Sunset Meadows Park gets name nominations and a lot more from Parks and Rec Board
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service

The Independence Parks and Recreation Board is proving itself to be a squeaky wheel for residents. This small band of volunteers, which this past year has had several city-imposed meeting cancellations, continues to ask questions aimed at keeping some issues – from the municipal pool to park landscaping – at the forefront.

Last Thursday, the members, who all are volunteers, voted to recommend names for a park that so far has been known as “Sunset Meadows.” To the surprise of no one on the board, the top choice in a citizen survey for an official name was “Sunset Meadows,” with 23 votes.

However, board members put their own stamp on the name, by adding its Spanish translation as part of the recommendation: “Prados al Atardecer.” The other two potential name suggestions, which got far fewer votes, were Kalapuya Meadows and Camino de Inspiracion, or Park of Inspiration. All three names will go to the city council, which will select the name and make it official.

If that seems like a fairly routine matter, an analysis of the board’s action of the past year by Trammart News shows the members pushed for progress in areas ranging from a decision on the shuttered municipal pool, which City Manager Kenna West and City Public Works Director Gerald Fisher say requires inclusion in a new parks master plan in order to be reinstated. The pool was closed after being found in disrepair this past summer.

Pressed at the last meeting about when demolition of the pool house will take place – it was scheduled for this fall – Fisher explained that he has 22 “active” public works projects in the pipeline so the pool house tear-down will likely be put over till early 2024. “I am trying to juggle flaming chainsaws,” he said.

Also at the recent meeting, Board Member Maria Blanco reminded Fisher the board needs to approve minutes, to keep the archive up-to-date – they were missing from the agenda packet. Board Chair Jonathan Jay inquired how soon the long-awaited vegetation at Sunset Meadows Park will be planted – a gathering of local dignitaries was held more than a year ago to celebrate the installation of trees, but so far only the ceremonial dedication tree has been planted. When Fisher responded that it could be next fall, Jay observed: “It’s a little disappointing it will be another calendar year.”

Outside the meeting, member Jasper Smith was told the board was called “the mouse that roars” by one resident buoyed by the way the committee apparently is striving to keep the city on track with movement toward promised projects. Smith said the phrase was likely directed at Erin McIntosh, who has been an advocate for the municipal pool. “I think we are mice, I will say that,” Smith said. ▪
 
Tougher election navigations may lie ahead for new County Clerk Kim Williams
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service

When Kim Williams became Polk County Clerk after nearly two decades of serving under Valerie Unger in that office, she knew she not only had big shoes to fill but a political landscape that threatens to make the professional path far more difficult.

At a Salem City Club meeting in mid-November, Williams reflected on her time in the office under Unger, and the changes she witnessed as a result of a growing political climate in which the voting process increasingly was questioned.

“The biggest threat to our office is misinformation,” Williams told members of the Salem City Club at their most recent meeting. It was her first time speaking to a group in an official capacity since she took office in October.

Williams has been serving in the Polk County Clerk’s Office since 2004 and considered former Polk County Clerk Val Unger, who preceded her, to be among the finest ever to occupy the office. “She was an amazing boss,” Williams said.

But in recent years, social media in the county -- online chat rooms, internet postings -- began suggesting election-related conspiracies, apparently in response to the state’s motor-voter registration. The seven-year-old law enables those who obtain or renew driver licenses to automatically be registered to vote. Prior to the law’s passage, an extra step was required. One effect of the motor-voter law was that, just by completing that task at the Department of Motor Vehicles, users were registered as “non-affiliated” unless they filled out a card designating a political party. As the number of non-affiliates swelled, some in the county became critical of the process.

By the time the last election rolled around, Unger ‘s position was becoming a far more frequent recipient of disparaging comments. So, following that election, she chose to retire, even though she hadn’t yet reached her 60th birthday. As the target of unfounded mistrust. “she just couldn’t take it anymore,” Williams said.

