By Anne Scheck
 
He was combative and poised for a fight. But when officers responded to a report that a man was loudly fending off a frightening encounter, they quickly realized that the scene of the crime was all in his head. The man was convinced he was back in California, facing a past threat. 
 
The police couldn’t seem to convince him otherwise. Then the man saw an unmistakable sign that proved he was, in fact, in Independence -- where nobody was out to hurt him. "Finally, seeing the word 'Oregon' on an official badge, which was shown to him, made him understand he was not where he thought he was," explained Independence Police Chief Robert Mason, who, after more than two decades with the department, quite literally considers such incidents all in a day’s work. And that work is community policing, a strategy aimed at building relationships of trust and rapport.  
 
The kind of community policing being practiced in Independence – which now goes by the added term problem-oriented policing – is essential, according to interviews of officers ranging from deputy sheriffs to police sergeants at the annual meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association late last month. “Building rapport with the community is so important,” said John Kilcullen, a former police officer and lawyer. Mr. Kilcullen was at the meeting to help raise awareness of Concerns of Police Survivors, a support group for surviving families of deceased police officers. (Mr. Kilcullen’s son, Chris, was slain in the line of duty seven years ago in Eugene.)
 
Community policing can increase resources, Mr. Kilcullen explained. When community residents feel positively toward local police, the outcome is supportive citizens -- and they’re more likely to inform officers about possible crimes. Establishing trust by friendly outreach translates into “good sources of information,” concurred Larry Schrenk, Mr. Kilcullen’s former colleague on the police force.
 
Increased stressors, such as relationship difficulties, substance abuse (including opioid dependence) as well as money, job, and housing loss are reported to be at an all-time high -- and the reason for an increase in the Oregon suicide rate, according to a study released this past summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
 
"We are seeing more of the EDPs -- emotionally disturbed persons -- than ever before," Chief Mason affirmed, although the precise reasons aren't apparent. Is it that the Great Recession caused pressure on families from which some never emerged? Is it that the fabric of families has changed over the years, with fewer having a wide and supportive safety net to fall back on? The chief believes it's multi-factored, and that it has made community policing even more important. Gentle, polite questioning of some suspected law-breakers, particularly those who seem most distraught, has replaced the dispassionate command presence of the past.    
 
His officers have learned de-escalation techniques that ratchet down outbursts, often simply by listening and engaging in conversation. From an out-of-control rant by a troubled youth to a PTSD-related flashback in a veteran, "we have reduced our use of force," he said, adding that this behavior is now seen as a form of "suffering" rather than a violation. 
 
"We have to handle more calls in which someone is acting out or seems threatening," the chief said. Treatment facilities for mental illness are now  far more limited than they were 25 years ago, Chief Mason added. At times, this has meant that a specially trained mobile crisis response team is called; This is a team that pairs a Polk County mental health worker with an officer or deputy that is specially trained to handle crisis calls. Polk County has two of these teams.
 
In August, a review article published in the journal Policing and Society noted that police are dealing far more with what might once have been called issues of public health, particularly those involving mental instability, including delusional behavior and trauma. "We see this kind of thing -- it’s not that uncommon," Chief Mason explained. 
 
Many of the calls received by the Independence Police Department fall into one of three categories: Theft or property disputes, domestic disputes or animal-related reports.
 
In fact, one of Chief Mason's most memorable calls was about a goose on the loose. Apparently, a Canadian goose had gotten separated from its flock and was madly zooming around the downtown area -- for unknown reasons. The chief and another police officer -- keen on capturing the disruptive bird – gave chase but it kept dodging them. A helpful resident dashed out with a salmon fishing net, and the honking fowl was secured. It’s a good example of community policing: A good Samaritan with a fish net, and local veterinarian Robert Archer DVM being called in for a quick consult. "You can't imagine how many times, when something like this happens, he gets called -- and he is great about it, like a small-town doctor" on an emergency, Chief Mason said. (See Indy Hop for more from Dr. Archer)
 
When it comes to domestic disputes, sometimes Independence police officers simply lend an ear and give a voice to family members under duress. For example, when an elderly family member seems to be losing specific abilities -- such as the capacity to drive safely, for instance -- police can break bad news that others cannot. "It's maybe easier for us than it is for a family member to say 'It is time for you to re-test at the DMV,' " Chief Mason said.
 
