School cell phone policy being reviewed; before and after care to roll out by late September

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, September 12, 2025      

The state-required policy to ban cell phone use throughout district schools may take every minute of the two-month “runway” time to meet the final October deadline, according to Central School District Superintendent Jennifer Kubista, who advised CSD board members Monday night that there are a lot of details to iron out. 

Though some schools across the state, such as those in McMinnville, enacted the ban from the moment schools opened their doors this fall, CSD is taking it slower, Kubista said. 

There needs to be outreach to student groups, such as student council and MEChA, as well as community feedback. There’s concern that some students will be reluctant to break what has been a touching-base tie to friends or families at lunchtime or during passing periods. “This varies from student to student,” observed Orlando San Miguel Morales, a student representative to the board. 

So far, the tentative policy allows the phones to be stored on the student, such as stowed away in backpacks. 

But, under this new ban, districts need to designate specific times when students can use their cell phones – and Kubista said she believes the ban will be from the time the school day begins to the ending bell, but there will be exceptions.

One is for use as a tool during classes, when teachers may want students’ phones available for instructional purposes. 

Also, exceptions for the ban may need to be made for other reasons, such as for students on Individualized Education Programs – but that exemption may carry thorny implications. 

Several board members wanted to know how the inquiry will be made by a teacher or staff member to determine an allowed use. The worry: For someone who has an IEP or a medical condition like diabetes, receiving a description of the reason for the exception may risk veering into invasion of privacy. 

Under the executive order from Gov. Tina Kotek, the district must provide crystal-clear rules for exceptions and how they will be addressed.  “That’s why we wanted this runway,” Kubista said. “We’ll get there,” she added. 

Board member Melanie Landon-Hays said she was happy to see the district take more time than some others, which shows the policy is being “thoughtfully done.” 

In other news, Kubista announced that before and after school programs will return to Central School District. Programs will roll out toward the end of this month. Due to anticipated program cuts at the end of the 2024-25 school year, it needs to be rebuilt, according to Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for the district. 

The district was notified in mid-August that federal funds – feared lost this year – were reinstated for the programming. The district is in the process of hiring and onboarding staff.  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, September 12, 2025    

Trammart News has filed a grievance with Independence alleging that a recent city council meeting – a meeting in which censure of a city councilor was imposed – did not provide appropriate advance notice of the agenda to the public, as required by law. 

The filing was made under relatively new legislation, which took effect last year, and clarifies procedures for announcing public meetings. The bill also gave additional oversight for enforcing the rules to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. 

The new rules require the process to begin at the city level. The grievance was filed by Trammart News on behalf of the news outlet’s mission statement to work for public access and open government so that residents can be "informed, engaged and involved.” 

Because the agenda item relating to the censure was not included there was no opportunity for public testimony about it. The issue was voted and passed by the council.

In the grievance, Trammart News points out that the public meeting notice for that city council meeting, held August 26, was absent from the city’s typical posting – a website page containing a pledge by the city to provide such notices at the site. 

Other alleged lapses included a possible violation of inter-communication among city councilors. Some members of the city council, prior to the vote at the meeting, appeared to know about the introduction of the missing agenda item before it was introduced – a prepared statement on the agenda item was read by Mayor Kate Schwarzler.

The item for censure, which was for violation of confidentiality, was introduced by City Councilor Shannon Corr, with a reminder from Schwarzler that such items are allowed to be brought to the meeting without previous notice. 

Councilor Dawn Roden, the subject of the censure-related agenda item, said she hadn’t been notified about it. Schwarzler countered that she had reached out to Roden by email, but that Roden said she was unable to make a suggested meeting time. 

Trammart News found no indication that Schwarzler had broached the subject of the agenda item in the email she sent, which suggested a meeting with Roden. A public records request by Trammart News of the email shows it contained the following message: “Good morning, 

Councilor Roden, I meet periodically with councilors and have not had the opportunity to check in with you. Would you be available to meet? If so, are there days and times that work well for you? Thank you, Mayor Kate.” 

Schwarzler did not respond to Trammart News’ inquiries about the matter, nor did the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea.  

At the council meeting, Schwarzler suggested the decision could be taken to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission as another step. However, Trammart News received confirmation from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission that a censure alone would not meet the criteria for an OGEC review.

In addition, Trammart News sought the opinion of outside experts as to whether a sum of tax-paid money for eminent-domain purchase is confidential under Oregon law, which is what Roden provided by asking a question about it in open session. The amount of the money for a 12-acre parcel of land south of the city – the planned site for a new water treatment plant – is $459,000, including attorney fees. 

Under Oregon law, the general expectation is that the government will be transparent about such expenditures. A statement from the Department of Justice, obtained by Trammart News, calls exceptions to disclosing such expenditures a very narrowly-defined area. 

An inquiry sent to the Office of the Public Records Advocate, which provides information on public records laws and best practices, echoed that finding. 

That office sent the following statement to this news outlet: “Confidential settlement agreements are not automatically subject to withholding under the public records law. Whatever portion a public body wishes to withhold must be linked to an applicable exemption in the law.”

No such exemption has been cited by the city, as requested by Trammart News. City manager Kenna West has explained the reason behind the censure was a “violation of council rules” and of executive session. 

Roden hasn’t made any further statement to Trammart News about the censure.

The grievance filed by Trammart News over the public meeting notice has been received by the city. “We are investigating your allegations and will get back to you with a response,” according to Myra Russell, city recorder and executive assistant to the city manager. 

(Note: A few weeks ago, a Trammart News editorial was written addressing this censure incident, which followed inquiries about the alleged violation of confidentiality to several outside authorities. A legal opinion has been sought on the issue, based on case law and Oregon statute. It will be published at a future date.)  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, September 12, 2025     

A few years ago, I had a disappointing encounter with a city councilor – she’d raised her voice so loud at me that surrounding patrons at Brew & Tap noticed. She told me I didn’t know how to write, loud enough for several in the place to hear. 

I wrote to a few traditional journalists I knew to ask for help understanding this incident. I reached out to someone in my old home city of Los Angeles. 

Of all the criticisms ever lobbed at me – they’ve been numerous at times over the years – no one in my entire journalism career had ever made that statement to me. Yet, in a town of 10,000 people in Oregon, an elected official had done just that, with great certainty. 

I wanted to know if there were signs showing clear lapses in my coverage. In a town where the city manager has barred staff from speaking with me, including the communications director, it's hard to get the city's side. If only I covered the fluffy, fuzzy, fun events and avoided all the hard news about city actions that have public tax dollar consequences.    

So, I collected a bunch of my stories, sent them off to this wise colleague, and waited. I expected a long critique. What I got instead was this sentence: “Big city journalism meets small town pride.”

Covering news in Independence has been confusing, confounding and cognitively challenging. All alone, like a grain silo on a grass prairie, with no newsroom available for kicking around ideas, no curmudgeon editor to hear me out. Where in the world was anyone else like me?

Well, last weekend there were scads of us, just like me, all around, at a hotel in the shadow of a towering arch, in downtown St. Louis. They’re LIONs, not to be confused with the charitable organization that does so much for Indy. 

These are people from small news outlets serving in tiny towns and “micro” markets, who belong to a special organization, Local Independent Online News. I sat next to a guy who is the sole news operation in a burg of 2,000 and another one who is in a town about the size of Bend OR, where news was dying after the corporate take-over of the newspaper and local news got deep-sixed in favor of wire-service text. So, now he and a couple of other people cover city government, crime and schools. The word “on a shoestring” doesn’t begin to describe it. 

This year, Pew Research Center highlighted the struggle to maintain local news, charting huge swaths across the country that have become “news deserts,” where no press coverage exists for many communities. Today, about 55 million Americans have either limited or zero access to local news, according to a report from Northwestern University issued last year. 

Part of that gap is being filled by LIONs. Some of us talked about what basic nut cases we seem to be, sitting in meetings, taking notes, turning it all into stories that a lot of people never read.

I told one guy I met at the meeting that most people my age now enjoy travel in retirement. “I know,” he said. “But if I didn’t do this, I would get up every day and see there was no news coverage and think ‘I should be doing something about this.’ And so, I am.” 

I asked a few people how they keep going, since it can be lonely at the bottom. After all, the pay is measly, even for the young entrepreneurial types who are getting grants, generating ad revenue and keeping costs way down by going all-digital. “Okay, well, you should be able to answer that question yourself,” one woman who also toils this way told me. “You’re getting your compensation, obviously, in a way without dollars.”

It's true. Journalism has always been considered more of a calling than a job. For example, that’s the likely reason that I got the wrong kind of shout-out at Brew & Tap. Some are simply going to dislike a messenger who reports indebtedness by a city that threatens the very aspects everyone loves about it – the trolley, the local library, parks, the special holiday celebrations like Independence Days. 

I told one tablemate at lunch in St. Louis that I do, in fact, understand that journalism is a cornerstone of democracy but maybe not many would agree with that anymore. The media has become a frequent target. 

Holding institutions – school boards, city councils – accountable is the opposite of a popularity-building effort. I announced that I’d been grabbed physically by the city’s communications director, at one point, to prevent me from continuing to ask a question of the city’s finance director. 