It was unprecedented for the Polk County Clerk’s Office – one of the smallest offices in the state – to receive such public attention, including far more public record requests, Williams noted. However, providing answers to all inquiries adds positive visibility to her office, she said, adding that she already is trying to promote transparency by inviting people to call or come in with questions.

Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope, who has served on the Polk County Board of Commissioners longer than either of his colleagues, said he has known Williams for years. “I have complete confidence in Kim Williams, and she was trained by the best,” Pope said. ▪
 
A Christmas story for the ages: soldier’s unexpected return to Independence more than a century ago
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service

In the fall of 1918 the parents of a World War I soldier from Independence who was listed as missing in action were preparing for the saddest holiday season of their lives. On Christmas eve, they instead got a great and surprising gift – their son walked through the door.

Armine Oliver Young had been seriously injured in a battle in France, and his family was notified that his whereabouts were unknown. Finally, in October, they received a letter from him that he was in a field hospital, recovering from a bullet wound to his arm. Shortly before the clock tolled for Christmas, Young strode into his house, giving his mother and father the city’s biggest shock of the season, which landed him on the front page of the Polk County Newspaper, The Enterprise, as well as other newspapers across the county.

The story of Armine O. Young is chronicled not only in the yellowed pages of an old newspaper, but among a set of display panels at the Independence Heritage Museum. Though not currently out for public view, the true tale of the soldier’s unexpected return was unearthed by Independence Heritage Museum Curator Amy Christensen.

“I came across a small newspaper clipping with Young's story,” Christensen explained. “I found it to be a lovely expression of the sorrows, as well as the unique rejoicement involved in being a military family,” she said, noting that her own family is one of those, as well.

The story is a poignant example of a slice of life in Independence more than a century ago. “We aim to connect visitors to history through our local personal stories,” she said. Among some visitors to the museum when this exhibit was displayed years ago, the World War I story of Young and his return home became known as “the soldier’s Christmas story.” ▪

City Parking Study Shows Low Survey Results So Far But Residents Weigh In

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Nov. 17, 2023

A city plan to identify parking needs in and around downtown has drawn a disappointing response rate so far to the survey but the study has a few preliminary conclusions, according to results presented at an open house Tuesday.

The precise number of those who participated in the survey was unavailable, according to consultants with the company that performed it, Portland-based Toole Design. A report with final numbers should be available online in the coming weeks, said Kerry Aszklar, the urban planner on the project.

At a planning commission meeting in September, City Planning Manager Fred Evander described the number of surveys the city received at that time – about 160 – as lower than expected, and fewer than city staff had hoped. “Our goal was higher than that, of course,” he told the planning commission. “We have done a lot of things to boost that number and it has not gone up.”

Inquiries to the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, for an update on the number of participants to the survey went unanswered after the open house on the issue.

Despite a video to encourage survey participation, targeted social media and flyers distributed at various locations, “at some point you have got to respect people’s prerogative not to participate,” Evander said. The response number by Evander is the one to use until the final report is posted, said Gwen Eckelman, an engineer with Toole Design who attended the open house.

Evander noted that the survey contains “good information,” and it was detailed and “beefy.” Among the results so far, the survey shows that most trips downtown are by car, and only 19% of those who answered the survey say they have a “hard or very hard” time locating a parking spot, with nearly 48% identifying it as a “mixed bag” and about a third reporting an “easy or very easy” time finding a place to park. Several residents weighed in on the issue, with one suggesting that short-term parking by Ovenbird Bakery and Coffee Brew and Taphouse is one good option, so that fast carry-out pickups could be made.

Other ideas included issuing parking passes for those who live in downtown apartments so that they could post them on dashboards as indicators of residency. Several who use downtown say there aren’t enough delegated spots for apartment dwellers, forcing many to use street parking. The parking study was undertaken after merchants reported that there was a shortage of parking downtown during some times of day, which seemed to affect customers. ▪

 
When is an apology is greater than the sum of its parts? When the school board chair issues one.
 
