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Wednesday February 12, 2025 | Volume 150, Issue 7

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Long delayed transitional house opens in Dallas By DAVID HAYES IO Editor

Alisha Resseman

Interim Talmadge principal hired full time For THE POLK IO

Central School District has hired Alisha Resseman as the new principal at Talmadge Middle School. Resseman has led the school as interim principal since the start of the 2024-25 school year. “I am truly grateful and excited for the opportunity to serve as the Principal of this incredible school,” Resseman said. “My roots run deep, as I have been here for 20 years now. I deeply appreciate the trust and faith the community has placed in me, and I am honored to lead with such a dedicated team of students, educators, and families.” Resseman said TMS staff have fostered a positive learning environment through consistent and clear behavior expectations, which have provided students with a structured framework to thrive in. “By setting clear boundaries and maintaining high standards for conduct, we’ve created a school culture that encourages respect, accountability, and growth,” she said. “As a result, students are more engaged, and the overall atmosphere has become one that supports both academic and personal success for all.” Resseman has experienced all levels of the educational process from teaching multiple subjects, leading and serving on school teams and committees, coaching sports and supporting Administration first as an Assistant Principal and now as Principal. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s in education from Western Oregon University, with an endorsement in ESOL. She went on to earn her master’s in educational administration from the University of Oregon. Resseman is looking to the future for Talmadge students, including ensuring students are prepared and equipped with the See INTERIM, page A3

Nearly two years to the day after she declared a homelessness state of emergency in Oregon, Gov. Tina Kotek cut the ribbon Feb. 3 to welcome a new transitional housing facility in Dallas. “I am staying the course to tackle homelessness, and I am thankful to communities like Dallas who have stepped up to do their part in this crisis,” Kotek said. “Housing supply is the long-term solution. I’m working with organizations across the state to remove obstacles in construction, so everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home.” Salem based Church @ the Park spearheaded the project after securing $2.58 million to open a managed shelter site in rural Polk County in the wake of the governor’s declaration. After failing to secure a location for a micro shelter facility in Monmouth and Independence, the church purchased property at 1873 SE Holman Ave. in Dallas in 2023. However, after vocal opposition to the micro shelter plans, Church @ the Park pivoted to convert the home at the Dallas location into transitional housing for families. DJ Vincent, Church at the Park founder and chief executive officer, said the Dallas Family Shelter project has come to completion through the support of PATHS (Partners Aligned Toward Housing Solution), the city of Dallas and the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance, in addition to the governor’s emergency order. Vincent said after working with the city of Dallas on land use and permitting, major renovations started in July of 2024. Vincent

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Surrounded by local dignitaries, Gov. Tina Kotek cuts the ribbon officially opening Church @ the Park’s transitional housing facility in Dallas on Feb. 3. explained that the permit required that renovation result in the same square footage as the original buildings on the property (pre-renovation). So now, two households and up to 12 beds are available in what was the original house. County Commissioner Jeremy Gordon, one of many local officials to attend the ribbon cutting, said the Dallas Family Shelter exceeded his expectations. “Church at the Park transformed a challenged property into a community gem. It truly feels like a home — a place where children and parents can sleep soundly, share meals, complete their homework, and focus on their next steps toward self-sufficiency and a permanent place to call home,” Gordon said. Vincent said the church requires potential families who will live in

the house must have ties to rural Polk County. For example, the first two families with single mothers, expected to move into the house two days after the ceremony on Feb. 5, have children who attend schools in Dallas. Applicants, he added, must also pass a background check to ensure they are not on a registered sex offender list. Looking ahead, Vincent said an Accessory Dwelling Unit will be added on the property, providing space for two more households and eight additional beds. He added a garage will also be built to be used as office space. The ADU is still in the permitting process, which he expects to complete in 2025. He also expects 12 more families to utilize the house by the end of the year.

Gordon said the project came to fruition thanks to the partnership of many community organizations. “I’m incredibly grateful to our partners in PATHS, including Dallas leadership, for working with the community and Church at the Park to ensure this facility — and the upcoming Monmouth facility — are fully integrated into Polk County’s already strong network of faith organizations, service agencies, and community heroes (you know who you are),” Gordon said. “This is what community-led solutions are all about. The modifications that Church at the Park has made to transition from a single facility to two smaller facilities, along with their intentional collaboration with the community, are deeply appreciated.”

Son joins parents in family chiropractic business By DAVID HAYES IO Editor

Many clinics celebrate their growth by proudly announcing the arrival of a new practitioner to their family of doctors. However, Dr. Marty and Dr. Sharon of Thornton Chiropractic in Independence literally welcomed the third member of their family to the practice, Dr. August. Sharing the same first and last names (Alpheus Thornton), the father and son use their middle names in their titles. The Thorntons have occupied the same building at 1650 Monmouth St. for their chiropractic practice since they bought the building in 1997. They’d met at school and after graduation, the move west was Sharon’s idea. “She didn’t want to live in his hometown in Iowa. Came out to Oregon, coincidence brought us to Independence, and we felt this was where we were supposed to be,” Marty said.

IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

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PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Dr. August (center) joins his parents Dr. Marty (left) and Dr. Sharon at Thornton Chiropractic in Independence. So, for the first six years of his life, that’s where August grew up, as the office also doubled as a home.

“He learned to run a mop when he was 3 or 4, just helping out wherever else he could, taking out the trash,” Marty said.

“When he was first born, he See FAMILY, page A3

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