Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 4, 2017 9A
Fire agencies to receive conflagration payments
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — Fred
Hertel, the fire chief for both
Dallas Fire & EMS and
Southwestern Polk Rural
Fire Protection District, gave
high praise to the system the
state has for fighting large-
scale wild fires.
The Oregon Conflagra-
tion Act allows the governor
to declare a fire a “confla-
gration,” which enables the
state to call on fire agencies
statewide for assistance.
Local fire departments sent
qualified firefighters and
equipment to the Eagle
Creek and Chetco Bar fires.
Crews from Dallas, South-
western Polk and Polk No. 1
were out for a couple of
weeks assisting on the attack
in those incidents.
Those agencies will receive
money in return for their as-
sistance, which is paid for by
the state. Southwestern Polk
is expecting to receive about
$60,000, Dallas about
$15,000. Polk Fire No. 1 did
not have an estimate as of
press time.
Hertel said the reimburse-
ment is nice, but the best
part about the system is that
all agencies have guaranteed
back up.
“It’s a good deal for all of
in the state,” he said during
Southwestern Polk’s board
meeting on Sept. 25. “Any
one of us could have that
large-scale emergency that
we can’t handle, and we
would have to rely on other
people to come help us.”
He said if it wasn’t for per-
fect timing, a fire that erupt-
ed off Highway 22 earlier
this summer could have
threatened homes and peo-
ple in Dallas.
MIKE KISSELL/for the Itemizer-Observer
Fire crews from Dallas, Southwestern Polk and Polk No. 1 assisted on the Eagle Creek and Chetco Bar fires.
“We happened to be host-
ing a training with ODF
(Oregon Department of
Forestry) and we got five en-
gines on it in less than five
minutes,” he said. “If that
had not happened, that
could have been in the city
limits of Dallas really easily.”
He said firefighters from
Dallas and Southwestern
who responded to calls to
help in the gorge and South-
ern Oregon got good experi-
ence in battling wild fires.
“It does leave us a little
short here, but we moved
things around and we actual-
ly borrowed a tender from
DPSST (Oregon Department
of Public Safety Standards
and Training),” he said. “We
worked with our partners to
make it work for the greater
good. It’s an awesome thing
that we are able to give a little
bit to help to firefighters
across the state.”
Fire agencies who assisted
on the Eagle Creek and
Chetco Bar fires will re-
ceive money in return for
their assistance, which is
paid for by the state.
MIKE KISSELL/
for the Itemizer-Observer
October is Breast Cancer
Awareness Month
— and Eola Hills Wine Cellar in Rickreall is inviting you
to come to a showing of Pretty in Pink on Oct. 21. Doors
open at 5 p.m., with the movie beginning at 6.
Watch the classic ’80s movie while sipping on a lovely
Eola Hills pink wine. Take pictures with friends in a pink
photo booth. Suggested donations are $5 for the event,
which will go toward the American Cancer Society,
along with 20 percent of all pink wine sales.
The people at Eola Hills have a tradition of helping
raise awareness and fight cancer through support of
American Cancer Society activities. Each year, the win-
ery sponsors the Polk County Relay for Life’s Survivor’s Dinner. The dinner for
the 2017-18 Relay season will be on April 14.
That’s just a glimpse of what’s going on at the winery this month and
throughout the holidays, including regular Paint and Pinot nights, brunches,
and, of course, the annual Noir Friday, the Willamette Valley wineries’ alterna-
tive to Black Friday.
Harvest is still going on, and that means new wines to release, including a
pinot noir from the Fossil Block.
This block of the Legacy Estate vineyard is named such because of the fossils
found in the rock formations – leaves, animals. The good ones are put on dis-
play throughout the tasting room at Rickreall and will be at the new tasting
room being built at the Legacy Estate – due for its grand opening next Memo-
rial Day.
Until then, check the website, eolahillswinery.com, or follow the vineyard on
Facebook to keep up with the winter and holiday events. The tasting room in
Rickreall is open year-round from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
CUBANISIMO VINEYARDS
Thanksgiving Weekend Celebration
Fri, Nov 24 - Sun, Nov 26 – 11 am – 5 pm Daily
Wine Tasting, New Releases, Live Music,
Cuban Style Tapas, and Football!
$25 General Admission Fee includes wine tasting;
FREE General Admission for Wine Club Members.
$10 Cuban Tapas Plates. Special $35 Afternoon Package
($20 for Wine Club Members) includes entry fee,
wine tasting, a Cubanisimo wine glass, tapas
plate, and raffle entry for our daily door prize.
1754 Best Road NW, Salem, OR 97304
503-588-1763 • vino@cubanisimovineyards.com
•FREE Pink
Wine Tasting
•Pink Photo Booth
•Admission and 20%
of Pink Wine Sales
will go to American
Cancer Society
Suggested
$5 donation
501 S. Pacific Hwy W
Rickreall
503-623-2405
eolahillswinery.com
Thank you to these sponsors. Please make it a point to visit these wineries while exploring our great region.