“What happened after that?” one person inquired. To answer, I got out my soapbox and began whining. “Absolutely nothing! Most of those serving on that city council probably were rooting for it,” I said. “The mayor referred to this incident – and I quote – that city staff and elected officials are entitled to work in an environment ‘that is safe,’ as if I was a member of the goon squad.” 

It was only later, after that lunch, when I realized how wrong I was. Something did happen – the investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office deemed my complaint "founded."  This was important because old-timers like me were trained to follow tax dollars, and nowhere was the application of tax money considered more important than when it’s spent in the service of public safety. 

So, I sent a few emails to correct the record. Here is part of one: “Nearly everybody told me ... forget it ... they're (the Sheriff’s Office) going to side with the city. Well, they didn't,” I wrote. Here’s another one I sent: “This taught me to stay the course, have faith, and quit thinking that the people who seem out to get me will be able to do so.”  

Law enforcement came through. 

Meanwhile, I am striving, even struggling, to ensure balanced coverage of certain people in positions of authority. I am determined not to become so jaded as to corrode objectivity. Fortunately, there is now professional coaching available – on Zoom, no less! – for those of us solo journalists in the trenches who need outside assistance finding ways to combat cynicism and continue as successfully as possible.  

I’ve already finished my first session; My topic, of course, centered on “big city journalism meets small town pride.” How do I navigate that situation for the benefit of a public that needs news, not just press releases, even if they don’t know it? I’m getting great help.

As for the LIONs, I hope to be back at the meeting next year. Their numbers keep growing, and they seem to be on the cusp of a cutting edge. If so, I hope Trammart News can remain part of that trend. ▪ 

Trammart News Service, September 5, 2025      

Two members of the Independence community, both baby-boomers who consider themselves young at heart, both fans of the downtown who love to lunch on Main, both who are so typically proud of grandchildren have one much bigger characteristic in common. 

They're worried about worried residents – those who are Hispanic and now live with fear. 

Trammart News asked the mayor, Kate Schwarzler, about what it means to be a sanctuary city in these times. "No comment" was the response. TN also sent an inquiry to the city communications director, Emmanuel Goicochea, who took over Ramon Martinez's role as liaison to that community segment when Martinez was laid off due to budget cuts. There was no answer from Goicochea either.

So two grandmothers sat down to discuss this – the" A" ladies, Aida and Anne, the former is the mother of the chair of the city's Historic Preservation Commission, Jennifer Flores, and the latter runs the Independence-focused media outlet known as Trammart News. Is there a big difference between them? Yes.

Aida is of Mexican-American heritage and Anne is Anglo-Saxon, descended from Scots. The conversation between the two follows. 

Anne: I don't know about what your priorities are, Aida, but mine – as of four years ago – because of my first grandchild, is what the world will be like when she grows up.

AIDA: Mine are grown, for the most part, but I am already worried about the world. There is reason to worry. Look at me. I am worried. See my skin – I am not sure I am safe from all that's happening, people being picked up, people being taken away.

Anne: Well, it hasn't happened here, as far as I know. I made a few people angry when I wrote about this early on, this so-called immigration reform when it was first announced – I checked with law enforcement, and I was told they won't help with it. I mean, it is actually against the law for them to do so in Oregon.

AIDA: I don't think these people need help rounding up anyone. They seem to be doing it all by themselves. You notice they are now wearing masks. 

Anne: Well, I feel bad because I didn't consider it a threat at that point. I am so middle-of-the-road. I don't belong to either political party. I wasn't alarmed by hearing criminals were going to be taken in ... 

AIDA: There are reasons many of us didn't believe that. I think you might have to be in that group, to really understand.

Anne: I know I made some people mad – I seem to always be irking someone – by saying I did understand a little bit ... because when you become older, you lose some feeling that you matter. I mean the way some people treat you. 

AIDA: It is not the same thing.

Anne: I know. I am sorry. Can you give me some examples of prejudice you've felt?

AIDA: When my two daughters were little, I was in this department store. One of them is darker than the other. So this lady assumed I was a nanny for the light-skinned one, and that I had brought my daughter along. 

Anne: The stuff people say to a total stranger. It's nuts. I felt like, when I was in California, there was this great mix of people. It is really why I chose Independence, although I always like being near water. But I like the diversity here. I love the Community Fiesta, the food, the music. Just like a slice of LA! 

AIDA: I liked California, too. I was less conscious of race there. I worked at Disneyland, by the way. I moved here several years ago. 

Anne: No kidding? Well, you are so easygoing, I am sure you were a big success at Disneyland, with all those visitors. The crowds used to be hard when I took my children there.

AIDA: In a way, they taught me to get along with people because I worked at different jobs and ... well, customer service means handling complaints. I mean this was a daily thing with all those people ... there was always someone really reacting to a ticket price or something like that, where you have to keep from getting angry back and try to soothe the situation.

Anne: Yes, well, you are a fine example of that because, when we met, I asked you a million questions. I cannot seem to stop myself; it is such a force of habit. You were so gracious. 

AIDA: Well, we both seemed to love Independence the town – except for the traffic along Main Street and the speeding that can go on. But we both love the people. 

Anne: Yes! So, Aida, is it racist for me to say you look Italian? I mean, I think you do, to me. 

AIDA: No, because I think others have thought like that, too. The worst example of how someone reacted to me wasn't because of me, but because of fear of offending me. 

Anne: What do you mean?

AIDA: I was living in Tennessee years ago and I was walking down a sidewalk and so was a black man. He moved to the other side of the street and waited for me to pass and then, finally, he came back to the sidewalk. 

Anne: So you think he perceived you as white?

AIDA: I am not certain, but I do think he had learned not to take any chances. Not to risk any encounter with a woman out of his race. It was a different time. But now I wonder how different?

Anne: I don't know what to say.

AIDA: I think we can say this ... some of our friends and neighbors have a right to be afraid.

Anne: Yes. But I do see protests ...

AIDA: I am not sure protests do much good. Signs? Are the people who need to listen going to see a sign and do that?

Anne: So, what do we do?

AIDA: I don't know that there is anything we can do to make a big change. But one thing is to recognize this, and to say, yes this is happening. And what it means is that now some people are not living the lives they should be able to.

Anne: I have been told some stopped going to work or gathering at social events. This is terrible. I had to call off a Cinco de Mayo celebration this year sponsored by Trammart News because I was told people are so afraid. 

AIDA: When you ask what you can do, that is part of the answer. See this for what it is. 

Anne: Well, I can also say that I cannot imagine not being able to enjoy fajitas at places like San Antonio's or hearing a choir at CHS without some of those voices or knowing local police officers who know how to really engage and talk to people rather than posturing this old-time command presence. 

AIDA: Thanks, that's a good start. 

Anne: It would just be such a different place without them. We all add to the fabric and the seams just come undone without cohesion and appreciation of each other. 

AIDA: That is how I feel, too. 

Anne: A friend of mine said sanctuary means acceptance, value, appreciation, and a message that says "you all" belong here. It says, we want to have all residents trust our city government and police to help everyone when in need and to feel safe reporting crimes observed. 

AIDA: Yes, and my biggest hope is that it means we are in a place where it's hate that isn't accepted. We are in a place where our hope is in our hearts that this frightening time will be over soon. 

Anne: Very well put, Aida. I feel like you are a lot more eloquent than I am. ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, September 5, 2025    

Where did the summer go? That's what students, parents and teachers were asking this week – as a visit to a back-to-school event at Independence Elementary School showed. "Weren't we just here a few days ago?" quipped one parent. 

The enrollment numbers ticked up by 20 this year district-wide, from 2,976 in May to 2,996 this fall. 

Transfers from out-of-district requests are getting turned down this year for most grades. 

There was 96.2 percent attendance on the first day. "We are very excited and happy to see our students at school," said Emily Mentzer, communications coordinator for Central School District. 

School started Wednesday for kindergarten through 5th grade. And 6th-graders and 9th-graders started the same day – those grades are "transitional," a step-up to the first year in middle school and high school, respectively, Mentzer said. Starting a day earlier for these grades at the middle school and high school allows the new students to learn where lockers are and to become familiar with the corridors and classrooms of the school, she explained. 

The biggest adjustment to a new school may be for kindergarteners, so they are given two weeks of a "soft start," Mentzer added. 

Beginning this month, the CSD school board will begin to tackle the state-mandated public school phone ban, with outreach efforts being undertaken during the first month to families and teachers. A policy is expected to be passed by the board in October. 

There are some options: No phones allowed past the school door; a phone check-in that would allow students to retrieve them during lunch periods and use them before school; Deposits of phones to classroom repositories before each class begins. ▪ 

Trammart News Service, September 5, 2025    

It is the policy of Trammart News to seek and provide opportunities for guest editorials. This week, an Independence resident, Mike Rhodes, wrote one. It arrived in the form of a letter and, with permission from its author, was converted into an editorial – an opinion piece that is welcome here, just as others would be, as well. To date, no individual who has posted online at TN's Facebook Page about the matter addressed last week has responded to an invitation to write an editorial, with the exception of the one that appears today.