With the growth of housing in Independence, specifically, apartment complexes, noise-related calls have increased, too -- usually by neighbors who live below or above a unit in multi-family housing. There's also been an uptick in calls about public alcohol consumption. This is likely because the number of homeless individuals has increased in Independence, and when they consume alcohol, it is in public, Chief Mason explained.
 
At the recent meeting of the Oregon Peace Officers Association, several members expressed admiration for Independence – calling small- town policing a tough gig because it can interfere significantly with a personal life. Public events can become a place where officers are approached by parents, for advice on teen problems or to plead a case for a child who has had a brush with the law. “You know, sometimes we just want to watch our kids play sports, not talk about someone else’s situation,” said one police officer at the meeting. Another added that he felt a personal disappointment when a youth he knew broke the law. “You feel badly, and in another bigger place, it wouldn’t be the same – it might be sad, but it wouldn’t be someone you know.”  
 
One of the biggest challenges in Independence concerning such minors has been the wider use of marijuana, Chief Mason said. Since the plant has become legal, more high school and middle-school youth have had access to it. One way may be through older acquaintances, who buy it the way teens often obtain alcohol from older friends. Another way might be from their own homes, in the same way the liquor cabinet is sometimes stealthily raided. "What we do know is that we are seeing more of it," he said. 
 
The Independence Police Department keeps abreast of good techniques for police work and for risk management, aided by a software-technology subscription known as Lexipol, which was founded 15 years ago by two attorneys who also had worked as police officers. Lexipol constantly feeds the Independence Police Department new information on state-specific law changes and evidence-based police practices. It also issues legal updates. Since it's online, it can be accessed continually -- and at the touch of a few keystrokes.

A relatively unused term -- the “down-ticket” ballot – seemed to take on a powerful new meaning in Independence’s local election this year. The 14-vote margin that put challenger Shannon Cockayne in the council seat of Diana Lindskog, the incumbent, illustrates a phenomenon that appears fairly widespread. Many more people vote for the top-of-the-ticket candidates – governor’s race, US senate seats – than for their local public officials, whose names appear further down the ballot. Yet votes really count in local contests, and victories may be won with only a few votes. “If you look at the numbers, you often find that many more people vote at the top of the ticket, and don’t vote further down,” explained Ed Dover PhD, who recently spoke on the outcome of the recent election at Salem City Club. Dr. Dover, a Polk County resident, is a noted author and expert on presidential elections. It isn’t definitively known why there often is a significant gap between the number of people who vote for top-ticket positions and the number of people who vote for local positions, he said. “But if you look at where your vote can really count, can really make a difference, the impact may be in that local race – the school board, the city council,” he said. Across Oregon, many of these local elections were decided by two dozen or fewer votes.

For anyone who wants to know if those reindeer resent being replaced by the chugging engine of the Santa Train, Robert Archer DVM has some good news. "They really can use the rest," he said. "They have got a lot of territory to cover," said Dr. Archer, a partner of the Ash Creek Animal Clinic on Main Street. He's happy to see these hard-working reindeer pull Santa's sleigh only on Christmas Eve. Even so, they're pulling an all-nighter, he pointed out.  So they may be tempted to succumb to a few chocolate energy bars. "They should stay away from carbs," he warned, noting that their stomachs are like "fermentation vats," attuned to their normal diet. His advice: they should simply eat more of the food they typically consume. However, Rudolph may need some special attention. A red nose is fairly certain to be in need of moisturizer. "I'd recommend Vaseline, which is harder to lick off," he said. As for traveling the night sky to deliver presents, Dr. Archer said he thinks the reindeer are likely to work well as a team -- they have been at it for many years. "They know how to spread the load," he said. 

By Anne Scheck

Tourism Said To Sometimes Be a Tough Sell

It was a dark and stormy night. But at The Melting Pot in downtown Independence, the little corner shop was brightly lit and bustling.
 
Stacks of boxes filled with chocolate creations were being loaded for transport – to a store favored by travelers to Oregon. “We already are meeting the needs of some tourists,” co-owner Preston Mandas later said, alluding to the candy he’d shipped out. “But having visitors from the hotel here will be great.” 
 
