Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (July 26, 2017)
NATIONAL NIGHT OUT FALLON FOLLOWS HIS BLOCK PARTY PASSION Page 11A Volume 142, Issue 30 www.Polkio.com Page 12A July 26, 2017 $1.00 Get ready for a space adventure EMILY MENTZER/ Itemizer-Observer Police and emergency workers are planning for a sharp increase in visitors for the weekend of the Aug. 21 eclipse. First responders prepare for eclipse First responders are ready Salem Health West Valley for increase in visitors prepared for the eclipse By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer POLK COUNTY — First responders and emergency workers are preparing for the influx of people expected for the Great American Eclipse on Aug. 21 and for the days around it, but they need our help. Police and fire agencies are urging people to pre- pare, be patient, and be aware of their surroundings. “We want people to be safe and have fun and enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said April Welsh, the Dallas Fire & EMS spokeswoman. Police agencies, fire de- partments, local hospitals and Community Emergency Response Teams have had Aug. 21 circled on their cal- endars for awhile and it will be all-hands-on-deck during the weekend before and day of the eclipse. “We going to have extra people working, obviously,” said Sheriff Mark Garton. “Our plan that we have, we started a couple months ago, but it’s kind a living docu- ment right now because things pop up and we learn of an event.” The sheriff’s office will be patrolling the whole county, and deputies will be strategi- cally placed to be close to eclipse-related events and to make sure people are follow- ing traffic laws. Garton said he and Dean Bender, the of- fice’s emergency manager, are attending meetings for local events and statewide planning sessions to get an idea where officers should be placed and what to expect. Garton said at the top of his list of concerns is traffic. “What happens if Depoe Bay and Lincoln City are fogged in? People are going to try to go really, really fast coming this way, and will they stop here or go to Salem?” he said. “There’s going to be crashes. There’s going to be traffic. People need to understand that so they don’t get upset.” See ECLIPSE, Page 9A sion capabilities, using beds in other departments if needed. Surgery No elective surgeries will be scheduled Friday through Monday. Pharmacy The pharmacy, for hos- pital operations only — not the public, will be staffed with a technician and pharmacist Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On weekdays the phar- macy will maintain normal business hours, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the ability to increase staff or extend hours if needed. Infusion and Wound Clinic and Anticoagulation Clinic On Friday, the depart- ment will operate as nor- mal with the ability to ramp up staffing. Saturday to Monday, additional staff will be on call and are only scheduling urgent patients to create flexibility. See HEALTH, Page 9A Itemizer-Observer staff report DALLAS — Jennifer Broadus, the director of clinical operations at Salem Health West Valley in Dal- las, said the hospital is gearing up for the Great American Eclipse. “During major events and when larger influxes of sick and injured people are expected, Salem Health West Valley is prepared,” she said. Emergency Department A tent will be set up at the hospital on Thursday, ready to treat patients in the tent Friday through Monday, if needed. This tent will be staffed Friday through Monday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Extra staff will be on call to respond to increased need. Medical/Surgical Unit The Medical/Surgical In- patient unit is always staffed and ready with six hospital beds. West Valley will have ad- ditional staff on-call and available to expand admis- Putting out the embers Firefighters with Polk No. 1, Southwest Polk, Dallas Fire, Adair Fire, and Salem Fire saved a home on Buena Vista Road Monday night after a detached garage and two sheds caught fire. Three people were home when it started. One per- son, the adult son of the homeowners, was taken to the hospital with symptoms of heat exhaustion from fighting the fire and help- ing evacuating his parents. “(The garage and sheds) were fully involved when we got here, so basically our goal was to protect the home,” said Polk No. 1 Fire Chief Ben Stange. For more on the fire, see polkio.com. JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK wed thu fri sat Jenny Don’t and the Spurs bring an evening of country music to the Mon- mouth Main Street Park amphitheater. 