Polk County News
6A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • July 6, 2016
Dallas Fire lights up the sky with show
Department volunteer leads team of newly certified pyrotechnics to put on fireworks display
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — Dallas volun-
teer firefighter Kent Ras-
mussen was feeling a little
bit of pressure Monday
evening.
Rasmussen was leading
Dallas Fire & EMS’ newly
minted pyrotechnic crew
through its first Fourth of
July fireworks display.
This is the third year that
Dallas has had a display, but
until Monday, Falls City Fire
Department had been in
charge of putting on the
show. That fact was cause for
more pressure.
“Falls City didn’t do theirs
(firework display), so people
from Falls City are going to
come out expecting a good
show,” he said. “And we are
trying to compete with Inde-
pendence.”
When he is not fighting
fires with Dallas Fire, Ras-
mussen works with Western
Display Fireworks and has
been putting on fireworks
shows for 13 years.
He joined the Dallas de-
partment last year, making
for perfect timing because
Dallas was thinking of certi-
fying its own pyrotechnics
team for 2016.
For his rookie crew, the
idea of blowing stuff up was
exciting.
Renee Wilson, a captain
on the volunteer support
crew for the department,
wasn’t able to get certified
for the team, but she still
had a job: timer.
Her role was to make sure
the crew was kept pace with
putting on a 20- to 25-
minute display. There’s an
art to timing an entertaining
show, and Wilson was happy
to help, even if she couldn’t
light anything.
“We like to put out fires,
but we also like to play with
fire — in a good way,” Wilson
said.
Rasmussen smiled at the
enthusiasm of the new py-
rotechnicians.
“For me it’s just another
day,” Rasmussen said. “But I
like to bring new people in
because it’s fun to watch.”
He may not admit it, but
he was eager, too. Dallas
started at 7:30 p.m. on Mon-
day what will now be a new
tradition in Dallas.
The crew was going to
light a shell every 30 minutes
leading up to the show.
Rasmussen volunteered
himself to light the first fuse.
Dressed in protective
gear, he walked out to the
first rack of fireworks shells
and knelt down to light the
fuse. As soon as he did, he
quickly walked away point-
ing his finger in the air as the
shell blasted off in a cloud of
smoke as if to call the neigh-
bors.
The explosion echoed all
around LaCreole Middle
School, dwarfing the noise
of any other fireworks being
set off.
It worked like a charm.
Minutes later, more people
were gathering in the field
around the school waiting
for the show to begin.
“Every year this show goes,
it get bigger,” Rasmussen
said. “We want everybody to
have a good time and enjoy
the Fourth of July.”
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Turnouts and safety gear is ready for Dallas’ fireworks display crew on Monday.
Lecher
Leon
Dunigan
Gentry
Guida
Corrections posts ‘most wanted’
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Kent Rasmussen points to the sky after lighting a firework shell Monday in Dallas.
DALLAS — Polk Coun-
ty Community Corrections
lists these individuals as
“most wanted” for July.
Citizens with information
on the whereabouts of any
of them can call Communi-
ty Corrections at 503-623-
5226.
• Guillermo Raya Leon,
born May 29, 1995, 5-8, 170
pounds, black hair, brown
eyes. Charge: Possession of
methamphetamine.
• Andrew James Lecher,
born Dec. 6, 1988, 6-1, 150
pounds, brown hair, green
eyes. Charge: First-degree
mistreatment.
• Lisa Ann Dunigan, born
June 26, 1977, 5-4, 160
pounds, brown hair, green
eyes. Charge: Possession of
a controlled substance, fail-
ure to appear.
• Elizabeth Lee Gentry,
born April 1, 1965, 5-4, 145
pounds, brown hair, brown
eyes. Charge: Possession of
methamphetamine.
• Frank Joseph Guida IV,
born April 26, 1994, 5-5,
150 pounds, brown hair,
hazel eyes. Charge: Failure
to appear, unauthorized use
of a vehicle.
reers which included the Air
Force, Yolo County Sheriff’s
Office, Mayor of Williams,
Calif., and owner of Yolo and
C o l u s a
County
Ambulance
Services.
He then
moved us
to
the
Southern
Oregon
C o a s t
where he
worked for
the Oregon
State Parks.
He then
became an owner/operator
truck driver. He and Verna
then returned to Woodland
to look after an ailing aunt
while he finished out his ca-
reer with the Yolo County
Sheriff’s Office.
Keith was lifetime mem-
ber of the NRA and the Ore-
gon Sheriff’s Association.
He and Verna enjoyed re-
tirement, being camp hosts
at fish hatcheries in Oregon
before permanently retiring.
They spent many days up on
the ranch out of Sweet
Home enjoying the beauty,
f a m i l y,
and
the
domestic/wildlife critters.
They also enjoyed going to
grandkids’ sports functions.
He is survived by his wife
of 60 years, Verna Culley;
children, Richard (Teresa)
Culley, Susan (Scott) Wenger,
and Nancy (Dean) Rech;
nine grandchildren; four
great-grandchildren; broth-
er, Gary (Ina) Culley; sister
Glenna (Les) Davis. He is
preceded in death by broth-
er, Larry Culley.
A memorial service will
begin at 10:30 a.m. on
Thursday in the Dallas Mor-
tuary Tribute Center.
To leave an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
OBITUARIES
Bernard ‘Roy’
Friesen
Aug. 3, 1937 – June 14, 2016
Bernard “Roy” Friesen, 78,
of Dallas, died June 14. He
was born in Independence
to Bern-
hart and
S u z y
Friesen.
He mar-
ried Velma
Stout in
1958.
Roy was
preceded in death by his
parents and his brother
John.
He is survived by wife,
Velma, of Dallas; sister,
Marianne Fahey, of Dallas;
sons, Rick and Keith, both
of Dallas, Richard, of Ter-
rebonne; five grandchil-
dren; and one great-
granddaughter.
After retiring from the city
of Dallas, Roy enjoyed re-
pairing and selling used bi-
cycles. He was always willing
to negotiate the price so
anyone could afford a bicy-
cle for their child. He also
cut wood with the help of
his three sons, and kept
many families warm during
the winter months.
Although Roy never hunt-
ed or fished as a child, he
made sure all three of his
sons and his grandchildren
learned how to catch a fish
and bag a deer or elk.
Services were held at Dal-
las Cemetery, followed by a
memorial held at Dallas City
Park.
Donald Cox Sr.
May 11, 1952 – July 1, 2016
Donald Cox Sr., 64, of Dal-
las, died Friday at Salem
Hospital.
He was born in Portland.
He is survived by wife,
Nancy, of Dallas; daughter,
Terisha Mott, of Beaverton;
son, Don Cox Jr., of Sheri-
dan; two grandsons; sister,
Janice Blanchfield, of Win-
ston; and brothers, Marvin
Cox Jr., of Canyonville, and
Jerry Cox, of Portland.
Memorial service will be
at 11 a.m. on July 23 in the
Dallas Mortuary Tribute
Center.
To leave an online tribute:
www.dallastribute.com.
Keith LeRoy Culley
1934 – July 1, 2016
Keith LeRoy Culley, 81,
died on Friday after a long
and courageous battle with
cancer.
Keith was born to Lizella
and Glen Culley in 1934.
Keith enlisted in the U.S.
Air Force after graduation,
and then married Verna May
Abshier (Culley) in 1955.
He was busy with his ca-
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