Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 5, 2017 4a
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EDITORIALS
Volunteers make
the difference
With the Fourth of July festivities behind us and Sum-
merfest around the corner, followed quickly by the Polk
County Fair and the Great American Eclipse celebrations
and parties, we want to take a moment to thank the volun-
teers that make it all happen.
The amount of volunteer manpower that goes into our
local festivals is enormous. People begin planning for the
next year’s event almost a year in advance.
It takes a committee meeting monthly to organize and
pull off Western Days and hundreds of volunteers, not to
mention the group efforts from law enforcement around
the county.
People are needed to collect money for the fireworks
shows in Independence, to direct traffic and people, to or-
ganize the Monmouth-Independence Rotary Grand Pa-
rade, to clean up after the parade and festivities, to run the
Mini-Marathon.
Participation is a huge part of the picture. Without peo-
ple entering the parade or other events, it wouldn’t be
spectacular. The time and energy that goes into each float
is big. Money for entry fees benefit our communities.
People who line the streets to watch the parade and at-
tend other events throughout the summer also help make
the magic happen.
These events are not organized or paid for by the cities,
but by commissions, donations and volunteers.
We are thankful to members of the Polk County County
Emergency Response Team, who annually give their time
to run a first-aid tent at Western Days, as well as provide
security for all of the county’s events.
We are thankful for those who put in the seemingly end-
less hours of planning and organizing to make the Fourth
of July so special in Polk County.
We’re grateful for Beth Jones bringing back the barbe-
cue competition in Dallas, and the Dallas Fire & EMS vol-
unteer firefighters for keeping a fireworks show in Dallas.
We urge others to get involved. If you love the wonderful
events that happen throughout the year, don’t assume
others will pick up the slack. Get involved and help keep
these traditions alive.
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, JuLy 5
• 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.
MOnDay, JuLy 10
• Hops and Heritage Festival Commission — 6 p.m., Inde-
pendence Elks Lodge, 289 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-
1212.
• Dallas School Board — 6:30 p.m., Dallas School District of-
fice, 111 SW Ash St., Dallas. 503-623-5594.
• Central School Board — 6:30 p.m., henry hill Education
Support Center, 750 S. Fifth St., Independence.
TuESDay, JuLy 11
• independence City Council — 7 p.m., Independence Civic
Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212.
• Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9
a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC office, 850 Main St., Dallas.
503-623-8173.
• wiMPEg Board of Directors — Noon, Volunteer hall, 144
Warren St. S., Monmouth.
wEDnESDay, JuLy 12
• Monmouth Tree advisory Board — 7 p.m., Monmouth
Senior Center, 180 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m.,
Independence heritage Museum, 112 S. Third St., Independ-
ence. 503-838-1212.
• Monmouth Library advisory Board — 7 a.m., Monmouth
Public Library, 168 Ecols St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun-
teer hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commissioners —9 a.m., Polk Coun-
ty 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/
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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
Cyclists should
follow safe distance
On Sunday, June 25,
about noon, I observed two
bicyclists riding east on East
Ellendale.
They were just east of the
Polk Veterinary Clinic when
I saw them.
They were both wearing
helmets, and at least the
second rider had on a bright
yellow shirt to make him
more visible to cars.
The thing that looked un-
safe to me, was that the sec-
ond rider was only about
one bicycle distance back
from the first rider.
AARP’s Safe Driving
Course teaches drivers to
maintain a distance of at
least three seconds when it
is daylight, and the pave-
ment is dry.
You add one second if the
pavement is wet, and one
second if it is nighttime.
(Driving in the rain at
night would require five
seconds to be safe.)
So, when the first vehicle
passes a stationary object,
you begin the count: “one-
one-thousand, two-one-
thousand, three-one-thou-
sand” (or the appropriate
number for the time of day
and weather).
Your car shouldn’t reach
the stationary object until
you get to the “three-one-
thousand” (or appropriate
number).
Being a former registered
nurse (who was raised by
two very safety conscious
parents), I prefer to prevent
injuries by following safe
practices, rather than heal
them.
I try to teach others to
consider safer practices as
well.
I can just image the re-
sults if the first bicyclist de-
velops a problem, and the
second bicyclist is following
too closely.
Have fun riding in this
nice weather, but be safe.
Barb Chrisman
Dallas
Brandt’s worker
saves the day
I’m writing to say a big
thank you to employee
Andy from Brandt’s
Garbage Service.
This kind, compassionate
gentleman found me lying
on the ground after a fall
around 8:30 a.m. on June
14.
He was on his route and
heard me cry for help. He
came running to me and of-
fered help.
I was so very grateful and
appreciate his kindness and
help in calling 911 for me,
and he insisted on staying
with me till the paramedics
came.
Thank you Andy from the
bottom of my heart and yes,
I broke my hip, but am re-
covering nicely.
Thanks to all concerned.
Esther Misley
Independence
Climate affects life
as we know it
We need to answer four
questions about climate
change: is it happening,
what’s causing it, what are
the consequences and what
can be done?
For evidence, there’s gla-
cier loss, rising sea levels,
increasing ocean acidity,
dying corals and changing
migratory patterns. Also av-
erage global temperatures
do seem to be increasing
century over century.
Why now? Since the tem-
perature jump started with
the Industrial Revolution
and because CO2 and other
industrial gases are excel-
lent heat absorbers, a good
guess is that the jump is be-
cause of industrial activity.
The consequences are
enormous. While I don’t
think climate change will
wipe out all life on earth,
most likely our life will dis-
appear, at least the way we
want to live it.
You like hunting? Fishing?
Skiing? Sorry, all gone. You
like good, cheap, plentiful
food? Sorry, gone.
How about just getting
around the neighborhood?
Tens of millions of people
in sub-Saharan Africa will
move to escape the desert.
Where are they going to go?
Mexico City has 21 mil-
lion people and they’re run-
ning out of water. Where are
they going to go?
Oregon has 4 million peo-
ple and California 40 mil-
lion. Where are they going
to go when Los Angeles be-
comes unlivable (please, I
know …) and the tempera-
ture change in the Pacific
Northwest is minor com-
pared to elsewhere.
What to do? If nothing,
you better kiss your cushy,
roomy, high-tech, well-fed
life good-by because the
cost of living is about to go
up.
Or we can try to cut
green-house gas emissions
and hope we’re in time.
Yes, cuts will cost trillions
but the world we like may
survive. No cuts will cost
megatrillions, and our
world — and maybe your
grandkids — won’t survive.
You choose.
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
Dan Farnworth
Monmouth
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—
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.
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
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
Vol. 142, No. 27
(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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nEwSROOM
Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com
Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com
Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com
Stephanie Blair.............General Assignment Reporter........................................sblair@polkio.com
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