An Editorial By Anne Scheck, reporter and publisher of Trammart News, Nov. 17, 2023


I remember the black-and-white television set, and I remember adults – mostly men – hovering around it. That's all I recall of this event, other than the hushed silence broken by a comment delivered with stunning surprise, perhaps shock. “The President took responsibility for the Bay of Pigs,” came the words in the deep baritone of our neighbor, as heads around the room nodded.

I was only seven years old at the time, and immediately pictured the “bay of pigs” as a hog farm in my home state of Kansas. I knew who the president was. He went by the initials JFK, and no grown-up I knew -- except for a Catholic couple up the street -- had voted for him. Yet here were all these tall people, awestruck with approval, issuing praise.

Their response froze the moment in my memory. Later, when friends apologized to me, I always took note of their words. Though well-intentioned and sincere, and very much appreciated by me, many folks give lackluster apologies compared with our 35th president, if they give them at all.

They’re sorry, of course, but they’re under stress. They have a sick family member and home life has been hard or a terrible boss has made the job miserable, and they are just a wreck, you see.
I’ve heard very little self-blame, which is hard for me, too. I always want to explain why I did what I did, while skipping mention of what a total bonehead thing it was to do. Which brings me to a recent and revealing pronouncement by CSD 13J’s School Board Chair, Donn Wahl. An action taken by CSD 13J, in his view, required no excuse-deflecting monologue. He said he was sorry.

“This was a sound financial decision that was poorly communicated and poorly implemented, and we’ll take ownership for that,” he said. In the future such financial decisions will be “reviewed more closely and communicated more widely,” Wahl added. When Central School District 13J approved a plan to pay ahead on its bond debt this past summer, there was a miscalculation on the burden to local property taxpayers.

Some saw their tax bill climb several hundred dollars. CSD Superintendent Jennifer Kubista apologized, too. But she gets paid in six figures and attributed it to a math mistake, which may be entirely understandable to anyone like me who struggled with college algebra but wasn’t perceived as etiologically sound to some.

Wahl, a volunteer on a board that gets more headaches than deep-sea divers, did several things in his apology that stand out: he confessed it was poorly communicated, which pretty much everyone who collared me about this issue had said; he identified it as poorly implemented, which I’d seen by the deer-in-the-headlights reaction of several people on fixed incomes.

And then Wahl promised to do better, with news on such moves “communicated more widely.”

That should be good for everyone. All the public communications coordinators in the Monmouth-Independence area are paid with tax dollars, from the cities to the schools. There are no better recipients of fact-based announcements, in my view, than the people who pay those taxes. I would run out of fingers fairly quickly trying to count the times in Independence that citizens have complained they get public relations videos instead of up-to-date information. Yet there is a hunger for such material or else I’d get a lot more doors slammed in my face delivering The Independent.

CSD 13J Board Chair Donn Wahl did something remarkable, and in a routine way, which bestowed it with even more glow. He admitted errors were made in the execution of a sound financial plan, and he pledged to improve the messaging the next time around. He wasn’t defensive. He didn’t talk about the hard job of board volunteerism or the ingratitude of some critics or the fact that he is only a guy who placed in trust in others’ expertise and got burned by it. When small town life delivers heroes, they often arrive this way, I think. There is no ceremony of recognition. Nobody stands and applauds.

If you are lucky, and do the right thing, you are often the only one you think may be aware of that. But if Board Chair Wahl presumes that no one fully noticed a few sentences in which he expressed regret and remorse, he is wrong.

I want to take this opportunity to say thank you. I was privy to it all, from my seat at the back of the room. We should all be saying thank you, too. It is a rare event when an unvarnished apology comes our way. ▪
 
A story to get your goat: How a plush toy from the local museum sparked a hunt for accurate animal

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Nov. 17, 2023

Our story begins not on a dark and stormy night, but a sunny, rain-free afternoon.
The Independence Library had publicized an animal sleepover, where kids brought in their favorite teddy bears or dinosaurs or bunny rabbits or other companion toys to spend the night among the stacks of books. A clever idea -- and such a nice one for children, right?

