Polk County
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Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 31, 2017 4a
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Cancer never sleeps;
neither do Relayers
The annual Polk County Relay For Life 24-hour event is
Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the Dallas High
School track.
The event raises cancer awareness, as well as raising
money to fight the disease through funding research and
providing support to those battling cancer.
Relay does more than that. It brings together survivors
and caregivers. It lets them know they’re not alone in their
suffering and in their trials.
Cancer does not discriminate. It does not care how old
you are or how healthy you’ve lived your life. Sure, some
life choices make cancer more likely to strike you, but
sometimes you haven’t done anything to deserve it. But
cancer does not care.
In fact, we all know someone — if not now, you likely
will — who has been affected by cancer in some way. They
may not talk about it. They may not think it’s a big deal.
Some survivors don’t feel like cancer survivors because
they didn’t go through excruciating chemotherapy or lose
their hair.
But the fact is: If you had cancer and live today, you are
a survivor, and it’s efforts such as Relay For Life that helped
get you there by supporting getting tested and being aware
of the signs of cancer.
Relay is open to everyone. Because it’s a 24-hour event,
you can literally stop by anytime and check it out. Visit
with survivors. Listen to the stories about why people are
crazy enough to set up in an open field for 24 hours in
spite of heat or rain or wind and walk — and walk.
Polk County’s event is one of the few remaining 24-hour
events in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and
has been named a heritage event because of it. We are
proud to remain as a traditional Relay, because, cancer
doesn’t sleep, so neither do we. That means someone from
each team is walking the track throughout the day and
night. It is symbolic of how a cancer patient must battle
even when no one else is around.
It’s not all doom and gloom — quite the opposite. It’s a
celebration of those who have been affected by cancer and
a remembrance of those we’ve lost. Most of the day, Relay
for Life feels like a big party.
Come on down to DHS and walk a few laps with
friends — you may be surprised by how many friends you
have participating — bring a team some lunch or snacks,
laugh, remember, celebrate.
We are grateful for the efforts of Tami Bookey-Kuhlmann,
and are sad to see her step down as Relay chairwoman. We
are eager to see who will pick up the baton and continue
the 24-hour Relay for Life in Polk County.
PUBLIC AGENDA
Public agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov-
ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County.
To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the
actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via email
(ionews@polkio.com).
—
wEDnESDay, May 31
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
MOnDay, JunE 5
• Central School District Board of Directors — 6:30 p.m.,
Henry Hill Education Support Center, 750 S. Fifth St., Independ-
ence.
• independence Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Independ-
ence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
• Dallas City Council — 7 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court
St., Dallas. 503-831-3502.
TuESDay, JunE 6
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 War-
ren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC office, 850 Main St., Dallas.
503-623-8173.
wEDnESDay, JunE 7
• Monmouth Historic Commission — 6 p.m., Volunteer Hall,
144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer
Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
GOVERNOR
gov. Kate Brown (Dem.)
160 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-378-4582
Email: via website,
http://governor.oregon.gov/
—
STATE LEGISLATORS
Sen. arnie Roblan
(District 5, Democrat)
S-417 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
sen.arnieroblan@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/roblan
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Hunt grateful for
vote of community
It is an honor to have
been selected to fill Position
No. 1 on the Dallas School
Board. I wanted to thank
those of you who voted for
me, as well as those who
didn’t. Your votes help keep
this community vital and
your elected officials re-
sponsive to its needs.
A special thank you goes
to board member LuAnn
Meyer for her years of serv-
ice to our schools and com-
munity. Her retirement has
given me this opportunity
to serve the families of Dal-
las. I am very grateful, and
look forward to hearing
from you.
Dave Hunt
Dallas
Disrepectful
drivers run amok
Bam. My walking stick re-
bounds off the car’s grill.
Tires screech. The car slows
to a stop. The driver yells,
“Use a crosswalk.” I shake
my head. Really? Had I not
stepped back, he’d have hit
me, not my stick, and this is
an intersection, ergo a legal
crosswalk. How’d this fool
get a license to drive?
Another day, behind me,
a horn blares. I’m in front of
my house backing into my
drive, but can’t. I get out,
ask her to back up. There’s
room. The driver behind her
isn’t quite such a ninny.
She’s not going to do it
though. No way. Traffic is
backing up. An SUV stops in
the opposite lane. Driver
asks, “What’s the problem.”
I explain. She adds her 2
cents, plus, “I’m going to
call the cops.” SUV driver
says, “I am a cop. Back up
and let him park. Even
stopped in traffic, if you’re
not a safe distance from the
car in front, you’re still ille-
gally following too closely.
