Central High School's 2025 top valedictorian: A look at his founding of a chess club

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 6, 2025

Soon Central High School graduate Aaron Hayes will leave the place he knows so well for a leafy suburb of Chicago, home of one of America’s greatest universities, Northwestern. He leaves behind more than a loving family – he departs having created a legacy at the young age of 16. He started a chess camp, and among all the accolades Hayes has earned, here is one not related at all to academic performance.

He is the inaugural honoree of Trammart’s Golden Scholar Award, which was given to recognize his efforts to bring youth together in a sport that requires nothing more than the quest to learn it, and one that can be done almost anywhere in the world. It is not done on an electronic device and needs no bat, ball, net or goalposts. It can be undertaken by both old and young and can pair people from all walks of life.

Trammart News is proud to present a story written last year, which appeared on the website IndyNewsOnline.com, and then was picked up by the Oregonian. Congratulations, Aaron.  

Under tree-shaded picnic tables covered with checkerboard battlegrounds, dozens of opponents face off to capture a king – all because a student at Central High School is spreading his love of chess with a program free for all comers this summer. 

Meet Aaron Hayes, a teen with a dream to put the game into the hands of anyone who wants to play this time-honored board sport and who founded a thriving nonprofit this past spring with that goal, aptly named “Chess in the Park” – https://sites.google.com/view/michessinthepark/home 

Now scores of portable chess sets are rolled out at noon every Saturday, onto wooden tabletops in Monmouth’s Main Street Park for participants ranging from young children to gray-haired adults. 

“I love it that so many are here,” Hayes said, surveying the crowd this past Saturday, where several tables were filled with mostly youthful competitors. “But I want even more,” said Hayes, who identifies as Hispanic and wants to draw more from the Latinx community. 

He’s been a chess player since he was an elementary student in the Central School District, where chess is offered at all the early grades through “Chess for Success,” a Portland-based 501(c)3 organization that serves 11 counties and 25 school districts in Oregon, Southwest Washington and Hawaii.

By the time Hayes got to middle school, at Talmadge, he was a seasoned player. There he met Talmadge teacher Tristan Moore, who teaches social studies, and is an avid chess player, too. 

In bygone days, Moore was able to offer chess as an elective class. Now he hosts and helps organize local tournaments, including the springtime “Chess for Success” competition, which technically is supposed to include only Polk and Yamhill counties but recently began hosting Marion and other counties in a combined tournament.

Together, Hayes and Moore are working to popularize the game. Moore, who helped supervise the chess matches underway last Saturday, cited numerous benefits: It can be played almost anywhere, it teaches critical-thinking skills, it gives a sense of belonging to students seeking a peer group, and time-plus-experience translates into winning strategies. 

“It can really boost confidence,” Moore pointed out. He said he gets his own boost seeing chess-insignia stickers on student water bottles and backpacks, signaling youthful support of the game  – and of each other. Moore also works closely with the Oregon Scholastic Chess Federation. 

Chess can bring together individuals who don’t speak the same language. They convert immediately to shared communication: chess speak. 

But perhaps one of the most important aspects of chess is the notation notebooks that Moore tries to insist on, for young players. It gets them into the habit of writing and making a record of their moves – enabling them to see their mistakes in a review of the game, as well as their tactical triumphs. 

These young players can compare their notation notebooks with online tools that can help them spot different winning lines and “up” their game, Moore said. There are also opportunities to match wits with artificial intelligence – computers can be instantly accessed as internet opponents. 

Moore is president of the board for “Chess in the Park”; school board member Susan Graham is the treasurer; and Hayes’ parents, Brandon and Olivia, serve as board members. Hayes was named “executive director,” a title bestowed by the group because anyone under age 18 cannot hold a board member position on a nonprofit, “but we wanted to recognize him as the originator of the organization and value his input in decision-making,” Moore explained. 

Hayes credits two local attorneys, board member Graham and Abby Fitts, with helping him get started  the 501(c)3  that he hopes will mean substantial growth in the year ahead. Commonly described as remarkable, Hayes sees himself only as “motivated.” 

Bringing chess to others who might not otherwise have the opportunity doesn’t seem like hard work for someone who loves the game as much as he does, Hayes said. “It is more like sharing a really great experience,” he said. ▪

By Lance Masterson

For Trammart News Service, June 6, 2025

Eden Olsen never tires of the miracle that is farming.

“It’s incredible to watch a tiny seed grow into a cabbage over weeks, and to be able to feed others with food that I’ve grown,” Olsen said. “That’s truly rewarding.”

Olsen owns and operates Lucky Crow Farm and is a vendor at The Original Independence Farmers Market. She also serves the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District (Polk SWCD) as a board member. Her constituency is largely landowners.

“What we provide is resources, both educational and financial. Resources to be able to do conservation projects on their properties. We also do a lot of education in the community on what conservation is,” she said. "So really just pounding in the idea of conservation, and what it means to bring back some of our native plants and species.”

Olsen is three years into her first term on the board and plans to run for reelection. Her calling is to represent the little guys and gals.

“The perspective that I bring … is one of a small sustainable vegetable producer. I’m representing that subsection of growers,” Olsen said. “My understanding of vegetable production is what I bring to the table, and that of a small business owner, and a landowner.”

Polk SWCD, based in Dallas, works closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and other agencies to promote sustainable land management practices in the area. Overseen are such projects as oak woodland restoration, riparian zone rehabilitation, mitigating the impacts of invasive species, and fostering community outreach. One dollar at a time, in some cases.

“Our annual sale helps get native plants into the hands of people who are going to put them in the ground. That’s our favorite way for planting as many plants as possible,” Olsen said. “We’ll just get them to people who are actually going to plant them.”

Funding is threatened if budget cuts at the federal level are as severe as forecasts predict. Though nothing is certain at this time.

“A lot of the work that we do is to help distribute the funds (from the NRCS) to landowners for projects on conservation. That funding is all up in the air and could really affect the amount of work that we do,” she said. We’re playing a waiting game at this point.”

Olsen expressed optimism about the future of farming in Polk County, though young people aren’t as interested in tilling the soil as previous generations were. Attracting young farmers is a priority. Olsen is there for those who need assistance.

“Training new farmers is a mission of mine,” as is the importance of passing along skills and knowledge, she said.

There’s more to sustainable farming than raising crops, however. There’s also the bottom line to consider.

“Learning to manage finances and debt was a late but crucial lesson I learned,” Olsen said “Farming requires smart investments in infrastructure in order to be sustainable…. It’s also about whether I can take care of myself, pay my employees fairly and create a new positive experience for those around me.”

Olsen studied sustainable agriculture at Scripps College in Southern California. She then managed farmers markets in the Bay Area before being bit by the envy bug.

“I decided I was jealous of the farmers that I was working with, and so I hired on as a farmhand,” she explained. “My friend raised cattle in the Capay Valley (near Sacramento), and so I farmed, ranched there for a while.”

After working a farm in Washington, she returned to Polk County and an 85-acre family spread, of which three acres are now dedicated to intensive vegetable production.

Olsen and crew grow a variety of crops using sustainable methods. This year, she’s experimenting with dry-farmed melons that require less water.

Sustainable agriculture, especially at the small farm level, is cost intensive. A truth reflected in the price tag. Olsen does what she can to ensure her vegetables are affordable to all consumers.

“Not everyone can afford to pay for quality, sustainable food,” she acknowledged. “That’s why I work to provide 50 percent discounts to customers with SNAP benefits at farmers markets and through (Community Supported Agriculture) programs.”

After five years at her south Monmouth farm, Olsen’s definition of sustainability has broadened. It’s not just about horticulture anymore. It’s about being able to answer some pretty important questions in the affirmative.

“What I’ve learned is, to have an operation that is sustainable, goes beyond making sure the soil is healthy, or that the native species are hanging around,” she said. “Am I making enough money to be able to keep doing this? Am I paying my employees enough so that they can continue to come back and work for me? Am I contributing on boards and other ways in my community?”

One lesson Olsen has learned is that practicing sustainability doesn’t necessarily guarantee perfection. There's always something new to know.

“I think sustainability is much more than what we generally think of, and that’s so hard to create,” she said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, June 6, 2025

Past financial decisions, local manufacturing closures and city operational costs all mean that Independence needs to seek new industry – and much of the land zoned for that purpose surrounds the Independence State Airport and airpark. 

With the closing of Marquis Spa on Stryker Road, as well as the departure of Forest River a block away, there is a need to “get those filled,” according to City Manager Kenna West, who issued the observation during a budget session last month. 

Though the fate of the Forest River property remains to be seen, Marquis Spa – a 60,000 square-foot industrial complex on nearly four acres across from the south part of the airpark – is up for sale, according to LoopNet, an industrial realty. 

A food-processing facility is a “natural target,” said Shawn Irvine, assistant city manager and director of economic development for the city. “Food processing is a big deal around here, with all the agriculture,” he said. Though the city water system could be a limiting factor, there “is plenty of opportunity out there” within limits, he said.

Outside the budget meeting, several of those affiliated with the city said the idea of a data-server farm had been floated as one possibility for land west of the airport, which is zoned for an Industrial Park. 

Several inquiries about the possibility of a server center on that site were made by Trammart News to the city’s communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea. All the attempts  went unanswered.

Two years ago, an article by Data Center Knowledge, which follows and covers data center development, asked this question: “Are Data Centers Taking Over Oregon’s Industrial Land?” The answer was yes, at least in some places, such as Hillsboro. 

Several years ago, the same airport-adjacent land was considered for industrial growth, but the public works director at the time, Kie Cottam, indicated the wetland there was a probable barrier; A city executive at the time also suggested a data center would need a relatively large amount of water to operate.

The necessity for new industry was raised as the city’s budget committee grappled with a way to replenish a $776,000 shortfall this year; the contingency fund, sometimes referred to as the “emergency reserve” for the city, had plummeted to zero, according to Independence Finance Director Rob Moody.

Moody attributed the plunge to financial projections made nearly a decade ago, when redevelopment projects along the riverfront forecast much bigger returns of revenue. This simply “didn’t play out” as expected, he said. 

So, this year, about $840,000 – money that had been set-aside for economic use – was recommended for transfer to the contingency fund by the city budget committee. However, $60,000 was held back for purposes of “active recruitment” of new industry. 

This past week, the Independence Planning Commission held their monthly meeting with leaders of the airpark, including Ron Singh, president of the Independence Airpark Homeowners Association. The IAHA represents the bulk of the nearly 200-home development. 

Singh opened the meeting, which later included a tour of the airport and airpark, with a presentation that showcased the contributions of the aviation community there. It has youth-oriented programs, from a glider club that provides a full curriculum of lessons to the highly regarded Teen Aviation Weekend, where multiple aspects of flight are covered for adolescents who want to learn about planes and how they work. 

The airpark is populated by a relatively large number of pilots, many with scientific or engineering backgrounds, Singh noted. There are a few "mad scientists" in residence, Singh said, an apparent reference to the many who have built their own aircraft.  

The Independence airport community also has an “emergency response team,” where members volunteer to provide aviation support for rescue efforts, he pointed out. 

Outside Independence, the community is considered an “asset” by some experts in municipal planning. At a meeting of the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association (APA) several years ago, a group of attendees was asked by Trammart News to weigh in on Independence – the airport topped the list as a “fixed asset,” according to the urban planners. Like the Willamette River, which provides picturesque scenery and recreational possibilities, the airport confers high potential in economic value, they explained. 

It is also a profitable small airport. At the same time as Oregon’s APA meeting where the pronouncement was made, the money from aviation-related fees and other revenue at the Independence State Airport showed a $50,000 profit beyond $78,000 in operational costs, according to an analysis by the Alliance for Aviation Across America, a non-profit coalition comprised largely of more than 5,000 small airports and airport-related businesses.

Twenty years ago, a brief history of the airport was published by the late Andy Andersen, a resident of the airpark who walked the taxiways daily as his morning-exercise routine and was known to collect airport anecdotes during those forays. Andersen identified the Independence city manager in the mid-1990s, Stephanie Johnson, as the organizer of the first official meeting held to demonstrate city support for the airport. 

Since that time there have been periodic meetings between city staff and airpark residents – most recently by Wayne Nutsch, co-owner of Nutsch Aviation at the airport. He met with Mayor Kate Schwarzler late this spring. Nutsch said he would like to see expansion of some services. On the list: a heliport and an automated weather observations system (AWOS), among other features.  

If a movement takes place to increase industry near the airport any time soon, it will come at a time when the town has suffered losses. Over the past two years, these have ranged from back-to-back reductions in library hours – soon to be open only four days a week – to a half dozen storefront vacancies over the same period. 

A trolley map from two years ago shows Jubilee, Brarlin Café, Witches Vine, Urban 53, Lava River Forestry and Maganda Glassworks – and now all of those are gone from downtown, although Maganda Glassworks moved to a larger space elsewhere in the city. 

“There’s a lot of shuttering businesses,” stated City Councilor Dawn Roden during the May 7 budget meeting. 

Small-town Main Street businesses were deeply affected by online competition, according to a 10-year survey completed this year by saveyourtown.com, an online news site co-founded by a former city administrator and sponsored by partners that include the Association of Washington Cities. This is also reflected in a US Census Bureau report of e-commerce sales showing an increase to 16% in 2024 from 7% of total retail sales in 2015. 

The ”high-level answer” to the economic downswing would be attracting new industry, Irvine recently told city budget committee members. However, he said there aren’t yet definitive plans. “I don’t have a lot of specific details at this point,” he said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 30, 2025

A synthetic compound called PFBS – part of a group of chemicals known as PFAS – has been detected in samples taken from Independence wellfields and is listed in the city’s 2024 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.

PFBS is one of the “forever chemicals” in the PFAS family that has been used in the development of heat-resistant products, such as fire-fighting foam. Because of suspected health effects, PFAS are no longer being used in many products. Last year, for example, the FDA announced PFAS would cease being utilized as a grease-proofing agent in food-packaging products. 

Levels in Independence water samples are very low – the average levels of this contaminant were listed as 3.3 and 3.15 parts per thousand, far under the 2000 PPT health-advisory limits of the Environmental Protection Agency, as stated in the city report. The report also notes that PFBS content doesn’t yet have a drinking-water standard for assessment – that may be one reason monitoring has been considered an important step.

Asked about how PFBS in water should be explained to residents, the city’s communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, didn’t respond to several inquiries from Trammart News. 

PFAS and related chemicals continue to be under investigation because of multiple health effects associated with exposure to them – findings that have been identified and are supported by various scientific studies, according to the National Institutes of Health. 

PFBS was found in Independence water samples taken from both wellfields relied upon by the city, “Polk Street” wells and the “South” wellfield. The city utilizes water from those two sources, according to an online explanation of the water system at the city’s website. 

Three years ago, Independence was one of only five water systems found with PFAS when 140 drinking water systems were tested in a special project by the Oregon Health Authority. 

Previously, City Manager Kenna West had indicated she considered PFAS in Independence water a non-issue. 

The EPA is examining these “forever chemicals,” as they are often called, to determine toxicity over time – including by well-water use. An 83-page EPA review of PFBS effects on animals and humans was published in 2021, concluding that more research is needed. 

Under the new U.S presidency, changes for the agency have been undertaken, although the new EPA administrator, Lee Zeldin, pledged this month that improvements in water assessment are on the way. The EPA is seeking ways to clarify water-quality standards for these chemicals, according to a news release issued by the agency about three weeks ago.

As  part of the state's Toxics Reduction Program, the Oregon Department of  Environmental Quality announced plans several years ago to work with the Oregon Health Authority toward better understanding about the implications of PFAS for Oregon. However, the DEQ web page dedicated to updates currently notes that it is  awaiting current work and recent decisions from the EPA. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 30, 2025    

This year, Talmadge Middle School saw an almost 20 percent decrease in disciplinary incidents related to poor attention in class from engaging in outside distractions. That’s because the school decided to put strict limits on cell phones to create “spaces of focus” when instruction was taking place, according to teachers and administrators there.

The school may be doing more than clearing the way to better academic performance. From the executive director at The Gate Community Youth Center, across from Central High School, to the director of mental health & social-emotional learning at the Salem-Keizer School District, across the bridge, those who work with youth and teens say mental health benefits are one of the added advantages of reducing cell-phone use. 

For students, cell phones don't seem to be used predominantly as a source of connection, at least in many cases. Instead, phones seem to be a way for teens to disengage and turn to a familiar place where they can be entertained by short videos, check or send texts or tune in to a favorite game site, said Ben Bobeda, executive director of The Gate, where many teens congregate for extracurricular programs. 

"When you see this happening in a social setting where participation is just as available with others as the phone, it's worrisome," said Bobeda.  In fact, data last year from the Pew Research Center shows very heavy use of TikTok and Instagram by adolescents, with about 50% reporting their use of cell phones during free time is nearly constant. 

In a program last year at the Salem City Club, “Mental Health Needs of Oregon Youth,” Chris Moore, who directs the program for social and emotional learning at Salem-Keizer schools, pointed out that there are phone apps that give immediate feedback on questions ranging from relationship advice to chatty check-ins with the user – features that seem to humanize chatbots, transforming them into instant companions. 

A year ago, the Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching and Learning called for addressing “ethical concerns” about such uses, while noting there also is high educational potential for tools that use artificial intelligence. 

This week, in the last few days of national Mental Health Awareness Month, Education Week weighed in with the pronouncement that competing “for the attention of tweens and teens” is not only complicated by cell-phone use but is having adverse effects “beyond school buildings.” These include the impact of online bullying to increasing rates of anxiety and related mental health challenges, according to Elizabeth Heubeck, the article’s author.  

The article examines examples from some of the schools that have implemented bans – and nearly half of the U.S. states have legislation that compels that action. 

At Talmadge Middle School this year, “we've implemented limits on cell phone use during the school day – excluding lunchtime – and we’ve already seen encouraging results,” observed teacher Holly Boyles.

By setting clear boundaries, such as requiring phones to be off and stored during class time, a learning environment was created in which there were more “meaningful face-to-face interactions,” she said. “We've also noticed that students are more likely to engage with one another during breaks and lunch, helping build social skills and a stronger sense of community,” Boyles added. 

Bobeda agrees. He sees students from the high school who are building personal bonds at The Gate by becoming immersed in restoring an engine or playing foosball – fostering connections in a way that cell phones can't.

What is so special about a game of tabletop soccer or a car engine tune-up? Bobeda has that right, too. Special tasks or interest-oriented undertakings by students create a strong sense of belonging, according to early results from Oregon's Student Educational Equity Development Survey (SEED).

Begun statewide in 2023-24, SEED aids the Oregon Department of Education gather data about the educational experiences from students statewide, in grades 3-11. Scoring high among students are programs that seem the opposite of cell phones – hands-on activities, heavy on conversation and back-and-forth talk about instruction and goals, like those ranging from career and technical education to high school theater groups. 

It’s been eight days since Gov. Tina Kotek reportedly said she was mulling an executive order to ban cell phones from learning periods in schools and nearly eight months since the Oregon Department of Education recommended that school districts find an “acceptable use policy” that would keep cell phones out of the hands of students during class. House Bill 2251, which died this month in the Oregon Legislature, would have directed schools to do that – and to implement policies for consequences if students violated the new rule. 

The Talmadge plan has shown that “clarity and consistency have been key to the majority of our student body meeting expectations with phones,” according to a statement from the administration there. 

Sixth-grade Talmadge teacher Karina Newbeck noted that “not once have I had to ask a student to put away their phone this year.” 

How can other schools achieve this surprisingly low level of pushback? “Making the policy clear at registration for incoming sixth graders, and having all staff enforce it has made a huge difference in teaching,” Newbeck stated. “I know the older kids struggle a little bit more, but in my world it has decreased significantly.” 

Bobeda doesn't see this just as a "teen problem" however. Parents, siblings and other family members also may be heavily involved in technology, too. So, the message that some youths get is that this is a typical way to spend time. "We all do that, but I think doing it to the extent that you're losing time that could be spent in personal encounters" is causing a shift in socialization, he said. 

Studies back up that observation, demonstrating a loss of social skills that apparently directly relates to cell phone use. Mentors have helped students gain new traction – 85% of young people who have a mentor cite it as a key relationship in helping them with school and education, according to data from The Gate.

There is no substitute for person-to-person contact, said Derek Conn, the mentor coordinator at the Gate. “These connections cannot be made any other way,” he said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 30, 2025

A recent count of the homeless population in Independence shows numbers ticked up this year – but the pathway to securing housing for people who need it looks a whole lot harder, the possible result of a growing federal and state bureaucracy.

That was the message this week in three separate presentations at the Polk County Board of Commissioners meetings. Though the combined homeless population, plus those most “at-risk” for it, is 45 in Independence, that’s likely because more targeted ways were undertaken for identifying these individuals this year, according to Ryan Pollard, the county liaison for homeless prevention.  In 2023, the Independence count was 34.

In a presentation to the commissioners Tuesday (photo), Pollard, who works out of the Polk County Family and Community Outreach Department, explained the point-in-time count, or PIT count as it is known, used strategies to seek out under-the-radar persons this time – those living in cars and RVs, who may be far less visible than those inhabiting tents and encampments. 

County Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst said these numbers – 369 county-wide – reflect a large section of homeless people who differ from those seen in other cities. “These are families that just can’t make the rent,” he said.  One bad turn of luck means they face losing where they live, he pointed out during “The State of the County” address, which was held Wednesday night. 

As an example, he cited an elderly couple living on $2,700 monthly in Social Security, and who can barely afford the $1,400 in rent they pay along with utilities and other expenses. “When one of those spouses dies, part of that Social Security payment is now gone, and what comes next is a loss of the ability to pay for housing,” he said. 

New federal rulemaking threatens to extend the time needed for placing such individuals quickly into shelter or providing the means to keep them housed – and state bureaucracy also can slow it down, too, said Jessica Blakely director of development and strategy for the Salem Housing Authority. 

In a separate presentation to the commissioners, she asked for their support with legislators, due to her worry over compliance-related regulations and policies that will consume much more time. A state "pass through" for federal money, for instance, has the potential to increase the bureaucratic burden, she said.

Commission Chair Craig Pope pointed out that government fraud in such programs is a common public concern, but he observed that this has created more regulatory demand. Blakely said her agency has been vigilant about detecting fraud, but the process involved in proving it often is cumbersome and costly. One outside investigator was paid $12,000 and, even then, such cases go through a lot of legal steps, she pointed out. 

The difficulty in VA referrals is due to the Portland-based office, not the local Veteran Services Office, said Christian Edelblute, executive director of West Valley Housing Authority, during his presentation to the commissioners. Like Blakely, he is uncertain what new regulations and rules updates will be imposed in the coming year.  

Following her presentation, Blakely said she felt supported by the Polk County Commissioners – that the three were “in her corner.” 

In Polk County, the PIT reflects that an overwhelming majority – 80% and more – of the homeless or at-risk population has a connection to the county. In Dallas, the PIT count found 96 such individuals and it was 75 in Monmouth. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 23, 2025

The way city life unfolds in Independence over the next fiscal year may be more impacted by the town’s budget than any time in recent history. City Hall is expected be closed on Fridays, except for the police department. The library will be open only four days a week. The museum building will go up for sale.  (Poster photo from recent city budget town hall meeting.)

Trammart News composed an editorial analysis of what happened in the past several weeks, as the city budget committee – made up equally of citizens and city councilors – pored over ways to save money during this financially precarious period, when a shortfall of $776,000 loomed over proceedings.

There were surprises: a sudden fund transfer to shore up the entire use of the contingency fund for the shortfall; the cancellation of all money typically set aside for the next Fourth of July, the 2026 festivities; the news that tax revenue from urban renewal projects is falling far short of expectations. 

The Trammart News budget analysis is presented in two parts: The likely effect on resident services and the likely effect on the downtown district – from the perspective of “The Good, The Bad and the Not-Very-Pretty (NVP). “

RESIDENT SERVICES

The Good. In a move initially forwarded by Heritage Museum Curator Amy Christensen and Library Director Patrick Bodily, the museum and the library will combine, with some exhibits being displayed at the library and others at other city spaces, such as the Independence Civic Center. 

Recently, at an event at Central High School, a pop-up was staged along with the film “The Oregon Story: Agricultural Workers.”

This kind of activity is the wave of the future for outreach by museums, according to “MuseumNext,” a conference series that explores museum trends across the country. And combining a city library with the local museum maximizes community services for small towns, according to the Urban Libraries Council, a think tank of American public library systems. 

The Bad. There is no apparent explanation for how money would be saved by having a four-day work week at City Hall. Though some cities have instituted this plan, those that have seem to have followed two paths: longer hours for city employees or trimming salaries for the weekly furlough day. Repeated inquiries about how the cost savings would be achieved went unanswered by the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea. He hasn’t responded to media requests by Trammart News for more than a year. 

Goicochea’s elimination from the staff was one of many ideas put forward by City Councilor Dawn Roden, in her suggestions for budget trimming. After the meeting, she explained that “this may be a time when we don’t have a communications manager and we leave the department heads to do that job again.” 

Unnecessary spending should be avoided, according to Roden. However, there should be more for the police department, which requires a funding adjustment. “We have to look at everything in order to make sure that basic safety and infrastructure needs are met first,” she said.

The property sale of the museum may take some time to accomplish. And the planned sale of a city park? That may come with complications, according to an article on municipal property sales in the Yale Law and Policy Review, which was published in 2024. Both city park and city-owned building sales are allowed under ORS 221.725 of Oregon law, but there are legal hoops that could require rezoning – and the city already has three unsold lots ready for development as part of the property it acquired years ago for Independence Landing, by the Willamette River. 

The commercial real estate market has been slowing down, so any sale could take time, according to a 2025 market forecast by the National Association of Realtors. 

Income in the state is lower than previously predicted and so is population growth, which is expected to rise only a half-percent annually, according to the Oregon Economic and Revenue forecast issued this month by the Department of Administrative Services. 

Open space by Polk Street and Hoffman Road that was donated years ago by Boise Cascade is being proposed as a site for sale – but it was deemed ineligible for development only a few years ago due to deed restrictions. Ironically, at that time, it was removed for sale consideration by former City Manager Tom Pessemier, who told Trammart News that the money from the land sale would have been used to buy the museum building – the same museum building now being sold.  

NVP. The municipal pool, which was closed down soon after City Manager Kenna West’s arrival, appears permanently gone. The park land where it sits on 5th and I streets is being considered for part of a city sale. Though a community center was suggested for the site, a presentation for that possibility by the YMCA director and the Independence economic development director was received with skepticism by the Polk County Board of Commissioners several months ago, in part because it failed to definitively make the pool a priority. An inquiry this week by Trammart News on the project with a county official indicates there has been no movement since then and the project is now regarded as out of reach.  

Erin McIntosh, a resident who has been a tireless advocate of the municipal pool and who testified publicly to that effect at the budget committee, said she will continue to champion the outdoor pool project “as we navigate the existing budget realities.”  McIntosh, a member of the city parks board, observed that the pool is “alive and well in the parks master plan process.” She expects an open house to be held in mid-June and urged attendance.  

DOWNTOWN DISTRICT

The Good. Cancellation of all funding for the 2026 Fourth of July Fireworks and downtown venue by the budget committee caused merchants and some residents to spring into action, connecting with one another informally almost as soon as the announcement was made. The result is a vigorous response to an ad hoc committee formed by the city council in the wake of public reaction. The parade, which is done by the city’s Rotary Club, won’t be affected – but a scaled-down version of “Independence Days” by some who want to participate on the committee already is being strongly recommended. 

The Bad. Outreach about the loss of funding for the Fourth of July fireworks was considered near non-existent by many of those whose downtown businesses count on the extra tourism. Mitch Teal, co-owner of Brew Coffee & Taphouse, testified to the budget committee a smaller version of it is feasible – but the coffers stayed empty. 

City Manager Kenna West read a list of cities that depend on non-profit groups to hold Fourth of July events. However, in neighboring Salem the holiday celebration is financed through the taxation on lodging – and that tax revenue in Independence is now being used other ways.  

NVP. At times, the discussions took a turn that involved the downtown and Main Street – with questionable results. When money from the economic development fund was re-allocated, the mayor, Kate Schwarzler, said she wanted to “sound the alarm bells” that some buildings were showing signs of possibly needed funds. As one example, she cited “the building that I am in.” 

Schwarzler was asked by City Councilor Roden if she was going to declare a conflict-of-interest for doing so, apparently while a financial discussion was underway. Schwarzler said “no.”

Though a committee member interjected that it wasn’t the business but the building to which the mayor referred, Schwarzler may have crossed an ethical line. “Okay, she doesn’t gain from the real estate ownership,” said one observer of the meeting. “But she does gain from her business having a pleasing appearance.” 

Under state rules, a conflict of interest arises when an official action by the public official could or would result in a financial benefit or detriment to the public official – and the dividing line makes no such distinction between property and the business it houses.  

At a later time, Councilor Marilyn Morton said she hoped it would be suggested that the Ovenbird Bakery get a façade grant because the awning is “sustained by bird poop.” 

Asked to respond to this assertion, the building’s owner, Susan Graham, responded: "The vast majority of the debris on the awning is from the type of tree that is planted directly in front of the building.” Trammart News visited the site and concluded that the tree is leaching onto the awning, and the tree itself appears to be city owned.▪

By Lance Masterson

For Trammart News Service, May 23, 2025

Follow the birds.

That’s what Marici Reid (photo) did when piloting her glider high above Northern California.

“It was a 4-hour glider flight … by Mount Shasta. Just flew all over the valley,” Reid said. “We were in the middle of nowhere and the lift was dying. We had to pick a place to land, so we followed a golden eagle for probably an hour and a half, to get to the (local) airport. It really was a cool flight.”

There’s a practical reason for hanging with birds.

“You fly with birds because they kind of don’t mind you being there,” Reid said. “We also chase birds because they know where the lift is. They don’t want to work. They’re lazy. So if you see birds, that’s lift.”

Golden eagles, however, are an exception. They can be downright antisocial when it comes to sharing their airspace.

“Golden eagles are one of the touchiest birds. But they’ll fly with you for a bit. They’re doing a lot of little head checks while you’re flying with them. And then they’ll tip their wings and it’s like, okay, I’m out of here,” she explained. “Then you have to figure out where they went so you can chase them.”

Gliding isn’t just for nature lovers and birdwatchers. It’s also for purists.

“You just feel everything in a glider because of the design of the wing. So you can feel the little bumps. There’s lift. It’s very moment to moment, and it’s very quiet,” she said. “We don’t wear headsets. You don’t need them. We just talk.”

Flying gliders is best suited for those with no particular place to go.

Flight plans are not filed because they’re not needed. Most trips begin and end at the same airport.

“Generally, you’re not going anywhere. You’re just enjoying the flight. Though people have flown cross country in a glider, that's a series of trips, not one long trip,” she said. “In an airplane, you’re, like, in a straight line. It’s very goal oriented.” 

Reid is your go-to source when comparing gliders to planes. She knows a little something about long trips, too. That’s because her day job is piloting 747s for Kalitta Airlines. Company owner Connie Kalitta is a nationally known former drag racer.

Before Reid gained her commercial airlines pilot’s license, she spent 10 years driving a bus for the Central School District. The decision to leave her students and co-workers was not an easy one.

“I was a bus driver, and I loved it,” she said. “I never wanted to leave.”

But she did leave, she said, due to the poor working relationship between the district office and its employees. This was in 2019.

Conditions at the bus barn were “just unpleasant. So I thought, I have other skills. I can do something else. I’ve been flying since I was 16,” she said. “It’s not like I was a bus driver and then, all of a sudden, I wanted to (fly), and then I just did it. That’s not how it went down.”

Reid continued to drive buses while pursuing her pilot’s license.

“I studied in-between shifts. In between split-shifts. Weekends. After work,” she said. “Every time you get a new rating, you’re tested right? You have to do the books. You have to take the test. You go in an airplane with an examiner, and they’ll test you.”

Reid required certification for each of the seven levels she eventually mastered.

“Planes that I fly here tend to be the smallest of the small planes, the Piper Cubs. You know, 65 horsepower,” she said.

That all changed when she was hired as a commercial pilot by Skywest Airlines, her first job in her new field. Assignments occasionally took her cross country. Generally, though, she flew regional routes, with up to 78 passengers on board.

“It was usually Portland to Seattle, or Seattle to Spokane. I saw a lot of Seattle. I never need to see Seattle again,” she said with a laugh. “But from that jet to the 747, it’s a huge jump. I think that one was harder than from the little planes to the little jet.”

Reid no longer flies passengers. Instead, she flies cargo for Kalitta Charters. Some of her past deliveries were for the military.

“It’s been all equipment. I’ve taken a bunch of bombs … to Poland for Ukraine," she said of her military drops. "But lately I’m flying regular freight, like for DHL and UPS. ”

Reid was born in Japan and has flown internationally since she was young. The family made several trans-Pacific flights when moving to the states.

“When I was a little kid, before I can even remember, I was obsessed with airplanes,” she said. “I had these crayon drawings from when I was little that are jets. They’re kind of scrawly, But I’ve always loved airplanes.”

Her family eventually settled in Lake Tahoe, California. As a teen, she joined the Civil Air Patrol cadets program out of the nearby Truckee airport. She described the program as ROTC-light for kids.

“They had this wonderful squadron…. We did search and rescue, and a lot of practical hands-on stuff,” she said. “I had probably the best possible experience because they funded my solo in a glider.”

The squadron sent Reid to the national encampment in Missouri, which is where she learned to fly.

Marici and husband Robin have lived at the Independence airpark since 2009. Robin is a retired airplane mechanic and airline pilot. The couple’s two sons are also airplane mechanics.

Marici owns and operates the gas station that’s next to Robin’s hangar.

“We also have the Independence Glider Club out there,” she said. “I’m the instructor.” ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 23, 2025

If you live in Independence and are ever on any street but your own, you probably know a large and friendly dog that looks more like a cartoon character than a canine. In fact, he resembles the costume-wearing star of an old Disney movie, “The Shaggy Dog,” except that he’s covered in his own weatherproof coat of black hair.

He’s the real thing. And now he is battling a very real disease, cancer. 

Although considered something of a town mascot, few can actually  identify him except by description. He’s been likened to a baby buffalo, and it's easy to see why. And, like a prairie bison, he seems nonchalant in his surroundings. 

He's a member of the breed of Bouvier des Flandes and he’s called Baggins. Like his namesake hobbit in “Lord of the Rings,” he is curious and adventuresome. His owner, Bob, is seen daily leading Baggins all over town – or is it the other way around? They are the “Double-B” guys, making frequent stops at Ovenbird Bakery where both are cookie-loving customers. 

Baggins was identified with lymphoma after Bob noticed he was slowing down this past January, at about eight years of age. 

At Liberty Animal Hospital in Salem, a panel of tests showed Baggins had several blood components at less-than-normal levels. The treatment was chemotherapy, which worked better than expected, returning most of Baggin's blood tests mostly back to normal. 

How long will the cancer-fighting journey last? That remains unknown, but Baggins is still the howler who chimes in along with the train horn when it passes through town, still the dog who tugs on his leash after Bob takes a little bit too long in a conversation along Indy’s river walk. 

May is the National Pet Month, and the “Double-B” partners seemed like an ideal pick to show the difference both have made in each other’s lives. 

Bob and Baggins have grown older together, with a camaraderie that has meant lots of mutual exercise and shared enjoyment during TV-watching times. A Baggins favorite: “The Call of the Wild,” starring Harrison Ford. 

Bob got Baggins after a 40-year gap in canine ownership. As a youth, he and his brother had a "big hairy dog" that he loved. 

But, after college, Bob married and, during those child-rearing years, never had another dog. Then, at the age of 70, living alone, he decided he wanted a dog like the one he’d known in boyhood. 

It wasn't easy. Bouvier des Flandes dogs are gentle giants – easily adjusting well to home and hearth -- But they're uncommon. Their numbers are notoriously low. The population dwindled after World War II – to fewer than an estimated two dozen in North America. Today, only about 100 are registered domestically with the American Kennel Club. 

Aside from their relative rarity, there was another barrier: Bob, at 70 by that time, was seen as possibly too old for a dog like a Bouvier des Flandes. 

Undeterred, he adopted Baggins without hesitation. But then he wondered if the skeptical cluster of breeders he had contacted could be right. 

Baggins proved a happy camper, but he jumped and played like any puppy. By six months, he could topple furniture without even trying –  he seemed no match for a mere human. 

So, when Bob discovered a couple in Mt. Angel walking alongside a very docile Bouvier, he didn't hesitate to ask how they managed to achieve such obedience. The answer? A collar made of chain instead of cloth or leather, which apparently feels more natural to these dogs, who spent centuries pulling carts. 

 "It's something that seems to be instinctual," Bob said. 

Baggins is one of a kind in more ways than one. The breed is often associated with farms, due to their penchant for work. They originated in Belgium, where they proved adept at dairy-related tasks like managing groups of cows, pulling hay bales and guarding gates and pastures. 

However, Bouvier des Flandes are so even-tempered and so loyal, they can settle in almost anywhere as family overseer. For these qualities, they are a frequent choice for treating victims of PTSD – content to offer non-stop companionship. 

In his own back yard, Baggins has learned to pull weeds and serves as "fence sentinel." Though social and friendly with other dogs, Baggins feels a strong need to herd them. 

As Baggins battles cancer, it's likely that Bob's age actually offers some benefits – that flies in the face of the age-linked liability that once was suspected. 

Baggins requires nine medications per day, each delivered at special times. He also requires frequent, though shorter, walks through town. And trips to the vet take time, as well. "It seems like an advantage to be retired," Bob noted, prior to taking him on one of their many walks recently.  

“Well, when this time of year he just wants to be outside most of the time,” Bob explained, as a few warning droplets of water sprinkled down from the sky. Baggins seems to be a true Oregonian, even enjoying walks in the rain. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 16, 2025

A 2025-26 budget that appeared to disappoint most – if not all – of the budget committee members who toiled over it was approved Wednesday, following a discussion that sometimes became intense. City Councilor Dawn Roden cast the lone dissenting vote. 

The budget document will be sent to the Independence City Council for adoption.

Under the budget, the library will be closed one more day a week, though that action won’t take place until the fall, allowing summer programs there to go forward.

The Heritage Museum building is going up for sale, with plans being laid to store displays and artifacts on the third floor of the Independence Civic Center – the museum and the library will consolidate into “community services.”

One city park, possibly more, will be sold, under the new budget. All funding was removed for the 2026 Fourth of July holiday, “Independence Days,” though the city council endorsed forming a public ad hoc committee to explore alternative ways to finance it.

Also under the proposed cost-trimming, the Independence Civic Center, except for the police department, would be closed on Fridays – a potential move that seems to have generated more controversy among the public than with the committee members. Some residents have asked Trammart News for a dollars-and-cents forecast of cost savings – as well as the number of employee work hours – under a four-day work week. “There is a lot of non-detail on that one,” observed one homeowner. 

The city budget committee began their meetings in the wake of an announcement of a $776,000 shortfall. And, at one point in the sessions, City Manager West told the committee: the city is "broke.” 

At a meeting in late April, West explained that the library’s one-day-a-week closure could help the community adjust to more cuts, should they be necessary down the line. “If we reduce a day, it prepares the community for where they may have to go – it’s less dramatic,” she said. Once the closure goes into effect the library will be open four days per week. The library previously had undergone a one-day reduction in service in the 24-25 budget year – going from six days a week to the current five service days per week.

Budget committee members seemed to struggle with their decision-making, seeking ways to make the cuts less impactful. 

But a motion for a small fee to be added to the utility bill failed. At times, both allegedly unconvinced residents and local media were criticized for their role in the circumstances – essentially the defeat of a levy last fall that would have provided funding for parks, the museum and the library. However, some attributed the failure of the levy to inadequate messaging. 

Twice during the meetings, Councilor Shannon Corr and Councilor Dawn Roden clashed. They disagreed on how to characterize last year’s budget, which was sent back to the city for possible revision after Mayor Kate Schwarzler, then a city councilor, recommended taking that action. Roden repeatedly cited the shortfall this year as evidence there should be more discussion. 

“I think that, as a community, we have to be careful that we do not rubber stamp what is in front of us. That is what we did last year,” Roden said. Corr responded: “I think it is irresponsible to say that we rubber-stamped it. We did not rubber stamp the budget.” 

The city’s budget committee this year met five times and included far-ranging discussion. In one amendment, which was recommended by Finance Director Rob Moody, money from the Economic Development Fund was moved to boost the city’s contingency fund and cover the current year’s three-quarter-million-dollar shortfall. The contingency fund, which had been depleted, is largely reserved for emergencies. 

Asked by Councilor Marilyn Morton if this constituted an interfund loan, West said it did not. 

One recommendation that surfaced won wide agreement: That the city establish a series of budget-review meetings, possibly with a citizen-councilor committee, during the coming year. The aim of that committee would be to help flesh out cost-saving options before the budget document arrives in spring to meet the June deadline.

City manager West said she and Mayor Schwarzler would discuss the possibility of the suggested periodic meetings, which would take place much sooner than usual budget-committee meetings. ▪

The city budget document passed by the budget committee is scheduled to go for final approval to the city council in June. It can be found here: https://www.ci.independence.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Independence-BUDGET-2025-2026_-Proposed_-Final.pdf

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 16, 2025

Noting that City Planner Fred Evander failed to follow through on a promised letter guaranteeing homeowners a grace period against annexation of their properties along Corvallis Road, several residents who opposed the plan now seem resigned that it’s going forward. 

The city council voted Tuesday night, with Councilor Dawn Roden dissenting, to annex the roadway.

After the vote, resident Rick Hopkins (photo), a 34-year resident, described himself as “saddened” that the tentative agreement from Evander didn’t materialize. In his testimony, Hopkins, who lives along Corvallis Road in Polk County and outside the city limits, said: “I would like to have seen you do something that would have some teeth in the future.”

However, in a brief interview after he gave public testimony, he said he’s “optimistic” that now it appears all the city really wants in the next several years is a “rights-of-way” annexation for the road. 

Hopkins lives inside the urban growth boundary. Like some of his neighbors, he is worried that full property annexation into city limits will mean a hike in taxes to about $3,000 a year, plus a new set of city utility bills. 

Michelle Lewis, who lives on the other side of the road, said she was concerned about the same thing. 

During the previous city council meeting, Evander had agreed to issue a letter exempting current property owners from the possibility of annexation in the near future. However, there’s no risk that will happen – the procedural steps would slow the process and give homeowners plenty of time to learn about a move to do so, he explained. 

Evander also corrected himself on another point; He had referred to the roadway as a minor arterial in the city Transportation System Development Plan, but it is destined to be a major arterial. 

Lewis had sent correspondence to the city requesting that annexation be delayed for property owners for 10 years. Evander, Lewis and Hopkins all referred to ORS 222.750.5, which – under certain circumstances – can be used to delay annexation. 

In his testimony, Eric Hill, a fifth-generation landowner in Independence whose origins date back to the town’s founders, said his notice about the annexation hearing stated that Corvallis Road was being considered for annexation in order to eventually meet higher street standards – but newer information showed it was for putting in a water mainline. 

Public Works Director Gerald Fisher explained that both are reasons for the action. The water line is for the planned water-treatment plant, he explained. Without city ownership, “you have to jump through a whole bunch of paperwork hoops” to get federal grant funding, he said. 

If that explanation had been provided from the outset, “it would have been easier to get behind it,” Hill said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 16, 2025

Gabby Walton, who was given this year’s “Community Member of the Year” award on the 60th anniversary celebration of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce, took her place at the podium this past Wednesday night to speak to the city budget committee. As expected, one of those present was immersed in her phone. The same thing happened about a week before, with business owner Mitch Teal, when he made a similar presentation in public testimony. 

Maybe I wouldn’t have noticed this alleged lack of attentiveness to speakers, such as merchants and residents, but some of those who have considered participating in city meetings by providing public testimony have told me they are reluctant to do so. Some have referred to the woman in the top job of the city, Kenna West, who just doesn’t seem interested. She is otherwise occupied, immersed on her phone or distracted by something else. 

It seems to have happened repeatedly.  So, I am writing this editorial about it. 

Because, for me, tuning in to residents and tuning out of mobile devices has been a great learning experience. Nothing has proven more newsworthy than those resident and merchant voices. Nothing.

Resident testimony has led me to document the push for a toddler swing at Sunset Meadows park, which now has been installed; Resident testimony has resulted in raising safety awareness for the dangers of swimming in the Willamette River, which now has a new life jacket kiosk. These are just two of many examples. 

And the importance of that resident or business voice  seems to be the message from Walton, too, when she spoke this week. While West was face down in her phone, Walton advocated for “clear communication, more public transparency and deeper inclusion for families and community stakeholders” by the city. 

Walton is a member of the Independence Days Commission and she noted there has been confusion lately over city processes, though she made it clear that the budget committee is seen as having been tasked with “hard decisions” that are appreciated. But there is a “disconnect” with local government that hurts trust, she pointed out. 

For the past couple of years, it has been my understanding from city staff that West has barred them from speaking with me, apparently the only hyper-local press in Independence. She has indicated that she doesn’t like my press coverage. Since she came aboard more than two years ago, I have been unable to meet her expectations to provide routinely positive news stories. In fact, I often reported on the accumulating debt, and painful episodes, like the municipal pool closure and controversial land-use hearings.  

The city's communications director, in spite of city policy directing media requests to be answered, hasn't responded to emails or phone calls  by Trammart News in well over a year.  

A few weeks ago, when I was trying to ask a question of the finance director, in city council chambers, the city’s communications director grabbed me to interrupt that attempt. 

That evening, in a shaky voice, I addressed the city council from the public podium about how wrong I felt that physical confrontation was – and then I got a taste of what it was like to be ignored while speaking. West concentrated on the white-box timer while I spoke. 

The truth is that I don’t think I matter nearly as much as residents, and I would ask the city manager to take that into account. Won’t you focus attention on them during their public testimony? They are the lifeblood of the community.

Less than 24 hours after the budget committee meeting this past week, a 50-year resident of Independence, John Thomas, called me about the lack of public input. 

“People now have three minutes to speak,” he said, apparently alluding to the council’s passage of a provision that cut the previous five-minute time period to three minutes, which passed a few months ago. It had the effect of further squelching free speech, he told me. 

I believe it goes further than that – I think it can erode trust. I think that may be what Gabby Walton was trying to say Wednesday night. 

The decline of public trust of government isn’t breaking news. The Pew Research Center has been documenting those losses periodically. But on a local level it’s been painful to see. 

Last year, the assistant city manager of League City in Texas, which is about halfway between Houston and Galveston with a population well over 100,000 people, published an article that cited public trust as more important than solid evidence. That’s right. It is public trust that guarantees a win. 

He recalled being taught that lesson the hard way – in his younger years, during an experience with residents when unarguable facts failed him in the face of low public trust. “Heck, I think I could have told them the sky was blue, and they still probably wouldn’t have believed me,” wrote Rick Davis in Public Management, the magazine of the International City/County Management Association.

So, City Manager West, can you put down your phone the next time someone from outside city hall speaks at the podium? 

I actually carry no grudge about my own experience. I filed a complaint over the communications director’s treatment of me with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The complaint is still pending, but the sergeant investigating the matter told me it’s been deemed “founded,” and I think that’s likely the result of a video that clearly shows a grasping hand on my shoulder. 

But maybe it was a blessing in disguise, as they say. I never paid much attention to how public testimony was received, and even turned a deaf ear to some residents who told me it’s a waste of time to provide it. 

I guess it is never too late to learn a thing or two in civic participation. I hope the city manager feels the same way. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025

Independence budget committee members seemed to be aware at their Wednesday meeting that the axe was going to fall hard on the Fourth of July in 2026 – and, when it did, their vote left zero dollars for city allocation of Indy Days. 

Proposed actions to put dollars in a “place holder” fund for next year – by taking money from either the contingency fund or the economic development-loan fund – failed. “I urge that we do this,” said City Councilor Dawn Roden before making a motion to set aside $100,000 from the contingency fund – a motion that was defeated.

The “no” vote followed a warning by City Manager Kenna West about the city’s financial status.

“We have a fiscal deficit coming,” West said. “We have a cliff; We have a precipice.” She’d have to “shut things down” if the budget committee put her in a position too financially precarious for fixing emergencies, she said. 

Two budget committee members, Alex Paraskevas and Bill Boisvert, had voiced support for a scaled-down version of Independence Days with far less need of city staff – and City Recorder Myra Russell confirmed down-sizing would require less revenue. 

In fact, a more modest proposal for Indy Days was recommended last week by Brew & Tap’s co-owner Mitch Teal, in public testimony to the committee. On Wednesday, the same concept was advocated by Ginger Melton, sales director of The Independence Hotel. 

Melton, who also took the public podium, expressed worry that if the city exited Indy Days entirely, it could have sad consequences. “What if no other organizations carry on with this event? Does the excitement over Independence just fade away like other small towns?” 

Her coauthor on those comments, the hotel’s general manager, Joey Jones, didn’t speak at the microphone. But she conveyed her deep disappointment following the vote. 

“I am disappointed that the entirety of the board didn’t see the value this brings to the community,” Jones said. Early on, meetings with downtown merchants, non-profit groups and interested citizens should have been held, or at the very least notified, instead of “me learning about this second-hand,” she said. 

Although the city posted a message on Thursday stating that just such a summit had happened, including a digital survey, several residents said they never saw anything targeted to alternatives for Independence Days, any outreach seeking ideas or solutions. 

Outside the meeting, budget committee member Dana Sharman, a longtime resident, stressed that in the not-too-distant past Independence Days was a largely volunteer-run event, backed by the city. It’s only been in the past few years, that a city staffer, with the title, downtown manager, had taken it over. That downtown-manager position is being vacated in August, and it will be left unfilled, according to West. 

At the meeting, City Councilor Marilyn Morton emphasized that it appears no local group will be stepping in soon to take over. Neither the Independence Downtown Association nor the Monmouth Independence Chamber of Commerce seemed prepared to do so. The M-I chamber board voted down the idea, she said. 

Morton predicted the event will become an “amalgam” of efforts “to make it happen.”  Traditionally, Independence Days has included family activities, music, food and drink vendors, and of course, fireworks. (Photo credit: City Independence Days website)

The 4th of July Parade isn’t affected by the current budget discussions – the project is carried out by Rotary Club annually. 

Two committee members, Erin Seiler and Jesica Porter, pointed out that the city's financial squeeze was impacting the museum and library. The already under-funded budget is necessitating the planned sale of a park and the museum building, the proposed consolidation of museum operations into the library, and a reduction in library operations, among other city belt-tightening. 

These proposed cuts may be on the agenda this coming Wednesday, as the budget committee convenes again to discuss how to adjust a budget affected by a reported shortfall of more than $750,000. The shortfall was explained in the question-and-answer information posted on the city’s Facebook Page; It was attributed to inflation and personnel costs. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025

Courtney Azorr, a youth soccer coach whose job is in Salem, said she’s made numerous attempts to contact school board members about concerns she has with her son’s education. She’s heard nothing back – no email was acknowledged, she said. 

By the time she arrived at the school board Monday night, she was ready to put her frustration into public testimony. “What does it take to get a response from the school board?” she asked, adding that not one board member has contacted her. “Why is that?” 

In an interview outside the meeting, she said she became concerned when her son started reporting disruptive classes at Independence Elementary School. She worried that learning was being lost  – IES has some of the lowest test results in the district, overall. 

But Azorr believes her concerns were met with opposition and, eventually, she filed a formal complaint (see sidebar at end on district advice on steps involved). Despite her advocacy efforts, no “proactive communication” occurred at the school or at the district level, according to Azorr. 

Then accusations about her own son began, which Azorr said she considered “minor infractions.” An attempt to suspend him was launched, she said. 

"I felt it was retaliation," Azorr asserted. After the matter was settled, she decided to contact the school board again. She'd already heard about other issues that had gone before them, and she wanted to add her own.  She showed up Monday night to express them, in descriptions that ranged from “toxic” interactions to being ignored. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, Board Chair Byron Shinkle said he does sometimes fail to communicate after receiving emails. “I should be better about acknowledging those,” he said. Difficulty in doing so include lack of time and the complexity of some correspondence, which includes a multi-layered process. 

Board member Jann Jobe said she acknowledges a large majority of those messages she receives, and simply says “thank you for reaching out” before sending them on to a person who can respond appropriately. 

Superintendent Jennifer Kubista said more clarity on how to reciprocate is needed – and will be addressed. 

Azorr is one of several parents who told Trammart News they have reached a breaking point, with some deciding to remove their children from CSD 13J. One had a child within two blocks of IES and opted for a charter school much further away. Another placed a child in a Dallas school. 

