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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2017)
Polk County News Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 24, 2017 3A Dallas Wine Down brings business on Sunday JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Right: Harrison Williams, a teacher’s assistant with Oregon State University, pours wine during the Dallas Wine Down on Sunday. Left: A participant in the Dallas Wine Down walks past a wine station at Some Things on Sunday. Hunt elected to Dallas School Board By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Dave Hunt’s election victory on May 16 will make him the newest member of the Dallas School Board when he takes his seat in July. Last week, that reality was sinking in for the retired fire- fighter and member of the district’s budget committee. Hunt defeated opponent Ivan Barnes 2,276 to 836 or 72 percent to 27 percent. Barnes was running to serve on the board for the first time. “I’m getting used to it,” said Hunt, 61. E v e n though he’s serving on the budget committee and has worked on Hunt other un- elected district committees, it was an extraordinary feel- ing for him to see early re- turns on May 16. “My first thought was that 2,000 people, at least, cared enough for what I presented to say, ‘we would like you to do that,’” he said. “It’s just fun to be in- Central School District results • In Central School District’s two contested races, Peggy Clyne defeated Salvador Diaz for Position No. 2 on the board. • Kristina Mann won the Position No. 5 seat over opponent Steve Milligan. volved. After 35 years of being a public servant and retiring, it’s kind of let me fill a void in my life.” Hunt brings a varied background to the post. He recently retired from Tu- alatin Valley Fire & Rescue; he’s raised children who graduated in Dallas; and in a twist of fate, is now raising two children who attend Oakdale Heights Elemen- tary. “My wife and I started foster parenting 10 years ago, and we ended up adopting our soon-to-be 8- year-old daughter and our 4-year-old son. We’ve had them since birth,” Hunt said. “We hadn’t originally planned on being adoptive parents, but it kind of hap- pened that way.” That makes him a retiree, grandparent and a parent of young children all at the same time. “I have a lot of different perspectives that not every- body has,” he said. “Hope- fully that will be an asset.” He acknowledged many of the decisions the district and school board make re- late to funding, but he has other objectives in mind. “For me it’s a lot more than money,” he said. “The people here approach it more like a calling than a profession. They are motivated in ways that a lot of big city districts can’t match.” At the top of his list of what he wants to accom- plish is reducing class sizes and letting people know about the opportunities at Dallas schools. “I would also like to get the word out to the com- munities around us, and statewide, that we have a lot to offer families that want to raise their kids in a sterling school system. I would like to see us be more family-or iented rather than a retiree-ori- ented community,” he said, then adding, “And I say that as a retiree.”