So, Trammart News brought a plush toy in, as well. It was a goat purchased at the Independence Heritage Museum, which is a fairly frequent shopping stop for the news outlet’s owner. Details of what happened next are blurry. One of the children in the library at the time apparently questioned the accuracy of the goat’s identification on the sales tag. Recall of the moment is imprecise because Trammart News, which is run by a rather inquisitive type, spent a fair amount of time engaged in conversation with the children’s librarian, Miss Jo. It wasn’t until months later, on the heels of some local 4H events, that it seemed time to research the precise breed of the museum goat.

As the young and observant library patron pointed out, there may be a reason to question that ID tag on it. For one thing, the continent of Africa is misspelled, at least by American grammatical standards. For another, the goat’s origin is described as Cameroon, a place of Nubian goats, Nigerian dwarf goats and pygmy goats. The museum goat's tag reads “Patrick, the Pygmy Goat.”

However, male pygmy goats have beards, and Patrick looks pretty clean-shaven, so to speak. What to do? Solution: Consult some Polk County goat experts. A trip to the Oregon State University Extension Office in nearby Dallas turned up some information. Patrick looks like a Toggenburg goat, an alpine breed that's a favorite among the Swiss. They're sturdy, with ears and legs like Patrick's -- and similar markings, too, said  Hayley White, agricultural program coordinator for Polk and Marion Counties. Also, some Polk County goat farmers weighed in.

The consensus appeared to be that the toy goat represents a possible mix of good goat genes. "Looks like a pretty generic goat, could be Nigerian dwarf by the coloring and erect ears. But I'm sure it could just be a mixed goat as well," noted Holly Morag of Groovy Goats Farm. “He does resemble a Nigerian,” agreed Erik Frizelle, whose wife, Tracey, has a goat that looks like a sibling of Patrick’s. The difference is that a Nigerian Dwarf goat resembles a small dairy goat, while a Pygmy goat is one with a broader build, which Patrick seems to possess, according to the Frizelles.

In fact, some “Cameroon Goats,” as they are sometimes called, are known to be a hardy combination of the best DNA. Along Main Street, in downtown Independence, there was wide agreement that Patrick didn’t fit any stereotype -- except one known to buyers of cuddlesome toys everywhere, as “really cute.”

“This is obviously a Billy goat,” pronounced Madeline Blasko, apparently alluding to Patrick’s horns. Also, by scratching under Patrick’s jaw, a slightly hairy stubble appears. Could it be the trademark beard of a pygmy goat?

No kidding around; a tiny beard does seem to be there, and that’s the rub of good journalism -- taking things on the chin! (All puns in this last sentence are totally intentional.) ▪

A five-year anniversary for a group called WIM that is changing lives in Independence and Monmouth
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Nov. 10, 2023

From a handful of women only a few years ago to a group that now numbers over 2,000, the Women of Independence and Monmouth is proving a village of friends can be formed by building a single bridge. In this case, a Facebook group with no entry requirements other than the desire to meet new people and make new friends.

Just ask Trisha Buck, the Facebook group’s administrator. She’s surprised how much and how quickly WIM grew -- by the hundreds from a single posting when a woman who confessed, only a few years ago, to wanting to make some friends.

The “WIMMERs” as they call themselves, recently celebrated a five-year anniversary at Valkyrie Wine Tavern in downtown Independence. Asked about the happy, noisy crowd that showed up for the celebration, Buck searched for the underlying reason that so many have flocked to the group. For one, there is really no barrier at all for joining; for another, the goal is to meet people and have fun, with no strings attached, according to some of those who attended.