A few decided to go the private route. “I know there are many fine educators in the school district,” said Marty Manfredi, whose daughter is no longer in public elementary school. “But this just wasn’t the experience I wanted her to have.” Like other parents, Manfredi felt she didn’t want to battle uphill for change. 

“We are always sorry to see families choose to transfer their students out of Central School District,” said CSD’s Communications Coordinator Emily Mentzer, who was asked to respond. “At the same time, we want what is best for all students, even if that means going somewhere else,” she said.  

Some parents say the schools have become undependable – canceling classes for reasons ranging from computer outages to staff shortages. In mid-April, the Oregonian published a special report on teacher absenteeism and included school closures as a problem “in the small Polk County town of Independence.” IES was singled out as an example.

Trammart News reported that, in January, IES grade-schoolers spent as many days out of school that month as they did days in session, due to staff and teacher illnesses, holidays and computer outages. 

The shift of parents to out-of-district alternatives poses a significant threat to the local schools in the words of former CSD District Superintendent Buzz Brazeau, who died in 2022. Before he left the school district, Brazeau, a onetime player for the NFL, told Trammart News that strong, engaged parents can be the invisible backbone of a school. 

Like a team that performs well together, the loss of one star athlete may not immediately impact the winning record, but it only takes a few similar departures to turn the tide. 

"I am just so discouraged. It shouldn't take this much effort for legitimate concerns to be handled. At the very least, there should be an open door of communication and transparency, " Azorr said. 

The district is in the middle of some administrative transitions, according to a flurry of announcements this past week. 

Central High School welcomed a new principal, Rick Dormer, who will be taking over in the 2025-26 school year. At CHS, Vice Principal Virginia Antunez, who is on leave, has that office filled by Jason Clark, a longtime CSD district administrator and Brian Green, who also has two decades of outside administrative experience – he is from Corvallis. 

Ash Creek Elementary School announced that Jeremy St. Germain has accepted the role of the new assistant principal there. 

                                       ------SIDEBAR: CSD’s Parent Complaint Process ------                                                                                                

When a member of the public or staff makes a general complaint according to the complaint process, the ultimate goal is to solve any concerns or issues at the lowest level. 

1) Step one is to take your concern to the staff member involved. If that does not resolve your concern, you can file a signed written complaint with their supervisor/principal. After the supervisor/principal investigates the concerns, they will let you know of their decision. 

2) If you are still unhappy, you can file a signed written complaint with the  superintendent, who will conduct an investigation and look into the concerns. She will then prepare a written report of her findings and her conclusion. 

3) If you are still unhappy with the results, you may appeal the decision to the School Board. The Board may hold a hearing to review the findings and conclusion of the superintendent, to hear the complaint and to take any other evidence as it deems appropriate. That decision is final. The board of directors is essentially acting as a body of appeal for complaints.

4)  A note of caution: An email to the entire board should be avoided; If  one of them replies and includes all, it starts to violate public  meeting laws. Technically, it's a discussion between the elected body  that should be in public.  (Information on sidebar is provided by CSD 13J.)  ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 9, 2025

I feel compelled to explain why I spent quite a bit of time recently going uninvited into yards in Independence, snooping through foliage by the Willamette River and, in one memorable moment, tripping for no reason whatsoever on a bank by Ash Creek in Pioneer Park. 

I wondered if anyone saw me and thought: “Well, now we have proof that this woman really is unbalanced.” 

I was searching for the Fender’s Blue Butterfly. 

The reason is so corny you may feel like reaching for the butter and a saltshaker. I saw this little one-inch winged flyer in the spring after I started the news outlet nine years ago, Trammart News, which is now bringing you an account of this trip down memory lane. I took my butterfly encounter as a sign. 

I was in Riverview Park, working on an article, and periodically contemplating why on a rare spring day I would be seated at a picnic table typing, for Pete’s sake, instead of … frolicking!  A tiny sky-blue butterfly landed near me. The back-and-forth motion of its wings looked like a happy wink. 

For those of you who think a four-leaf clover is a sign of good luck, let me assure you that in the prairie state where I grew up, it’s a butterfly – one that stops close enough to touch. Midwestern mythology also suggests that it means you’re on the right path. 

When I learned that it was a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, an endangered species, I knew the universe had given me a positive, fatalistic tap because I obviously was, y’know, so special and all. 

After all, there is only one place in the whole wide world it exists. That’s right: The Willamette Valley. 

So, this spring, when I noticed a painting of a Fender’s Blue Butterfly, in all its blue-blazing glory, on the outside wall of the Heritage Museum, I thought it was another sign. Not that I am that big on signs, actually. But it seemed time to go find one, to snap a picture, and to share a photo of this beautiful little creature. 

I searched to no avail. Independence resident Ginger Bowman, who walks daily through town and by the river, hadn’t seen any butterfly matching that description. Several people looked at me as if I was loony-tunes for even asking. 

One guy told me to go look on the wall across from the post office, where the  museum building had one displayed, if I wanted to see a blue butterfly. What extraordinarily helpful advice.  (Photo of Fender's Butterfly as it appears on the museum's outer wall.)

Another Independence resident, Patrick Melendy, posted online that they could be found on Marys Peak. Indeed, they are, according to the scientific literature. But having stumbled over nothing at all on my quest by Ash Creek, I figured a hike to a high place was probably not in my environmental wheelhouse. 

In desperation, I asked all three of our Polk County commissioners after their board meeting Wednesday if they’d seen one. Why? They all live in rural areas. 

Alas, this is the first time I’ve ever gotten blank looks from these elected officials. How could that have happened? This county is one of the very few places these butterflies even exist! 

Fortunately, there was a visitor that day from the Yamhill County Board of Commissioners, Bubba King. Yes, that really is his name. He is the first “Bubba” I’ve ever met, and he knew the very insect I was referencing – and directed me to The Yamhill Soil and Water Conservation District. The executive director there was most helpful. 

He identified the plant on which they can be found, Kincaid’s Lupine. From that point on, it was easy-peezy. 

I googled the plant along with the butterfly and came up with a beautiful video, taken 11 months ago by film-maker Matt Cook, who had encountered the same challenge – finding the Fender’s Blue Butterfly was darn hard, even for an experienced nature photographer. 

He discovered it in Baskett Slough, a place I had trekked, as well. 

Meanwhile, I had sent an inquiry to the person most often mentioned as the Oregon expert in Fender’s Blue Butterfly, Matt Benotsch, of Greenbelt Land Trust in Corvallis. 

Benotsch advised me that the earliest emergence of adults of the species is in the last few days of April. I may be reading too much into this, but he seemed suspicious that I truly knew what I was looking for (this may have been because I kept calling the butterfly the “Fender Blue,” as if it was a car part, instead of the right moniker, Fender’s Blue.)

“I am curious where you see Fender's in Independence?” Benotsch wrote. “There are a few small blue butterflies that look very similar to each other, and they are all more common than Fender's Blue,” he stated.

“In some cases, you have to get a good look at the underside of the wing to make an identification,” he added. Well, this was something I hadn’t done. So, there you go, Matt Benotsch – you’re likely right. I probably saw a different butterfly alight near me all 

those years ago. 

But I like the answer that came from Matt Cook, the film-maker, best of all. He reassured me that “the butterfly is definitely elusive.”

So, thank you to both the Matts and a Bubba. 

Matt Cook is allowing me to show you his Fender’s Blue video, which I found inspiring. The link is below. Also, if you want to see blue butterflies en masse, I found a whole bunch of stickers of them at Hi-School pharmacy – but I think I cleaned out their current supply. 

By the way, if you do an internet search, you’ll find that the Fender’s Blue Butterfly is no longer on the endangered list but has become only “threatened.” There is a long list of how this happened – habitat protection, sympathetic landowners – but I think I know the main reason.

These butterflies are one of the most skilled of any in the animal kingdom at hide-and-seek. 

Matt Cook and Fender%27s Blue Butterfly fights extension at Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge In Oregon - Search Videos ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025

The budget committee for 2025-26 is facing the wrenching task of approving cuts across city services. So far, the proposed slashes include reducing the library hours by one day a week, selling the museum building and combining it with the library, closing City Hall on Fridays and doing away with support for the city's Fourth of July celebration, “Independence Days.” 

The reaction to the latter – a long-standing tradition beloved by many – was swift and continues. In an editorial analysis, Trammart News covers the response by a speaker this past week to the planned cancellation of  Independence Days in 2026 by the budget committee – and tries to answer resident questions in the section that follows it.

A plea to keep the Fourth of July celebration, the town's signature holiday, by scaling it down was publicly issued this week by the co-owner of a business that frequently seems the biggest draw for customers in downtown Independence, Brew Coffee and Taphouse, at the corner of 

C and Main streets. 

In an address to the city's budget committee this past Wednesday, Mitch Teal, who owns "Brew & Tap" with his wife Cathy, noted that the revenue triples during the Fourth of July event. He urged the committee to keep it. "It doesn't need to be what it is now," he said. "It can be a lot smaller and still attract a lot of people." 

This year's celebration will go on as usual; the cancellation is proposed to kick-in next year.

The Teal's coffee-and-tavern establishment, which features food ranging from pastry to pizza and drinks that include custom-coffee creations, is just one of the downtown businesses that could be seriously impacted, according to interviews along Main Street. 

There may be long-term effects, as well, they predicted.

The loss of the town's Fourth of July celebration, Independence Days, could mean dwindling recognition for the city -- the event has drawn thousands to town annually. Lower familiarity of the quaint downtown and waterfront location threatens to reduce tourism, turning Main Street into more vacant storefronts and struggling businesses, according to several who were asked about the budgetary decision to "step away" from holding the event. 

"It would affect a lot of people on Main Street," Teal affirmed in his brief speech to the budget committee members. 

Residents have objected to the plan, as well, registering shock and sadness at public meetings, including inside conversations at the recent meet-and-greet of candidates for the new principal of Central High School last week. 

One school-budget committee member, Shannon Ball, sent a letter to the city's budget committee explaining why. She pointed out that the budget document itself clearly states that two of the goals are community engagement and economic development. "But If you eliminate the Independence Days as proposed in the budget document, that is going against the goals of keeping the community engaged and providing economic development," she said. 

"Independence Days is what our community looks forward to each year and what people in neighboring districts love about our town," she added. 

Several of those affiliated with the city have said they hope another organization will come forward to take over the town's namesake holiday, which has linked the City of Independence with the Fourth of July – the town never fails to have impressive fireworks and lots of activities for families. 

However, two groups identified as likely to take over have said there is little chance of that. Participants and supporters of the Independence Downtown Association or the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce have indicated the event requires more volunteers and money than either is likely to have. 