Guest editorial by Mike Rhodes, Independence resident 

for Trammart News

Last summer I testified on multiple occasions at Independence City Council meetings regarding the importance of governing with transparency and integrity. I was concerned there were members of the Council and City Manager Kenna West who had behaved in ways contrary to those principles.

August 13th, 2024, was my last testimony. After I left the meeting, post-break, City Manager West stood and, in effect, publicly slandered me by attacking my comments. With what seemed to be willful and malicious intent, behind my back no less, she pontificated for eight minutes, in an apparent act to commit character assassination against me and inflate her grandeur as a lawyer.

Her words made claims about the criticism, quoting words I never spoke.  She said it was this kind of fear mongering and ignorant generalization of a group of people that resulted in the formation of the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi's.

When a clear and consistent pattern of intimidation becomes apparent as the modus operandi of West, and the aiding and abetting of the Council, others in the community can be affected, becoming fearful of coming forward as I did. 

West's words are all a matter of public record. What she said I view as disgusting and dishonest distortion. She did exactly what I had warned about her, using what I consider to be slanderous statements to intimidate and silence others. When I found out what she said, I wrote a long scathing rebuttal.

Ultimately, I sat on it and didn't go back to Council meetings. She got the desired effect of silencing me, but it was only because I decided I was going to be the bigger person and not waste my breath arguing with a person who, in my opinion, is an arrogant narcissist.

That act of intimidation for my speech is a violation of my 1st Amendment rights. This type of conduct – attempting to restrict an individual's comments or opinion – is forbidden among government officials, and in some cases breaks federal law.

To be very clear, the US Supreme Court in Cohen V California (1971) ruled that criticizing public figures is protected speech, including the use of foul and offensive language. You have to sit there and take it. If you use retribution, you are in violation of the law. This is what tyranny looks like.

Then, the "coup-de-grace" came on Aug 26th, 2025. The Council, Mayor and City Manager appear to have privately conspired to publicly shame, intimidate and censure Councilor Dawn Roden, without notice, for publicly asking questions they didn't like. Roden had previously commented on a subject that they seemed to want hidden from the public. That seems a direct act of violating Roden's 1st Amendment rights to free speech.

Then, City Manager West reached out to make physical contact with Roden, without her consent. The act of intentionally subjecting another person to offensive physical contact is against Oregon law (166.065). It also violates her 4th Amendment rights, to be "... secure in their persons...” and protected from "excessive force" by the government. Unwanted physical contact against Roden's will, in my view, is absolutely use of excessive force for the situation.

The fact that the Council recently codified in policy, at the direct urging of City Manager West, to consider censure for any councilor who "grandstands" in disagreement, was clearly meant to target Councilor Roden. Roden is the only one on Council who asks probing questions, offers alternative solutions, and is unafraid to debate contrary to what the City Manager is peddling to Council.

The retribution she endures from the Council and the City Manager is death by a thousand cuts. That is intimidation. I have no words to describe the level of contempt I have for what I regard as the depravity of this Council, the Mayor and City Manager. It's shameful and disgusting to me.

I believe every one of you city counselors are technically in violation for the acts you committed against the person of Councilor Roden on Aug 26th. I hope Councilor Roden files state ethics complaints against every one of you. The escalation of the situation by West against the person of Councilor Roden, following her out as she tried to leave, gives Councilor Roden every right to fear for her safety – and I believe she ought to have a restraining order filed against West.

The city motto: "Focusing on the Needs of the Community. Active listening, transparent communication, and inclusive practices that consider diverse perspectives". Sounds warm and fuzzy, but it's a total farce as I see it, a lie. You don't want an informed community; you want a compliant community.

Shame, Shame, Shame on all of you!

(Trammart News reviewed this editorial prior to publication and sought a response by City Manager Kenna West, as well as contacting the city's communication director, Emmanuel Goicochea. Neither replied by press time.)  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 29, 2025    

Independence is likely to end the year with a general fund that’s over a million dollars short of where it should be, forcing the city to look at a second levy or revision in fees that could be added to residential bills. 

That was the tentative conclusion of a financial roundtable Monday night, which brought together the budget committee members to look at the projected costs for the year. 

The good news is that the city is in better shape than it was previously – with the current fiscal year predicted to end with a general fund balance of about $760,000. The bad news is that’s still not enough to be considered a healthy ending balance, according to Rob Moody, the city’s finance director. 

As a result, budget committee members are preparing to take up the painful task of looking at the possibility of a new levy or a revised fee, including the option of a short-term limited duration fee. 

In another disappointment, the search for a new finance manager has so far been unsuccessful, Moody noted, adding that he plans to retire as finance director in December. 

Independence’s sibling city, Monmouth, also is seeking a new finance director following the sad death of Monmouth Finance Director Susie Marston. 

Monmouth has appointed Jon Steed as Interim Finance Director. He will serve in this capacity until a permanent Finance Director for Monmouth is selected.

The next Independence round-table strategy session on finances is expected to be held in the coming weeks. ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 29, 2025     

As "The Wall That Heals" comes to Polk County this coming month – on a route that takes it through Dallas and Monmouth before arriving at the sports fields north of Riverview Park in Independence – there is both excitement and "maybe a little bit of apprehension," said Eric Enderle, Veteran Services Supervisor for the Polk County's Veterans Services Office.

Enderle is in the position to know. 

Praised by Polk County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon as helming one of – if not the – best veteran services offices in the state, Enderle occupies a job that requires him to navigate a formidable bureaucracy while maintaining the kind of sensitivity that allows him to meet the needs of veterans who may feel distressed and discouraged.

On a recent day, as vets waited for the doors to reopen from a closed lunch hour at the Family and Community Outreach Center on the S Curve, some said Enderle and the VSO offer hope that’s not available anywhere else. 

For some, the memories of Vietnam have been carefully "filed away," Enderle observed, in an interview recently in his office. For others, recollections have been so "compartmentalized" that they are rarely, if ever, shared with others. 

Enderle, along with the VSO team of Andrew Webster and Nikki Rak, connect veterans with services. Last year, they processed over 800 claims, with nearly a majority decided within a year. Currently, more than $24 million in monthly payments goes out to veterans across the county as a result of their efforts. 

Both he and Webster are veterans of Iraq. Enderle had shrapnel wounds, but he feels lucky, nonetheless. None of his injuries show – but they left the kind of mark on him that helped prepare him for his professional role. 

It can take a special touch to build rapport with some of the veterans, Enderle said. Some don't want to talk about why they need help, even though they know they need it. That goes double for mental health conditions like depression. 

In the military, "any mention of a mental health need could be a career killer," Enderle explained. So, he has learned to ask about aspects that can be indirectly linked to it, like sleep. 

Sleep interruption, such as nightmares, often occur at times after a trigger, though they can be hard to identify. "Sleep is the linchpin to so many things," Enderle said. 

Even so, the military was so much a part of his life, he didn't expect to be sent home, Enderle said. And sometimes home seemed anything but that. There were times "when sitting on a beach having a beer felt so strange," he recalled.

That's also probably the way many Vietnam veterans felt, but they had the added burden of coming home to hostility in many cases, Enderle said. "There was no ticker-tape parade for them," he pointed out. 

Enderle remembers spending a month in a VA hospital in recovery and rehabilitation and finding a support system in family and friends. "I had this transition that a lot of those didn't have in coming home from Vietnam," he said.

The arrival of “The Wall That Heals” is an important milestone for so many, he stressed. 

Enderle has visited the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. Name after name, thousands of them, are a staggering sight but also one that’s unifying, he said. 

At the apex on the day he visited, there were mothers with infants and elderly individuals in wheelchairs, people from all walks of life, all ages, who showed deep appreciation for the moments they shared there.

That is how Enderle hopes it will be for those who travel to the field in Independence where the replica will be erected. Some expressed regret about the way the Vietnam veterans were treated. "They didn't have a choice to go," Enderle remembered one saying, which reminded him that, even today, the military draft is associated with that war. 

Some of the visitors to the wall may do so to reconcile a past in which they feel sorrow for the way they once regarded these veterans. Enderle noted that, while he was at the wall, he overhead conversations that indicated this sentiment. 

It's been about eight years since Polk County got its own “VSO.” It started in a space next to a Dallas convenience store and Enderle did double-duty as the receptionist, too. 

Today, his office is in a new building and there’s a reception desk down the hall with staff. 

And, this fall, the VSO is part of a team –  with Billy Whisenant of American Legion Post 33 and and former Independence Mayor John McArdle, among others – that will help usher the history-making visit by “The Wall That Heals.” 

