Polk County
Voices
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 13, 2017 4A
EDITORIALS
Event to refocus on
homelessness
When the organizers of the Polk County Homeless Con-
nect event announced they had decided to refocus on
those who are already homeless — away from also aiding
those who are considered “at risk” of homelessness — it is
understanding they would get some push back from those
hurting in our communities. But they are right.
We already have facilities and organizations to help
those who are on the verge of becoming homeless — from
a plethora of resources, five days a week, at the Dallas
Academy Building, to food banks, clothes closets and
school districts.
We know it is easier — and less expensive — to keep a
family in its home than to find a home for them after they
have become homeless. We hope the word will spread
about what the county already offers for all who struggle.
What we don’t have are facilities and organizations to
easily reach those who are already displaced.
The face of those who are homeless is difficult to define.
People who are homeless may not look like the “average”
person on the street you would see in movies or downtown
Salem. Part of the event is to get a semi-accurate head
count of those who are homeless in Polk County.
Make no mistake, we have homeless in Polk County, and
not just in West Salem. They may not live under the Lyle
Street Bridge, but they are camping in cars, in tents, in run-
down trailers unfit for rats. Maybe they’re taking advantage
of a friend’s generosity and sleeping on a couch until that
generosity runs out, then they go to another couch.
Reaching the “unsheltered homeless” is not an easy task.
The idea to give them a “vacation” day, where they can
come to an event and receive services — free of judge-
ments — from a hair cut to pet treatments to getting a bike
fixed or cavity filled is huge, perhaps more than we’ll really
know.
It’s going to change the whole feel of the Connect event.
Only time will tell if it was successful in reaching the “un-
sheltered homeless,” as is the goal.
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, DEC. 13
• 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 S. Warren St., Monmouth. 503-838-0725.
• Polk County Board of Commissioners — 9 a.m., Polk
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
THURSDAY, DEC. 14
• 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
Center, 320 N. Main St., Falls City. 503-787- 3631.
MONDAY, DEC. 18
• 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, DEC. 19
• Independence Historic Preservation Commission — 4
p.m., Independence Civic Center, 555 S. Main St., Independ-
ence. 503-838-1212.
• Monmouth City Council — 7 p.m., Volunteer Hall, 144
Warren 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, DEC. 20
• 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
County Courthouse, first floor conference room, 850 Main St.,
Dallas. 503-623-8173.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Council owes the
public answers
The Dallas City Council
owes an explanation to the
citizens of Dallas. The
abrupt dismissal of City
Manager Ron Foggin, when
there had been no inkling of
dissatisfaction, cannot be
explained by saying the
council wants to go a differ-
ent direction with the city
manager role.
Is Mr. Foggin not capable
of change? Have we been
moving backward during
his tenure? What are the
new opportunities which
await us whose names may
not be spoken? Voldemort?
This smells like some-
thing is rotten in the City of
Dallas, and it is not our
now-former city manager.
I have had numerous in-
teractions with Mr. Foggin
during his time here, and
have always found him will-
ing to listen and reasonable
to deal with.
His dismissal out of the
blue needs more explana-
tion than we have seen so
far.
What’s up, council? An
explanation that it is a pri-
vate personnel matter will
not be satisfactory.
Dale Derouin
Dallas
Nuclear war would
create fallout
In the unacceptable event
of a serious nuclear war, in
addition to the dreadful
human toll, fire storms
would send much smoke
and dust into the atmos-
phere creating a nuclear
winter and serious food
shortage in our radioactive
world.
Walden Joura
Dallas
Pool manager will
be dearly missed
The Dallas Aquatic Cen-
ter has lost a great asset.
Tina Paul, the center’s man-
ager, retired on Nov. 30.
Patrons of the pool held a
potluck for her last day to
say farewell.
She was a great inspira-
tion to the youth of Dallas.
To many of the young
people who worked at the
pool, she was their first
boss.
She taught them respon-
sibility in the workplace.
She encouraged and coun-
seled them.
Tina also had a natural
rapport with the older gen-
eration.
She understood their
needs and was always ready
to listen to their concerns.
The maintenance and safety
of the pool was always her
No. 1 priority.
She became a good friend
to me over the nine years I
have been coming to the
pool. I hope the city can
find someone of the same
high caliber and commit-
ment to fill her shoes.
We will miss you, Tina.
Jay Lee Roberts
Dallas
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The deadline for letters to the
editor is 10 a.m. Monday.
To see the entire letters pol-
icy: polkio.com.
THE DOCTOR IS IN
Screening reduces cancer risk
Colon cancer is one of the
most common cancers. In
fact, 9.4 million people were
diagnosed with colon cancer
in the United States in 2015.
