PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, JANUARY 28, 2022
FIRST CITIZEN: ‘This is a
real honor.'
Continued from page A1
Post served as a state representa-
tive for Keizer, St. Paul and Newberg
for seven years before resigning in
November 2021.
Post said that along with marrying
his wife and raising their son, repre-
senting Keizer was the third greatest
thing he has done in his life.
“Thank you for the privilege and
the honor of serving you these last few
years. It has been an awesome thing,
and I appreciate you,” Post said.
Blackman, owner of Copper Creek
Mercantile, was so choked up upon
receiving recognition as merchant of
the year, he had a hard time speaking.
“This is a real honor,” Blackman said
“It's been a great experience.”
Blackman has been a business
owner in Keizer for more than three
decades. He hosts multiple local food
carts in the Copper Creek Mercantile
parking lot and has helped support
local youth programs through uniform
sponsorships, car washes and donut
sales. He also helped organize food ser-
vice to animals who had been rescued
during the wildfires in September 2020.
“(Blackman) is the very definition of
showing up for Keizer,” said Jonathan
Thompson, the 2020 Merchant of the
Year.
Similar to Blackman, Bethell also
shed a few tears when she was sur-
prised with the Service to Education
honor.
“It has been my deepest honor
to be able to serve Keizer. As a kid, I
had always hoped to be able to have a
family. And I have that with my hus-
band and three kids for sure. We are a
tight-knit group that sticks together.
But when I decided to really take on
something, I knew I needed a commu-
nity around me to do it. And Keizer
welcomed me with open arms,” Bethell
said. “I truly have a heart for kids, and
I truly want to continue to serve every
single one of them in whatever need or
capacity they have.”
Supporting a tenacious “get-it-done”
attitude, Bethell has served the com-
munity in a number of different ways
over the years. As the president of the
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Merchant of the Year Award winner Dennis Blackman (middle) poses for a photo with Miss Oregon recipients Sofia Boru (left) and Kellen
Takenaka.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
McNary Athletic Booster Club, Bethell
was instrumental in McNary’s football
turf project, along with building new
softball dugouts and providing new
wrestling mats and a new scoreboard
at Flesher Field.
Along with hosting McNary
Holiday Bazaars and the annual Blue
Day, Bethell was the executive direc-
tor of the Keizer Chamber for nearly
five years. She is currently in her third
year on the Salem-Keizer school board
and serves alongside Colm Willis and
Kevin Cameron as a Marion County
commissioner.
“You're an amazing human being.
The Keizer community, Marion County
and the state of Oregon are lucky to
have you in their corner,” said Tammy
Ready, the 2019 Service to Education
recipient.
“You're a pain in the butt, you are
a
wonderful
human
being,
and I am so
happy you are
receiving
this
amazing award,”
added
former
first citizen Joe
Egli.
D e s p i t e
being a lobby-
ist involved in
poli-
Oregon
tics for over 30
years, Fuller has
always
found
time to volun-
teer in Keizer.
After his house
Servive to Education recipient
caught fire in
2007, Fuller was
"I truly have a heart
for kids, and I truly
want to serve every
single one of them
in whatever need or
capacity they have.
— DANIELLE BETHELL
TOP: President's Award winner Darrell Fuller (left) gets welcomed to the stage by Bob
Shackleford. BOTTOM: Former state representative Bill Post speaks to the crowd.
Photos by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes