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Indy Online News Posts Friday, April 26, 2024

4/26/2024

Independence sweeps MI community awards due to 2023 community contributors

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 26, 2024

MI Chamber Community Award Recipients this year were dominated by people who work or live in Independence, from Independence-based Manuia Support Services, the community provider of assistance for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities, which was recognized as the 2023 outstanding organization of the year to the “Business of the Year,” Brew Coffee & Tap House, the downtown coffee shop-tavern that’s known as the town’s go-to spot.

“It’s been nothing but a good time,” said Mitch Teal, who co-owns the “Brew & Tap” with his wife, Cathy Teal. The pair opened the establishment eight years ago, and soon after that it became Independence’s meet-up hub.

Just across Main Street from the “B & T” is the proprietor of the new business of the year, Emily Samuelian, whose Little Pumpkin Cat Café appears to be the only one of its kind in the state, offering cat adoptions from her cozy notions shop.

And the innovative non-profit of the year, Ash Creek Arts Center, is in downtown Independence, too – at the former library building, now a place that holds art workshops for children and adults. This year’s prestigious “Legacy Award” went to the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation. Though technically located in Monmouth, the powerhouse force of the foundation, board member and immediate past president, Vern Wells (in photo), is a resident of Independence.

He spent two decades helping build the foundation, which enriches K-12 education programs through grants and other funding to the Central School District. Two members of CSD won education awards: Monica Rodriguez, an Independence resident who was named outstanding educational staff member, and Central High School’s band-orchestra teacher Ed Propst was awarded “Educator of the Year.” (Both are pictured in the inset photo with CSD Superintendent Jennifer Kubista.) A few years ago, Propst was given the “Golden Lark Award” by Trammart News, for making a community difference by transforming the Central High School band into a top-notch performing group of young musicians.

Two award winners from outside Independence were Rick Gydesen, who owned Rick’s Place in Monmouth for nearly 30 years; Joshua Brandt, of Brandt’s Sanitary Service in Monmouth, was named community member of the year. Youth community member-of-the-year went to Haven Winslow.

Phyllis Bolman, Monmouth’s City Recorder, was given the “Distinguished Service Award.”

The event was held in mid-April at the Eola Hills Wine Cellars in Rickreall, and the awards were bestowed by the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Nicki Marazzani. A presentation by a polished emcee, Sabra Jewell, the communications coordinator for Monmouth, can be found in a professionally produced video of the winners available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQeaIbc9fQI ▪

Increasing costs for city services prompts difficult questions at recent budget meeting

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 26, 2024

No Independence budget of the past decade appears to have so starkly highlighted the need for new revenue sources as the one this year – if adopted, it includes a $27-per-month fee for public safety, plans for a tax levy to rescue the library and museum from closure and, in an entirely separate action, a water-rate increase of 5.5%.

The $27 public safety fee is scheduled to revert to $10 per month, potentially after the first year.

At the center is a shortfall that needs shoring up – $400,000 already has been taken from the General Fund in a one-time transfer – shrinking financial reserves to below the policy-set limit. The plummet is partly the result of “significant fluctuations” that occurred during an influx
of federal money from the American Rescue Plan in the pandemic, which made the “base budget” for the 2023 fiscal year “harder to see,” explained Rob Moody, Independence’s new finance director.

Independence City Manager Kenna West repeatedly has referenced tax Measures 5 and 50 – strict limitations on the level of tax increases – as causing depletion of city coffers. Many cities are suffering under the same constrictions but two in Polk County – Dallas and Monmouth – took different approaches to deal with the looming financial strain, according to a review of the cities’ records.

Monmouth voters passed a bond for their new city hall, putting it on a long-term tax roll. And, with a square footage of 15,200, it’s substantially smaller than the loan-financed Civic Center in Independence, which is about 38,000 square feet. Monmouth’s police station, unlike the police department housed in the Independence Civic Center, was relocated to a refurbished building that also was bond-approved by voters, for the renovation.

In Dallas, a series of “road shows” to determine budget-tightening public preferences occurred at various venues over the past year, after the city forecast shortfalls. Each of four alternatives was presented in forums, ranging from presentation on an operations levy to creation of a parks and recreation district.

Efforts by Trammart News to obtain a reply about outside commentary on Independence’s recently released budget information went unanswered by the city’s communication coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea. However, City Manager West acknowledged at the first budget meeting that it is “easy to look back and say ‘shoulda, coulda, woulda.’”

Instead, West advised members of the budget committee to “give the people before you some grace that you would like to have in five years, 10 years and 20 years and focus on moving forward.”

The move by Dallas seems to have dampened concerns like those that arose at the most recent Independence budget meeting: that a city-proposed levy may be difficult to pass. It was introduced as part of the budget process. “How do we set this up for success?” asked committee member Erin Seiler.

Outside the meeting, a few residents wanted answers to that question, as well. As prices tick up for gas, electricity and water, will public support go down for paying more for other service costs? Some saw the probable need for a school bond as possibly interfering with support for a city levy.