Another day, same prob-
lem. The guy says, “This is a
through street. You’re being
disrespectful.” So I guess
tailgating, laying on your
horn and preventing some-
one from parking is a sign of
respect.
It happens every day. The
speeders, the tailgaters, the
ignoring of pedestrians in
crosswalks. Is this endemic
of Oregon drivers, or just
those passing through Dal-
las?
It’s time we take back our
street. Every Levens inter-
section, delineated cross-
walks. Stop signs to slow
down the led-footers. Radar
ticket cameras would quick-
ly pay for themselves. Ulti-
mately, though, for the sake
of our lives if not our prop-
erty values, let’s rethink the
value of a route for trucks
blazing down the residential
middle of our town.
Michael Welsch
Dallas
Sen. Jackie winters
(District 10, Republican)
S-301 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1710
sen.jackiewinters@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/winters
Sen. Brian Boquist
(District 12, Republican)
S-305 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1712
sen.brianboquist@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist
Rep. David gomberg
(District 10, Democrat)
H-471 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1410
rep.davidgomberg@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg
Rep. Paul Evans
(District 20, Democrat)
H-281 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1420
rep.paulevans@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/evans
Rep. Mike nearman
(District 23, Republican)
H-378 State Capitol
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1423
rep.mikenearman@state.or.us
www.oregonlegislature.gov/nearman
—
U.S. CONGRESS
Sen. Ron wyden (Dem.)
221 Dirksen SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5244
Fax: 202-228-2717
Salem office: 707 13th St. SE,
Suite 285, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-589-4555
Email: via website,
www.wyden.senate.gov
Sen. Jeff Merkley (Dem.)
313 Hart SOB
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-3753
Fax: 202-228-3997
Salem office: 161 High St. SE,
Suite 250, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-362-8102
Email: via website,
www.merkley.senate.gov
WANT TO WRITE A LETTER?
Letters to the editor are lim-
ited to 300 words. Longer letters
will be edited.
Election-related letters of all
types are limited to 100 words.
Writers are limited to one elec-
tion-related letter per election
season. Election letters from
writers outside of Polk County
are not accepted.
Each writer is restricted to
one letter per 30-day period.
Letters that are libelous, ob-
scene or in bad taste will not be
printed. Attacks by name on
businesses or individuals will
not be printed.
Letters to the editor that are
obvious promotions for a busi-
ness, products or services will
not be printed.
The Itemizer-Observer does
not guarantee the accuracy of
facts presented by letter writers;
dissenters are welcome to re-
spond. Letter writers who dis-
agree with other published
letter writers should maintain a
civil discourse and address the
subject, not the author.
Letters, like all editorial mate-
rial submitted to the newspa-
per, are edited for length,
grammar and content.
Letters must include the au-
thor’s name, address and tele-
phone number. This includes
letters submitted via the I-O’s
website. Names and cities of res-
idence are published; street ad-
dresses and telephone numbers
are used for verification pur-
poses only.
Letters must be submitted
from individuals, not organiza-
tions, and must be original sub-
missions to the I-O, not copies of
letters sent to other media.
Letters of thanks to busi-
nesses, individuals and organi-
zations are limited to 10 names.
The deadline for letters to the
editor is 10 a.m. Monday. Let-
ters submitted may not be re-
tractable after this deadline.
—
Reach us at:
Mail: Editor, Polk County
Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108,
Dallas, OR 97338.
Fax: 503-623-2395.
Email: ionews@polkio.com.
Office: 147 SE Court St., Dallas.
Rep. Kurt Schrader (Dem.)
108 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-5711
Fax: 202-225-5699
Salem office: 544 Ferry St. SE,
Suite 2, Salem, OR 97301
Phone: 503-588-9100
Fax: 503-588-5517
Email: via website,
www.schrader.house.gov
—
POLK COUNTY
Board of Commissioners
850 Main St.
Dallas, OR 97338
Phone: 503-623-8173
www.co.polk.or.us
—
CITIES
Dallas
187 SE Court St.
Dallas, OR 97338
503-623-2338
www.ci.dallas.or.us
Falls City
299 Mill St.
Falls City, OR 97344
503-787-3631
www.fallscityoregon.gov
independence
555 S. Main St.
Independence, OR 97351
503-838-1212
www.ci.independence.or.us
Monmouth
151 W. Main St.
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-0722
www.ci.monmouth.or.us
HOW TO REACH US
nEwSROOM
Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com
Vol. 142, No.22
(USPS) - 437-380)
The official newspaper of Polk County • Serving Polk County families since 1875
Winner of 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 General Excellence Awards
from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
Periodicals postage paid at
Dallas, OR, Independence, OR and Monmouth, OR.
Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street
Dallas, Oregon 97338
Phone: 503-623-2373
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Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com
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which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault.