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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 2017)
Polk County News DEADLINES NEWS DEADLINES For inclusion in the Wednesday edition of the Itemizer-Observer: Social news (weddings, engagements, anniver- saries, births, milestones) — 5 p.m. on Thursday. Community events — Noon on Friday for both the Community Notebook and Community Calendar. Letters to the editor — 10 a.m. on Monday. Obituaries — 4 p.m. on Monday. ADVERTISING DEADLINES Retail display ads — 3 p.m. Friday. Classified display ads — 11 a.m. on Monday. Classified line ads — Noon on Monday. Classified ads are updated daily on www.polkio.com. Public notices — Noon on Friday. CORRECTIONS The Polk County Itemizer- Observer is committed to pub- lishing accurate news, feature and sports reports. If you see anything that requires a cor- rection or clarification, call the newsroom at 503-623-2373 or send an email to ementzer@polkio.com. WEBSITE The Polk County Itemizer- Observer website, www.polkio.com, is updat- ed each week by Wednes- day afternoon. There, you will find nearly every story that appears in the print version of the newspaper, as well as some items, in- cluding additional photos, that do not appear in print due to space limitations. The Itemizer-Observer is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Watch for breaking news, links to sto- ries, sports scores updates and more. WEATHER RECORDED HIGH LOW Sept. 19............ 66 Sept. 20............ 59 Sept. 21............ 65 Sept. 22............ 69 Sept. 23............ 73 Sept. 24............ 76 Sept. 25............ 70 51 44 42 44 49 44 53 RAIN .95 .66 .01 .00 .00 .00 T Rainfall during Sept. — 2.29 in. Rain through Sept. 25 — 35.74 in. Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 27, 2017 3A Get well water tested free of charge By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Not sure when the last time your well was tested or want to know how often it should be tested? Oregon State University Extension in Polk County has a person for that. Chrissy Lucas, Extension’s ground water quality out- reach program coordinator, has begun working with Polk County residents. Polk Extension added the program in its 2017-18 budget, and Lucas started in the county in August. The program offers resi- dents with wells or septic systems advice and expert- ise on how to maintain their systems and keep them healthy. Testing wells isn’t required by law — except for when a property is sold — but peri- odic testing can inform owners about what is in their water. “There’s a lot of misinfor- mation about how often well water should be tested,” Lucas said. She said wells should be tested every one to three years for coliform bacteria and nitrates. Wells should also be tested for arsenic once to see if it is present and at what level. Ar- senic in water typically comes from surrounding soil and rock, not from a surface contaminant, unlike col- iform bacteria and nitrates. “The level of arsenic does- n’t tend to change,” Lucas said. “You either have it or you don’t.” Lucas said well users too often don’t think about test- ing their wells until some- thing is noticeably wrong, like the water smells, tastes or looks different. Serious problems with water quality and safety may not present themselves that way, so testing could be crit- ical for your health. “Fecal coliform bacteria can make you very sick,” Lucas said. Long-term arsenic expo- sure is associated with many health conditions, including cancer, she said. Exposure to nitrates, which can come from pesti- cides, can cause health risks after long-term exposure, in- cluding hindering the body’s ability to absorb oxygen, Lucas said. The presence of nitrates is a warning sign for more seri- ous contamination. Nitrates in your water in- dicates that surface contam- inants are finding their way into your water — which is h ow c o l i f o r m b a c t e r i a makes its way into a well, Lucas said. As part of the ground water program, OSU Exten- sion offers free nitrate test- ing. Bring a half a cup of water in a clean container to the Polk office, located at 289 E. Ellendale Ave., Suite 301, Dallas, for testing. Testing can be done on the spot if someone is avail- able. If not, results will be available within a few days. Like with well water test- ing, Lucas said many people don’t how often their septic systems need to be checked and pumped. Maintenance on septic systems is a little more com- plicated and varies based on the size of the system and size of the family using, Lucas said. She suggested if people are unsure to have it in- spected by a professional. She said at the least, a septic system needs to be pumped every 10 years, but it very well could be needed more frequently. Lucas said she’s available for assistance with testing and answering any ques- tions about well and septic system maintenance. “We are really excited to offer people this service,” she said. Dallas City Council tames decorum standards By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The Dallas City Council approved changes to its rules on Sept. 18, includ- ing removing from decorum standards a requirement that councilors act “in manner appropriate to the dignity of their office outside council meetings.” That change was the sub- ject of discussions at the council’s administrative sub- committee meetings in May and July, where councilors discussed whether they should be required to refrain from personal attacks against other councilors on social media. Discussion of decorum rules began after council members expressed concern over discovering City Manag- er Ron Foggin had applied for a position in another city through a newspaper story, and not from Mayor Brian Dalton and other councilors who knew because they were asked for references. A special meeting was called in January to discuss the matter and establish rules about what information should be shared. Before that meeting, a dis- cussion started on Facebook among councilors and resi- dents about what should be done in response. A conversation on Coun- cilor Jackie Lawson’s Face- book page involving other councilors, though not a quo- rum, from Jan. 4 called for Mayor Brian Dalton’s resigna- tion “for dereliction of duties” related to knowledge of Fog- gin’s job application. The post and comments on the post were emailed to the I-O. “I am beyond being pa- tient and gracious any more ... with the mayor manipulat- ing the outcomes of his pet projects and the power trip he is wielding. Now more than ever he needs to be re- moved,” the post read. Though no council mem- bers have publicly accused a specific councilor of violating council decorum rules, con- cern over the potential for less-than-civil discourse on- line was the source of the de- bate. “I’m talking about people getting on Facebook and say- ing this city councilor is a bunch of crap and don’t lis- ten to them,” said Councilor Ken Woods Jr. in a subcom- mittee meeting in May. “They are doing stuff like that.” Some councilors felt that the rules should hold coun- cilors to same level of deco- rum required in council meetings at all times, includ- ing while using social media. Others felt that requirement is too restrictive. The com- mittee recommended not in- cluding social media and re- moving a requirement to maintain the decorum stan- dards outside meetings on a split vote. On Sept. 18, the council vote was 6-2 in favor of the changes. Lawson was absent. “I’m going to be voting no on this,” said Councilor Kelly Gabliks. “I really liked what (Councilor) Jennie (Rum- mell) said in our subcommit- tee meeting and something very similar that (Councilor) Ken (Woods Jr.) said and that is: We are always city coun- cilors and I think we should be held to a higher standard.” She said she doesn’t have a problem with disagreements and expression of them, but believes it should be consid- ered crossing a line when per- sonal attacks are used. Other councilors said the rule wasn’t necessary be- cause no councilors have en- gaged in personal attacks. “I’m probably the most outspoken councilor there is and I am probably the coun- cilor that a lot of this got started by because I do share with the community what is going on on social media,” said Councilor Micky Garus. “I want to know a specific ex- ample of when that has hap- pened because I’ve never seen that. I’ve never engaged in that.” Garus asked for other councilors to point to an ex- ample, but none was provid- ed. Woods joined Gabliks in voting no on the changes. Councilor Jim Fairchild said he voted for the changes because he had not wit- nessed councilors using per- sonal attacks. “To attack one of us on the internet … it’s a bad practice and really harmful to the community,” said Dalton after the vote. “Micky is right: We don’t normally do that and hopefully we won’t start.” Joyful Sound Hearing Have you considered reconditioned hearing aids? We are currently significantly over stocked with used & reconditioned hearing aids. Call now and schedule a hearing test. Mark Sturtevant 503-623-0290 • 312 Main Street, Dallas LUCKIAMUTE DOMESTIC WATER COOPERATIVE BOARD MEETING Monday 7:00 p.m. October 9th 503-838-2075 Monmouth Area Community Events Calendar Location: Business Office 8585 Suver Rd. • Monmouth www.windermere.com DON’T FORGET! Come to the Household FREE Hazardous Waste Collection Event! PCL Partnerships in Community Living 503-838-2403 480 E. Main St. Monmouth DownTown Trends 142 Highway 99 West 503-838-1445 Monmouth 355 N Pacific Ave., Ste A Monmouth 503-838-4268 Sept. 30 — Apple Cider Fest, 10 am – 3 pm. Apple Cider and baked goods available for sale. Apples are crushed on 100-year-old equipment right in front of your eyes! Historic Brunk House 5705 Salem-Dallas Highway 503-623-6251 Tours of the Brunk House and Garden. Free family event, donations accepted and appreciated. polkcountyhistoricalsociety.org October 1 — Polk Flea Market. 9 am – 3 pm. Find a treasure at the Polk Flea Market, Polk County’s oldest and largest Market selling Antiques, Collectibles, Vintage Jewelry, Furniture, Militaria, Tools and More. Adult Admission is only $1.00 and children 12 and under and parking is free. Early Bird Admission is only $5.00 per adult from 6am- 9am Sunday morning. Polk County Fairgrounds and Event Center 520 SW Pacific Hwy (Hwy 99 W), Rickreall. October 4 — CENTRAL Powderpuff Football Game! 7 pm. Central High School. October 6 — Edgar H. Smith Fine Arts Series presents BodyVox returns with a promised transfusion of new work. Start with a group of beautiful and talented dancers, add a hint of Hitchcock, a touch of Vampire, top it off with a healthy dose of ghosts and zombies and you get BloodyVox, a dance theater experience that mines cinema, folklore and our collective nightmares to bring the season of spirits and All Hallows Eve to life. Funny, bloody, and full of great dancing, this is Halloween as only BodyVox can imagine it. This delightfully creepy show is a must see for the entire family. $25 in advance - $30 at door - $11 students Rice Auditorium, WOU Corner of Knox and Powell St, Monmouth. Call Sandy Newland 503-838-8333. October 6 — Central HOMECOMING – Central VS. Crescent Valley. Begins at 7 pm. Central High School. October 31 — Have a safe and fun Halloween! From the Monmouth Business Association. 503-838-1141 297 N Pacific Monmouth 800-732-0173 464 S Pacific Hwy Monmouth oregonstatecu. Saving Carpets Daily Carpet Hero 503-838-0869 Monmouth LOOKING FOR RENTALS? 297½ N. Pacific Hwy 503-838-1278 Western View Properties Property Management, LLC Mon/Indep Chamber of Commerce October Forum Serving Polk County Since 1875 503-623-2373 Join us in October for a tour or Western Oregon University and learn about the campus, faculty & staff, and more! RSVP online http://www.micc-or.org or by calling the MI Chamber Office 503-838-4268 503-838-2951 165 E. Main St. Monmouth Thirsty Thursday — October 19 DATE: Saturday, October 7th, 2017 TIME: From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. LOCATION: Independence Riverview Park (100 Main Street) SPONSORED BY: Polk County, The Cities of Dallas,_______ Independence, Monmouth and Salem Thirsty Thursdays are held the third Thursday of each month from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at member locations. Registration is requested to help the host site properly prepare. Attendees are encouraged to bring a small giveaway (less than $10) to promote your business or organi- zation. Chase Bar & Grill, 1083 Monmouth Street, Independ- ence. RSVP online http://www.micc-or.org or by calling the MI Chamber Office 503-838-4268 503-838-1773 410 E. Main St. Monmouth To advertise in this calendar call Heidi at the Itemizer-Observer 503-623-2373 ext 115