Shirley Hutchison citied her reason: “WIM is the only FB group I’m in where you can have friends and activities in person, not just the internet. I know too many women who live alone and need to get out of the house. WIM lets them do that in a friendly, safe, supportive environment.” Norma Soffa said she joined after seeing a group of women at a local establishment “having a great time.” After striking up a conversation with the group, Soffa decided it was a place for her, too. Kat Garcia agrees. “The women I’ve met through WIM have become such good and true friends,” Garcia added.

The Facebook group functions without many rules, but there has been no trolling, no hate speech and no extremism, which seem to be otherwise common online, Buck said. “Maybe it works because we are literally IRL -- in real life –neighbors,” Buck suggested. Actually, “I don’t know why it works,” Buck said.

Some members offered their own explanations. Tina Thompson, an Independence resident who formed a successful walking group for WIMMERS, noted that she found herself without many friends after a year of living in Independence.

Once she began participating in “WIM Trivia Night,” at Parallel 45, that changed. “I decided to start the ‘WIM Weekly Walking Group’ as a way to meet other women in the area and make new friends while enjoying the outdoors and getting to know the neighborhoods of Indy and Monmouth,” Thompson recalled. “Without WIM, I would have never met so many amazing women and helped to bring so many of them together with my walking group,” she said.
Thompson is now planning to move to the Oregon coast, but she expects the walking group to keep going after her departure, thanks to its popularity – and widespread appreciation. As WIMMER Lacey Harris observed, “I started walking and have met some amazing ladies since. Thank you, WIM!!"

Reflecting back on when she was asked to take over the group -- after the woman who first posted the notice and got WIM going relocated to another town -- Buck said her reaction was “Oh, there are so many people that would be better at this than me.” Now that the group is more than 2,000 members strong, Buck still credits others for its success. However, she confesses that it answers the lifelong need she’s had to consider herself a “helper” of others. (Disclosure Trammart News’ owner. Anne Scheck, is a supporter of all things WIM.) ▪
 
Central School District to take new approaches for low student attendance with “Walking buses”
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Nov. 10, 2023

Absentee rates in Central School District schools that are below the state average and represent over 40% of students are prompting district administrators to look for new approaches to the problem, CSD Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said during a recent visit to Ash Creek Elementary School.

“It’s better than it was,” Kubista said, noting that the figures were even worse last year. However, with “regular attenders” for CSD at only 58%, compared with the state average of 62%, the challenge of school absences continues to be a looming problem, she said.

Different strategies are being explored, from a “walking bus” in which children who don’t qualify for transportation by school bus are picked up at their doorstep by an adult or group of adults. The challenge is waiting for the state to finalize an okay on this plan.

“As for the walking school buses, we do not know if it can be volunteer driven yet because we don't have the rules yet. We are hoping for the state to release the rules and guidelines by January,” said Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for the district.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School, an advocacy group for safe travel to and from educational facilities, endorses walking school buses for the reasons that CSD officials have described. However, the center recommends them for other reasons, too. Studies show that fewer children are walking and biking to school, and more children are at risk of becoming overweight.

The walking school bus is defined by the “Safe Routes Center,” as the center is sometimes called, as “a group of children who walk to school with one or more adults and it can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school or as structured as a route with meeting points, a timetable and a regularly rotated schedule of trained volunteers.” The center also supports a variation on the “walking school bus,” such as a “bicycle train,” in which adults supervise children riding their bikes to school.

However, the “walking school bus” is only one of the strategies the district plans to undertake, Kubista said. Another is an emphasis on family engagement, which is proposed as a means to strengthen the connection between home and school. Providing what parents, guardians and caregivers may need to get kids on a regular schedule – same bed time, same morning routine – can be helpful. Information and outreach of ways to do this hopefully will prove beneficial, Kubista said.

She emphasized that about 60% of the students are at the poverty line or below, so making contact any way possible may help boost attendance.

