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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (July 5, 2017)
Polk County Living 10A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 5, 2017 Know your weeds before waging war Summer has arrived and so have the weeds to take over our gardens and make us tear our hair out in frus- tration. Ed Peachey, Oregon State University Extension Serv- ice weed specialist, can re- late. He sees weeds every- where and has plenty of ad- vice to share. The first line of defense is identification. “If you don’t know what you have, you don’t know what to do,” he said. “Each species has unique charac- teristics and vary in how they are controlled.” Even those who sub- scribe to the philosophy of there are no such thing as weeds just plants in the wrong place have to admit that some get out of control. They out-compete desirable plants and quickly take over vegetable gardens, flower beds and lawns. Perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, dandelion and bindweed are the hard- est to control, but many an- nuals have the ability to dis- perse their seeds far and wide, whether it’s by wind, wildlife or, as in the case of western bittercress, send their seed flying for many feet. “Some annual weeds are not that big of a deal,” Peachey said. “Their com- petition with other plants is fairly minimal. But it makes a difference how many seeds are produced and how long they live in the soil.” How he kills them is de- termined by the weed. For annuals, digging them be- fore they go to seed is effec- tive. If, like pigweed and lambsquarters, they have tap roots, it’s good to get them early while the root is still short. Scuffing them with a hoe, pulling by hand or using an herbicide, whether organic or synthet- ic, can be effective. Mulch 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 helps to rob weeds of sun- light and will help kill them, but seeds will still blow in and germinate. Laying black plastic helps control weeds by preventing light from reaching weed seedlings, but will not be effective on established perennial weeds that will sometimes poke through plastic. Weeds must be removed first and the plastic left for three to six months. Two popular organic her- bicides are Suppress and Avenger, which kill by con- tact. Remember, though, that just because a product is organic doesn’t mean it’s are safe. “These herbicides can be very useful to homeowners,” Peachey said. “They give a quick burndown, usually within two to three days. Their main advantage is that they don’t injure perennial plants in the landscape that gardeners want to keep. The downside is that they only kill small annual weeds.” Many homeowners opt for Roundup, which is effec- tive on many weeds, but also may damage desirable plants it comes in contact with. There are a couple of pre-emergence herbicides such as Preen that can be used in the landscape with- out much risk to plants. On the whole, unless a homeowner is dealing with a large garden, Peachey doesn’t recommend herbi- cides. For those who do de- cide to use one always fol- low the instructions and safety precautions on the label. Of the many weeds out HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/O4E1xT Northern willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum) is an upright perennial weed with oval- to lance-shaped leaves. Small, light purple or pink ray-shaped flowers have four petals, though they look like eight because they’re so deeply cut. Foliage and stems are covered in bristly hairs. Downy seeds can float for long distances. there right now, Peachey identifies these five as some of the most common. Learning to identify them will make controlling them more effective. Northern willowherb (Epilobium ciliatum) is an upright perennial weed with oval- to lance-shaped leaves. Small, light purple or pink ray-shaped flowers have four petals, though they look like eight because they’re so deeply cut. Foliage and stems are covered in bristly hairs. Downy seeds can float for long distances. Sharppoint fluvellin (Kickxia elatine) forms a ground-hugging mat. Leaves are egg-shaped to heart-shaped and are cov- ered with soft hairs. Tiny flowers, which appear June through September, have two lips; the top is violet, the bottom is yellow. It can be confused with bindweed (wild morning glory), but is much smaller. Like bindweed, it spreads by roots and seeds. Shiny geranium (Gerani- um lucidum) resembles stinky herb Robert (G. rober- tianium), but doesn’t give off a bad odor and has shiny fo- liage that isn’t as deeply cut as herb Robert. Both have dark pink flowers similar to cultivated geraniums only much smaller. Herb Robert flowers are three to four times the size of shiny gera- nium. Spreads by seed. Western bittercress (Car- damine oligosperma) is a tiny weed that forms a rosette. Young leaves are round but as the plant ages new leaves further up the stems are arrow-shaped. The long, upright stems hold white flowers that give way to pods that can release thousands of seeds that “pop” many feet away. Purple dead-nettle (Lamium purpurem) fea- tures slightly hairy, spade- shaped foliage that is tinged purple, especially those leaves closest to the top of stems. Like all members of the mint family, stems are square. Flowers, which ap- pear in spring, are lavender and look like tiny snap drag- on blooms. Spreads by seed. MI TOWN We celebrated America’s birthday yesterday in grand fashion — with flags and pa- rades and fireworks and barbecues — and hopefully everyone took the time to be grateful to all who have con- tributed their time and en- ergy and abilities to create our United States of Ameri- ca. Our gratitude to those who serve in our armed forces, police officers who protect our homes and streets, men and women who respond to fire and medical emergencies, and all who work and volunteer in so many organizations to keep MI Town a wonderful place to live. — Every Fourth of July, we try to choose our favorite group, organization or par- ticipant in the parade, pon- dering over the many en- tries, but this year’s choice was easy. Grand Marshal P ATTY T AYLOR D UTCHER Columnist Margaret Johnson was one of the first people I met when we moved here almost 17 years ago. Her enthusi- asm and determination to help build a community of dedicated volunteers is boundless. Margaret’s con- tributions and dedication to the Friends of the Library book sales are legendary, her time and energy work- ing with the Monmouth Garden Club has always been appreciated and her