Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • January 24, 2018
District, charter to work it out
The Itemizer-Observer
DALL AS — A crowd of
parents of Dallas Community
School students gathered in
the Dallas School District’s
board room Monday night
worried that the district might
consider shutting down the
charter school.
Two weeks ago, Oregon
School Board Association
Board Development Specialist
Kristen Miles presented the
results of her review of the
charter school to the board.
She found the school is out
of compliance with required
instructional hours, offering
a comprehensive educational
program, and is below state
and Dallas School District
averages in academic perfor-
mance. As the charter sponsor,
it is the district’s job to assure
DCS is meeting requirements.
DCS, in its third year of a
five-year charter, is designed
to provide resources for home-
school families. Though the
school has licensed teachers
assigned as education guides
for students, most instruction
is provided by parents. Public
schools, including charter
schools, are required to offer a
minimum amount of instruc-
tion by a licensed teacher.
While those issues concern
members of the board and dis-
trict staff, board members took
no official action to terminate
Dallas Community School’s
charter. Instead, the board
directed Superintendent Mi-
chelle Johnstone to work with
DCS leaders to find solutions.
“The charter was just ap-
proved a few years ago. We
knew there was going to
be a few issues on startup,”
said board member Michael
Blanchard. “We want to not
overlook the seriousness of
some of the things that were
in there, but … we want to find
a way to continue to move
forward.”
The board gave the school
90 days to report how it will
address the compliance issues.
“I would like to thank the
board for giving us the oppor-
tunity to work with Michelle
and work through some of the
deficiencies that were outlined
in the report,” said DCS Direc-
tor Bill Conlon. “We have taken
that very seriously and some of
the deficiencies we’ve already
corrected. We’ll be happy to
work with Michelle and show
her what we’ve been working
on.”
Parents and students
thanked the board for being
willing to work with DCS
leaders.
“To me it is the best of both
worlds,” said parent Amber
Garrison, who has two daugh-
ters enrolled at DCS. “Dallas
Community School offers the
enrichments my kids wouldn’t
otherwise take — choir, yoga
and sign language.”
She said the school mea-
sures academic growth and
performs entrance and exit
evaluations to see if students
are on track.
“The guides that oversee
our family are teachers,” Gar-
rison added. “They know our
kids intimately. Our kids share
their excitement or fears about
certain subjects, and these
hardworking teachers find
resources that work for our
family.”
Wendy Sparks, one of the
founders of DCS, said she’s
glad the collaborative relation-
ship the school had with the
district in the beginning of the
charter still exists.
“I’m extremely pleased to
hear that that spirit is going to
continue to for next 90 days or
so,” Sparks said.
Arson
damage to the (house), I don’t
think recognizance release is
appropriate today,” Caso said.
Both defendants will appear
on Thursday at 1:14 p.m. in
Court Room No. 4 for a pre-
liminary hearing and release
hearing.
The fire occurred on Dec.
29, and was declared an arson
by the Oregon State Fire Mar-
shal’s Office, according to court
documents.
Investigators found evi-
dence at the scene, including
an empty ham and Swiss sand-
wich container from Safeway,
Milwaukee’s Best beer cans,
a cellphone, and impressions
from Georgia Romeo boots left
in white paint that was spilled
in the house.
Officers reviewed video
from Safeway to identify Del-
ano as the person who pur-
chased the beer and sandwich,
and who was wearing boots
that were a potential match for
the shoe prints in the house.
Investigators served a search
warrant on the phone, and
found it belonged to Elizabeth
Underwood, according to
court documents. She told po-
lice her nephew, Delano, lost
the phone.
On Jan. 14, a Dallas officer
spotted Delano on Miller Ave-
nue in Dallas and brought him
in for an interview.
He admitted to police he
was the person on the Safeway
video, and that he had broken
into the house to drink with
a friend, who he identified as
Mock.
Delano claimed that Mock
wanted to vandalize the house
and set the fire.
Mock would say the op-
posite when interviewed by
police a day later.
“He said Delano broke the
door and was the one who
started the fire in the house,”
Buchholz reported. “He admit-
ted to later throwing debris on
the fire as it was burning.”
According to police, after
fleeing the house, the pair used
Mock’s cellphone to make vid-
eos about the fire.
“I heard both Delano and
Stanley talk about what ‘we
did’ and Stanley made a short
selfie video say ‘we’ burnt the
house down as fire trucks were
driving behind them,” Buch-
holz wrote.