That’s just what other downtown merchants are saying, too, as a boutique hotel is being built a block away, on the Independence riverfront. The city has sunk $5-$6 in costs into it for infrastructure. But turning a town into a tourist destination isn’t a sure bet, as recent interviews show.
 
There is no longer the belief “that if you build it, they will come,” said Dan Davis, outdoor recreation planner for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It takes marketing, said Mr. Davis, who presented plans by the BLM for mountain-bike trails on forest land near Dallas OR, at a rural tourism workshop at Valkyrie Wine Tavern.  
 
The location of the proposed network of these mountain bike trails in Polk County – about 30 minutes to an hour from major population centers – makes it a desirable destination for these recreational riders, he said.
 
In mid-October, at the annual meeting of the Oregon chapter of the American Planning Association, urban planners were asked how tourism is created.  The general consensus: There is no one magic formula. 
 
The development of a major Oregon tourist destination like Bend, where the meeting of the city planners was held, began on a fairly small scale, said Damian Syrnyk, senior planner for the City of Bend and a member of the board of directors of the Oregon chapter of the American Planning Association. 
 
It took a visionary group of investors with deep pockets and a belief that the mountainous area was ready to become a resort.   Campgrounds and rental cabins in the forests already had helped popularize great powder-packed skiing amid evergreen beauty.
 
“So the demand for skiing was already there,” Mr. Syrnyk said. Not one dime of city coffers was used, he said. “I think it takes one big thing,” Mr. Syrnyk observed. In Bend’s case, it was Mt. Bachelor, which is Oregon’s center for winter recreation once snow falls. In spring and summer, the Bend area now is a magnet for golfers, who putt and drive on ranges under a sun far cooler than Palm Springs. 
 
As the year-round outdoor activities have proven a draw, new and related attractions have grown, too, Mr. Syrnyk said. Horseback riding, hiking and the “Ale Trail” often are part of a tourist visit now. This, in turn, has boosted the need for hotels --  multi-day visits are commonplace.
 
So what will Independence’s “one big thing” be? City officials aren’t certain. But winery tours are likely to make up the bulk of tourist visits, said Shawn Irvine, Independence economic development director. And this fall a kayaking company expressed interest in offering rentals from the Independence riverfront this summer. 
 
There is significant "economic out-pay" from tourism linked to outdoor recreation -- spending outpaces most other forms of leisure activity, said the BLM’s Mr. Davis.  And those involved in outdoor recreation tend to be respectful of the environment, and, importantly, they spend money at restaurants, he said. 
 
At the heart of Independence’s hoped-for tourism is the hotel, under a Gresham-based company. The economic analysis on the hotel was done by Bill Reid, of PNW Economics. Though he never wrote a definitive memo with final conclusions, his analysis for the city on the project showed the city will collect $400,000 in property taxes annually and $200,000 from the hotel tax.
 
His report used proprietary analytics but relied on figures and data from the city. However, “I don’t see any fundamental flaws in this project and I think all practically expected risks have been reduced or considered by design,” Mr. Reid said.    
 
Several years ago, the concept of a hotel in Independence didn’t get an enthusiastic thumbs-up by two of three developers contacted by the city for their expert opinions. However, that report was compiled before the economy turned as robust as it is now.
 
More recent meetings with potential users of the hotel, such as Western Oregon University, affirmed there’s a shortage of local hotel-room availability during athletic venues and other events; Elkay Cabinetry and Marquis Spas indicated a similar need, he said. The hotel isn’t expected to be at full-capacity all the time. In fact, the economic analysis was conducted with the anticipation of a 60-65% occupancy, Mr. Irvine noted. 
 
“We did our due diligence to ensure that the players had a solid track record of successful developments,” he said. It is the investors who are risking tens of millions of dollars, he pointed out.
 
June is the planned opening. 


TEACHER PAY EROSION

During the last round of negotiations with the school district, the Central
Education Association secured a raise on the insurance cap and a guarantee of four grade days a year, as well as what many regard as an acceptable cost-of-living adjustment. However, in the run-up to the November election, there’s been far more discussion of housing costs being linked to the possibility of a future teacher shortage.
 