----------------

The Wall That Heals will be on display in Independence Sept. 18 -21. Volunteers are needed, and information is available at the following links: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122138743190723561&set=a.122101773404723561  or https://www.ci.independence.or.us/thewallthatheals2025/

(Disclosure: Scheck family members are donors for "The Wall That Heals" and Trammart News provided a supportive letter with the submission seeking its visit.) ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 29, 2025    

In the hardest-hitting editorial and opinion piece I’ve ever written, I call out the Independence City Council for what I believe is a bogus censure of Councilor Dawn Roden. All who are mentioned by name in this piece were contacted by me to seek their viewpoint, and all were told this editorial would appear. None responded by press time. – Anne Scheck 

By the time the attack occurred, I’d gone home. Reviewing the city council video from the comfort of my couch, it looked to me like a well-planned and deliberate attempt to inflict pain on Councilor Dawn Roden, who had, at worst, made a mistake but very likely hadn’t erred at all. 

If Roden did deserve a reprimand, what she got was a DEFCON-4 response.

She did a big favor for us taxpayers in this town – now we all know the cost of 12 acres seized by the city through eminent domain, a sum of $459,000, which would have remained unknown otherwise.

How am I so sure it would have been under lock and seal? The city answered Trammart News’ public records request for the legal costs – about $59,000 – but not for the sale price of $400,000.  It was unavailable to me, when I asked for the official record, with the city stating it was no longer custodian of the documents. 

It likely would have stayed that way, like a mushroom in the dark, if not for Roden. She simply asked about it during a discussion at an open council meeting. 

This got her a censure vote or, as I would call it, a slap-down ambush. When will she learn that the city only wants to talk about transparency not actually provide it? 

City Manager Kenna West and some city councilors have proven to be masterful at avoiding accountability. So, if you cannot lob a grenade into the room as a distraction, torching a victim will do in the name of confidentiality violation. 

Frequently, it seems that City Councilor Roden is the only councilor to point out clothes missing on the emperor or, in this case, empress City Manager West, resulting sometimes in verbal barbs from West during public meetings. 

West is abetted by a posse, headed by Councilor Shannon Corr and Mayor Kate Schwarzler. Corr’s sharp tongue has prompted anguished calls to Trammart News from community members.

Schwarzler’s superior self-view is downright amusing. She’s likely to have to ask the public soon for more funds – to support either a whole new levy or an upwardly revised fee – but the mayor herself remains several thousand dollars in arrears on her own property taxes, as of this writing. 

Here is one outside observer’s take on the recent meeting: “Mayor Schwarzler was exactingly prepared, with Councilor Roden given no advanced notice that such a gang-up on her was to take place at the end of a normal, non-eventful city council meeting.  Roden noted that, had she been given warning that this motion was going to be introduced, she would have had an opportunity to prepare for rebuttal to the motion and mayoral commentary.”

Is it any wonder that the city manager, who vowed she was going to get Roden, was able to do so? The dumbfounding fact in all this is that West – who has made her dislike for the local press, Trammart News, well known – would make that gonna-get-her remark to a reporter, namely me. 

After that stunner, following a meeting, I consulted several attorneys at the state level about the tax-paid costs of eminent domain for the land on Corvallis Road. Turns out this monetary sum is not supposed to remain secret. But Councilor Roden got an unexpected censure for asking about the amount of it just the same. 

So, in my opinion, you can call the last city council meeting – in which this censure-imposing vote was suddenly added to the agenda – one for the city’s hall of shame. 

And here’s an interesting detail: City Manager West physically grasped Roden while she was exiting the meeting, and I know just how that feels. I got a hand-on-shoulder grip months before, by the city’s communications director. (My complaint was ruled “founded” by law enforcement after it was filed.)

Roden said a second grab – after she was followed by West into the city-hall lobby – was much harder. (Trammart News has made a public records request for a copy of the surveillance tapes of the encounter; They’re pending.) 

Now let’s count the other winning ways of this group, shall we? We have Councilor Corr, who has been targeting Roden, including filing a complaint that Roden didn’t report as income some child support, military disability and private school tuition discounts. 

Corr filed the complaint based on Roden's statement of economic interest, a form elected officials are required to fill out. You may wonder why Corr didn't mention this to Roden, so she could rectify it. As we all know by now, Roden practically put on a sack cloth and ashes, she has apologized so much for this lapse. 

But if Corr had simply told Roden she found the problem and it needed to be corrected that would mean Corr couldn't engage in a game of public shaming. As a matter of fact, Corr likes doing that with me, too – posting periodic rants about me, telling me how I don't belong here, questioning my credentials.

These intimidating tactics, which also are conducted by West and her minions, aren't going to get me to quit, including the so-called ban on speaking with me that West is said to have instituted. I am toughened up by years of reporting in Los Angeles. But I am discouraged this is being done by city councilors to one of their own members, in an apparent effort to make her go away.

Then there’s Mayor Schwarzler, who has been through an ethics investigation of her own and who hired a well-known and savvy attorney to represent her, clinching a successful outcome. It must have been a grueling fight, but Schwarzler expressed not one shred of empathy toward Roden. Instead, the mayor read a statement she said she "wants to make" about Roden, which chastised the councilor. 

Ironic, isn’t it? 

Trammart News has forwarded an inquiry to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission about the issue, following a threatened action by the council to make a formal complaint there about Roden. My prediction: It’ll go nowhere.

Some have accused me of favoring Roden, but she gets a lot of coverage in my reporting  because she asks questions about how much things cost and where the money is coming from. The stuff taxpayers want and need to know.

As a viewer of the past budget sessions that occurred this spring, I waited for the mayor to ask a real honest-to-goodness, down-to-the-dollar budget question.  Silly me...

It appears the mayor just doesn't ask those questions. Several community members have explained they believe that she's after a seat on the state legislature or some higher public office. So her lack of demonstrated interest in pursuing the nitty gritty of city spending isn't a shocker.  

Among the list presented by West for trimming the budget, Schwarzler never once inquired – at least not while I was there – how much would be saved by certain items on it, such as closing the city hall on Fridays while the police department remains open. 

I sent a question about this to the city’s communications director – without receiving a response, despite several inquiries. A city staffer later said they never really figured that out. However, many email sign-offs from the city now include this phrase:  "Please note that due to budget cuts the City of Independence Administrative Offices are closed on Fridays." 

Oh well!

I do think these city councilors, all volunteers, deserve some slack. But, they seem to have gone so totally tribal. Mostly, the council sits like dill spears in a pickle jar, unfazed by what I consider to be, at times, eye-popping resolutions. 

Here are a couple of examples. 

Oops, there’s a $3.9 million loan of unknown origin! No reason to ponder that – just pass a newly cooked-up resolution to recognize it. Got a mix-up on the debt involving sums of money? Oh well, we’ll just change a few numbers around to make it right. Being in a clique is so much fun!

My motto as Trammart News has always been to nudge the public to get informed, be engaged and stay involved (if this sounds familiar, the city seems to have lifted part of it for their own promotional use.) 

So, I want you – yes, you! – who have taken the time to read this far to know one big thing about yourself. 

Underpinning the city councilors and the Independence administrators there is this very important individual who ignites the engine of local government. It’s you, of course, and your tax dollars. 

There are so many of you and, taken together, you are so powerful, so wise, so common sensical. Please don’t forget that. ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 22, 2025    

Meet Greg Ellis if you don't already know him. He's a former independence city manager who left the city in 2010 to take a job in Canby. Eventually, Ellis worked for both Gov. John Kitzhaber and Gov. Kate Brown. He also served as city manager for Estacada and Dallas, and as interim city manager for Jefferson. In a far-ranging interview with Trammart News, he agreed to answer questions about Independence – the town where he still lives – with the eloquence and candor he was known for in the city's top job. 

TN:  I remember your time as city manager. But I am having a hard time characterizing your success – you didn't socialize a lot publicly, but you did seem to have a lot of touchpoints. How would you explain it?

Ellis: Maybe as a gadfly! In the city manager’s job you do have to be social, but maybe in a different way than being out in a crowd. I always tried to be at the table when decisions were made. I did want people to see me out there, engaged. I went to meetings, like the Independence Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce – so many events and meetings. It helped me in so many ways. 

TN: In what ways, specifically?

Ellis: I think you build respect just by showing up, by being there, by hearing things you might never hear otherwise, sometimes just in the course of everyday conversations.

I think it is good to hear from people you disagree with. Otherwise, you can become isolated, you can forget how to see other perspectives. Friendly arguments are a good skill to keep up. 

TN: In Independence, the biggest source of concern now appears to be the budget. Previous administrations have been blamed by the current city manager, who instituted a "best practice" rule that places money into "buckets" – like the fund that collects utility bills for water usage won't be put to use elsewhere. 

Ellis: The budget funds are complicated. And it is a good idea not to say, 'we have money over here in this fund and we are going to use it for that other thing.' But imposing tight restrictions, restrictions that mean you cannot touch one fund to assist another ... that can make it difficult. Determining how best to allocate money collected by the city is a wonderful tool to use, at times, and that can mean some inter-fund transferring. 

TN: I should point out that the city manager calls it best practices, but I have contacted several professional management groups who have said it is more of a personal choice. There isn't any best-practice code that I can find... 

Ellis: It's really a management prerogative. I think there are some questions you can always ask yourself as a city manager that help. Is this serving the citizens well? Do we have good facilities for the people here, to help them have a good quality of life? If you have that as your guide, it can really help focus spending. 

