Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
UGANDAN CHOIR TOURS BOYS SOCCER EARNS FIRE STATION VICTORY Page 3A Volume 142, Issue 41 www.Polkio.com Page 8A October 11, 2017 $1.00 Fatal accident claims life of Dallas man Itemizer-Observer staff report LINCOLN CITY — A Dal- las man died when his car struck a tree on Highway 101 on Saturday. At about 1:30 a.m., Ore- gon State Police and emer- gency workers responded to a single-vehicle fatal traffic crash on Highway 101 near milepost 111. Preliminary investigation indicates a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup towing an empty boat trailer driven by Timo- thy Alexander Elizondo, 32, of Dallas, was northbound on Highway 101. The vehicle was negotiat- ing a curve on wet asphalt when it crossed the oppos- ing lane of travel and struck a tree just beyond the south- bound shoulder, according to a press release from OSP. Elizondo was pronounced deceased at the scene. His passenger, identified as Jef- frey Dale Hendrickson, 36, of Dallas, was not injured in the crash. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in the crash, according to the re- lease. OSP was assisted by Lin- coln County Sheriff’s Of- fice, the Lincoln City Police Department, North Lincoln Fire and Rescue and the Oregon Department of Transportation. IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS New owner at Starlite Lanes brings hobby to a new level. PHOTO COURTESY OF OSP/ Itemizer-Observer »Page 3A A Dallas man died on Saturday after his car struck a tree. FALLS CITY Falls City football de- feats Horizon Christian. »Page 9A INDEPENDENCE Central boys soccer remains undefeated. »Page 10A MONMOUTh Monmouth council puts off discussions. »Page 2A Deputy cleared in shooting Itemizer-Observer staff report JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Dallas police vehicles are parked outside in a lot near the Dallas Fire Station. The department doesn’t have secure parking for patrol cars. City to gauge support By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — The city of Dallas has hired a consultant to help gauge sup- port for solutions to improve its police and fire stations — including building a facility to house both departments. Campbell DeLong Resources Inc., the firm Southwestern Polk Rural Fire Protection District hired to help with its recent bond campaign, will run focus groups on the topic. De- pending on the outcome of the focus groups, the firm will conduct a telephone poll. The city has considered consoli- dating the departments into one building, adding on to the current fire station on Southeast Shelton Street. The fire station would go through a significant remodel, and the police station would be new. Se- cure parking for police vehicles is in- cluded in that plan. The cost is esti- mated at about $14 million, accord- ing to a preliminary evaluation by ar- chitectural firm Makenzie. Another option considered is re- modeling the fire station and mov- ing the police station to another building downtown, which would also be remodeled. The cost of that option is $14.7 million. Police Chief Tom Simpson report- ed to the council that his depart- ment is stretched out over two floors of city hall and at the city shops. Locker rooms and interview rooms are inadequate, and officers don’t have secure parking for their per- sonal vehicles or patrol cars, he said. “We’ve had officers over the years have their personal vehicles vandal- ized,” he said. “We’ve had gas stolen from our patrol cars.” Dallas Fire & EMS Chief Fred Her- tel said in his department, neither the fire station nor the EMS station has adequate sleeping facilities for 24-hour staff. The fire station lacks sleeping rooms entirely. He said 24- hour paid staff is the direction the fire service industry is moving. “As we know, the volunteer service of today is a dwindling fact of life. That’s across the nation,” Hertel said. “We are in that transition time, I think, with our coverage.” Two full-time firefighters are working day shifts, thanks to a grant expiring in November 2019 and the city hired sea- sonal firefighters during the past two fire seasons. “Those are reducing our response time and giving us better coverage in the daytime, when most of our vol- unteers are at work,” he said. The cost estimates for facility im- provements are higher than city staff anticipated, and left members of the Dallas City Council questioning whether voters would support a bond at that price tag. Martha DeLong, the director of market research at the Portland firm, said focus groups are designed to provide clarity on that and other