However, national studies on the drop in attendance – a cross-country trend that shows no signs of significantly abating – also pin part of the blame on declines in student mental health. The National Center for Health Statistics has reported that a most public schools are seeing an increase in mental health issues, and a majority of them have tracked an increase in the percentage of students seeking help in mental-health services. An even higher number of teachers and staff members have expressed concern about the issue, which also interferes with school participation – and attendance.

When the numbers of regular school attenders plummet, district finances take a hit because schools are reimbursed for the days that students are present. However, the cuts go deeper than dollars to some in the school system: it means extra work and disruption for teachers, who are then tasked with helping non-attenders catch up or maintain meeting assignments.

Some teachers-in-training at Western Oregon University, who say they have seen this attendance shift since the days of off-site learning in covid, are concerned. Maddie Lehrer, who got her undergraduate in social studies from WOU, called low attendance in schools “pretty worrisome.” As she works toward completion of her master’s degree in education, she wants to impart that knowledge of subject matter through high school teaching.
Having to deal with matters that take away from actual instruction would be a challenge, she said. “I hope by the time I get there, things will be getting back in the right groove,” Lehrer said. ▪
 
A cat cafe for Indy: A feline rescue operation is underway on Main Street inside a new store
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, Nov. 10, 2023

Emily Samuelian, a fairly recent graduate of Western Oregon University, wanted to stay in the area and has a penchant for two things: cats and kittens, along with selling unusual gift products. So she combined her passion for both, and opened “The Little Pumpkin Cat Café” at 226 Main Street, Suite G, in downtown Independence.

The store, which features special tea and coffee, is open from 11 am to 6 pm Wednesday through Saturday, and on Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm, in the back corner of the Little Mall on Main. From specialty teas to hand-made jewelry, the eclectic store is a cozy addition to the cluster of shops in this downtown arcade. Samuelian began her business at the Independence Farmers’ Market in the Umpqua Bank Parking lot, then moved to her new location several weeks ago. Her goal is to get cats in need of a home placed in one; currently she has a gray tabby kitten and a young Siamese romping and sleeping in the adjoining cat room.

A big gray male who is old and blind has become a permanent resident, Samuelian said.
The idea of a cat café isn’t new. Entrepreneurs in several towns, including Eugene and Portland, have attempted them. However, the challenge of finding and maintaining a location for a food-related business that is subject to added regulations for animal care appears to make these unique coffee-and-tea spots hard to sustain. Samuelian offers craft classes by sign-up, and her door is open for anyone who wants to “hang out with cats,” as she puts it. ▪

Independence residents call for more accountability after property tax increase

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service , Nov. 3, 2023

“Get real.”

That was the reaction of Al Cleveland, longtime resident of Independence, when he opened his property tax bill last week. It had increased more than eight percent compared with last year’s statement.

Cleveland is far from alone. Like many others across town, he’s concerned. He said he’d like to see the agencies his tax bill supports learn to live within their means -- higher taxes make it harder for those who pay them to do that.

From a hangar at the Independence State Airport where local airpark homeowners gather for coffee many mornings to the tables at the Ovenbird Bakery on Main Street, the recent talk of the town has been this year’s tax bill.

“It was an overall tax increase of approximately $800,” commented Jerry Pryce, who lives in north Independence. “The property assessment was up three percent, but the educational portion boosted the bulk of the tax bill,” he pointed out.

Pryce is correct about the underlying reason that many saw their taxes rise – a fact uncovered by his neighbor Andy Duncan. Duncan, who made a trip to the Polk County Courthouse to get a jump on his tax bill this year, was stunned to see that – due to educational assessments – it had leapt higher than he’d ever seen it.

The charges are assigned at a rate per $1,000 of assessed home value. There’s about $1.30 in a new addition on the school-bond payment; a public-safety levy to fund upgrades in Polk Fire District No. 1 has been passed by voters, but the increase won't take effect until next year. Duncan reported his findings by email to fellow residents – and the news traveled swiftly. At the Ovenbird Bakery, reactions ranged from shoulder shrugs of resignation to expressions of distress, which seemed consistent with the view in other parts of Independence.