However, "we don’t see this as competing but more as a structural issue with state funding that leads public agencies into trying to find creative solutions to pay for needed services," stated School District Superintendent Jennifer Kubista, who was asked about whether the city levy might splinter votes for funding school improvements.

Another issue has been raised, as well – budget priorities set solely by top city administrators, none of whom live in Independence. Both City Manager West and Public Works Director Gerald Fisher, for example, live outside Polk County – an observation made by certain residents who agree with former City Manager David Clyne that resources have been directed away from popular facilities like the swimming pool.

Clyne wrote a letter to the budget committee requesting that greater priority be given to parks and recreation. Asked to elaborate on his message, he acknowledged that the city is in a financially tight spot, adding that the argument for the current decision-making is to follow a “best practice” strategy. However, “my response is that virtually all cities experience structural deficits due to the impacts of measures 5 and 50, but nonetheless there are creative and appropriate means of balancing services and finances to better meet the needs of the community,” he stated.

Clyne has been an advocate for completion of the Willamette River Trail, near his home. At a recent Parks and Recreation Board meeting, there was a near-unanimous vote in favor of the trail by board members, with only one dissenting vote, by Erin McIntosh.

Though a balanced budget now has been provided to the budget committee, it will meet again over the next few weeks, including May 1, for input from the public and committee members.

( A third article in a series on city debt will appear next week.)▪

Water rates to rise 5.5% to help pay for planned $40 million water treatment plant

By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 26, 2024

A projected 5.5% increase in water rates is needed to support a $40 million loan expected to be taken out by the city for building a new water treatment plant – amid hope that future partnerships with other Polk County cities and state or federal money will help reduce that coming debt.

That was the message from the city’s water-engineering consultant, Steve Donovan, who confirmed that the water rates need to rise during a city council work session this past Monday. For now, the “whole strategy is that we are going it alone” without outside assistance, he said.

However, Polk County has agreed to donate to the project “instream water rights” held by the county, which would benefit the public as a water source. Additionally, there are “conversations with Monmouth” about becoming a partner or contributor to the project, Donovan said.

At the earliest, the new rates will be presented to the city council in May, with an effective date of July. However, it may take far longer to implement a new rate schedule, he observed.

In the meantime, conversations are underway with Monmouth as a possible participant and the city will seek revenue from the state legislature and through federal grants. However, though federal funding is a possibility, “it isn’t what it used to be,” Donovan said. ▪

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Indy Online News Posts for April 19, 2024

4/19/2024

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Severe action needed for new budget, including rate hike and voter-approved levy
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 19, 2024

Independence is headed for a risky financial future unless it implements deep cuts and a $27 hike in utility billing along with a voter-approved levy to fund the library, the Heritage Museum and the municipal parks. That’s the message in the proposed city budget, which was released this week to the committee tasked with evaluating it.

“The effects of a failure to act are immediate and catastrophic,” was one of the conclusions in the 95-page document, which was made public Wednesday, shortly after the Independence Budget Committee convened for the first time this year.

Though subject to change by the committee over the course of the next few weeks – the committee meets again Monday night – the city’s overall financial position was deemed unstable. “A decision must be made to either create additional revenue sources or significantly reduce services including closing non-essential departments to bring the city’s finances back from the precipice,” according to the opening summary, a statement that was signed by the city’s finance director, Rob Moody.

The initial meeting centered on instruction for committee members, to help them move smoothly through the budget process.

Last year, at the conclusion of the budget session, three members voted against recommending this past year’s budget to the city council. At that time, the city manager, Kenna West, said a “best practice” approach was being instituted, one that abandoned budgeting methods relied upon in previous years; The position of city engagement coordinator was eliminated, and a decision was made to close the library on Saturdays.

This year, more budget-carving is essential, Moody said, noting that there are two main options used by municipalities under such monetary strain: One is to simply cut all departments and programs by a certain percentage, the other is taking a “more surgical” strategy, he said, suggesting that he favors the latter. However, much of the decision-making now rests with the budget committee.

SIDEBAR: An editorial analysis of why transparency seems to be taking a hit as the budget arrives

In kicking off a training session Wednesday night, attorney Robin Klein, assistant general counsel for the League of Oregon Cities, informed budget committee members about their role, including the legal rules regarding their participation.

But one word seemed to be repeated over and again: transparency – the need for it, with a reminder that “these are tax dollars” being allocated for city services, Klein said.

The need for open government was repeatedly highlighted by LOC lawyer Klein, who led the first part of the initial budget meeting. The admonition arrived during a week when transparency was being questioned – both by certain public officials and residents alike.

At the recent city council meeting, an add-on item to support the work being done in the prevention of homelessness by Church at the Park ignited debate among Independence city councilors – and not only because homeless sheltering is seen as a “hot potato” issue. A letter voicing support, which councilors were asked to approve, had been placed on the agenda minutes before the meeting. Objections to such a sudden introduction seemed not to matter to a majority of the councilors – four of them voted yes.