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The Dallas City
Council approved the hire of
Scott Whyte as the city’s new
planning director.
Whyte started on Friday,
and is the first to fill the newly
created management position,
created when Jason Locke was
laid off. Whyte will oversee
the planning department and
building division, according
to the new department struc-
ture the council adopted last
month.
Whyte has 27 years planning
experience, the last 22 of those
were spent working for the cit-
ies of Hillsboro and Beaverton.
As the senior planner for Bea-
verton, he was the person who
meets with developers early in
the application process.
“I’ve worked in long-range
planning and current plan-
ning, lots of development
applications I’ve seen through
FALLS CITY — The old medical clinic on North Main St. in
Falls City is now the property of the city.
The Falls City City Council accepted the donation of the
buildings located at 304 and 306 N. Main St. on Jan. 11. Luck-
iamute Clinic closed in 2014.
The property was owned by Steele Family, LLC, who agreed
to donate the property if the city paid for an appraisal, which
the council agreed to do in June 2016, but the deal stalled due
to legal concerns. Owners Steele Family, LLC contacted the city
in December to say if the city would pay for the title work, the
transfer could be completed.
With the property in hand, the council wants to explore
options for its use. Acting City Manager Terry Ungricht said the
building’s condition is a concern and the first order of business
is to inspect it.
FC council puts fire levy on ballot
FALLS CITY — The Falls City City Council voted on Jan. 11 to
place a five-year local option levy on the May 15 ballot.
The levy will cost $1 per $1,000 assessed value on properties,
and raise $220,983 over the five years.
If approved, the levy would help pay for equipment for the
Falls City Fire Department, such as new breathing unit that
allow firefighters to enter burning buildings; tools for fighting
fires and emergency medical services; a tender truck; and an
emergency duty vehicle.
Levy proceeds could also supplement the department’s op-
erations budget.
the years,” he said at a council
work session last week. “I make
sure that they understand stan-
dards, and I welcome them
to the community. I certainly
make sure they know the ex-
pectations of the council, what
the policies are. I’m just de-
lighted I have the opportunity
to serve your city.”
He had 12 years supervisory
experience, which included
hiring and training new plan-
ners.
“There’s rewarding times
and there are challenging
times,” he said. “Those who are
in Beaverton right now, they
are really good professionals.
There’s some people who are
really devoted to serving the
public. I love seeing that. That’s
the enjoyable part of being a
supervisor.”
He said moving from Bea-
verton to a much smaller com-
munity will take some getting
Come and see me
for your hearing needs.
Arts grant helps Ash Creek Arts Center
SALEM — Small grants were awarded to 79 statewide arts
organizations by the Oregon Arts Commission for FY 2018.
Awarded to arts organizations in 29 towns and cities across
the state, Small Operating Grants are designed to provide op-
erating support to arts organizations with budgets less than
$150,000.
Small operating grants were awarded to Ash Creek Arts
Center.
Eligibility is limited to organizations who have operated as
an IRS recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit for two years or more.
Most organizations received $1,230.
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used to, but he’s eager to get
started.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth,
and I see that potential here.
This is a great time for devel-
opment of the community,”
he said. “I know it’s a smaller
community. I think there’s
opportunity here to be a part
of some things that I’ve never
been, as far as challenges in
my career.”
FALLS CITY — The city of Falls City now can enforce its city
codes related to nuisances, public intoxication, public park
hours and curfews.
That is thanks to a contract with the Polk County Sheriff’s
Office that allows deputies to cite people on code violations.
For years Falls City has been unable to enforce some of it
city codes because it lacked a police force with jurisdiction and
a municipal court to cite violators. Contracts with the city of
Independence (court) and now the sheriff’s office solved both
of those problems.
The Falls City City Council approved the contact Jan. 11.
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Whyte takes reins of Dallas planning
By Jolene Guzman
Old doctor’s clinic donated to City
Falls City signs contract with PCSO
Continued from Page A1
Caso agreed with Walls’
point, but deferred the request
to the next hearing because the
victim wasn’t notified.
“The victim has a constitu-
tional right to be here,” Caso
said.
The judge also denied a
request to release Mock on his
own recognizance, even with
his mother assuring the judge
her son would make all court
appearances and abide by a
curfew.
Caso referred the damage
to the property — a total loss
— when refusing the request.
The house’s owner, Walter
Hudgins, had been remodeling
and preparing the property to
sell before the fire.
“With the extent of the
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