Vincent Homer, who stopped in at the EAA Hangar last week -- a popular spot for local aviation enthusiasts -- was dismayed about the “biggest chunk,” which he attributed to school bonds. If the taxpayers are going to pay more for schools on their property taxes, they deserve to see better results in their educational system, he asserted.

If that sounds like the kind of complaint that could be expected during tax season, it seems to have a broader implication this year: another bond to pay for upgrades at schools in Central School District 13J is being considered, with a possible campaign launch in the next several months. And, in Independence, bonds repeatedly have been mentioned as a potential revenue source during city council sessions -- City Manager Kenna West referenced a list of 21 public works projects at the last meeting.

Over lunch at The Grain Station, Nan Willis, a former public-school principal, said the idea of any new bond is unlikely to be met with much support, given the current economic climate. “I can tell you I would pound the pavement myself against any that would impact my tax bill,” she said.

Multiple attempts seeking a response from Independence city administration to the current tax situation have gone unanswered by the communications coordinator for Independence, Emmanuel Goicochea. In the past, Goicochea has stated his role determines which press inquiries receive comment.

However, communications personnel at both CSD 13J and the City of Monmouth have issued responses – and both are providing public outreach.

The school district had been getting calls, confirmed Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District 13J, which serves both Monmouth and Independence. “I hope this helps let people know why they are seeing an increase,” she said.

There are two “line items” on property tax bills, she explained -- Central School District 13J and CSD 13J bonds. The first item is the part local property taxpayers contribute to cover expenses in classrooms and support services, which makes up less than 20% of the district’s general operating budget. That rate is the same every year, “so increases are due to changes in assessed property value by the county,” Mentzer said.

The second item is to pay off bond debt that was incurred when the community voted to make large investments, like seismic improvements at buildings, as well as by building Ash Creek Elementary School, and adding the sixth-grade wing at Talmadge Middle School.

This year, some of the debt from the bonds that built Ash Creek Elementary and the remodel of Talmadge Middle School’s sixth grade wing increased the levy amount on property taxpayers in the district for the 2023-2024 year.

“This strategy will reduce interest payments and decrease the overall obligation of the district in future years,” she said. “This is not unlike reducing your interest by paying down the principal on a car or home loan,” Mentzer said.

Payments on the 2008 bond that resulted in a complete remodel and addition at Central High School have been paused but will resume in 2028, she added. That bond is scheduled to be paid off in 2038.

In Monmouth, a special message, often referred to as the “Mayor’s Note,” which is included in utility bills, will address property taxes, said Sabra Jewell, the city’s communications coordinator. Also, Mayor Cec Koontz, along with Monmouth Finance Director Susie Marston, is holding a “coffee chat” for residents in early November to talk about the issue. It is scheduled for Nov. 9 at 9 am at the Monmouth Community Senior Center.

In Independence, some residents have expressed appreciation for Duncan’s outspoken analysis of taxation. Independence has a tax rate of 19.1332 -- the highest in Polk County, exceeding that of neighboring Monmouth’s at 18.2184. The tax rate represents a number that reflects the amount of taxing districts. Independence has one more than Monmouth does, affirmed Polk County Tax Assessor Valerie Patoine.

In fact, Independence also has the highest “ad valorem” tax of any city in Polk County, excluding the West Salem area. The ad valorem tax rate, 4.5897, was set years ago and is the permanent rate for Independence’s taxing district. Monmouth's ad valorem is 3.6107.

Additionally, of the three dozen counties in Oregon, Polk County is among the top 10 in terms of homeowner taxation, according to an analysis five years ago by the Oregonian. And that status seems unlikely to change. Oregon has undergone tax reforms that limit the amount taxpayers can be required to pay.

