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.
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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.