However, Trammart News received multiple responses from residents who felt left out of the process – one called it an example of hidden ramrodding. Paul Sieber, a Monmouth resident who attended the meeting, was asked his opinion – and he made a more nuanced observation.

“There was no opportunity for public input,” he said. Asked why he attended a meeting in Independence, a place he doesn’t live, he quipped: “Well, there was nothing good on television.”

A second meeting-related incident this past week seemed to signify doubts about city openness, as well. Skepticism arose at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting. The question: Would some city regulations, such as system development charges, be enforced on developers under a proposal the HPC was asked to consider, which would allow new homes to be built on lots with existing houses?

At their April meeting, HPC Chair Jennifer Flores, noting that parts of the city’s water-sewer system are in need of repair, wondered if development fees could be counted on, and cited the construction of Independence Landing several years ago. “It didn’t happen before,” Flores said, adding “it makes me really cautious.”

About seven years ago, the city entered into an agreement with the developer for Independence Landing, Tokola Properties, to provide “financial assistance” of about $2 million, to pay for the estimated costs for building permits and system development charges for the project. The waiver, which a past city administrator described as a loan to the developer, came to light after a budget committee member at the time, Gary Van Horn, requested a copy of the disposition and development agreement with Tokola.

The third instance this past week seems related to the sudden warm weather after a cold snap, which had led to what appears to be a Willamette Valley Inversion, a time when foul odors are likeliest to arrive around the city’s sewage lagoons. However, this week neighbors nixed the idea of smelly air as a problem. “It doesn’t usually stink unless it goes really cold to really hot,” said Ashley Rice, who lives nearby, who agreed with her neighbor that it happens too few times annually to be considered a true nuisance.

Still, some remained confused about when the project to renovate the lagoons will be done. In a widely broadcast video on the lagoon biosolid removal, Public Works Director Gerald Fisher states: “When we get the project completely finished, the plant will be set up to handle all the flows for the next 20 years of both population growth and commercial and industrial growth.” However, so far there is no estimated time of when that will be.

Several inquiries to the city’s communication coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, failed to receive a response to this question: Do you as a city representative have any response to the concern expressed by some residents of allegations transparency is lower than desired in some public-meeting situations? ▪

Talmadge science students capture little creek creatures in Dave Beatley’s class
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 19, 2024

They’re often tiny, sometimes crawly, occasionally slimy and they come in a wide variety when the water where they live is healthy.

They are the macroinvertebrates of Ash Creek, and Teacher Dave Beatley and his sixth-grade class have been catching and counting them to help track their numbers over time, to assist with ongoing state-wide research.

For years, Beatley has been utilizing Ash Creek, which flows right by Talmadge Middle School, for science teaching purposes. He is the recipient of local grants from the Ash Creek Water Control District and the Monmouth-Independence Community Foundation. “We've also received a lot of support through grants from the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society to do stream work,” Beatley said.

Talmadge Middle School is part of the "StreamWebs Stewardship Network," an online platform that has been set up by Oregon State University, along with a few other partners, to receive data that's recorded on the creeks and waterways of the Willamette Valley. This past March, the class at Talmadge submitted counts that included juvenile flies, snails and beetles.

But the insect that the students found in greatest quantities were caddisflies – a class favorite. The larvae, which look like mini caterpillars, build encasements from material they find, often pine needles, and can resemble moving debris when wriggling through water. One that was relocated to the classroom aquarium – now named Jeremy – built a shell-like enclosure from aquarium rock. As Jeremy lurches along the bottom of the aquarium, he looks like a tiny mobile rock pile.

Besides adding to the stream studies on the network – where students submit the findings – another priority is to familiarize them with taxonomy, the physical ways to distinguish animals and plants, Beatley said. "We keep it simple," he added. The students contrast and compare aspects of macroinvertebrates – like damselfly larvae and aquatic worms – in water samples
they take from Ash Creek, by using magnifying scopes to see the little bugs' appearance in more detail.

Previously, Beatley's young scientists built bird-nesting boxes and placed them along Ash Creek and, though they hoped to see wood ducks in them, swallows and sparrows showed up in significant numbers, and became occupants in some of the smaller birdhouses. Then, the Luckiamute Watershed Council undertook a project to clear the blackberry bushes and restore native vegetation. Their return of native plants created a blaze of color in some spots.

Now, Yellow Monkeyflower and the purple blossoms of Lupine and Camas are flourishing along the creek, creating pollen for reproduction – pollen that meant Beatley was fighting both an allergy reaction and dense brush as he walked. The lush vegetation helps keep the soil intact, he explained. The blackberries, which are invasive, may look like pretty fruit-bearing bushes but "they choke out everything," he said. Now, "most of the native plants are doing really well," he said.

This past year, part of the focus was on pollinators – and the students made nesting boxes for them, too. But the 6th-graders, as well as Beatley, were puzzled about why the Mason Bees utilized only some of the paper tubes placed in them. It turned out that soda straws made of paper and of a certain size suited the bees just fine – but they were disinterested in any that deviated from these specifications. Like so much in science, this wasn't the learning intent, but it provided a biology lesson, Beatley affirmed.