-- Questions and Answers --

The first six questions are from residents; The last four are from Trammart News. All questions were forwarded to the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, who was contacted by email, letter and a phone call. No response was received.  

Trammart News attempted to address them through other sources, which are listed behind the answers below. Resident questions are boldfaced; Trammart News questions are not boldfaced, but answers are, to distinguish the two sets. 

1) There's an ad for a finance manager – does this mean a new staff addition or is the finance director going to leave? 

Yes, Rob Moody, the current finance director, is scheduled to depart the city staff in December. A replacement is currently being sought. (City budget meeting of April 30, 2025). 

2) How would the 4-day weeks at City Hall save money? Does the staff work later? Or do they get to work remotely from home on Fridays? I don't understand this. 

A precise dollars-and-cents savings wasn’t available upon request.  There was no discussion on cost savings by closing the library or city hall one extra  day a week, for example. But, it is one of the many changes, including no money for  book-buying, that seemed to prompt Library Director Patrick Bodily to tell budget committee members: "We have hit bone."  (City budget meeting, April 30, 2025)  

This appears to be an important sticking point with residents – several have asked for clarity. For instance, because the city manager was videotaped in her introductory segment to city residents accompanied by horses on her property – and she has mentioned her barrel-racing – one resident asked if she will conduct city business on horseback, the result of new three-day weekends. (There is no evidence of that, of course, but the question appears to reflect doubt about cost-saving; Another inquiry will be sent by Trammart News.) 

The productivity results of a four-day work week have been found to be variable – possibly because so many factors can be at play. The four-day work week, or 4DWW as it is called, may mean longer days in lieu of Fridays or it may mean shorter, 32-hour work weeks for employees. Cost savings appear difficult to measure (T. Campbell in Management Review Quarterly, 2024, vol. 74, issue 3, No 16) 

3) Why can't the city sell property it already owns – like the gravel-covered part by city hall – instead of a park? 

This has been mentioned by several residents, and inquiries have been made by Trammart News, with no answer so far. However, the sale of property hasn’t yet been discussed in budget committee meetings. So, it may be addressed in the next meeting, scheduled for this Wednesday. 

One finding so far: Finance Director Moody confirmed at a recent meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency that there are three unsold lots on the riverside stretch of property that comprise the city’s “Independence Landing” – the city purchased land containing those segments several years ago. They apparently are to be sold for development. 

4) Where did the more than $750,000 shortfall come from? A councilor keeps asking that question, too. 

Emails have been sent to City Manager Kenna West suggesting that a clear explanation of the origin of the shortfall is a good strategy to help prevent further distress – a method advocated by the Government Finance Officers Association. (https://www.gfoa.org/fiscal-first-aid)

To deal with shortfalls, some Oregon cities have formed independent teams of financial volunteers, whose report precedes the budget committee. Salem has an all-volunteer revenue-advisory task force, begun in 2024.  (https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/boards-commissions/other-advisory-groups/2024-revenue-task-force) 

The Independence budget appears to have been presented as “balanced” last year, when approved by the city council. But a shortfall followed. 

How do other local governments face this? Some Oregon cities have a “shortfall-busting” approach, to head this off. West Linn, for example, has a bar chart, which updates daily, in which a simple graphic shows how city spending is unfolding in critical areas – General Fund, Public Safety – compared to what has been budgeted. (https://westlinnoregon.gov/finance/financial-dashboard)

5) There is no news on how the eminent-domain property acquisition is going. Did the city buy the land? 

The land changed hands from the farm family that initially owned the property but refused the city’s offer; Another buyer then purchased the land. The city and the new owner reportedly have been in frequent negotiations, but there has been no publicly disclosed update. (The Independent, Fall 2024, by Trammart News & Publishing) 

6) Why does the public works director get to spend so much money? 

On the city’s public works page a few months ago, 11 different projects were listed. Though not all were being actively constructed or repaired, there are multiple tasks (https://www.ci.independence.or.us/public-works-projects/)

The current public works director, Gerald Fisher, has announced plans to retire at the end of this fiscal year, so his successor may take a different approach to the job. 

7) The bonds obtained by TN's recent public records request about payments for the Independence Civic Center show payments are being made on schedule for the bonds. However, the bonds appear to encompass more debt than the Independence Civic Center. Can you clarify?

No. Trammart News has made another public-records request. 

8) Trammart News was told by state officials that making good-faith progress toward obtaining water-treatment funding for the technology to access water rights on the Willamette River could mean an extension for the city. Does that still hold? 

Yes and no. If a water right isn’t used, it can become subject to forfeiture. But, to remove rights, the state is under obligation to show the water right is unused. Also, there are reasons to excuse non-use. It’s a complicated issue – and involves definitions of use, what constitutes progress, as well as other factors, according to the Oregon Water Resource Department. 

9) To meet future water needs by 2028, water treatment expansion is needed – but that was an estimate made a few years ago when Independence was said to be one of the state's most fast-growing cities. That is not true now. No substantial growth has occurred since SDCs were raised. Does this change the date of the water-shortage projection? 

Quite possibly. Population growth is relatively stagnant,(https://www.oregon.gov/das/oea/Documents/demographic.pdf)

 However, there are several new housing developments scheduled, and city officials  have said they expect them to come "online" in the near future.  (City budget committee meeting, April 30, 2025)

10) Is the $7.5 million loan taken out this year by the city – a line of credit with Umpqua Bank – limited to use for water infrastructure and design, or can it be used to shore up the shortfall or to meet other revenue needs? 

Without seeing the loan contract, that remains an unknown. However, an experienced city administrator told Trammart News that the design of the treatment plant – for which the loan was taken out – is currently unlikely to exceed $4-to-$5 million. The total cost for the water treatment plant is estimated at $44 million, and most estimates put the design fee at 5% to 10% of that price (https://engineeringdesignresources.com/tag/how-to-estimate-engineering-design-cost-as-percentage-of-construction-cost/#google_vignette) ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025 

For years, Corvallis Road was a thoroughfare lined by houses with signs advertising blueberries or tomatoes and yards where domestic chickens and wild turkeys wandered. Now the roadway is a firing line for divided opinions on city annexation. 

South of the city limits and inside the urban growth boundary are a group of residents who have succeeded so far in stalling an action to annex Corvallis Road – with a new hearing on it scheduled this month – but annexation of Corvallis Road remains a priority, according to a budget hearing last week. 

In an address to the city’s budget committee, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher reiterated that the plan to bring Corvallis Road into the city limits is going forward. "The sooner we take control of that roadway, get it assessed, and know what improvements need to be done, we can get ahead of it, instead of letting it deteriorate,” he said.

The concern among residents isn’t deterioration – several say good maintenance has been provided by Polk County over the years – but they fear the annexation will impact their way of life.  Property on Corvallis Road is scheduled to be the new home of a $44  million water-treatment plant that is currently in the planning stages. 

The decision by the city to annex Corvallis Road perplexed some residents in Independence – about a dozen showed up to protest it at a city council meeting last month. Rick Hopkins, who has lived in the area for four decades, thinks he knows why the city wants it. 

Hopkins, a former fire chief of Polk County Fire District #1 in Independence, sees annexation of Corvallis Road as a starting point. If it occurs, his property and others would be surrounded by city limits – making further annexation relatively easy for the city. Just about all it would take is a council vote, he pointed out. 

The annexation of the road seems a likely first step. "I would bet every penny I have in the bank that is the reason," he said.

To prevent that from happening, Hopkins and others are asking that the city enter into an agreement that would guarantee the rest of the area – meaning their homes and property – won’t be next, becoming part of the city. 

Hopkins and several of his neighbors say the taxes would increase substantially, in his case to roughly $3,000 more a year. That could be tough to pay for retirees on fixed incomes – and that is how some of those living along Corvallis Road characterize themselves. 

They would also have to pay utility fees – but Hopkins and others use their own wells and septic tanks. 

Citing an Oregon statute that would allow such a moratorium on full annexation, Hopkins submitted a letter this week to City Planning Manager Fred Evander, asking for a contractual agreement. Evander, at the meeting in which residents along Corvallis Road spoke against the Corvallis Road annexation, said he would be happy to sign a letter saying the roadway was the goal, not the rest of the area.

The city is in debt, Hopkins pointed out. "It's all about the money," he said. "So, let's make a contract that is signed," he added.

Residents along the roadway are dubious about the Independence public works director’s opinion that the roadway would be better off under the city’s responsibility – the city is currently facing a shortfall of $776,000.

In fact, Polk County has the highest rated paved road system of any county in Oregon. “I don't necessarily agree that Independence needs the road to keep it from deteriorating,” said engineer Todd Whitaker, director of public works for the county.  However, “the bottom line is that annexation and jurisdictional transfer is a logical process of orderly development and Polk County encourages it,” Whitaker said. 

A report of jurisdictional transfers was delivered Wednesday, at a meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners. However, so far Corvallis Road isn’t on the list of applicants for a transfer from the county to the City of Independence. 

Hopkins said he agrees that once an urban growth boundary is established, it means a likely city extension in the future. However, residents are wary of how soon that will occur. 

Corvallis Road property owner Kathy Hill, who is related to the pioneering Henry Hill family that founded Independence, acknowledged that there is some distrust in city government. “I think everybody our direction has gotten pretty leery” when it comes to city assurances of “they’re going to” or  ”not going to“ do something, Hill said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, May 2, 2025

About 40 parents, teachers and residents showed up this past Wednesday at Central High School to meet candidates vying to be the school’s next principal – a job that so far has attracted no one with what one parent called “staying power” over the past few years. 

Some of those who attended said they hope the tide will turn with a new top hire, after a discouraging trend of departures.  

The longest-running principal in recent history, Donna Servignat, served for four years in the post. She eventually was promoted to district-leadership position but left after an unanticipated salary decrease. 

Servignat, who is now principal of Summit High School in the Bend-La Pine School District, was succeeded by a seasoned assistant principal, Brent “Mac” McConaghy, who left after only a year to return to Medford. 

Subsequently, Dale Pedersen, a longtime school administrator, accepted the job as interim principal for the 2023-24 school years – and then was named CHS principal in 2024. 

However, Pedersen exited this spring after absences for health reasons.

Veteran Principal Greg English stepped in to fill those shoes for the rest of the academic year, but he was described as definitely a temporary replacement. Several teachers observed that English, who reportedly is well-liked, made it clear that he is ready for retirement. 

The three candidates who are competing to become the CHS principal in 2025 all have local ties to the Willamette Valley. Rick Dormer, the principal of Ketchikan High School in Alaska, has a work history that includes time at Sweet Home, Corvallis, Aloha, and Southeastern Alaska. He’s a graduate of Oregon State University. 

Dormer worked for nearly a decade as a teacher and more than 15 years as an administrator. 