TN: But when you were here, there wasn't this push for a large, regional water treatment plant. This will cost millions, and public works has been putting in a lot of infrastructure in other ways. It has taken a lot of money, in my understanding. 

Ellis: Well, first, I always believe, when possible, to build or construct in a way that allows for expansion when the time comes. A water treatment plant has so many aspects – how will the water be treated, for example, because there are now a lot more choices. Ozone, ultraviolet light. Really great advances in technology. But I still believe in kind of a segmented approach. Build so there is the capability of expansion when needed, not necessarily go as large as possible initially. 

TN: The city has a track record of borrowing, and the city debt was something I always reported on. It seems high, comparatively. 

Ellis: One thing I like to emphasize is the kind of borrowing that is done. I'd go to the state, where the interest rates are so much lower on loans than just about any other place. Also, some of the loans, under certain circumstances, would be forgiven, at least partly. It always seemed to work well.

TN: Independence arranged for a $7.5 million line of credit through Umpqua Bank, in part, for the design of the water treatment plant. 

Ellis: I can only tell you that I always thought that the state had the best financing for cities. I cannot speak to the recent bank loan. 

TN: I have reported on this and other financial issues facing the city, and it seems to have earned me pariah status with city administration. Several city staff, notably the communications director, won't speak with me due to what I was told is the city manager's ban on talking to the local press, which is me. 

Ellis: The press is important. Did I always like what they had to say in Estacada, when I was there? No. But I can tell you that it was not something I held against the reporting. It comes with the job, when you have local press. 

TN: I'd like to make the observation that it doesn't mean certain folk won't talk with a reporter. They just won't do it openly. So you may have benefited from establishing a trusting relationship with your local press. One recent example is the enormous backlash here on the removal of all funding for the 4th of July. It was discouraging how many contacted the local press about this ...

Ellis: That's tough. There is no easy solution, and I know this event is so important to people. I know that (Independence Days) has been run before by volunteers, but it would be really hard to do. One way might be to make different groups responsible for different parts, like the Rotary Club has taken on the parade for many years. 

TN: Let's get back to how you succeeded in Independence for so many years, with such high regard still felt toward you and your time at the helm. You were seen as "very obliging" in the words of the late city councilor, Nancy Lodge. 

Ellis: Well, I made some mistakes, for sure. But I always loved the job, really. There were always a lot of moving parts, so it was a constant challenge. I had to work with very different groups of people – city councils are all different. I also think I was always learning, and I enjoyed that. I really liked being of service on several levels. And I really liked this town. It's a great place and I still live here.  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 22, 2025  

By the time the clock struck noon this past Tuesday morning, public qualms about aspects of Independence had surfaced at two different meetings. 

During the “Good Morning Polk County” breakfast at the Rickreall fairgrounds, the sudden job departure of Mackenzie Newland, CEO of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce, proved to be a mournful topic, attributed to severely diminished funding. Independence was singled out for ceasing the monetary support it had once routinely provided, unlike Monmouth, which still contributes funds for chamber operations.  

No one cited Independence as a major factor in the weakened financial state of the chamber, but the change is seen as a sad sign. Newland (photo) was making real headway in the view of some Indy Main Street merchants and other members of the M-I Chamber of Commerce. 

Then, at the Polk County Board of Commissioners, SEDCOR representatives pronounced Independence’s empty Marquis Spa buildings as likely to stay that way – due to the property’s lack of industrial appeal.

The exit of the highly regarded “chamber chief,” as Newland is sometimes called, along with the evidently low chance of replacing one of Independence’s main industries, Marquis Spa, are recent blows to a city where lack of money already has had a chilling effect. 

The news arrived as a final tally of the legal expenses for Independence’s eminent-domain acquisition was made available to Trammart News. A public records request showed that the legal costs now add nearly $59,000 to the reported $400,000 purchase agreement for 12 acres of former farmland slated for a new water treatment plant.

The total, about $459,000, is for a piece of land south of the city on Corvallis Road. 

How is the loss of a popular chamber leader and the discouraging news about the former Marquis Spa’s vacant complex related to the riverside city once regarded as a small town on the move? 

They both capped a week in which the city is continuing to grapple with financial strain that means the Heritage Museum building is hitting the sales block and Friday closures of the library will be undertaken, beginning September, turning the facility into a four-day-a-week operation. 

At the Tuesday meeting of the Polk County Board of Commissioners, Erik Andersson, president of SEDCOR, the Salem-based regional economic development agency, noted that two vacated company properties in Independence – Marquis Spa and Forest River Inc. – have been without buyers. 

Marquis Spa closed its manufacturing plant on Stryker Road two years ago. However, the site doesn’t seem suited to the industrial infrastructure now being sought, in which an expansive acreage is seen as advantageous, Andersson said. 

In fact, there hasn’t been any obvious attention to the Marquis Spa buildings from prospective buyers, although the Forest River property has had a couple of interested parties, he said. 

In general, corporations are searching for larger parcels of industrial land, said Alex Paraskevas, SEDCOR's economic development manager for Polk County.

“It would be nice to hear some glimmer of hope,” said County Commissioners Board Chair Craig Pope, adding that both former businesses look like they may be in the process of becoming deteriorating properties. 

Two days after the county commissioners’ meeting, Independence announced plans to hold a “financial strategy roundtable” this Monday, in the wake of the financial situation being faced by the city. 

And, as the week wrapped up, Gabby Walton – who has worked on contract with the M-I Chamber – was appointed to take its helm on an interim basis for three months, after Newland leaves August 30. During that time, the chamber board is expected to undertake “organizational restructuring” to determine the direction and future of the M-I Chamber of Commerce. ▪ 

By   Lance Masterson

for Trammart News Service, August 22, 2025  

Garry and Ana are no ordinary trees.

The pair of Oregon white oaks grow next to each other at the south tract of the Luckiamute State Natural Area (LSNA). Five-year-old Garry is the one millionth planting by his benefactor, the Luckiamute Watershed Council.  He was nurtured by the LWC until strong enough to survive on his own. The former seedling was placed in the soil during a special celebration in 2020, commemorated by a congratulatory toast to the little Quercus garryana, nicknamed "Gary."

Ana didn’t receive the rock star treatment, however. She took root naturally.

It’s not known what will happen to the pair. Although Garry and Anna are referred to as a couple, white oak trees have no single gender. Though most probably they will merge into one tree, continue on as separate organisms, or one will simply overwhelm the other.

For now, the trees' legacy is secured. They are part of a decade of restoration work that is transforming the former farmland and quarry sites into thriving habitat along the Luckiamute River.  

“The place is now a living timeline,” said LWC Outreach Coordinator Suzanne Teller (photo). “You can see newly planted trees just a couple years old, 10-year-olds that are towering 20 to 50 feet high, and patches of centuries-old trees.”

The focus of LWC's farmland conversion work is in the LSNA, a 925-acre expanse straddling Polk and Benton counties that’s home to the largest remaining gallery forest in the Willamette Valley.

Roughly half of the council’s million plantings were at the LSNA. The result, a landscape that is evolving for the better. The LWC program began in 2001.

“This is what a healthy riparian ecosystem looks like,” Teller said while scanning the site. “This forest, with its cottonwoods and bigleaf maples, supports migratory birds, salmon runs, and an amazing range of wildlife.”

The LSNA is divided into north and south tracts. For most of the past decade, the bulk of restoration efforts focused on the northern half. Working in partnerships with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), the council has worked to stabilize riverbanks, removing invasive species and planting native vegetation to improve water quality and wildlife corridors.

A portion of land between the two tracts was still leased for farming. That changed recently when severe flooding carved a new path in the river, making the fields inaccessible for farming. OPRD seized the opportunity to reclaim that portion, and LWC then launched Phase 5 of their long-term restoration plan.

“We’re now planning phases 6 and 7,” Teller said. “It’s an ongoing process, always shaped by grant cycles and restoration goals.”

Funding comes from a mix of sources, such as the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Meyer Memorial Trust, Bonneville Environmental Foundation and Pacific Power Fund. Federal funding helps, but plays a smaller role here than at other non-profits.

The council’s goal is a connected corridor of healthy, restored land along the river and its tributaries. Teller described separated tracts that dot the length of the river as “pearls on a string.” Together, they add more sanctuary and safe passage for wildlife.

It’s not just about trees, however. The south tract is home to a series of ponds that are remnants of an old quarry. These ponds provide critical habitat for the threatened western pond turtle. Interpretive signs along the trails remind visitors to watch their steps.

Large-scale plantings are handled by professional contractors capable of planting thousands of trees and shrubs in a matter of days. Volunteers play a role as well, especially at urban and small-scale sites.

The land itself helps guide the council’s restoration decisions. The north tract, with its history of forest and floodplain, is returning to a dense riparian woodland. The south tract, characterized by its open oak prairie, is being restored and managed as such.

“We’re trying to match what history and ecology tell us was here,” Teller said.

The LSNA is a magnet for hikers, birders, and waterfowl hunters. The north tract is known for bird walks during spring and fall migrations. The Lewis’s woodpecker, a rarity in these parts, has been spotted there recently.