"The goal is to have respect for nature," Beatley said. Some members of the class immediately enjoy getting outside to tackle science projects; Others are more reluctant to explore the leafy creek-side site. Initially, "I think some may worry about getting too close to nature," he said. But learning to like the outdoors is great for kids, he stressed – it gets them off computer screens and into the natural environment. In terms of growing brain power, "the connections you make here are different," he said.

A lot of the science takes place inside the walls of the classroom, Beatley said. But, even then, it is "very hands-on." Most students are engaged by that kind of learning, he explained. Chemical reactions of gases, for example, are well liked – identifiable by the properties they exhibit. Acetylene has a bright orange flame. Hydrogen lacks a flame but makes a pop like a flying cork. Sulfur gives off an instantly recognizable odor: rotten eggs. There is no demonstration for methane, which is human gas. "I tell them cows make a lot of it," Beatley said. (Disclosure: Trammart News plans to purchase and donate a pair of binoculars to the class)▪

A committee forms to educate the public about poor condition in some schools
By Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 19, 2024

A facilities committee to help raise public awareness about the deteriorating parts of some Central School District buildings, including a decrepit boiler room, will meet twice a month to design an educational campaign to launch in the near future, according to Emily Mentzer, CSD’s communications coordinator.

The committee, comprised of about a dozen members, met for the first time in mid-April. The inaugural task was to create a flyer, which can be handed out and posted.

However, committee member David Clyne said he wanted more information than the draft of the handout so far seems to include – a proposed solution. “I am not sure what my mission is,” he said.

The aim is to inform residents about the problem, not to promote a possible bond – yet. “But it feels like the decision is being made,” observed Clyne.

If so, asking voters to pass a bond promises to be a tough challenge – there may be a similar proposal on the horizon, as well. If the Independence budget is adopted as it was presented this week, a call for a city levy is in the works for a future ballot.

In a past survey of the CSD community, a large percentage were unaware of the facility needs of the schools, Mentzer pointed out. About 20% thought the facilities were suitable; 33% didn’t know a problem with them existed.

Targeting that segment will help, she said.

Vidal Pena, a former school board member, suggested that none of the signage, posters or flyers use a picture of the CSD building. Instead, it should be the school buildings, he advised. School board member Susan Graham, who is also serving on the facilities committee, agreed that “this is the message we want to convey,” that the aging infrastructure is affecting the students' educational experience.

The issue arose as the district prepares for the loss of federal stimulus funds, known as Elementary and Secondary School Relief, which was awarded to schools under what was known as the “CARES” legislation, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act in March 2020. ESSER funds are being phased out, according to the US Department of Education.
CARES Act ESSER funds helped school districts address the impact of the pandemic, including reopening – a time when many students were found to be woefully behind.

As the district plans a future without ESSER, post-covid changes continue to affect other sources of revenue: Absentee rates jumped, and they have had a serious impact – schools receive money based on daily attendance rates, and that has significantly dropped. Additionally, the district’s expected growth in enrollment for the 2023-24 school year showed a downturn of 100 students instead, according to figures released by CSD.

A report to the school board in early April by Superintendent Jennifer Kubista indicated there is no money for the necessary infrastructure repairs. ▪

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Indy Online News Posts, April 12, 2024

4/12/2024

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BREAKING NEWS: School district to seek bond; City council divided on homeless letterBy Anne Scheck

Trammart News Service, April 12, 2024

SCHOOL NEWS

Budget cuts lie ahead for Central School District 13J and so does the need for a bond – there is no money available to fund all of the improvements necessary to school facilities, where needed repairs range from fixing some corroding tile floors to repairing water-dripping roof leaks.

“We know we need to make improvements to our infrastructure,” said Superintendent Jennifer Kubista in her report to the school board Monday night. “We know our facilities need improvements,” she added.

Renovations to buildings don’t qualify for the usual revenue schools receive. “In order to make improvements to our facilities we would need to ask our community to support a bond,” she said.

It isn’t simply that the level of state revenue the district receives won’t meet the CSD 13J’s educational budget – lower enrollment and high absenteeism will continue to take a financial toll, Kubista explained. This year, there were 100 fewer students than the previous one, as families chose online educational options, charter schooling or out-of-district transfers.

The Eugene-based consulting firm, Funk/Levis & Associates, which conducted the survey to evaluate support for a bond last year, will assist the district in formulating a campaign for public education and outreach about the need to fix facilities in disrepair. The first meeting for the “Facilities Committee” is Monday at 4:30 pm in the CSD Annex, at the southeast corner of 16thStreet and Hoffman Road.

CITY NEWS

A new agenda item that was a letter of city support for a homeless program – introduced toward the end of the Independence City Council meeting Tuesday night – drew opposition from two city councilors that the addition was too sudden to give the public a chance to see it.

