Polk County Itemizer-Observer • August 5, 2015 3A
Polk County News
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NEWS DEADLINES
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WEATHER
HIGH LOW
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
POLK COUNTY — So
many exhibits will be on dis-
play at the Polk County Fair,
from fabric arts to home-
grown veggies, crafts to
food.
Oh the food.
It seems almost cruel to
have such a bounty of
award-winning delights be-
hind a glass, unable to sneak
a taste of the best cookies,
cakes, candies, breads and
pies in Polk County.
Who is lucky enough to
get to take a slice out of that
blue-ribbon blueberry pie?
“The judges,” said Evelyn
Hubbard, superintendent of
food at this year’s fair. “We
just had one of our judges
retire, so we have a new
lady.”
Not just anyone can judge
the taste, consistency, and
doneness of canned and
RAIN
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www.polkio.com
Rainfall during July — 0.01 in.
Rain through Aug. 3 — 15.28 in.
EMILY MENTZER/Itemizer-Observer file
Canned cherries have already been judged by the time doors open on the fair.
baked goods, Hubbard said.
Judges must go to a special
class and get certified.
“It’s kind of fun to be their
clerk,” she noted, “because if
they find something good,
they usually share it.”
As superintendent of
Kester spent life giving back
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July 28............... 88
July 29............... 99
July 30............. 105
July 31............. 103
Aug. 1 ............. 100
Aug. 2................ 82
Aug. 3................ 84
Exhibits in open class are judged and given prizes before fair opens Thursday
By Jolene Guzman
WEBSITE
RECORDED
Who will be Queen of the Kitchen?
DALLAS — Wayne Kester
had a mission in life: to give
back.
In 2009, he received a gift
and a new chance at life, the
beneficiary of a kidney
transplant. He wasted no
time returning the favor. He
volunteered for James2
Community Kitchen in Dal-
las and Falls City as a cook
and later as a board mem-
ber. He also coached youth
sports in Dallas.
Friends say he exempli-
fied the objective of James2,
a Dallas-based nonprofit
providing free meals to
those in need in Dallas and
Falls City.
“Wayne was a man with a
mission, whether he stated it
or not,” said Kim Conolly, a
friend and colleague with
James2. “He served everyone
lovingly, equally and faith-
fully. Wayne was the head,
heart, and soul of James2.”
On July 28, Kester died
after suffering a heart attack,
leaving a void in the organi-
zation and the community
he served.
But Conolly said his mis-
sion will continue.
“I believe Wayne would
challenge us to keep creat-
Pencil
us in!
www.polkio.com
Solution on Page 8A
ing and working towards the
beauty of no hunger in our
community,” she said.
“Wayne's vision for James2
must live on through us, as
we love and serve one an-
other.”
Gary Medsker, a volunteer
and treasurer for Dallas
Food Bank, shared Kester’s
passion for
feeding the
h u n g r y.
The food
bank and
James2
worked to-
gether on
occasion to
fulfill their
Kester
missions,
trading food items that
might better fit the other or-
ganization’s needs.
“We were both working to
help others in the communi-
ty,” Medsker said.
In Kester, Medsker saw
true devotion to that cause.
“He did a lot of good for
the community,” Medsker
said. “I think that was proba-
bly his mission. He was just
dedicated to being useful to
others.”
His work didn’t stop at
helping prepare nourishing
meals. He also took the role
of serving at James2’s board
president.
Ben Meyer, AAMS ®
Bob Timmerman
Financial Advisor
Financial Advisor
503-606-3048
503-623-5584
193 E. Main Street Mon-
mouth, OR 97361
159 SW Court Street
Dallas, OR 97338
Kelly K. Denney
Financial Advisor
503-623-2146
244 E. Ellendale, Suite 2
Dallas, OR 97338
“That was something that
wasn’t easy and took a lot of
time,” Medsker said. “I be-
lieve he did it willingly.”
Medsker said that willing-
ness to serve will be missed.
Conolly said Kester also
will be remembered for what
he didn’t do. He didn’t let dif-
ferences of any type stand in
the way of helping others,
she said.
“He didn’t put up with
man-made divisions within
the community, or the barri-
ers we put up to each other,
whether economic, spiritual,
physical, or emotional,” she
said. “He wanted everyone
to work together and work it
out.”
Conolly said a woman re-
cently told her when she
thinks of Kester now, she
pictures him cooking with
Jesus — and making sure he
knows how.
“This image makes me
smile,” Conolly said. “Jesus
and Wayne: they’re a team.”
See obituary on page 10A.
foods, it is Hubbard’s re-
sponsibility to oversee the
judging all day on Wednes-
day before the fair, then
repackage it all to put on
display for opening day on
Thursday.
Entering food at the fair
runs in her family. Hubbard
is one of four generations
that has won Queen of the
Kitchen. Her mother took
the title four times; she, her-
self, took it four times; her
daughter won once; and two
grandchildren each won
once.
“We are a family of home
canning and cooking and
stuff,” Hubbard said. Her fa-
vorites?
“I like doing the quick
breads,” Hubbard said. “I
love to do carrot cake and
peanut butter fudge. They all
take blues (ribbons), usually.”
It is too late to enter any
delicacies for this year’s fair,
as the entry day was Tues-
day. But don’t forget to take a
walk through the exhibits
and admire all the hard work
of neighbors and friends.