questions. She said people in focus groups are presented with the prob- lem and proposed solutions to get their reactions — and suggestions for changing those solutions. See RESEARCh, Page 11A Toastmasters Club begins Tuesday By Lukas Eggen The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Dallas resident Ed Dressel knows many peo- ple dread public speaking. It’s something people have to do, not something they look forward to. Dressel used to be one of those peo- ple. “I remember I got nause- ated and physically sick in college when I had to give a speech,” he said. But Dressel has also seen THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK the power that public speak- ing can bring. That’s why he, along with four others, are opening a local Toastmasters Club, be- ginning Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Dallas Church, 450 SE Wash- ington St., Dallas. — Toastmasters is more than 100 years old. Its club mis- sion is to provide a support- ive and positive learning ex- perience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leader- wed Monmouth Public Library will host an after-school show- ing of the movie, “Boss Baby,” rated PG. 3 p.m. Free. Showers Hi: 57 Lo: 42 Share a toast What: Toastmasters Club. Where: Dallas Church, 450 SE Washington St., Dallas. When: Tuesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. Cost: Club dues are $50 for six months/$100 for 12 months. Visitors are welcome to attend meetings for free to decide if the club is right for them. For more information: Ed Dressel, 503-269-0032 or Dres- sel@gmail.com; or Brent Smith, 503-586-8971 or Running- Brent@gmail.com. ship skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. What people can accom- plish with those new skills never ceases to amaze, Dres- sel said. “There was one lady who moved to Seattle,” Dressel said. “She went up, did a quick speech, and cried after she was done. She’s since become a top salesperson for a military company. Toastmasters helped her de- velop that confidence.” Meetings will generally in- clude a table topic, when in- dividuals will speak on a subject for two minutes, and an evaluation period. See CLUB, Page 11A SALEM — A Marion County grand jury unani- mously found on Monday that Polk County Deputy Sheriff Martin Watson was justified in using deadly force in the early morning of Sept. 30. The incident began in Polk County when Watson tried to stop a 1993 Honda for a traffic violation on Michigan City Lane near Wallace Road. A pursuit followed that went through West Salem, into downtown Salem, and eventually ended in a resi- dential neighborhood near Walker Middle School in Northeast Salem. There, a confrontation occurred and Watson shot at the ve- hicle, striking it twice, ac- cording to a press release from Marion County Dis- trict Attorney’s Office. Neither Jeremy John- son nor Timothy George, the two men arrested in connection with this case, were injured. Watson was also uninjured. The same grand jury that found Watson’s ac- tions to be justified also returned indictments for both Johnson and George. Johnson, 18, was indict- ed for first-degree attempt- ed assault, attempted as- sault on a public safety offi- cer and unlawful use of a weapon. Timothy George, 31, was indicted for two counts of felon in posses- sion of a firearm and one count of possession of a methamphetamine. Both men are currently lodged in the Marion Coun- ty Jail and are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday (today) at 8:30 a.m. at 4000 Aumsville Highway. Due to the ongoing na- ture of these criminal cases the District Attorney’s Of- fice will not release any fur- ther details of the shooting or the crimes at this time. thu fri sat sun mon tue Dallas chamber’s Young Professionals will meet at Dallas Retirement Village for an evening of networking. 5:30 p.m. Free. Unwind after a hard week at Indy Public Library’s monthly adult coloring pro- gram. Pencils and patterns provided. 4 p.m. Free. Don your brightest, most light-reflective gear and take a walk or run to benefit Christmas Cheer at the Dallas Glow Run. 6:30 p.m. $20-$30. John Doan will de- light listeners with the magic of his 20- string harp guitar at Trinity Lutheran Church. 6:30 p.m. $10-$12. See what’s new at Dallas Chamber of Commerce and net- work with others at the monthly lunch- eon. Dig out those coins in your pocket or hidden in your purse and see if any are keepers at Polk County Coin Club. 7 p.m. Free. Showers Hi: 55 Lo: 43 Cloudy Hi: 58 Lo: 39 Partly cloudy Hi: 60 Lo: 41 Mostly sunny Hi: 65 Lo: 43 11:30 a.m. $12-$15. Sunny Hi: 65 Lo: 44 Showers Hi: 61 Lo: 43