“I saw this 10 minutes before the meeting,” said City Councilor Sarah Jobe. Councilor Dawn Roden had the same objection, calling it wrong to “sweep this onto the desk moments before city council.”

The letter was drawn up to convey support for housing solutions by Salem-based Church at the Park, which has proposed sheltering sites for the homeless at two Polk County cities, Monmouth and Dallas. It is the same non-profit organization that eventually was dropped for plans to use a church-owned lot near Stadium Drive in Monmouth after a public outcry by neighbors.

An email request for approving the letter came from City Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis, who received it and forwarded it on to the city manager a few days before the city council meeting. Martin-Willis is the council’s representative to the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance.

A city emergency prevented it from being placed on the meeting agenda, City Manager Kenna West explained. A water-main break put the city on a “boil water” alert Friday, so the letter wasn’t added as an item until shortly before the meeting, she said.

Following the meeting, several residents contacted Trammart News with a request to have their comments included as a reaction to the matter, so interviews will be conducted this coming week for a second look at the issue – the follow-up article will appear April 19. ▪

Independence woman receives Congressional Gold Medal as a trailblazing WWII Rosie the RiveterBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 12, 2024

Eighty years ago, Independence resident Clarice Lafreniere was a welder helping with the war effort. This week, she got the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition for her work.

Along with more than two dozen other “Rosie the Riveters,” a group comprised of female defense workers during WWII, Lafreniere received the nation’s highest civilian honor in Washington D.C., at a ceremony that celebrated the jobs they performed.

However, for many, it wasn’t only a crucial contribution to the war effort during a male labor shortage but a turning point in their lives – it proved that women could do difficult, physically demanding jobs that once were the sole domain of men – making munitions, building planes and ships. “I learned I could do anything I wanted to do,” Lafreniere recalled.

Posters of “Rosie the Riveter” – the iconic woman with her hair in a red polka-dotted kerchief, hoisting her arm as she rolled up her sleeve – were all around the nation’s capital. Lafreniere wore red polka dots, too.

In fact, when she sat down for an interview with Trammart News before her departure, the white-on-red dots was the material of the blouse she wore.

Lafreniere, who is originally from Colorado, got married there in 1939. After the couple had a son, she and her husband decided to move to the Pacific Northwest.

Her daughter was born in Oregon the night Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese.

Lafreniere remembers blackout curtains were placed on the hospital windows, as a precaution in case the bombers proceeded to the west coast. About a year after the baby was born, Lafreniere arranged to have her mother care for the two children, and she began working at Kaiser Shipyard on Swan Island in Portland.

She worked as a welder and “burner,” forging metal with an instrument “that looked like a big gun with a rod and a flame on the end,” she explained. It was heated to such high temperatures that it melted steel. “You had to move very steadily, “ Lafreniere said.

“Everybody had to be a fast learner,” she added. Clad in leather overalls, wearing long gloves and a helmet equipped with a glass shield, Lafreniere worked the night shift for three years. Sometimes sparks flew all around her as she toiled.

When the war was finally over, “I got fired,” she recalled. But she continued to work other jobs, ranging from the former department store Meier & Frank to the DMV, where she initially wasn’t allowed to give driving tests, Lafreniere noted. Getting behind the wheel was strictly limited to the expertise of the men. Nor could she wear pants. “I really resented that,” she said.
Eventually, Lafreniere became an office manager.

She looks back on the change from those wartime days as a young bride, when she was ineligible for a credit card and couldn’t qualify for a mortgage, all because of her gender. “I do think we did get things started,” she said of the progress women made after the “Rosies” filled male vacancies.
Still, she thinks women have more gains to make. There shouldn’t be wage gaps she continues to read about, she said.

These days, Lafreniere keeps up to date with the news in so many different ways, since the internet expanded far beyond the radio broadcasts upon which the population once depended.

Lafreniere resides with her granddaughter in town, but she continues to be socially engaged with members of her own age group, organizing get-togethers like a monthly pinochle game. Having passed the century mark herself, Lafreniere is often asked about the secret to a long life.

Though she had hard times, “I never felt I suffered much,” she said. So, is optimism the key to longevity? “I think maybe it has to do with resilience,” she replied. ▪

Cafe Brarlin saying goodbye to place on Main StreetBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 12, 2024

The clientele grew steadily at Cafe Berlin over the past several months. But the opportunity for consuming the comfort food cooked up by Alice Kollinzas at the cozy eatery is coming to a close. The lease isn’t being renewed.

Cafe Brarlin may be gone within days, along with the aroma of freshly baked bread and buttery cookies that often wafted onto Osprey Lane.

Kollinzas and husband, Ben Jackson, created a unique menu that included vegetarian and vegan selections, such as the “Existential Sandwich,” a creation with tofu and cole slaw tossed with ginger vinaigrette, which earned a following among those with dietary restrictions for health reasons. “One guy came in, he was so happy – we had things he could eat,” Kollinzas said. The “crunch salad” was another favorite, made with fresh organically grown ingredients, often right from the local fields of Lucky Crow Farm in Monmouth.