6:30 p.m. Free. Kids can make a bookmark from reused materials at Polk County Bounty Market, sponsored by Republic Service. Head to Indy’s Riverview Park to hear 5 Guys Named Moe, a horn-driven show band with classic rock ’n’ roll. 7:30 p.m. Donation . While out enjoying Dallas Summerfest Saturday, swing into the Dallas Senior Center for some shortcake. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Sunny Hi: 84 Lo: 56 Sunny Hi: 81 Lo: 52 Sunny Hi: 83 Lo: 54 Sunny Hi: 86 Lo: 56 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Itemizer-Observer staff report DALLAS — Four, three, two, one. Summerfest 2017 is about to blast off for “A Space Adventure” on Thursday and, you should be along for the ride. This year has a few new events, including live-ac- tion role play lessons and battles, and the return of something from Summer- fest past, the three-on- three basketball tourna- ment. Believe it or not, the space adventure theme coinciding with the solar eclipse happening just a few weeks after the festival ends is a coincidence. “We put a vote out last year after Summerfest and asked, ‘What would you like the theme to Summer- fest 2017 to be?’” said Bon- nie Dreier, the Dallas Area Visitors Center programs and events manager. “Peo- ple just started throwing ideas out. A Space Adven- ture and 1950s Sock Hop were pretty close, but Space Adventure took it.” That vote took place be- fore the Great American Eclipse fever outbreak. “It was perfect,” Dreier said. Summerfest opens at 11 a.m. Thursday and will spend three days occupy- ing downtown Dallas, bringing food and mer- chandise vendors, enter- tainment and a National Guard demonstration tent that is, yes, air-condi- tioned. Local “larping” group Amtgard is offering three days of live-action role play lessons Thursday through Saturday, ending with an epic battle on Sat- urday afternoon. Returning to the sched- ule is the three-on-three tournament. An alumni game will kick off the fun on Friday night, with the tournament beginning in earnest on Saturday morn- ing. The Dallas Fire Depart- ment is not to be left out, with it always entertaining, and possibly drenching, waterball contest Friday night at 6 p.m. Saturday evening boasts yet another new event, the SummerQuest Scavenger Hunt, hosted by the Dallas Booster Club. The quest, which replaces the fun run, begins at 5 p.m., so bring your team (up to six people) and your smart- phone to get clues on the course. West Valley Taphouse will provide a brew for each participate — beer for adults and root beer for those not yet 21 — at the end and just in time for the downtown close-out party featuring Prince tribute band Erotic City. “It should be an awe- some ending to a crazy Summerfest,” Dreier said. See SPACE, Page 9A sun Salem Health Med- ical Clinic in Mon- mouth is open on weekends through the end of August. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Free. Sunny Hi: 87 Lo: 55 IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS Dallas contemplates options for public safe- ty facilties. »Page 3A FALLS CITY Falls City fire hosts National Night Out block party. »Page 11A INDEPENDENCE Indy receives $1 mil- lion grant from State Legislature. »Page 8A MONMOUTH Shakespeare takes center stage in “Much Ado About Nothing.” »Page 14A SPORTS The Demarini Dirt- bags are headed to the American Legion state tournament. »Page 12A POLK COUNTY Open class entries are due soon for the Polk County Fair. »Page 2A King arrested after citizen tips Itemizer-Observer staff report GRAND RONDE — Carl Wayne King was arrested on July 18 after citizens called in tips to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. On July 8, sheriff’s office asked for the public’s help through Facebook to identify a suspect in a theft in the Grand Ronde area. Within a short amount of time the public began to provide tips on the sheriff’s Facebook page and by calling into the sheriff’s office to iden- tify the suspect as King. King was arrested and lodged in Polk County Jail on the following charges: two counts of second-de- gree criminal trespass, two counts of first-degree theft, unlawful entry into a motor vehicle. The Polk County Sher- iff’s Office posted on Face- book that it would like to thank many members of the public who assisted in this case. The investiga- tion is continuing with the purpose of trying to re- cover the victim’s proper- ty. Contact Deputy Jeff Williams at 503-623-9251 with information. mon tue Engage in conversa- tions about the New Testament at St. Thomas Episcopal Church’s Brew and BS. 4:30 p.m. Free. It’s National Night Out, time for neigh- bors to gather with local law enforce- ment to take a stand against crime. Times vary. Free. Sunny Hi: 86 Lo: 55 Sunny Hi: 87 Lo: 56
