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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2015)
16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 25, 2015 Polk County News HEROES. TEAMMATES. CHAMPIONS. Best of Dallas honored during annual Community Awards Ceremony By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Shellie Friesen- Berry thought she was being original when she asked her friend’s parents, Jim and Car- olyn Wall, if they were “adopting.” According to the couple’s daughters, Barb Powers, Deb- bie McCleery and Jody Lewis, she wasn’t the only friend of theirs to ask that question. But really, it seems Jim and Carolyn have adopted all of Dallas — and it shows through their countless con- tributions to the community, according to Friesen-Berry. The Walls and their daugh- ters were given the recogni- tion they would never seek Friday night, being named Exceptional Family at the 58th annual Dallas Commu- nity Awards. “If this world was made up of more people like you, peo- ple would hurt a little less and love a little more,” Friesen-Berry said while pre- senting her favorite “second family” its award Friday dur- ing the annual ceremony at the Col. James Nesmith Readiness Center. Jim is a life-long Dallas res- ident while Carolyn moved to Dallas with her family in 1952, when she was in high school. The family has oper- ated Wall Insurance for decades, with Powers recent- ly taking over management. Carolyn served as Polk County treasurer for 15 years, retiring in 2003. Mc- Cleery works for the Dallas School District and Lewis lives in Eugene. Friesen-Berry, the director of admissions and marketing at Dallas Retirement Village, said she could share hun- dreds of stories about the family’s generosity, but out of respect for their humble na- ture, told only one Friday. Dallas Retirement Village recently held an open house for its larger remodeled chapel. Friesen-Berry said the beautiful room was missing just one thing — a new piano — and she mentioned that a few times leading up to the open house. The day of the event, she was paged to the chapel and arrived to find a brand new baby grand piano sitting in the room. The sight brought her to tears. Jim and Carolyn somehow found out about her wish to provide a new piano for the residents to play and made it happen. Powers said Friday her family is “embarrassed” by the recognition. “I know some of the fami- lies who have won (this award) in the past and I don’t think we measure up,” Car- olyn Wall said. Friesen-Berry — and likely many others at the awards ceremony — would respect- fully disagree. “What an honor to be able to give this to them,” she said. JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer Dallas’ 2015 “Exceptional Family” is exceptionally humble, from left Jody Lewis, Carolyn Wall, Barb Powers, Jim Wall and Debbie McCleery. They were honored Friday. TÇw à{x ã|ÇÇxÜá tÜx AAA Grant and Judy Boustead First Citizens Oregon Family Health Business of the Year Guthrie Park Community Center Outstanding Organization Jim Williams Presidential Award “We love what we do… Kids are, in our world, what it is all about. They are the future, but they are also the present. They bring so much joy and so much happiness that I can’t imagine life without them.” — Judy Boustead on her and her husband, Grant, continuing to work with children after retirement. “This award is more than what I was hop- ing for, more than I expect. An occasional ‘thank you’ from a patient in a room where no one else can hear is enough for us.” — Billy Peffley, Oregon Family Health co- owner (above, left) with Will Lucas. “Guthrie Park is a warm and welcoming home away from home. When you go to Guthrie, you are part of a family.” — Abe Huff, who presented the award to Sally Clark, his mother. A resident of Dallas only since 2010, Williams has made his presence known as a member of the Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce public policy committee, and as a legislative assistant to former State Rep. Jim Thompson and now to State Sen. Brian Boquist, both of Dallas. Ken Braun Good Samaritan “The list of his volunteer service goes on and on. We would be here all night if I listed them all.” — Polk County Commissioner Jen- nifer Wheeler when present- ing Braun with his award recognizing his many volun- teer efforts to benefit the community. Delbert Fredricks Lifetime Achievement “I consider Dallas — all of you — my family.” — Delbert Fredricks, who has been a volunteer with the Dallas Fire Department since 1951. He no longer fights fires, but puts together the depart- ment’s newsletter, “Just Rambling,” and maintains the department’s pop ma- chines, whose funds support the firefighter’s association. Austin Markee Junior First Citizen “I’m proud of what he does, as far as shaping young men and giving them somebody to look up to, somebody that’s going in the right direction in his life. A positive role model.” — Dallas High School wrestling coach Tony Olliff. Bermudez Family Farms Ag Business of the Year Capricorn Catering Small Business of the Year Pressed Wine & Coffee Bar Most Improved Business Kurt Dugan Excellence in Arts “ That’s just priceless.” — Malinda Bermudez about the support community members have given vendors at local farm- ers market in Polk County, three of which Bermudez Family Farms sells at: Polk Coun- ty Bounty Market in Dallas and Monmouth, and Independence Riverview Market. “I can’t believe I get the honor of catering this event and get an award for catering it, too.” — Steve Segal, owner of Capricorn Catering, who had to take a break from working at the Dallas Community Awards to accept the small business award. Pressed Wine & Coffee Bar opened in March 2014, providing some much-needed punch to downtown Dallas in spite of a few doubtful onlookers. “I see the potential of downtown Dallas … We wanted to create a ‘living room.’” — Rachel Phelps, Pressed co- owner, and co-owner Doug Graven. “My vision is to have an event that brings all cultures (of the Willamette Valley) in one building at one time.” — Kurt Dugan de- scribing the upcoming Polk County Folklife Festival, which he has been dreaming into reality for more than two years.