60TH ANNUAL DALLAS

AWARDSPage 8A

EARHART, NEGRETE WIN

STATE TITLESPage 11A

Volume 142, Issue 9 www.Polkio.com March 1, 2017 $1.00

DALLAS

City of Dallas receivesclean audit report.

»Page 2A

FALLS CITY

Falls City will end itsco-op with Kings ValleyCharter School.

»Page

INDePeNDeNCe

Central’s girls basket-ball team set to host astate play-in game.

»Page 13A

MONMOUTH

Hall inspired to be-come author.

»Page 5A

eDUCATION

Dallas School Boardsets deadline for out-of-district transfer applica-tions.

»Page 14A

SPOrTS

Perrydale’s boys bas-ketball team advancesto the state quarterfi-nals.

»Page 11A

Newspapers

available in

digital formatItemizer-Observer staff report

DALLAS — The DallasPublic Library has addedselect years of newspapersthat served Dallas datingback to 1868.

The newspapers areavailable online in digitaland searchable format,the library announced.The following years areavailable: 1903-1914 PolkItemizer, 1903-1914; PolkCounty Signal, 1868; andThe Polk County Times,1869-70. These newspa-pers and others can be ac-cessed at: http://ore-gonnews.uoregon.edu.

These newspapers havebeen scanned and con-verted to digital format bythe University of OregonDigital Newspaper Pro-gram. This means thatmany of them are key-word searchable. This pro-vides those interested inlocal history, research, orgenealogy a remarkableand convenient resource.

This project was madepossible by a grant fromthe Polk County CulturalCoalition. The library will beadding more years of digi-tal material in the future.

INYOURTOWN

wed

Showers

Hi: 49

Lo: 38

“Bocon!” openstonight at CentralHigh School, a storyabout a boy’s jour-ney to the City ofAngels.7 p.m. $3-$8.

thu

Rain

Hi: 48

Lo: 43

Happy Birthday Dr.Seuss! Libraries andschools across PolkCounty will hostspecial guests tohonor the author.

fri

Rain

Hi: 47

Lo: 38

Cross and Crownwill host a dessertappreciation. Theevening will includelive music, a raffleand silent auction.6:30 p.m. Free.

sat

Rain

Hi: 45

Lo: 35

It’s the first Satur-day, and that meansdonations will beaccepted at the FillOur Home DonationCenter on Uglow St.9 a.m.-Noon. Free.

sun

Rain

Hi: 43

Lo: 36

Pick up some fresh-baked goodies andfind some newtreasures at RickreallGrange Flea Market.9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.

mon

Rain

Hi: 46

Lo: 41

Mom always saidyou only get one setof permanent teeth,so share a big smileand celebrate Na-tional Dentist’s Day.

tue

Showers

Hi: 47

Lo: 40

James2 CommunityKitchen volunteersfeed all who arehungry at St. PhilipCatholic Church inDallas.4:30-6 p.m. Free.

THE NEXT

DAYSPLANNINGFOR YOURWEEK

7

Veteran’s wish granted

JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer

Jill Starbuck and her partner richard will take a trip to Hawaii before Starbuck is too weak. She battles pancreaticcancer and is on hospice. The dream was granted by Dream for Veterans, part of the nonprofit Dream Foundation.

DALLAS —Monday morn-ing, Jill Starbuck, and herpartner, Richard, boarded aplane to fulfill a dream.Starbuck, a military veter-

an, has pancreatic cancerand is on hospice. She want-ed to make a last trip toHawaii before she becomestoo weak. Most of all, though, she

wanted to share the experi-ence with Richard, who shecalls “my rock and my love.” Dream for Veterans, part of

nonprofit Dream Founda-tion, which grants the wishesof terminally ill adults, gaveher that opportunity after re-ceiving a heart-felt appealfrom Starbuck.“Richard and I have been

together for four years, andfor half of that time, I havebeen sick,” Starbuck wrote inher letter to the foundation.“He is my rock. He has sup-ported me and cared for me,and has done that becausehe loves me.”

See DreAM, Page 6A

By Jolene GuzmanThe Itemizer-Observer

Jill Starbuck to take final trip to Hawaii with loved one thanks to ‘Dream’

Cities request recreational immunity

POLK COUNTY — Localgovernment agencies andprivate landowners acrossthe state are asking the statelegislature to restore “recre-ational immunity,” protect-ing owners who allow recre-ation on their land or parksfrom lawsuits. Locally, the cities of Falls

City, Dallas and Mon-mouth have approved aresolution encouraginglawmakers to pass legisla-tion that would restore fullimmunity. That request follows a

2016 Oregon SupremeCourt decision that struckdown recreational immuni-ty.Dallas City Manager Ron

Foggin said the case, John-son vs. Gibson, involved asight-impaired jogger inPortland who was runningthrough a park and was in-

jured when stepping in ahole dug by a parks depart-ment employee. “Oregon, for a long time,

has enjoyed what they callrecreational immunity,which is basically to say thatif you participate in openspace, you do so at your ownrisk,” Foggin said. That allowed land own-

ers — public and private —to open their property forrecreational use withoutfear of being sued, so longas owners didn’t charge foruse. The woman’s attorney in

Johnson vs. Gibson arguedthat while the city of Port-land has recreational immu-nity, its employee still is li-able. The court sided with the

woman in a lawsuit, sayingthat the state’s Public LandsAct never intended to pro-tect employees or agents ofthe land owner.

See PArkS, Page 7A

JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer

A family enjoys using a playground at Dallas City Park. Falls City, Dallas and Monmouthapproved a resolution encouraging lawmakers to restore recreational immunity.

By Jolene GuzmanThe Itemizer-Observer

Law protects private, public landowners from being sued by people using property

NW Natural project on LaCreole continues

DALLAS — A NW Natural projectin progress on LaCreole Drive inDallas is estimated to continue foranother few weeks. The work will improve the utili-

ty’s service to customers in certainareas of Dallas, according to NWNatural. Drivers in the area mayrun into minor delays while crewsare working. Flaggers have been co-ordinating traffic around the proj-ect. “We are extending a pipeline in

that area to better serve customers

on the south side of town,” saidMelissa Moore, NW Natural’s cor-porate communications manager.“We hope to be done in the nexttwo weeks or by March 17.” The project required digging

up part of the street on LaCreoleDrive. A temporary patch willcover the area until June. DallasCity Manager Ron Foggin saidthe company will fully repair theroad at that time. “The road repair will require the

street to be milled and resurfaced,”he said. “After the resurfacing isdone, there should be no evidenceof the natural gas project.”

By Jolene GuzmanThe Itemizer-Observer

JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer

A NW Natural project is estimated to continue for a few weeks.