Dean Rech is an alum of Western Oregon University, who has coached football, basketball, and baseball. Rech has spent a dozen years in the classroom and 17 years as an administrator. An online search shows he’s served most recently as principal of Junior-Senior High School in the Central Linn School District in Halsey and at Sheridan High School. 

.

Justin Lieuallen, a former high school science teacher, is the manager of Special Education Behavior and social-emotional learning programs in the Jefferson County School District. He’s been in an administrative role for 22 years. 

Conversations among the three candidates, who were stationed at different points in the multi-purpose room for the meet-and-greet, seemed to focus on how to meet the challenges of the coming school year: the financial strain, the high absentee rates. 

Several parents observed these are problems common in other districts. However, one cluster of them stressed that communication – good, steady, friendly communication – is what they hope to see in a new principal. 

Justine Netcher, who has younger children, said she was there to stay informed on who will be heading the high school, hopefully in years to come. As a graduate of Central High, she is a proud alumnus. “I would like my children to feel the same way, one day,” she said. ▪

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, April 25, 2025 

A clearer picture of why the municipal debt tops $30 million emerged this week – and it ties to support and preparation for Independence Landing (photo), the riverfront urban renewal project. 

By the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, the city was owed $6.4 million by its own urban renewal agency, despite expectations that resulting property-tax increases would be able to support the loans that the city sunk into the development, according to Finance Director Rob Moody. He acknowledged that the results “haven’t played out as expected.” 

The information arrived prior to the city budget committee’s second meeting, which was held Wednesday night. During the meeting, City Councilor Dawn Roden, who had made the same inquiry at a city council work session the day before, asked about this year’s shortfall of more than $750,000. 

The cause hasn’t yet been fully addressed, though the budget last year was said to be balanced upon approval by the city council. This year city administrators, including City Manager Kenna West and Moody, said the city is spending more than it is taking in. 

The report by Moody was provided to city councilors after their work session Tuesday evening, when they convened as the Urban Renewal Agency. The councilors learned that the city-borne expense of turning a riverside  stretch of land once owned by a gravel company into a shovel-ready site, as well as providing incentives for building, ticked up to nearly $8 million by the time the first phase of the project, the Independence Hotel, opened its doors roughly five years ago. 

For example, about $2 million of charges for infrastructure to the developer, Tokola Properties, was waived during construction, according to the disposition and development agreement. The private-public partnership between the city and Tokola was announced in 2017; Groundbreaking for the hotel took place in 2018.

The city council at the time – which was headed by Mayor John McArdle and included present-day councilors Marilyn Morton and Kathy Martin-Willis – was cautioned about the possibility of accumulating debt by outside city auditor Kamala Austin, of Merina & Company at a city council meeting. She also noted that Independence was also being affected by subsidizing the municipal fiberoptic, MINET.

A consultant hired by the city showed that the urban renewal debt repayment would come from a special part of the property tax designated for the area –  called Tax Increment Financing – that was collected exclusively by the city. However, the actual proceeds for that fell short by nearly a  million dollars of what was predicted, according to Moody’s recent presentation.  

Refinancing on the bonds and loans was undertaken for some of the pending obligations – with a 50-50 split on repayment coming from the city and the Urban Renewal Agency, which contains Independence Landing’s 120-plus apartment complex and hotel. However, this arrangement meant depletion of the city’s General Fund, Moody explained. 

Currently, a payback to the General Fund for those loan amounts seems to rely on the cash flow generated by the Urban Renewal District, he pointed out.

Moody said an outside consulting firm, hired with grant funding, is expected to weigh in on that determination – and to provide an analysis “to support a path forward” in repaying the debt. 

So  far, the proposed city budget calls for cuts that include closing the  library an extra day per week, combining the library with the museum, selling the museum's downtown building and putting at least one park up  for sale. But the recent report by Moody also raises a question  previously raised by some residents: Why sell those current assets  without trying to market one or more of the three relatively large lots of city-owned property in the Independence Landing area?    

The city budget cuts will be discussed this Wednesday, April 30, at the budget committee meeting at 6:30 pm in the City Council Chambers at the Independence Civic Center, 555 S Main St. 

EDITORIAL NOTE

Keeping tabs on city meetings --Anne Scheck

If you're wondering how you can find the meetings of the Independence Urban Renewal Agency, I have found a way. It is w-a-y below, and thank you to City Recorder Myra Russell.

A word of advice: If you are depending on the city calendar to guide you to meetings, as apparently several residents do, perhaps you may wanna fuhgeddaboudit, as they say in 1940s mobster movies. 

In fact, this is how I've met a few locals – by using the city calendar, then standing in the foyer of city hall, with a couple of us asking each other: "Wasn't there supposed to be a meeting tonight? It was on the city calendar." 

On Tuesday night, the city calendar noted that there was a city council meeting – actually, a work session – but no mention of a meeting of the Urban Renewal Agency. It followed the work session, with exactly the same people (city councilors). 

This turned out to be an important meeting, at least in my view. 

I learned that the financial squeeze on the city is more like a huge vice grip, the kind that you might expect from a starving python. I'd discovered the meeting quite by accident. I tuned in to the video of the work session, to make sure I got all the information, after leaving the meeting a bit early.

Whoa, was I wrong. There was the Independence Urban Renewal Agency being held, seemingly without public notice. 

I filed a grievance with the city. If you don't know what that is, allow me to inform you that it is fairly new for all cities in Oregon. A bill passed by the legislature allows official public-meeting law complaints for those who feel a public meeting wasn't advertised. Anyone can submit one with their city. 

FYI, Springfield, near Eugene, has a good one that you could adapt for using in Independence. You can google it!

As it turns out, City Manager Kenna West assured me the meeting was "noticed separately" and the agenda was posted, legally. 

Well, I just couldn't find it. So, the hunt was on ... 

The city calendar was no help. Following the link posted there took me to an erroneous city council date of May 13, despite the fact that this was April 22. 

I sent a couple of screen shots to city administration. I thought this might prove convincing. But apparently it only showed that I was looking at the wrong agenda. This is because, again, to repeat myself, I was using the posting on the city calendar. 

The information was noticed correctly, West said. It was at the bottom of the "Agendas & Minutes" heading and section that one can click from the main homepage of the city website 

The fact that "it was overlooked by you or others does not translate to a failure of notice," West stated in her email response to Trammart News. "We cannot be held responsible for individual oversights or assumptions," she added. 

So, I withdrew the grievance. 

Meanwhile, City Recorder Myra Russell sent me two ways to be able to check on meetings. The first is to sign up for meeting notices. You can sign up using the city's Meeting Portal.

To do so, visit: City of Independence - Subscribe; choose the board/commission you would like to get notices about and complete the entry information. You will then get an email to confirm your subscription – you must click on the link inside that email to complete the process, Russell advised. 

As far as agendas of upcoming meetings, if you go to the city website and then proceed to “Agendas & Minutes” on the front page, it takes you to the Agendas and Minutes page. If you scroll down, you will see all the meeting dates and agendas posted there for the various city boards, commissions and of course, the city council. If you click on the “HTML” or “PDF” you can bring up the agenda for that meeting, according to Russell. ▪

Anne Scheck, Trammart News & Publishing 

Editorial contact

scheck2oregon@aol.com

(503) 409-9204

By Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, April 25, 2025 

In the more than 25 years since she joined the staff of the Polk County Fairgrounds, Tina Andersen has battled bouts of scorching heat during the annual rodeo, addressed special crowd-control issues involving guinea pigs to goats and answered some of the same inquiries thousands of times – “Where’s the bathroom!” – in her role as manager of the fairgrounds and event center.

But now she’s fighting misinformation. As the campaign for a levy to help pay for maintenance of the fairgrounds goes forward, Andersen has seen online commentary that’s so far afield from fact-based she has trouble believing someone would post it.

However, she’s in the unenviable position of being relatively unable to address much about a levy vote on the May ballot, except for basic information. She works for the county, leaving her little room for advocacy.

So, when someone erroneously observes online that the fairgrounds don’t get enough grants, she can only counter that a fairly big one, of $130,000, was awarded by The Oregon Cultural Trust. 

And, as criticism rolls in that the fairgrounds have limited offerings, she can point to a list disproving that – ranging from a venue for homegrown musical groups like The Joe Shinkle Band to the annual Gem & Mineral Show, which returns every year. That event draws huge throngs of people, including busloads of school children on field trips to learn about geology through hands-on experience with rocks and stones and led by experts in the field. 

Though many people associate the facility with the county fair because both 4H and FFA groups prepare for it annually, there are lesser-known events that serve the community. A regular senior fitness class is provided in one building  – at no charge to organizers, Andersen said. Additionally, children and youth who need a place to practice their sport in winter can access a building for free, she added.

Tim Ray, who chairs the Polk County Fair Board, is not under the same constraints about levy campaigning. “As Chair of the Polk County Fair Board, I am proud to speak in support of the Polk County Fairgrounds and Event Center Operating Levy,” he said. “This levy is not just about funding – it’s about preserving a space that brings our community together, supports youth development, and strengthens the local economy,” he added. 

During the pandemic, the "Labor Day Fires" of 2020 left many homeless but some found temporary housing at the fairgrounds – 75 families were there, including many of their animals. Horses and sheep were housed along with family pets like dogs. 

The community outreach was phenomenal, Andersen recalled. One man arrived with a trailer-truck that had a pair of washers and dryers, so laundry could be done on site. The Grain Station in Monmouth fixed dinner nightly with donated food; Neighboring Rookies provided breakfast burritos. Teens from 4H and FFA showed up constantly to care for animals. 

Ray observed that the Polk County Fairgrounds and Event Center serves as a year-round hub for learning, celebration and connection.

Last year there were 642 events at the Polk County Fairgrounds, which holds a large monthly flea market, except in August. Family celebrations like quinceaneras and anniversaries are held there, too. 

As a result of keeping ticket prices and vendor fees low, needed work will be undertaken with the five-year levy. It calls for taxing property owners in Polk County 15 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value – believed to be among the lowest of any proposed tax increase in recent history. 

“This modest levy will ensure that we can continue to operate, maintain, and improve the fairgrounds for generations to come,” Ray said. “It will help cover essential costs, such as safety improvements, equipment maintenance, and infrastructure repairs, which cannot be met with existing funding.” 

In year one of the levy passage, electrical upgrades will be tackled. By the end of year four, it’s hoped a stage or amphitheater can be installed at the northwest corner of the property. 

“This levy reflects our shared values. It honors our rural heritage, invests in our youth, and keeps Polk County’s traditions alive,” Ray said. 

The levy offers the means to support and sustain a space that belongs “to all of us,” he said. “It’s a vote for community, opportunity, and the future of Polk County,” Ray stressed. ▪