Though both Jackson and Kollinzas grew up in rural Oregon, they spent years in Portland pursuing their vocations. Kollinzas has a music degree from Portland State University and Jackson has a fine arts degree from Southern Oregon University. Both were involved in the music scene. Kollinzas worked in restaurants, learning the ins, outs, ups and downs of the food-service business. Jackson worked as a courier and as an art installer-handler in galleries and for private collectors, while doing freelance painting and design commissions.

After they bought a four-acre parcel in Dallas, they decided to open their own place, labeling it “Cafe Brarlin,” a noun Kollinzas created to refer to her husband, a blend of Bro and Darlin. Married 13 years, the two have been together for more than two decades.

They opened Cafe Brarlin on the ground floor of a former house on Main Street, just north of the Independence Civic Center.

This spring, the lunchtime crowd often “slammed” the small restaurant, where the turkey-avocado sandwich, the “Turkey Lurkey,” along with the “Dale Cooper” chicken sandwich, were favorites. The climb in profitability was a source of great satisfaction, said Kollinzas. But though success increased, other factors proved more problematic.

After helping with the remodeling project for seven months, fixes that they anticipated never materialized, such as highly visible signage that identified the building as commercial space, the two said. Since the businesses are housed in a refurbished home, that proved more important than they initially realized. It was confusing to some who were seeking a sandwich and baked goods shop that had been recommended by a neighbor or friend.

Options that some downtown businesses took to engage in the community – joining the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce or the Independence Downtown Association – weren’t undertaken by Brarlin. The first year was a time of immersing themselves in the business, they stressed.

But word-of-mouth traveled quickly – Kollinzas' cookies practically became the stuff of local legend. They were seen as tasting fresh-baked days after being put on a counter or bin at home.
So, what happened? Why are they leaving so soon? The notice of non-renewal that Brarlin received from owner Yul Provancha indicated only that "expectation(s) do not align.” Asked about the Brarlin departure, Provancha replied with a simple statement: "Make sure you get all of the facts."

The city wasn't very responsive to inquiries about codes and permits, Jackson said. Trammart News seemed to have the same difficulty: An email, letter and phone call to the city’s communication coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, requesting a response to the couple’s observations went unanswered.

The couple said they learned the "hard way" a few lessons they think will help guide them if they decide to open another restaurant. They would insist on at least a three-year contract – with a lot more detail, precisely spelling out responsibilities. Their advice: get a business lawyer to give the proposed agreement a good going-over before signing, including a provision for labor if that’s being done.

Meanwhile, they will be taking a break from a storefront operation as they regroup and rebuild.
By the second week of May, Brarlin will be at the Independence Farmers' Market in the Umpqua Bank parking lot on Saturdays and at the West Salem Farmers’ Market on Thursdays "We are not giving this up, we are changing venues," Jackson said. ▪

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Indy Online News Posts, April 5, 2024

4/5/2024

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Sunset Meadows Park getting a nature-oriented playground with other features, and some controversyBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 5, 2024

A ground-breaking celebration for the new park at Sunset Meadows was held under sunny skies this week, but questions remain about the single bid that was accepted by the city to build the nearly $460,000 play area and gathering spot.

But several were happy to see the start of a park they have long awaited. “It is about time,” said Linda Hoover, who has lived in the same vicinity for more than 25 years. Like others in the neighborhood, she’s glad to see it finally becoming a reality after more than 10 years since it was announced.

However, some residents said they wondered where the money is now coming from, given the delays. “It would have been so much more economical to do this sooner,” said one. Recently, reports of the city’s strained budget have become public knowledge among some, due to budget cuts that closed the Independence Library on Saturdays.

Inquiries by Trammart News about the park plans last week – following a divided vote at the city council on whether to fund the facility for nearly $460,00 – went unanswered. The evenly split ballot was decided in favor of the plan after the mayor cast a “yes” vote.

At that meeting, City Councilor Sarah Jobe expressed surprise – the sum is far more than the $75,000 in grant money that was often cited as the source of funding, she noted. In fact, in Mayor John McArdle’s “State of the City” speech earlier this year, he identified that grant money as paying for it.

“With the help of a state grant, we will be installing nature-play equipment and seating,” he said at the time.

Yesterday, before his address at a public function, Mayor McArdle was informed by Trammart News of failed attempts seeking clarification on the issue from the city’s communications coordinator, Emmanuel Goicochea, who was contacted by email, hand-delivered note and phone calls.

“Thank you for sharing that,” McArdle responded. “Kenna West is his supervisor,” he added, referring to the Independence city manager.

McArdle declined to comment when told that, after months of attempting to try to get the city’s side of financial concerns, Trammart News will be forced to make public records requests that will take up “valuable time of the city recorder,” when they might be easily answered by the tax-supported communications coordinator.

Later in the day, Jonathan Jay, who chairs the city’s Parks and Recreation Board, clarified some of the information that initially seemed to be missing. “Glad to help,” he commented.

