PIO128 by C.M.I.

Polk County

Sports

Pentacle Theatre Hosts Auditions Feb. 21

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Wednesday January 28, 2026 | Volume 151, Issue 4

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Merkley town hall tackles growing authoritarian concerns

Mark Adams

Businessman Mark Adams enters county race By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

PHOTOS BY DAVID HAYES

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley takes questions from Polk County residents at a rescheduled town hall Jan. 22 at the Colonel Nesmith Readiness Center outside Dallas as Rep. Paul Evans, who acted as moderator, looks on. By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley had already pledged to vote against an impending government funding bill two days before another federal officer involved shooting of a protester in Minnesota renewed calls to defund the U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement (ICE) agency. Merkley made his stance clear during his statewide tour of town halls returned to Polk County Jan. 22 at the Colonel Nesmith Readiness Center

outside Dallas. Merkey had decided to postpone his scheduled stop in Polk County after wanting to learn more about two alleged Trend de Araga gang members who were shot in Portland while fleeing apprehension by Border Patrol agents in Portland Jan. 8. “A number of us… in elected positions wanted to work to prevent there from being a Minneapolis style confrontation that would lead to more ICE and more agents and maybe the president getting the power from the courts to federalize the National

Guard,” Merkley said. Upon his return, Merkey explained there are currently 12 spending bills being written in Washington D.C. to keep the federal government open, with six already having gone for President Trump’s signature. Of the six remaining, Merkley said legislators have separated out the Department of Homeland Security funding. “I hope they keep it separated out. The reason why is there is a lot of concern about sending any more money to ICE. They got $75 billion in what Trump called his ‘Big Beautiful Bill.’

I call it ‘Big Ugly Betrayal’ because it has massive tax breaks for most affluent members of society cutting, nutrition, money to ICE and cutting health care,” Merkley said. “I hope (it) stays an individual bill or it’s joined with other bills and we have a chance to amend it and take the money for ICE out.” Merkley said every town hall he’s hosted this year, Polk County was the 16th of 2026 already, ICE and immigration is being enforced is the See MERKLEY, page A8

Mark Adams has a history of surveying the landscape and inserting his services to breach the gap where needed. In the last several decades, that’s included starting his own vinyl sign business, serving on the school board after getting fathers involved in their children’s education or jumping into a county commissioner’s race at the last minute. The last time Adams, a resident of West Salem for about 24 years, was persuaded to run for a vacant seat on County Commissioner’s, he entered late into the process, making it a four-man race. He lost to Craig Pope by 211 votes, with no campaign, no war chest, just word of mouth. “A pretty close race for a guy who didn’t have anything going, entered last minute and See ADAMS, page A7

Food truck returns full circle back home to Monmouth Cindy Lou’s celebrates 10 years offering Oregon barbecue By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

Heading south out of Monmouth on Pacific Highway is a former mechanic’s shop that has become the new hub for Cindy Lou’s BBQ. For co-owners Christopher Sarff and Johnny Roldan, it was a long and winding road for the duo as they celebrated 10 years offering up Oregon barbecue. The two Central High grads had both gone north to pursue their culinary dreams. It was a path Sarff began in his first job, working as a dishwasher at the Original Pancake House where

IN THIS ISSUE

his father, Ryan, was a chef. “That’s how I fell in love doing this stuff, and obviously from my dad. He was a chef,” Sarff said. In 2015, He was working in another high school friend’s food truck slinging sliders when he applied for a contest opportunity in Beaverton. Sarff entered a cookoff competition at the cost of $100 per raffle ticket. Sarff was one of five finalists drawn out of hat and, lo and behold he won. The grand prize was a food cart, which he named in honor of his mother, Cindy Lou. He still features her recipes for mac and cheese and jalapeno rice on his menu today. Sarff said the difference between a food cart and a full-sized food truck is that carts can be moved around but are more stationary, and are See TRUCK, page A7

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Celebrating 10 years in business with Cindy Lou’s Barbecue on Sunday are co-owners Christopher Sarff (far left) and Johnny Roldan (far right) and their spouses Marina and Misty.

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