Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 21, 2016 5A
Wilson: Small contributions add up to big differences
Continued from Page 1A
She’s also volunteered on
the Dallas Community
Foundation Board, the
Chemeketa Community
College budget committee,
and a group organizing
building a new senior center
in Dallas.
She attends Dallas Down-
town Association meetings
and is participating in ef-
forts to jump start economic
development in town.
That’s probably not where
Wilson envisioned herself
when she and her family
moved to Dallas from Seattle
in 1971. Her husband, Bob,
was transferred to Dallas to
manage the former J.C. Pen-
ney’s store in downtown.
The move was a big change
for Wilson, and it took her a
few months to adjust.
“Bob just finally said, ‘You
just need to get out and
meet people. Just don’t stay
here (at home),’” Wilson re-
called.
She took his advice, vol-
unteering at first. Soon she
was asked to serve as a
teacher’s assistant, the be-
ginning of a nearly 30-year
career with the Dallas
School District.
Former Superintendent
Gordon Kunke asked Wilson
to help with accounts
payable at the district office.
She was promoted through
the years, ending her career
as the district’s business
manager and deputy clerk.
Wilson said she was al-
ways encouraged by others
to take on a new challenge,
even when she didn’t believe
she had the ability.
“I really appreciated the
people who gave me oppor-
tunities and had the faith in
me that I could do the job,”
she said.
Thirty-two years ago,
someone suggested she take
on another role she hadn’t
considered: city councilor.
She gave a familiar reply:
“I’ve never done anything
like that. … I didn’t think I
would win.”
She gave it a go, putting
out 22 signs — the most
campaigning she’s done —
and won a seat.
Wilson said her first meet-
ing was a little intimidat-
ing — she sat closest to the
audience and was keenly
aware that she was being
observed. Always a team
Coffee: $900 for
public workers
bands together,” Smith said.
“I moved here 10 years ago
from Seattle, and I wouldn’t
move out of Dallas for the
life of me. My mom said, ‘if
you see someone frowning,
give them the biggest smile
ever — give them your
smile. I knew it was tough,
and some of these guys
weren’t smiling. I was just
trying to give them a smile.”
A card has also been es-
tablished at the Monmouth
Dutch Bros. for police and
firefighters.
Anyone can donate to ei-
ther location.
Continued from Page 1A
“Anyone who thinks
they’re deserving of it, go for
it,” Smith said.
Some departments have
had trouble using the card,
or have refused because of
rules against accepting gifts.
Smith said the donations
have all been anonymous,
and she is trying to figure
out a way that the intent of
the card — to show appreci-
ation for public employ-
ees — to be delivered to
those who have done so
much for the public.
She said the card is being
used by county and city
workers.
“It’s about the spirit of
giving,” Smith said.
She hopes the tradition
will continue beyond the
holidays somehow, but
hasn’t worked out the details
yet.
Smith said she was just a
match, and it was the com-
munity of Dallas that lit the
fire.
“This community really
Itemizer-Observer file
LaVonne Wilson was honored at the awards banquet.
player, Wilson found the role
she needed to fill on the
council.
In her opinion, a coun-
cilor — or any kind of board
member — needs to be a
good listener.
Listening to fellow council
members, citizens and city
employees is the first critical
step in decision making. The
second piece is more of a
philosophy.
“You also need to be an
independent thinker,” she
said. “An independent
thinker to me is someone
who has no self-serving. You
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Friday - Saturday • December 23 -
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Monday - Thursday • December 26 - 29
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* NO PASSES
are not for yourself. You are
basically there to think
about what is the best for
the people — all of our citi-
zens.”
Her tenure on the Dallas
City Council is a stretch un-
matched by anyone except
Ken Woods Jr., who has her
beat by two years. Woods
said Wilson was gracious,
even when debating a point
of contention.
“She was very polite and
let others speak,” he said.
“She would sit there quietly
until something needed to
be said. Then she said it.”
-- has experienced the
same.
He said Wilson often “put
her cards on the table,” but
placed the interest of the
organization before her
own.
“We will miss that in Dal-
las,” he said. “It will take
s o m e t i m e t o re p l a c e
LaVonne.”
Mayor Brian Dalton, who
worked alongside Wilson for
17 years on the council, said
her long and extensive com-
munity involvement allowed
her to add the perspective
from other groups into
council decisions.
“She brought a sense of
history to the group’s en-
deavors,” he said. “Some-
times that’s very valuable.
I’ve learned from it.”
That’s likely to continue in
one form or another. Wilson
said she doesn’t know what
to do with slow days. She
prefers playing her part.
“I think the greatest gift
that anyone can give in their
life is service to others, just
knowing that made you a
difference in small ways,”
she said. “You are not mak-
ing major differences, nec-
essarily, but anybody who
steps up and take on some-
thing, will have a reward
that is everlasting.”