Access is limited. There are no traditional campgrounds or developed facilities, because LSNA is not a park in the traditional sense. It’s a designated state natural area to remain as wild and unaltered as possible.

“During COVID, word of mouth brought people here,” Teller said. “It doesn’t have a visitor center or big signage. But once people find it, they fall in love with it.”

That was certainly true for Teller herself. She grew up in Long Island, New York, but moved west after visiting Olympic National Park in Washington. She later transferred to Western Washington University, met her husband and settled in McMinnville. She has been with the council for 11 years.

“Out here, I feel like I belong,” she said of the LSNA. “And I want to help others – plants, animals, and people – belong here, too.”

Note:  A video of this historic planting of the Oregon white oak, Quercus garryana, can be viewed at this link: https://www.luckiamutelwc.org/one-million-plants.html ▪ 

(Updated, August 25, 2025)

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 15, 2025  

Henry Hill Park has been removed as a potential site for sale by the financially strained city but both the city manager and mayor said there is no chance that the municipal pool there will ever be reopened. 

At a discussion of how strategic planning might take place in the future for the property, City Manager Kenna West said refurbishment of the pool – even if the inoperable boiler was replaced – would be “cost prohibitive.” 

Due to the aging pipe system below the pool, even a new boiler would “blow those pipes,” she said. 

Asked about the permanent closure of the pool after the meeting, Mayor Kate Schwarzler agreed with West’s assessment. “This is nothing new,” she said. A pool would require building an entirely new facility. 

The future of the pool property arose at a work session held by the city council Tuesday in which the future of Henry Hill Park was discussed. Apparently prompting the discussion was a recent donation of high-end artificial turf that conceivably could be used at both the park site and sports fields across the street, which is land owned by the Central School District. 

The concept was presented to the councilors by Shawn Irvine, the city’s economic development director and assistant city manager. In general, it was seen by city councilors as a long-term endeavor rather than a more immediate one. 

Before the artificial turf – donated by Providence Park in Portland to the Monmouth-Independence Family YMCA – could be used, it would need to be established “who is going to be responsible for the maintenance for this part and that part,” Irvine stressed. 

The turf was donated to the YMCA but the quantity has yet to be determined, according to a reply to an inquiry sent by Trammart News to Tim Sinatra, CEO of the Family YMCA of Marion & Polk Counties. 

After the regular city council meeting convened, the city council voted to take the “old pool property” off the list of land for sale by the city and endorsed a sample Memorandum of Understanding between the Family YMCA of Marion & Polk Counties and the City of Independence to “explore and advance the shared vision of developing a community center and outdoor recreation area.” 

Asked about the possible future planning, CSD communications coordinator Emily Mentzer responded: “We are grateful that the city council reconsidered selling Henry Hill Park.” She added that the district is looking forward to working with community partners to create a space that the neighborhood will enjoy – a space for students and families. 

“As Mr. Irvine said, there remain a lot of moving parts,” Mentzer said. 

The pool closure, which occurred about three years ago, appeared to inflict a blow on the community – many believe this is a severe loss in a city where the river often is used for summer recreation. The pool had been a resource for teaching swimming lessons in summer, offered at low cost or, in some cases, free of charge by the YMCA. 

At a meeting in which Irvine and Sinatra outlined the potential for a community center in Independence to the Polk County Board of Commissioners, neither issued definitive assurance that a pool would be a final part of the plan.  

One advocate of the pool, Erin McIntosh, a member of the City Parks Board, said she will continue to push for an outdoor pool. “Yes, the existing facility needs to be rebuilt from the ground up and is not going to happen,” she said. “However, I got the impression that a pool is still a desired outcome as part of a greater ‘community center.’ ”    

“We’ll see what the ‘conversations’ with the ‘partner agencies’ turn up,” McIntosh said.  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 15, 2025  

A portion of Corvallis Road that was recently annexed by Independence has been taken out of Polk County’s jurisdiction and placed within the city – an action to be followed by another proposed annexation of land to extend Mt. Fir Avenue. 

The part of Corvallis Road that’s now in the city is roughly from a point near the Independence Bridge to the southern limits of the Urban Growth Boundary. The jurisdictional transfer was approved by the Polk County Board of Commissioners Wednesday (photo).  The presentation of the transfer was given by County Surveyor Darren Blackwell.

“We support this action because it is the orderly way for growth and development,” said Todd Whitaker, director of public works for the county.  

A city street has different design standards than a county road, he explained. “We are not really set up to maintain curb, gutter and storm drains like a city is,” Whitaker said. 

The jurisdictional transfer from the county to the city differs from the annexation, which was done previously by Independence. They're both legal processes but the annexation of Corvallis Road brought a swath of it into the city limits; In the jurisdictional transfer the county relinquished care and oversight of the roadway to Independence. 

Several weeks ago, residents expressed concern when the annexation of Corvallis Road was approved after a hearing by the Independence city council. 

One worry was that it would precede a move to full annexation of homes there.  Several residents attended hearings on the annexation, including a farm family on Corvallis Road and members of the Hill family, who are descended from Independence founder Henry Hill. Eric Hill spoke to the city council about the deep roots his family feels toward the town – his mother, Kathy Hill, owns a house on land along Corvallis Road. 

Another troubling question for some:  Would this mean that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office would stop patrols along the roadway? The Independence Police Department, which has been operating on a strained budget, was presumed to become the agency responsible for law enforcement there. 

But Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton offered a reassuring observation. “Nothing is going to change in terms of patrolling the roads, as we go all over the place, regardless of the city limits or not,” Garton said.  One difference will be a 911 emergency call, which will be summoning the IPD “unless they ask for our help or if we happen to be in the area,” he said. 

The jurisdictional transfer from county to city of this portion of Corvallis Road arrives at a time when Independence also has a proposal for annexing a 50-foot-wide former rail right-of-way, which is to be rezoned “Mixed Density Residential.” It is planned for the extension of Mt. Fir Avenue to Corvallis Road, or to establish a “shared use pathway” to do so. 

The pathway was likely listed as an option due to a land-use restriction, according to one longtime resident of the area, who recalled that the railroad spur in the city included a stipulation for a possible nature trail. 

The city communications director has failed to respond to questions from Trammart News. A public hearing on that is scheduled for August 26. 

The steps that have occurred over the past few months seem likely to mean increased development in the area, according to a city map of recent zoning changes south of the city. 

“We wish that all of the cities in Polk County would work with us for transferring jurisdictions of roads where development has occurred up to the right of way,” Whitaker said. 

(The Polk County Board of Commissioners also approved two other road jurisdictions in Independence for transfer, portions of Talmadge and 6th streets – but not the full extents of each.)  ▪ 

By Lance Masterson

for Trammart News Service, August 15, 2025  

Precision will be key Sunday when pilots from throughout the region engage in battle at the Independence State Airport.

STOL WARS - the acronym for “Short Takeoff and Landing” – is in its seventh year here. The competition is part of the two-day Wings Over Willamette Fly-In, the annual event sponsored by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 292.

Simply stated, STOL WARS is to WOW as jousting is to a Renaissance faire. For many people, it’s the primary draw.

“It adds a high-energy, crowd-pleasing element to the weekend, and draws in pilots from all over the region,” event chairman Aaron Moore said.

James Oveross is a long-time airpark resident and experienced STOL competitor. His proudest moment, competition-wise, came when world champion Steve Henry beat him by 11 feet.

“You just practice what you’ve learned flying over the years,” Oveross said of training for the event.

Some 25 pilots are expected. They will arrive in bush planes, tour planes, and purpose-built STOL aircraft, with a few surprises likely.

Rules are simple. First, each pilot gets three runs.

“During each run, our ground team records where the aircraft leaves the ground and then where it comes to a complete stop,” Moore explained. “The score is the sum of distances. The pilot with the lowest score wins their category.”

Aircraft are grouped into seven categories based on type and configuration.

“This makes it a fair competition, whether you’re flying a vintage plane, or a competition-tuned STOL aircraft,” Moore said.

Because the event is about precision, it’s reportedly fairly safe.

“So the crowd gets a front row seat to the action, watching skilled pilots demonstrate careful control and performance,” Moore said. 

STOL WARS is 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with the award ceremony at 1 p.m. Both are on Sunday.

“Winners get a trophy,” Moore said. “But the real reward is the camaraderie, the challenge, and the thrill of flying for an enthusiastic audience.”

Oveross agreed.

“I keep coming back for the competition, the camaraderie,” he said. “And it’s great fun.”

There’s also plenty of fun on Saturday’s schedule, as WOW hosts forums, organizational booths and presentations. Headline speakers include:

Rian Johnson, Van’s Aircraft, presents the new RV-15, the company’s first all-new model in years;

Pete Zaccagnino, test pilot and four-time Reno Jet Gold champion. He is a Discovery Channel Dangerous Flights veteran. He’ll tell stories from his 24,000 hours in the air;

Juan Browne, popular YouTube host of “Blancolirio,” will lead a safety panel on STOL and backcountry flying.

Experts will discuss the state’s role in aviation history, as well. 