Jay confirmed that Parks & Rec never discussed the current plans as they appear now, and that may have been one reason for the confusion.

The 2015 Master Park Plan – a document to which Independence Public Works Director Gerald Fisher frequently alluded – was performed at a time when not all of the streets were constructed around the grassy area now destined for a playground and benches. The southwest subdivision was still in development, Jay pointed out. One of the main thoroughfares was titled “Birch,” a street that doesn’t exist there, he said.

The construction contract for the park improvements was awarded to GT Landscape Solutions in the amount of $457,112.20. In response to the sum, Councilor Dawn Roden introduced a motion at the meeting to deny the bid, apparently so that more than one bid could be sought. The motion failed.

Prior to the vote, Fisher explained: “The price seems high, but I am not shocked by the price.” Roden countered that she was “extremely shocked by the price.”

“I think it is totally inappropriate to go through with this, at this price,” she said.

Councilor Kate Schwarzler observed during the meeting that those funds are available through system development charges that builders pay.

However, the amount of money in the current budget shows the Parks SDC fund is only $434,735. Sunset Meadows Park also received $75,000 from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and a private donation of $50,000. Pacific Power has donated $3,500 for the installation of trees.

The vote against funding the park at an amount that exceeds the current SDCs occurred when councilors Roden and Jobe dissented; Councilor Shannon Corr was absent from that March city council meeting and counted as a “no.” Passage was affirmed when the mayor broke the tie. ▪

SEDCOR got fast feedback during report on housing to the Polk County Board of CommissionersBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 5, 2024

When representatives of the Salem-based Strategic Economic Development Corporation (SEDCOR) paid a visit to the Polk County Board of Commissioners to give their annual report this week, the commissioners gave them one, too – personal observations of deeply felt workforce worries.

The high cost of living is creating tough workforce challenges in Polk County. Living “where you work” has become harder, said Commissioner Jeremy Gordon. “I got into my house by sheer luck before the prices skyrocketed,” Gordon said.

He and his family probably wouldn’t be able to afford the house where they currently live if they were buying it now, he added. In fact, he wouldn’t be able to pay the typical amount for a one-bedroom apartment with the mortgage payment he and his wife currently make, he pointed out.

SEDCOR’s president, Erik Andersson, and Alex Paraskevas, Polk County’s business retention and expansion manager, presented a year’s worth of experience and tracking of organization projects in the Willamette Valley. Although the global marketplace for regional goods and services seemed to be an important feature of their presentation, Board of Commissioners Chair Craig Pope urged “refocusing the center back a little bit.”

Pope expressed deep concern about the cost of food for local consumption, as well as housing prices, and urged SEDCOR to not forget “the challenges we have right in front of us every day.”

Costs that interfere with workforce recruitment have been a source of concern by SEDCOR, as well, Andersson confirmed, explaining that a program underway in Newberg that involves the city government and local employers in an effort to meet the need for “missing middle housing.” For instance, many Newberg school district teachers live outside the area now, a fact discovered during a recent snowstorm, Andersson said.

He offered his own first home ownership as an example of the wage mismatch for securing housing. Thirty years ago, he bought a home in Port Townsend WA for $105,000; It is currently valued at $650,000.

However, the job he had when he made that purchase paid an annual salary of around $60,000 – that same job today probably doesn’t exceed a salary of $90,000, though the home is worth six times what it was when he lived in it.

Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst asked Andersson to share more details about the Newberg program, which seems to have affordable housing as its goal. “Can you expand on that?” Mordhorst asked.

Zoning for multiple units, less emphasis on aesthetics and installing system development charges that make those fees easier on developers all have been proposed, Andersson said.

Pope stressed that “It’s not just mortgages, it’s food supply.” Dairies have been closing, including the one in Rickreall, and grain and vegetables aren’t being produced in Oregon in the numbers they once were, either, he said.

This week, a report on “job polarization” in Oregon – high-paying jobs compared with middle- and low-paying ones – showed dramatic differences, according to figures released Wednesday by Oregon’s Office of Economic Analysis. Jobs that generate middle-income-earning wages – those typical of office administrators and teachers, for example – dropped 6% while higher-paying jobs substantially increased.

Typically, when the middle part of overall income distribution declines in a city or state, the middle class shrinks there, too. Meanwhile, housing costs continue to tick up.

A little over a year ago, Joshua Lehner, senior economist for the state, reported that more than half, or 54%, of renters don’t have enough income left over after paying rent to afford even the “basics.”