Measure 50 tied tax bills to 1995 property values, capping those increases to three percent a year.Measure 50, passed in 1997, cut taxes and established permanent tax rates, like the “ad valorem” for cities. The limits have succeeded in curbing taxes, but reportedly have made it more difficult to raise revenue for cities, which often turn to bond levies. (Trammart News & Publishing is solely responsible for the content provided.) ▪
 
Gophers in the north part of Independence are an annual pest every fall
 
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service , Nov. 3, 2023

The nature changes of autumn have brought more than the crimson and gold leaf colors. This year, mounds of dirt like little volcanoes all around the Independence Airpark show that a gopher population continues to grow north of town.

No one knows what the precise numbers are, but resident Lynn McDonald has been the go-to gopher guy for the airpark for the past 25 years. After the young are born, usually in spring and early summer, they are kicked out of the nest to go find new homes. Because the airpark community has acres of land around taxiways, they have made the underground territory their habitat, he said.

Walkers at the airpark who may need to cross unpaved areas keep on the lookout for them. The trademark tiny hills show where they have been at work, one explained, noting that they are almost never seen. Considered a potential trip-and-fall hazard, the tunnels also can weaken the ground.

Unlike nutria, the brown rodents often seen by creek beds, gophers really dislike water so pouring some down their hole can make them move, explained Ed Matteo, a longtime member of the Ash Creek Water Control District who has been trapping nutria for years.
For years, the “gopher problem” has appeared on the agenda of meetings of the Independence Airpark Homeowners Association. So far, a severe eradication effort hasn’t been seen as necessary. One theory is that, by the time a wet winter passes, the rain has proven to be a natural population control.

“This new life is very challenging for young gophers,” observed wildlife biologist Kim Flotlin, in a report describing the situation for the animals in the Pacific Northwest. Flotlin, who works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, noted that the “decisions, skills and sheer luck” of the young venturing out oo their own every fall can mean “the difference between life and death.” So far, gopher numbers seem to diminish in the terrain at the airpark by the time February rolls around.
But they can do real devastation to gardens and vegetation, said McDonald, observing they like bulbs and roots. “Plus, you really have to look out for those mounds when you mow the yard if you don’t know they’re there.” ▪
 
 
Can Kids Be Banned Forever from the Movies?
 
IN ACTUALITY

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service , Nov. 3, 2023

An editorial column to assist public knowledge and discourse on recent events.

WHO: A group of youth who attended a showing of the newest “Exorcist” film, a sequel to the original, at the Independence Cinema.

WHAT: They appeared to be without an adult. Explanations between the involved parties vary, but this much is not in dispute: The youth were asked to leave the showing.

WHERE: An exchange of words apparently took place on site.

WHEN: A recent Tuesday, at the discount matinee.

WHY: It is alleged by the theater manager that there was no parent or adult with the youth for the actual movie, a violation of policy.

HOW: The disagreement developed apparently over several factors: One was that an adult did return to the movie theater, after running an errand; the other is that a request was denied for money to be returned since there would be no viewing of the movie. An argument allegedly ensued between the parties.

In following up, Trammart News spoke to both the adult involved, Kelcie Patrick, who said she was upset by the treatment she received, and the manager of the theater, Chance Prudhomme.
The incident involved a conflict with a movie theater that is like many across the country that has been reported as on the increase -- and in some places, incurring community backlash.
In response to an inquiry by Trammart News, Prestige Theatres issued a statement saying they were adhering to regulations by the Motion Picture Association. "We have taken our commitment to following MPA regulations very seriously," the statement said.

The specific issue of unaccompanied minors attending R-rated movies is clear, according to MPA rules: Children under 17 are not allowed to watch R-rated movies without a parent or adult guardian present.

One unanswered question is whether the youths are permanently banned, which can occur under some circumstances. However, a substantial number of entertainment venues in local situations reportedly choose not to take this action, in order to preserve a good customer relationship with the community. ▪