In addition: The Ninety-Nines, Oregon Pilots Association, Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum, along with other organizations, will be on hand.

The Ninety-Nines is an international aviation organization for women.

“We’re excited to host organizations and groups from around our region to come, share and showcase what they do for the aviation community,” Moore said. “We’re working hard to make Wings Over Willamette the premier aviation event for our region. Something pilots and families look forward to every year.”

The airpark community plays a key role in the event’s charm, Moore said. Residents often open their homes and hangars to visiting pilots. Over the years, this hospitality has inspired guests to relocate here.

Wings Over Willamette is open to the public. Admission is $10 for adults and free for those under 18. Off-road parking and a shuttle service are available.

Aviation education for youth is central to EAA’s mission. Proceeds from the weekend go to Chapter 292 for related programs, such as Young Eagles, and toward scholarships.

Aircraft to be displayed range from amateur-built experimental designs to rare vintage planes, 

Go to wow-flyin.com for more information. ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 8, 2025  

The annual contract for Central School District Superintendent Jennifer Kubista is set for $182,988 with a $10,000 retention bonus, bringing her total monetary compensation for 2025-2026 to nearly $193,000. 

The vote to affirm Kubista’s contract was delayed by the school board Monday night – only a four-person quorum was at the meeting. 

In the absence of Board Chair Byron Shinkle and new school board member Andrea Van Heeswyk, the ballot was 3-1 in favor of postponement until more board members could be present. 

Board Member Jann Jobe objected to putting off the vote, noting that the board had previously okayed the superintendent’s salary package. 

A comparison of superintendent salaries across the state shows Kubista’s pay is comparable to other similar school districts. For example, the St. Helens School District, with several hundred fewer students than CSD, had advertised this spring for a superintendent, at a salary of $175,000 to $185,000. (Dr. Koreen Barreras-Brown stepped into that role in July.) 

In general, superintendent salaries in Oregon appear largely linked to the size of the district, with the majority earning in a range from $143,569 to $195,720, according to Salary.com. 

However, some small districts have a pay scale much lower than the bottom end of that range and some are much higher, such as Portland School’s Chief Kimberlee Armstrong, who received $325,000 when she was appointed in 2024, according to the Oregonian. 

Kubista gets a $400 monthly allowance for driving and transportation, as well as benefits that include health insurance and retirement. 

This past spring, The School Superintendents Association issued a salary-and-benefits study showing that salaries for the top job at school districts have increased, but they haven’t kept pace with inflation over the past decade. The current mean salary is about $169,000 a year, according to the group’s national survey of superintendents. ▪ 

By Trammart News Service, August 8, 2025  

Introduction

The $400,000 sum to acquire by eminent domain a 12-acre slice of land for the city’s planned water treatment plant has been completed. However, a public records request for the settlement agreement has been declined. “The city is not the custodian of the requested records,” according to the denial. 

However, after contacting several authorities this past week, the $400,000 amount for the purchase – as well as yet-unreported costs by the city for an outside legal team – was deemed a matter of public record. (A public records request for legal costs by Independence for the eminent domain action has been submitted by Trammart News.) 

The answers from outside expertise sought by Trammart News seem to bring to a close some questions that arose about whether confidentiality could be imposed upon the money spent by the city to acquire the acreage. 

Because several public inquiries were made to TN regarding the article posted last week on this issue, the original article on its beginnings is being re-run. 

In an interview last summer, Pat Henderson, then co-owner of the property, sat down with Trammart News to discuss the city’s attempted acquisition of the family’s farmland.

An email was sent this week to Henderson, to extend to him the opportunity of commenting further to Trammart News, pending a repeat of the story from last August. He did not respond for publication. 

The original article is below. The $400,000 was paid to the current owner of the land, after Henderson's family sold their entire property in the wake of the eminent domain action. 

Eminent domain pressure drives sale of farmland owned by a family for generations
 

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service

(Originally published 8/9/2024)
 

To save his land from being acquired through eminent domain by the city he's called home for most of his life, Pat Henderson and his family sold their farm in Independence.
 

Despite deep sadness over relinquishing the property to a neighboring buyer, Henderson hoped the sale would thwart the move by Independence to put a new public works facility, including a water treatment plant, on 12 acres next to Corvallis Road, just south of the city limits.
 

In an interview at the Ovenbird Bakery last summer, Henderson said he didn’t think the proposed deal was only about the water treatment plant, which was the official reason for the legal action by the city for the land. 

In early April 2024, “Independence mailed each of us an offer packet,” Henderson said.
 

The city offered $180,000; the counteroffer was $250,000, leading to a stalemate.
 

The city then filed a claim to clinch the land. Instead, Henderson and his family sold it, along with the rest of the 170-year-old farm.
 

Previously, Independence had sought out the family regarding the northern edge of two fields for a proposed east-west road along the railroad right-of-way, Henderson recalled. Then that effort abruptly stopped, he noted.
 

The presumed reason? A new and long-planned street, the Mt. Fir extension, allegedly to make way for new development.
 

“I realized that they were attempting to combine two separate projects into one, by over-buying property that could be used for both projects,” he said.

The city’s communication director, Emmanuel Goicochea, was asked by Trammart News at that time to reply about the new circumstances, which would affect the acquisition process. 

In a follow-up email, Goicochea was asked whether the larger tract of land – beyond the four acres once considered suitable for the water treatment plant – was due to combining the two objectives, as suggested by Henderson. Despite numerous attempts to obtain city comment, no response was received. 

The water treatment plant was part of a $44 million project for using a new water source, the Willamette River, according to plans approved for it by the city council last year. The city's water rights to the Willamette River need to be exercised within the next few years in order to be retained.
 

The first hint that his land was seen by the city as a site of interest for a new water treatment plant was when Henderson was contacted and told that Independence needed "to do some testing" months before the proposed purchase.
 

“The city didn't contact us directly,” Henderson explained. “They had an out-of-state company send us right-of-entry forms to sign, giving them permission to carry out testing.” 

Neither the city manager, Kenna West, nor the public works director, Gerald Fisher, spoke with the family, he said.
 

Instead, he was contacted by a right-of-way agent of Common Street Consulting, who
works in Salem.
 

“It was only after questioning that the company gradually revealed why the testing was desired,” Henderson observed.
 

Henderson, who has residency rights to remain on the land, wasn’t sure he even wants to stay in Independence. He was discouraged by recent events – and not just the ones that have involved him and his family.
 

Changes in the way the city now seems to operate have caused him concern. As a long-term resident, Henderson said that there seem to be more incidents of mishandling or misuse of authority by the city.
 

Henderson is a great grandson of Henry and Martha Hill, who came west in different 1847 wagon trains – he by the northern route, she via the newly-opened southern route. “They didn't meet until they arrived in Oregon territory,” he explained.
 

Elvin A. Thorp was the original town’s founder, but Hill's addition was incorporated in the 1860s, after a flood wiped out Thorp's riverside settlement. Though other parcels remain with other Hill descendants, the land that was just sold had been in the family since the 1850s, handed down generation-to-generation.
 

“It was the last parcel of original donation land claim in our immediate family,” he said. ▪ 

By Anne Scheck  

Trammart News Service, August 8, 2025

Pilot Martin Winziers wants flying to be more inclusive, and he’s found a way to help make that possible at the Independence State Airport. It involves an airborne machine that’s lighter than a crate of apples and costs a mere fraction of the price for a small airplane. 

It's called an ultralight (photo). Winziers hopes an official ultralight club can be founded at the airport – the group is holding its second meeting this weekend to get it “off the ground.” 

But is there enough interest within the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association to form an ultralight club? 

To find out, Winziers mailed about 200 surveys to members of EAA Chapter 292, which is based at Independence State Airport, to assess that. In return, he received 47 responses. Of these, 31 expressed interest in building ultralights.

An ultralight is simple and affordable and takes far less expensive training than other aircraft, particularly when built from a kit. Popular DIY models like the “Legal Eagle” are roughly $8,000 for materials and components, depending on the engine.

And, while general aviation training can be $15,000, learning to fly an ultralight typically costs no more than $2,500. That makes the wild blue yonder more accessible, Winziers said. 

The aircraft offers an entry for young pilots with a love of flying but for whom even the smallest airplanes are financially out of reach. Flying an ultralight is possible for those who’ve aged out of standard aviation insurance coverage or face medical hurdles to keep flying.

But lower cost isn’t the only advantage, Winziers pointed out. 

At the inaugural meeting, some pilots stated they were exploring the option for a time when they might no longer be able to afford insurance or upkeep on an aircraft. Several EAA 292 members already own an ultralight.

But there is another compelling reason to hop on one of these “flying trikes” as they have been called. They’re a big pleasure to fly. 

"I like the slow-and-low flight," said Winziers, noting that an ultralight usually travels about 50 mph.

One enthusiast is the president of the Independence Airpark Homeowners Association, Ron Singh. 

"It does make you feel 'one with the sky,'" Singh said. "My opinion is that licensed pilots can have a lot of fun flying an ultralight." 

Singh cautioned, however, that adequate training is essential. In some ways, being in the air in an ultralight is just as challenging – without the complex systems-management of other aircraft. "It is 'stick-and-rudder' flying," he said.

