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Wednesday April 10, 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 15
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Polk County helps dethrone marijuana ‘dynasty’ Sheriff office shutters multiple local illegal grows By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
While federal investigators publicly announced the forfeiture of 14 properties in Oregon, including six in Polk County, ending an interstate
drug trafficking organization, Sheriff Mark Garton and his team are quietly celebrating their role in shuttering local illegal marijuana growing operations.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon said in a press release, that beginning at an unknown time, and continuing until September 2021, properties located in Clatsop, Columbia, Linn, Marion,
Yamhill and Polk counties were used as illegal marijuana grow houses by an interstate drug trafficking organization led by Fayao “Paul” Rong, 53, of Houston, Texas.
Garton said the Oregon State Police, which also helped in the federal investigation, dubbed Rong’s See DYNASTY, page A6
Grange launches Jumble Junction mall Leaders hope sales pay for building repairs By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
Rickreall now sports a new vendor’s mall that organizers hope will help pay for maintaining their old building. Jumble Junction debuted last weekend, featuring 11 vendors sprawled out within 2,500 square feet of the upstairs and parts of the downstairs of the Rickreall Grange. The vendors offer “everything” including handcrafted jewelry, clothes for humans and fur babies (pets), collectibles and antiques, crafting materials, toys, tools, glassware, fishing equipment, and a shop downstairs that sells vintage candy and sports collectibles. “We’ve got pretty much everything you could want,” said Tia Brown, assistant steward. The quirky name for their new vendor mall came from an unconventional method. “We took an online vote to determine the name,” Brown said. “We told people we want to create a different name for our upstairs mall. Give us suggestions. Out of the favorites listed on their Facebook, this is one they chose.” See GRANGE, page A8
PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES
Participating in a ground breaking ceremony for Sunset Meadows Park in Independence April 2 are (from left) City Councilor Kathy Martin-Willis, Rep. Paul Evans, Independence Mayor John McArdle, Brandon Jordan field representative for Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, T-Mobile regional marketing manager Gary Buckholtz, and Oregon Parks and Recreation manager Mark Cowen.
Community designed park breaks ground day arrived April 2. Sunset Meadows to be That The city of Independence hosted a groundbreaking ceremony, kickcompleted by fall ing off the project nine years in the By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
John Weatherall moved into the Sunset Meadows neighborhood in 2015, excited his new home abutted an open space that was promised to be developed some day into a community park.
groundbreaking featuring local residents after the dignitaries had their go. “One of the reasons we moved here is we wanted this nice making. Weatherall and his four sons open area for the kiddos to have a were excited to participate in the park back there is a cherry on top. festivities, being they live just three They’re very excited. They’ll be doors away. back here every day.” “It’s finally going to happen,” Independence Mayor John Wetherall said, after three of his McArdle kicked the event off, four sons, ages 9, 6 and 4, actually explaining the park is the result of a participated in a recreation of the community vision crafted from local
input into the city’s 2015 parks master plan. It was later included into Independence’s 2040 plan. “Places like this just don’t happen. The System Development Charges (SDCs) that many of you paid on your houses when you moved into the neighborhood, and grants helped pay for this park,” McArdle said. See PARK, page A8
Students recreate Oregon Trail in Falls City By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer
On April 4, the Falls City community joined together to help the elementary school’s fourth graders recreate the trek along the Oregon Trail. Seventeen “pioneers” pulled hand-crafted recreations of wagons through a circuitous route around town. Dressed in period accurate dresses and flannels, they made
PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES
Fourth grade teacher Pennie Freeburg welcomes back the final group of students from their trek along the Oregon Trail through Falls City.
stopped at eight “forts” along the way, making trades with merchants, played by high school students. Rounding out the cast were parents, staff and middle schoolers as trail guides. In all, there were about 14 parents, 10 middle schoolers, 12 high schoolers, all the principals, classroom specialists pitching in and even the See TRAIL, page A2
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IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Public Records Puzzle Solutions Social Puzzles Classifieds
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