And did you know that most
colon cancers happen in
people without a family his-
tory or any known family
traits?
Patient survival depends
on the stage of the cancer
when it’s found. The five-
year survival rates for colon
cancer are approximately:
• Stage 1 – 90 percent
• Stage 2 – 70 percent
• Stage 3 – 40 percent
• Stage 4 – 5 percent
Unfortunately, early stage
curable colon cancers come
without signs or symptoms.
By the time the patient has
noticeable stomach pain,
weight loss or rectal bleed-
ing, the cancer is often at an
advanced stage and incur-
able.
The American Cancer So-
ciety, the U.S. Preventive
Services Task Force, and var-
ious gastroenterology and
endoscopy societies have
created guidelines for colon
cancer screening.
Colonoscopy is the best tool
for colon cancer screening
and prevention.
Studies show patient pop-
ulations who follow the
guidelines have a 50 to 75
Gates
About the author: Dr. Lawrence K.
Gates Jr. is a currently a specialist in gas-
troenterology at Salem Gastroenterology
Consultants in Salem. He graduated from
Duke University School of Medicine,
where he completed his Internal Medicine
internship and residency. He completed a
Gastroenterology fellowship at the Mayo
Clinic and was an Associate Professor at
the University of Kentucky. Dr. Gates is
married and has two daughters.
percent lower rate of colon
cancer death. The guidelines
are:
• Non-African American
people with no significant
family history of colon can-
cer or polyps (a mass of tis-
sue) should have their first
colonoscopy at age 50.
• African Americans
should start at age 45.
• People with 1) no family
history of colon cancer and
2) have no polyps on their
first colonoscopy, should
have a repeat colonoscopy
in 10 years.
• People with a strong
family history of colon can-
cer should have their first
colonoscopy at age 50, or 10
years younger than the age
at diagnosis of the youngest
affected family member, and
every five years thereafter.
• Anyone with pre-cancer-
ous colon polyps on any
colonoscopy should have a
colonoscopy every five
years.
What is a strong family
history of colon cancer?
Colon cancer in one or more
first-degree relatives (parent,
sibling, or child) before age
60, or in two or more sec-
ond-degree relatives (grand-
parent, aunt or uncle,
cousin, or grandchildren)
before age 60.
Getting prepared: As any
patient will tell you, the
worst part of colonoscopy is
the preparation. It involves a
clear liquid diet and drink-
ing two doses of a salty solu-
tion. Then find an empty
bathroom and a good book.
The prep solution works to
clean out your colon. The
colon needs to be thorough-
ly flushed, to give the doctor
the best possible view.
The day of the procedure:
Arrive early, dress comfort-
ably, leave valuables at
home and get ready for a
nice nap. With modern
drugs that put you to sleep,
most patients have no mem-
ory of the procedure. You’ll
need a family member,
neighbor or friend to drive
you home. By the next day,
you will be back to normal,
and able to resume all of
your usual activities.
Colonoscopy is a safe pro-
cedure. The rate of major
complications is about one
in every 3,000 procedures.
Please join us this March
in recognizing Colon Cancer
Awareness Month. Colon
cancer is preventable, beat-
able and treatable.
Salem Gastroenterology
Consultants is a practice of
nine board-certified gas-
troenterologists, four physi-
cian’s assistants, and a dieti-
cian, serving the mid-
Willamette Valley.
For the past two years, we
have provided endoscopy
services at West Valley Hos-
pital and clinical consulta-
tions at Oregon Family
Health to better serve our
patients in Dallas and the
west side of the valley.
While we provide the full
range of services in the diag-
nosis and non-surgical treat-
ment of diseases of the adult
gastrointestinal tract, the
biggest part of our practice
is screening for colorectal
cancer.
WHAT’S YOUR RESOLUTION?
The Itemizer-Observer is collecting
New Year’s resolutions, and we want to
know what you hope to accomplish in
2018.
With just a few weeks until the new
year, time is running out to be included
on our Resolutions page.
Help inspire others with your
goals — and what better way to hold
yourself accountable than by seeing
your resolution in black and white.
We will use your first name and last
initial, so there shouldn’t be too much
on the line should you not succeed on
your first try at whatever it is you want
to do better next year.
Email us your New Year’s resolutions
by Dec. 21 at ionews@polkio.com.
HOW TO REACH US
NEWSROOM
Emily Mentzer ..............Editor/Monmouth/Independence Reporter ....ementzer@polkio.com
Vol. 142, No. 50
(USPS) - 437-380)
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