A dozen years ago, Smithsonian Magazine looked at the history of ultralights in an article on these “small engine wonders” – and found there was more than a grain of truth about the legend of their origin. They began as hang-gliders equipped with lawnmower engines. 

John Moody, an engineer from Ohio, demonstrated his invention in 1976, at the annual National EAA fly-in in Oshkosh Wisconsin, according to the magazine. Moody reportedly put the contraption on his back and, after a short run, lifted off into the clouds. 

Ultralights have come a long way since then. "I built and flew an ultralight-like aircraft, and it was nothing like that," Singh said. 

To Winziers, the advantages in forming a club include collaborative builds, shared tools and pooled ownership.

Winziers, who is building a light sport aircraft in EAA Chapter 292’s hangar, likened flying an ultralight to riding a bicycle in traffic. “You don’t need a driver’s license, but you have to obey the traffic laws,” Winziers said. 

Leonid Puliaiev, a Ukrainian refugee and former Soviet pilot, is getting his wings back via his love for ultralights and his membership with EAA Chapter 292. “Flying means life to me,” he explained, “and this is the only kind of plane I can fly now.”

“It’s another way to fly,” agreed Lee Nielson, a local pilot and Independence resident. 

Winziers stressed there is “no barrier” to getting involved in the effort to form an ultralight club; He urged anyone in the area to come to a meeting and see “what we’re doing and find your place.”

(The ultralight interest group meetings are held in the hangar of EAA Chapter 292 at the Independence State Airport, 4905 Airport Road. The link to the EAA 292 website is:  https://www.eaa292.org ) ▪ 

( Lance Masterson, also contributed to this article)

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 1, 2025

The Independence City Council approved allocating money for a land-parcel acquisition by eminent domain – but Councilor Dawn Roden voted “no” after expressing concern the amount was $220,000 more than the sum originally set for the acreage. 

Roden’s comments were made Monday night after Mayor Kate Schwarzler opened a hearing on the resolution, to authorize the city manager to approve and execute a settlement in condemnation litigation. “Any further discussion?” Schwarzler asked.

Roden (photo) responded by raising the issue of the cost involved. She received a reprimand from City Manager Kenna West for citing the dollar amount. West told her that information from the executive sessions wasn’t allowed to be discussed. 

“Well, then I have objections I’m not allowed to discuss,” Roden said. The additional cost more than doubles the $180,000 appraised sales price offered for up to a dozen acres of land, which was originally made to the farm family who owned it. 

The move to clinch the property for public use – to construct a new water treatment plant – began more than 18 months ago. The council vote on Monday was taken following an hour-long executive session. 

After the meeting, Trammart News informed West that all settlement agreements resulting from city litigation appear to be subject to public disclosure when relying on tax dollars to fund them (ORS 192.345). 

West countered that the information was confidential, and, in a follow-up email, she said that disclosure of the additional $220,000 “posed a potential legal and financial risk to the city.”

“When the councilor disclosed confidential terms in open session, I responded immediately and appropriately by reminding the council that the topic was one discussed in executive session and was not suitable for open deliberation,” West said. 

The resolution to “finalize, approve and execute a settlement agreement” by West was passed with Roden casting the only opposing vote. Councilor Bill Boisvert was absent. 

A public records request to the city by Trammart News for the Oregon statute barring disclosure of a negotiated settlement was declined, with the statement “there is an Oregon Revised Statute that pertains to withholding disclosure of terms of litigation or settlement agreements until it is concluded or finalized.”  

The point of contention between West and Trammart News appears to hinge on the interpretation of what “concluded” means. 

There is an exemption to such disclosures while financial negotiations are underway, but it exists only until the matter is settled. “This exemption does not apply to litigation which has been concluded,” according to Oregon law. 

Federal law also appears to support the public’s right to know of tax expenditures from government litigation. 

In response to this observation by Trammart News, West stated: “I am not in a position to comment on your interpretation of the law you referenced, as I understand you are not an attorney and appear to be speculating.”

She added that Trammart News’ facts are incorrect – there was no final payment issued. West described some of the aspects of the executive session to underscore her viewpoint but, since Trammart News was present at the executive session, it’s unclear whether this local news media outlet can use such executive-session information in reporting, even when it is imparted by a city official. (An inquiry regarding this has been made by Trammart News to a legal authority – an answer is pending.) 

The move toward acquiring the slice of land for a new water-treatment plant began more than a year ago, when the city took legal action on a “claim for condemnation.” 

The offer was refused. Instead, the family counter-offered, proposing $250,000. A stalemate ensued, as reported by Trammart News.  So instead, family members sold the entire 170-year-old farmland south of the city limits rather than relinquishing the estimated 10-12 acres sought by the city. Subsequently, the new owners and the city opened negotiations, according to findings by Trammart News at that time. 

The first steps began in the spring of 2023. A $44 million priority-project list to meet the town’s water needs was approved by the City Council – most of that cost was slated for a new treatment plant for processing a new water source, the Willamette River. It’s part of a nearly $95 million “Water System Master Plan,” which was adopted by the city council at that time.  ▪ 

By Anne Scheck 

Trammart News Service, August 1, 2025 

Although Melani Betancourt is the current Community Fiesta Queen, before she steps into her royal role a final time  –  to pass on the crown in late August – she needs to meet a more pressing demand as her pig's pitchwoman. 

She and her hog, named Frenchy, head to the Polk County Fair Auction on August 9th, where the Yorkshire Gilt will be placed for sale. The money from that will help Melani to clinch some college funds, although she racked up quite a few scholarships for her freshman year at Western Oregon University, where she plans to major in business administration.  

If wearing the crown sounds a whole lot different than an FFA jacket, it doesn't seem much of a stretch for Melani. She lives in an over-extended way – and seems to thrive on it.  She was the 2024-25 student president of Central High School and one of the recent speakers at her class graduation. 

But her victory over an early, painful period of bullying could be considered her highest accomplishment. 

The onset of acne at a fairly young age drew taunts that threatened to leave scars far deeper than any skin condition could inflict. "It was hard," she said.

Nationwide, about one in five students from sixth grade up report being bullied. What made Melani one of them? 

Bullies pick on peers for any number of reasons, but one of the most common is the obvious presence of enviable character traits, according to several studies. Qualities like determination, creativity and intelligence can make someone a target. 

Melani was an achiever with a sunny disposition and a grade point that never slipped below 3.75. And she came to Independence with a unique set of personal experiences. 

Melani and her family moved back to Independence from a remote part of Alaska at about the time she turned 10 years old. She was barely out of toddlerhood when her family relocated to an Aleutian island, where her father had found work. 

She’d lived in a place with only a grocery store and a boat shop, amid a scattered population of just over 1,000, she recalled. And there were only two Hispanic families on the island. As a child "I just thought I was Filipino," she noted. 

The return to Independence was a period of sudden adjustment. "That island was all I knew," she explained. On one occasion in her Alaskan home, she’d heard noises at the door. When she opened it, a huge eagle was staring at her from the doorstep. 

Whether it was the stress of the move or her sudden entrance into pre-teen years, Melani developed facial breakouts that also set her apart – she endured frequent jeering about her skin. 

Melani said she was faced with two opposing approaches on how to handle the bullying. One was to answer all the teasing with equally biting comebacks, engaging in counter attacks. The other was to simply ignore the hurtful comments and keep focused on her goals.

"I chose that way because that is who I am, what is comfortable for me," she explained. "I began to try to understand why these things were being said, to find a reason someone would do that, and to realize it was coming from a painful place in them." 

Melani said her family bonds – her siblings, her mother – gave her a safe refuge. She also grew very close to her grandfather, who is now deceased. "I was grandpa's girl," she said. 

Her grandfather, who strongly believed in the power of education to change lives, urged her to disregard anything that would interfere with her academic achievement. He told her he felt she was headed for great things. 

"I believed him," she said. "I wanted so much to make my family proud."

So, she continued to meet academic milestones and became a participant in multiple school projects. Ian Imamura, who advised her about how to build her curriculum, became a favorite teacher at Central. 

She was also active in MEChA, the national Mexican American student group, and AVID, a college readiness program. 

If you're wondering why Melani became such a striver, she herself actually can’t answer that question – at least not definitively. 

As the youngest of four siblings, she credits them, and her mother, with giving her unfailing support. 

During a speech to her high school graduation class on the night they all received their diplomas, she gave a special thanks to her mother, Irene Oliveros-Vega. 

“All of my accomplishments are a reflection of you mom,” she said, telling the crowd she wouldn’t be “standing here today if it weren’t for the sacrifices and bravery she has shown,” as a single mother of four children.

“I never noticed who wasn’t cheering in a crowd because my mom’s voice was all I heard,” she pointed out. “Thank you so so much to my siblings, grandparents, cousins, and family who have loved me unconditionally my entire life.” 

“I will continue to be a product of the love you guys have provided me with,” she said. 

(Community Fiesta takes place in Riverview Park, August 22-24. Trammart News is a philanthropic supporter of it.)  ▪