as much interest,” he said. For more information or a catalogue, call 1-800-845- 3524. COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS Date Published: May 10th, 2017 Oregon Housing and Community Services 725 Summer Street NE, Suite B, Salem, OR 97301-1271 (503) 986-2000 This Notice shall satisfy the above-cited two separate but related procedural notification requirements for activities undertaken by Oregon Housing and Com- munity Services. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about the date of May, 26th 2017, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) will submit a request to HUD for the release of HOME Invest- ment Partnerships Program funds under Title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez Na- tional Affordable Housing Act passed by Congress in October, 1990, and amended by the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, to under- take a project known as El Glen 2, to be located at 690-730 Clay Street in Mon- mouth, Oregon 97361, for the purpose of new construction of 6 units affordable housing. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OHCS has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at Oregon Housing and Community Services, 725 Summer Street NE, Suite B, Salem, Oregon, and may be examined or copied weekdays from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. There is never a charge for examining the ERR. Any copying re- quested may be subject to charges as specified in OHCS Public Records Re- quest policy #70-010.01. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency disagreeing with this determination or wishing to comment on the project may submit written comments to Carole Dicksa, HOME Program Manager, Oregon Housing and Community Services, 725 Sum- mer Street NE, Suite B, Salem, OR, 97301-1271. All comments received by the date of May, 26th 2017 will be considered by OHCS prior to authorizing submis- sion of a request for release of funds. Commentors should specify which part of this Notice they are addressing. RELEASE OF FUNDS OHCS certifies to HUD that Heather Pate, in her capacity as Certifying Officer consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities, and al- lows OnTrack Mountain Vista Apartments Limited Partnership to use Program funds. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will consider objections to its release of funds and OHCS' certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual re- ceipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer or other of- ficer of OHCS approved by HUD; (b) OHCS has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient has committed funds or incurred costs not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objec- tions must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required proce- dures (24 CFR Part 58) and shall be addressed to Attention: Environmental Officer, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Suite 400, Portland, Oregon, 97204-2825. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period. Heather Pate, Certifying Officer