After the meeting Mordhorst stated that he believes it’s more difficult today for young adults to gain the same advantages previous generations did – more money is needed just to support a medium lifestyle. Gordon has reiterated the same message in presentations, as chair of the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance. Recently, he received an award for “exceptional leadership” from the Mid-Valley Council of Governments for his work. ▪

Meet Dr. Matt Friesen, an Independence resident who authored a book to help college studentsBy Anne Scheck
Trammart News Service, April 5, 2024

Matt Friesen of Independence has published a book that's not just for college students, but that's certainly his aim. For anyone in a book club that loses track of multiple characters and for any high school student who feels overwhelmed by facts and figures that appear in long descriptive paragraphs, this book is for you, too. Titled "Dr. Matt’s Gutsy Guide to Reading in College," it is an easy-to-read -- no huge and unfamiliar words! -- guide on how to read dense text. As Friesen notes, college is a time with "hundreds of pages coming at you."
Friesen will be at Brew Coffee and Tap House, in downtown Independence, at 1 pm on
April 20 to talk about the book. Recently, in an interview with Trammart News, he describes
his own academic journey, which helped prepare him with the kind of experience that proved beneficial for authoring this book. And he shared observations from years of working with college students.

TN: Well, it may seem a bit off-topic to start with my own college days but I liked your book so much for addressing the fact that the way material is studied — the thing I call study habits — is so important. Because I sure went down a few rabbit holes as a freshman.

Friesen:  I think that can happen a lot. I think it is a matter of figuring out learning. I think one unfortunate part of college is that it can be discouraging if you have difficulty. I saw this as both a faculty member and as a college advisor.
TN:  There seem to be more supports now for entering freshman. But, in some ways, it still seems like a sink-or-swim challenge, so different from high school. I liked how your book seemed to address the kind of student I was — I arrived for college a little bit in awe of a campus, frankly, unlike some.

Friesen: The book is written with traditional, non-traditional, and first generation students in mind. Sometimes “student support” books can be written primarily with 18 to 22-year-olds in mind. While this book certainly has those students in mind, it’s also written for those who are the first in their family to go to college and those who are returning after being away for a while.

TN: There are a lot of books aimed at helping students learn. Why did you think another one was needed?

Friesen:  Mine was written with the student at the center. Many books written to support students put the classroom or a list of the “right ways” to do college at the center. This can sometimes create a list of great ideas that are also pretty unrealistic for today’s students. I worked hard to imagine every sentence landing in the ears of a student who is juggling jobs, taking care of kids, managing finances, and learning all the university’s mysterious rules and policies.

TN: Is there anything about today's college student that seems strikingly different from when you were an undergraduate?

Friesen:  A lot has changed. A lot has stayed the same. One big change is that college costs so much now. There is so much money at stake with some of these students. They are working multiple jobs, trying to pay for it. The balancing act is just such a challenge ...
TN: I know you have seen this up close as a faculty member. I seem to remember you from Western Oregon University. Full disclosure: I am a student there, off and on.

Friesen: I worked with many of the “non-traditional” students during my time at WOU. Their diligence was inspiring and was at the front of my mind when writing.

TN: You also were a faculty member at another university. Is that right?

Friesen:  I was on the faculty at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio. It has about a thousand students, in a small town of about 5,000 people. I learned a lot there. When I came here, I worked at WOU

TN: Do you miss anything in the Midwest? FYI, I hail from Kansas and was born in Missouri. OK, after this question I promise to quit referencing myself ...

Friesen:  There is a lot to miss from the Midwest. A lot of it has to do with the land and the weather. There were dramatic thunderstorms, not dangerous but loud. The sunsets were really spectacular, too. It looked like painted sky above the horizon. In Ohio, there was this tremendous sense of space — landscape permeates everything.

TN: But you were enticed by the west coast, as so many are?

Friesen:  Yes, but it was like coming home. I got my PhD in sociology from the University of Oregon. Oregon is a hard place to leave and a great place to return.

TN:  Yet you settled here, in Independence, not Eugene.

Friesen:  Well, WOU hired me to advise college students (in the office of Experiential Learning Service Learning Career Development WOU). And I really love the downtown here in Independence. So we live here.

TN:  So, you have been a college professor, and worked in college advising, and now you've become an author. Anything else?

Friesen:  Now I work from home, doing data analysis. I guess you could call it "IT."

TN:  I think that, in itself, is an important lesson for today's college students. There may be different careers in your future, not just the one you've trained for in a college setting.

Friesen:  Yes, and that's why the book is for adults in college, too, not just those coming from high school. Learning — and using reading to do that — is a marathon, not a sprint.

TN:  Apart from the guide your book provides, what have you learned about college students that is important.

Friesen:  Find your group. That is just so important. Find your people. Connect with them. That is really essential to the college experience, too.

TN:  Anything else that college students, particularly those who are the first in their family to go to a university, might benefit from?

Friesen:  Don't lose your confidence. This is one reason I wrote the book. Say you get grades you think are bad — they don't say who you are. They say you can do better.

TN: Let me say I love that sentiment. I was such a slow starter ...

Friesen:  A lot of college students are, and it can feel very lonely. But it's not the whole story. It is just the start of one. Writing this book was a way of showing how reading — a foundation for study — can be broken down into steps that can make it more effective, in a very straightforward way.

TN: Thank you for what seems to be an inspiring take on reaching success in college for those of us who, at first, found it to be — or currently find it to be — a real struggle, at least initially. ▪

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