creativity is admired. Any- time there is something pos- itive happening in MI Town, Margaret Johnson is usually right in the middle of organ- izing, volunteering and par- ticipating so that it will be a success. She has a wonder- ful sense of humor and I am grateful for her friendship over the years. — I was walking along Main Street in Independence last week, when I glanced at newspapers covering the windows of a building locat- ed to the left of the mural. What a wonderful treat it was to read old Salem Statesman stories from the late 1960s, telling of Bobby Kennedy’s decision to run for president, of various events in Salem, and grocery advertisements with prices nobody could imagine in this day and age. Meier & Frank (remember that wonderful store) had ad- vertisements for their latest summer sales, featuring T- shirts for 88-cents, among other bargains. If anyone wants to take a trip down Memory Lane, please take a few minutes to just enjoy a blast from the past. Hopeful- ly, they will stay up a few more days. — David Rosenfeld, a first- generation immigrant of German-Jewish parents, will share stories of his family’s experiences during World War II on July 24, at noon at the Monmouth Senior Cen- ter. This interesting histori- cal program about the Holo- caust is free to the public, and light refreshments will be served. — This evening is the first of the Summer Music in the Park events in Monmouth. The Shinkle Family Band will entertain with folk and country music from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Bring a picnic or buy food and drink from various vendors. See you there. PEDEE NEWS Dorothy McBeth attend- ed the Abercrombie family’s annual reunion last week at Avery Park in Corvallis. There were around 50 peo- ple in attendance, including her sister Charlotte who cel- ebrated her 90th birthday at the reunion. Dorothy’s three living children, Darrell, Sam, and Sandy were there, as well as niece Marguerite Nice and her husband Mel. Daughter-in-law Connie Ames said she had been at- tending those reunions since 1965, when she mar- ried Dorothy’s son Dennis, although she was unable to go this year. — Deanne Maddux came out from Monmouth to go A RLENE K OVASH Columnist to the Pedee Women’s Club monthly potluck last week, and brought her sister-in- law Mildred Birchell, also of Monmouth, and Mildred’s sister Judy Houston, who came from Chicago for a visit. Both Deanne and Al- berta Jones graduated from Pedee High School in 1949, and Marguerite Nice and Judy attended first grade to- gether in Pedee. The club potluck has grown into VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES quite a event, attracting more neighborhood people each month. It is on the last Wednesday of each month and all are invited. Bring a potluck dish if you can, but come anyway if you can’t. — There will be a class on making a handy and attrac- tive sling bag from a provid- ed pattern on July 26, at the clubhouse. Bring a yard of nondirectional fabric and a package of bias binding in your choice of width, or if making your own, bring two yards. It’s a quick and easy project. — Pedee Church’s first weekly event for kids and their families was wildly successful. It was a lawn camp out at Daniel and Heidi Russell’s, with all the trimmings of the real thing, including dinner and a night of singing around the camp- fire, capture the flag in the dark, sleeping in tents, and a breakfast of pancakes cooked by Pam Burbank over the fire the next morn- ing. Thirty one kids and adults showed up for the ad- venture. These weekly activ- ities for the community are taking the place of VBS this year. They were at Paul and Arlene Kovash’s last week and will be tie-dying T-shirts this Friday at the church, followed by a concert by teen band Zoe Emporium in the amphitheater. • 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 • Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Polk County Inc. — 503-623-8473 • 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 • 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. • Friends of the Dallas Library — 503-559-3830 • Gentle House Gardens, Monmouth — 503-838-2995 • Girl Scouts of Southwest Washington and Oregon — 1-800-338-5248 • 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 • 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 (Sheriff’s Auxiliary & 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 9A — TUESDAY, JULY 11 • 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, JULY 12 • 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. PUBLIC NOTICES NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING SOLID WASTE COLLECTION RATE INCREASE PURPOSE OF THE HEAR- ING: The Polk County Hearings Officer will be considering an annual solid waste collection rate adjustment, fee proposal, and service area consolidation request from Republic Servic- es. Republic Services serves the South West Polk County solid waste collection fran- chise area. Republic Services is requesting a 2.1% rate ad- justment increase in their resi- dential and commercial rates, new fees for miscellaneous services, and the consolida- tion of 4 customer service areas into 2 service areas along with an associated rate adjustment. DATE AND TIME OF HEAR- INGS: Polk County Hearings Officer Thursday, July 13, 2017, 2:00 p.m. LOCATION OF HEARING: 850 Main St., Polk County Courthouse, Dallas, Oregon 97338, 1st floor hearing and conference room. STAFF CONTACT: Jim Solvedt, Environmental Health Supervisor The location of the hearing is handicapped accessible. Please advise the Community Development Department, 503- 623-9237, if you will need any special accommodations to at- tend or participate in the meet- ing. The staff report will be available for inspection at no cost and copies may be ob- tained at reasonable cost. A copy of the staff report will be available for inspection seven days prior to the hearing. The staff report will also be avail- able on the Polk County web- site at www.co.polk.or.us. Any person desiring to speak for or against this re- quested rate adjustment may do so either in person or by representative at the public hearing. Written comments may also be directed to the En- vironmental Health Division of the Polk County Community Development Department, 850 Main St., Polk County Court- house, Dallas, Oregon 97338- 1922. Written testimony may be submitted prior to the hear- ing in the Polk County Com- munity Development Depart- ment. Oral and or written testi- mony may be rendered at the public hearing. (July 5, 2017)
