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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 11, 2017)
Polk County Voices Polk County Itemizer-Observer • October 11, 2017 4A LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EDITORIALS Crowdsourcing is ‘buyer beware’ Postal carrier thanks community It’s sad, but true. When tragedy strikes, someone is ready to take your money in the guise of a good cause. This is true for large events — recent mass shootings and hurri- canes — and for ones that hit closer to home. In the last three weeks, Polk County has lost many to car crashes. A GoFundMe account was set up for one in late September to pay for “funeral expenses.” A week later, the father of the deceased told us he had already covered the costs of the funeral and posed the question: Who is raising this money, and what is it really for? A more recent tragedy has two GoFundMe accounts claiming to raise money for the same thing. The market is ripe for scammers in the world of crowd- sourcing. Ellen Klem, director of consumer outreach and educa- tion for the Office of the Attorney General, says that when it comes to crowdsourcing, it really is buyer beware. “My best piece of advice is do your research — as much research as possible,” she said. Remember that any promises made on one of these sites are not contracts. What the person does with the money is up to them, with no requirements to report to donors. Read the terms and conditions of the site you donate to before you pledge money. For GoFundMe, users can withdraw money at any time without affecting the appearance of reaching the goal. If you wouldn’t hand over that much cash to someone, re- consider using crowdsourcing. If practical, consider donating to an established, regis- tered organization or nonprofit. If it’s funeral expenses that are being requested, call the funeral home and donate di- rectly to it. Klem says that, while crowdsourcing is not well regulat- ed, there are laws in place for outright fraud. If you suspect a fraud, report it to the Attorney General’s office at ore- gonconsumer.gov. PUBLIC AGENDA Public Agenda is a listing of upcoming meetings for gov- ernmental and nongovernmental agencies in Polk County. To submit a meeting, send it at least two weeks before the actual meeting date to the Itemizer-Observer via email (ionews@polkio.com). — WEDNESDAY, OCT. 11 • Independence Heritage Museum Commission — 4 p.m., Independence Heritage Museum, 112 S. Third St., Independ- ence. 503-838-1212. • Monmouth Library Advisory Board — 7 a.m., Monmouth Public Library, 168 Ecols St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Monmouth Parks and Recreation Board — 7 p.m., Volun- teer Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk Coun- ty Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. THURSDAY, OCT. 12 • Monmouth Tree Advisory Board — 7 p.m., Monmouth Senior Center, 180 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Polk County Fire District No. 1 Board — 6 p.m., Central Station 90, 1800 Monmouth St., Independence. 503-838-1510. • Western Days Commission — 7 p.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212. • Falls City City Council — 6 p.m., Falls City Community Cen- ter, 320 N. Main St., Falls City. 503-787- 3631. MONDAY, OCT. 16 • Independence Tourism and Events Commission — 6:30 p.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212. • Dallas City Council — 7 p.m., Dallas City Hall, 187 SE Court St., Dallas. 503-831-3502. TUESDAY, OCT. 17 • Independence Historic Preservation Commission — 4 p.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independence. 503-838-1212. • Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 War- ren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Polk County Board of Commission work session — 9 a.m., Polk County Courthouse, BOC office, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503- 623-8173. WEDNESDAY, OCT. 18 • Monmouth Planning Commission — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144 Warren St. S., Monmouth. 503-838-0725. • Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk Coun- ty Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St., Dallas. 503-623-8173. Thank you, Dallas. I have had the pleasure of being part of the community for the last 35 years. On Oct. 1, I had to retire from the Dallas Post Office. I wasn’t quite ready to retire, but after knee surgery I decided it was time to leave. From de- livering the downtown in my early years to my driving route on the east side of town, I have gotten to know many good people whom I will never forget. A big “thank you” for letting me be a part of your lives as you were all a part of mine. Dale R. Campbell Independence Reader fed up with franchise fees It seems the city of Dallas is trying to run people out of Dallas with increasing fees, licenses, water, etc. Ex- cept for the three council members who should be praised for voting no. Ferrell True Dallas Historical society grateful for grant Polk County Historical Society extends its gratitude to the Dallas Community Foundation for awarding a grant to us this past year. PCHS is continually acquir- ing documents that chroni- cle events of the local area. To properly store and or- ganize these materials for the use of researchers and posterity, the PCHS archivist needs to periodically pur- chase additional acid-free storage sleeves and contain- ers. This DCF grant allowed for the purchase of addi- tional, and much needed, archival storage materials. The Polk County Histori- cal Society does not receive WANT TO WRITE A LETTER? Letters to the editor are limited to 300 words. Longer letters will be edited. Election-related letters of all types are limited to 100 words. Each writer is restricted to one letter per 30-day period. Letters must include the author’s name, address and tele- phone number. The deadline for letters to the editor is 10 a.m. Monday. Letters submitted may not be retractable after this deadline. For the full letters to the editor policy, see polkio.com. financial support from any government agency, and we depend on our member dues, donations and grants to continue our operations, which include the museum at Rickreall and the Histori- cal Brunk House. Once again, Polk County Historical Society would like to thank the Dallas Com- munity Foundation in help- ing us preserve the past for future generations. David Moellenberndt Dallas President, Polk County Historical Society Dallas resident demands answers Fellow Dallas citizens, I have a concern that I would like to share. I went down to the Dallas City Hall and talked to the director of public works. I asked a simple question: What’s the percentage our waste water treatment plant is running at. Several years ago, I heard we were run- ning at 80 to 85 percent ca- pacity. He stated he did not have this information, and he would have to