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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 2017)
Polk County News 2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 19, 2017 Polk Fire District No. 1 to upgrade loaders By Stephanie Blair The Itemizer-Observer JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer Volunteers stock the Dallas Food Bank on Thursday. The food bank recently completed renovations. Food bank renovation complete By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Clients of Dal- las Food Bank can now shop for items in their food boxes, thanks to a recently com- pleted renovation. Paid for mostly with grants, the remodel took out part of a wall, installed new shelving, carpet and paint. The food bank is organ- ized into food categories such as rice and pasta; toma- to products and sauces; canned meats and chili; canned vegetables; fruit and bottled fruit juices; peanut butter; milk, eggs, and dairy; frozen or refrigerated meats; and bread and baked goods. Clients take a shopping cart and select items with the help of a food bank vol- unteer. The new process elimi- nates the need for clients to fill out a check list when signing in. Now the food bank uses guidelines based on family size that tell clients and their volunteer “personal shoppers” how many items of each category they can take. Food bank volunteer Gary Medsker said that after the Dallas Food Bank When: 9 to 11 a.m., Monday through Friday. Lobby hours 8:45 to 11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. Where: 322 Main St., suite 180, Dallas. Contact: 503-623-3578. Of note: Clients can receive a full food box once per month. Bread and fresh fruit and vegetables are available in the food bank lobby for people to take on any day. More volunteers are needed. To sign up to help, call 503-623- 3578. renovations, service is faster, more personable and less wasteful. “As soon as they sign in, we get a little information and they are ready to shop,” Medsker said. He said the changes give the food bank an opportuni- ty to serve more clients each day. “I’m guessing that we won’t have any trouble fill- ing up to 25 orders between 9 and 11 under the new sys- tem,” Medsker said. “What we hope to do is not to tell people that we’ve reached the maximum and they have to come back tomorrow.” He added telling people to come back a different day means they use time and re- sources they can ill afford to spare. “Some of these people live as far away as Falls City or Salem … tell them to come back tomorrow, there’s another few gallons of gas,” Medsker said. “They could have spent that money buying food instead of gas for an extra trip.” Volunteer Sue Goin said another benefit is people can select what they take, making it more likely they will use everything in the box instead of throwing away unwanted or unfamil- iar items. Goin, who has volun- teered at the food bank for about a year, was working the “cold room” Thursday. She makes a habit of showing items to people so they can choose what they want. “Before, we had a bunch of something that we were giving to everybody,” she said. “This way they just pick out what they want. I think it makes them feel good to be able to pick out food instead of just getting what we give them.” Medsker said he’s been surprised at some of the se- lections people make, but is happy to see the food isn’t going to waste. “Since we started, we’ve given away sauerkraut, we’ve given away beef tongue,” he said. “Some of the things you’d think no one would ever want, some- body does.” Grants came from the Oregon Food Bank, $2,000, Marion-Polk Food Share, $500. Money from the Dave McGuffey Memorial Fund, which was set up to benefit the Dallas Food Bank, cover- ing some expenses. Volun- teers painted and re-orga- nized the food bank after the work was completed. Medsker said people using the food bank have noticed the changes. “The clients love it. They like how it looks, how neat things are, how fast it is, that they get to choose their own food,” he said. “The other big advantage is we get ac- quainted with people a little better.” INDEPENDENCE — On Thursday, the Board of Di- rectors for Polk County Fire District No. 1 approved Fire Chief Ben Stange’s request to purchase two E-Z Load systems and one new gur- ney to reduce the risk of in- jury for both patients and paramedics. The installation of these systems would replace the last remaining mechanical load systems and move the station to all electric load- ing. This item was brought before the board because of the district’s policy to gain approval from the board before making a pur- chase more than $20,000 — regardless of whether the purchase has been budget- ed for, such as in this case or not. The chief’s report fol- lowed, which included in- formation about a second water leak which recently occurred at Fire Station No. 90, a smoke detector PSA which is running on Minet and at Independence Cine- ma 8, the near drowning which occurred at Riverview Park in June, the events and fires that oc- curred on July 4 and the Polk County burn ban. The Board of Directors also swore in two new members to take the place of outgoing directors Terri Gregory and Joost Vander- have. The directors inducted that evening were Dennis King and Freeman Stutz- man, who swore “to sup- port the constitution of the United States and the State of Oregon, laws thereof and the policies of Polk County Fire District No. 1, and that (they) will faithfully dis- charge (their) duties as a board of director according to the best of (their) abili- ty.” Following the induction, the board elected new board leaders. Tom Snair and Joe Franko retained their positions as president and secretary, respectively, and Mike Lippsmeyer was elected to the position of vice president. The board then proceed- ed to decide the regular meeting date, time and lo- cation. Meetings will carry on as usual, on the second Thursday of each month at the Central Fire Station in Independence, beginning at 6 p.m. Board of Directors meet- ings occur monthly and are open to the public. The next meeting will be on Aug. 10. Watershed purchase complete By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The city may fi- nally have the last piece of the Mercer Reservoir watershed property purchase completed. City Manager Ron Foggin said property line adjustments required before the sale could be final took longer than ex- pected, but are now finished. “All of the property line agreements and adjustments have been made and have been submitted to the coun- ty,” Foggin said. “The huge hurdle has been overcome and now it in the hands of the county to finalized. Based on where we are, as soon as the county work is done, we should be ready to close on the property.” The city has been pursuing the purchase for years and ap- proved financing for the ap- proximately $1.9 million pur- chase in January. About 400 acres are part of the purchase. The purchase price will be divided among three land own- ers: Golden Pond Timberlands — $975,000; John Hancock Life Insurance Company USA — $621,000; and Hancock Timber- land XI Inc. — $303,000. “It been a difficult haul on the property adjustment,” Foggin said Monday. 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