In Independence, this seems in evidence in the home construction along the side streets of Gun Club Road. Three-bedroom, two-bath houses along Northgate have price tags that exceed $325,000. Just down the street, in a small development called Covey Run, the same pricing structure can be found. Does this mean fewer college students will choose teaching when they have other opportunities in a booming economy? 
 
In fact,  it is small-town affordability that’s one reason communities like Independence traditionally have been attractive to new teachers, said David Longanecker PhD, president of the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education Home prices tend to be lower, and offer a better quality of life. 
 
It isn’t just teachers who are affected by the climb in housing prices, noted Shawn Cleave, government affairs director for the Oregon Association of Realtors. However, in a small town, teachers may be the largest educational demographic affected by construction by Tokola Properties the trend. Mr. Cleave acknowledged that he has a special reason for sympathizing – his wife is a teacher. 
 
There are several forces at work driving prices up. The first is that some cities are so constrained by their urban growth boundary that land is very costly. “That 1,000-square-foot house, the starter home, is no longer being built,” Mr. Cleave said.
 
Developers have to ensure a good return-on-investment, so larger houses with bigger price tags are being constructed. Additionally, cities are depending more on fees to bolster their bottom line. “So that is a cost-driver, too – builders are paying more for permits and in municipal charges,” he said.  
 
Two other factors are at work, as well, Dr. Longanecker pointed out. “For one, there are a lot more graduates with student loans,” Dr. Longanecker said. “Second, there is an anti-tax sentiment that has meant lower funding for education.” Add to that escalating housing costs, and the outcome is a “collision course,” he stressed. 
 
Misty Hamideh, an instructional designer at Portland State University, said she bought a home in Portland in 2000 – and paid $108,000. After investing about $50,000 to refurbish and expand it, she sold the home a mere two years later for $245,000.
 
“I drove by that neighborhood recently. The house was listed for sale for $469,000,” she said. Oregon is 13th in the US for teacher pay, state salary surveys show.

The CIVICS LESSON:  Negative Campaigning Now a New Normal
 
In his latest flyer, Mayor John McArdle charged that his opponent, Jack  Waddell, had never attended a “planning session.” The flyer appeared the day Mr. Waddell was seen at a city-convened “targeted-industry” discussion for property along Hoffman Road.  Does this qualify as a planning session? Like so much in this election year, it’s debatable. Over the past dozen years, campaigns increasingly have been seen as negative by voters, according to research by the Pew Center. The Independence mayor’s race seems to fit the mold. In several brief interviews, readers said they wanted to see solution-focused statements, not personal assertions. (Both candidates made claims that drew questions, see “Mayoral Claims Considered” in The Linking Letter, October 15, 2018 at http://www.trammartnews.com). However, a study this year in the journal Marketing Science shows that negative campaigning is effective, even if it is disliked by those casting ballots – and it’s likely to play an even bigger role in the future.

The INDY HOP: The Lady Vanishes -- But Maybe Not Forever?
 
She was born in 1857. But her image on a mural in Independence lived much longer than she did -- on a brick wall at the corner of Monmouth and Main streets. Clad in a beautiful ball gown and gazing out from under a cloud of dark hair, she was Lillian Nordica, a star in the golden era of opera during the late 19th Century. She also became the "face" of Coca-Cola right around the time the corner building became Taylor's Drugstore. And then, one day, she was gone! But the mystery of Miss Lillian's disappearance has been solved by none other than the building's owner, Bodie Bemrose. The "Coke-Lady" mural was painted on plywood and touched-up in 1986. "Since then, it was never maintained and when we purchased the building, it was in very bad condition, with a great deal of the paint flaked off it," said Mr. Bemrose.  "We carefully removed the mural, and I put it in dry storage."  One person who remembers her well is Billie Herrell, whose family owned Taylor's for decades. "It always warms my heart when people ask me about our store, or talk about their fond memories of it," she said. Here's hoping that the painting of Lillian Nordica, who once sang for kings and presidents but is most remembered for her association with Coca Cola, will make a comeback, right here in town.

Till then … stay safe, Miss Lillian.