contact C2HM Hill, the company that runs the treatment plant, for the numbers. I asked, does the city not have a yearly report on how the plant was operating? He stated he did not know. I did not hear back within the period of time that the di- rector stated he would call me. I called back many times and even left my email ad- dress asking for the infor- mation. The city has approved construction of up to 400 homes on the property at the corner of James Howe and Ellendale roads. The city has also approved the construction of up to 400 homes in the area where the Dallas drive-in used to be. First the city reminds us to be careful with our clean water because the reservoir that we get our clean water from cannot be enlarged. So the city turns around and allows up to 800 new homes that will use that much more clean water. We all know that every house in the city has to flush wastewater to the sys- tem, why will the city not supply a citizen the public information when request- ed? Just how close are we to capacity at the treatment plant? I would like to know, and so should you. Larry Indra Dallas THE DOCTOR IS IN Did you know that Ore- gon is ranked second high- est in the country for breast cancer rates? Nationally, an average of one out of eight women will develop invasive breast can- cer, but Oregonian women’s risk is slightly higher. The word “cancer” can be scary, but the good news is that finding breast cancer early greatly improves your chances for survival. Whether deciding when to get tested or facing a diag- nosis, a little information can help make the recom- mendations, choices and varying guidelines easier to navigate. For women in the U.S., breast cancer death rates are higher than those for any other cancer besides lung cancer. While most patients are female, it’s important to re- member that we do see men with breast cancer as well. A man’s lifetime risk of de- veloping a breast cancer is about one in 1,000. There are several types of imaging available, which in- clude digital mammogra- phy, digital breast tomosyn- thesis (commonly known as 3-D mammography), mag- netic resonance imaging and ultrasound. About the authors Pam Short and Diana Hostetler are mammogra- phers at West Valley Hospital with more than 35 years of collective experience. They look forward to serv- ing you. Mammography is the standard imaging examina- tion for breast cancer detec- tion, reducing breast cancer mortality by approximately 49 percent in women who are screened. A yearly mammogram im- proves your chances of sur- vival. Though you may have no outward signs of breast can- cer, mammography can find tumors that are so small, it would be unlikely they would be found during a self-examination. Finding breast cancer early reduces its chance to become invasive or get into the lymph system. Did you know that 75 per- cent of women who receive a breast cancer diagnosis have no factors that place them at risk of breast can- cer? Additionally, less than 15 percent of women who get breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it, but the risk nearly doubles if she has a first-degree rela- tive (parent, sibling or child) who has had the di- agnosis. West Valley Hospital fol- lows the suggested screen- ing guidelines of both the American Cancer Society and the American College of Radiology. These recom- mendations are: • All women ages 40 to 74 should have an annual mammogram. • Women age 75 or older should continue screening with mammography for as long as they are in good health and expected to live an additional 10 years or longer. • Women at higher than average risk should have an- nual screening of mammog- raphy by age 30, but not be- fore age 25. With your care and com- fort in mind, West Valley Hospital’s Breast Health Center sets 30-minute ap- pointments for yearly mam- mograms. Some patients might find the exam a little embarrass- ing or uncomfortable, but having 30 minutes gives us time for the individual at- tention you deserve. We know that you will be back each year for your an- nual screening, and we want to get to know you on a per- sonal level. West Valley Hospital im- aging also offers bone densi- ty dual-energy X-ray absorp- tiometry, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography (CT) scans and ultrasounds. In closing, we hope that you’ll be back each year for your screening. Remember not to count yearly mammograms out just because you’re over a certain age. Two ladies at age 97 walked to their appointment because they gave up driv- ing — it’s that important. Increased awareness and information is your key in determining what your best breast care choice should be. Here’s to your health. HOW TO REACH US Vol. 142, No. 41 (USPS) - 437-380) The official newspaper of Polk County • Serving Polk County families since 1875 Winner of 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 General Excellence Awards from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, OR, Independence, OR and Monmouth, OR. Published weekly at 147 SE Court Street Dallas, Oregon 97338 Phone: 503-623-2373 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Polk County — One Year $35 Other Oregon Counties — One Year $40 Outside of Oregon — One Year $45 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Polk County Itemizer-Observer, P.O. Box 108, Dallas, Oregon 97338 NEWSROOM Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com Lukas Eggen..................Sports Editor......................................................................leggen@polkio.com Jolene Guzman............Dallas/Falls City/Polk County Reporter ................jguzman@polkio.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING Heidi Leppin .................Display Advertising Manager (ext.115).................hleppin@polkio.com Rachel Best ....................Display Advertising.............................................................rbest@polkio.com Aaron Stark....................Display Advertising (ext. 110) ......................................astark@polkio.com Karen Sanks...................Client Services (ext. 118)...............................................ksanks@polkio.com CLASSIFIED LINE ADVERTISING Dawn Ohren .....................................................................................................................ioads@polkio.com PRODUCTION Kathy Huggins ..............................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com Karyn Pressel .................................................................................................................iosales@polkio.com The Polk County Itemizer-Observer assumes no financial responsibility for errors in advertise- Web: www.polkio.com ments. It will, however, reprint without charge for the portion of an advertisement which is in error if the Itemizer-Observer is at fault. Phone: 503-623-2373 Fax: 503-623-2395
