WOU SOFTBALL
PERRYDALE BASKETBALL
READY TO HOWL TAKES THIRD
Page 10A
Page 10A
Volume 142, Issue 10
Awards
banquet
returns
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
IN
YOUR
TOWN
By Jolene Guzman
RICKREALL — It’s that
time in Monmouth and In-
dependence, time to Cele-
brate the Lights in the
community at the 52nd
annual Community
Awards Banquet.
The event will be Friday
at Eola Hills Wine Cellars,
catered by the Sassy
Onion and Ovenbird Bak-
ery.
A balloon raffle will in-
clude more prizes than in
the past, said Sandra Paoli,
vice-president of the Mon-
mouth-Independence
Chamber of Commerce
board of directors, who
sponsors the event.
To participate, a balloon
may be purchased for $10.
Before the program begins
at 6:30 p.m., everyone is in-
vited to pop their balloon
to retrieve the number in-
side, which corresponds to
a prize valued at at least
$10.
Table decorations will be
included in the balloon
raffle this year, Paoli said,
which is something new.
See AWARDS, Page 5A
THE NEXT
$1.00
The Itemizer-Observer
The Itemizer-Observer
Business awards
Retail services —
Downtown Trends &
Treasures; Independ-
ence Cinema; and Les
Schwab Tire Center.
Nonprofit or Organi-
zation — Monmouth
Independence Family
YMCA; Monmouth Pub-
lic Library; and Partner-
ships in Community Liv-
ing Inc.
Food and Beverage
Service — Burgerville;
Arena Sports Bar & Grill;
and San Antonio.
Personal Service
Provider — Monmouth
Fitness Club; Central Vi-
sion Clinic; and Ash
Creek Animal Clinic.
Professional Service
Provider — Monmouth
Independence Net-
works; R&J Mobility
Service; and White’s Col-
lision Service.
Financial Service
Provider — MAPS Cred-
it Union; US Bank; and
Oregon State Credit
Union.
Citizen awards
First Citizen — Traci
Weston; Steve Milligan;
and Joyce Wahl.
Distinguished Serv-
ice — Sandy Newland;
Ryan Kingsella; and Josh
Cronin.
Junior Citizen —
Ashley Wallace; Andrew
Love; and Alanna
Schmidt.
Educator of the Year
— Dale Claussen;
Michele Sparks; and
Marcella Stepp-Rodarte.
Education Support
Staff Employee of the
Year — Aubrey Pierce;
Becky McMillian; and
Kevin Wiens.
March 8, 2017
Last bell for Del
By Emily Mentzer
And the
nominees are
www.Polkio.com
D
ALLAS — He was one in a
million. Voiced by one of
Delbert Fredricks’ three
daughters, the saying doesn’t over-
state the impact the longtime fire de-
partment volunteer had on his com-
munity.
Fredricks, 87, died Feb. 27 after
more than 65 years of volunteering
for Dallas Fire & EMS, a record of ded-
ication that may never be matched.
He moved to Dallas with his family
in 1941 and was a graduate of Dallas
High School in 1947. Fredricks be-
came a volunteer firefighter in 1951,
shortly before marrying his wife,
Agnes, in 1952. (See Obit, Page 6A)
“He was a teacher of all of us in the
department. He was our mentor,”
said Mike Bollman, who joined Dallas
Fire in 1985, and recalled with affec-
tion the lessons he learned from his
friend.
Among the first and foremost was
that certain vehicles in the fire de-
partment fleet belonged to Fredricks.
Bollman recalled Fredricks’ claim to a
truck called Rescue 6 when it was
brand new.
“That rescue was Delbert’s. You
didn’t challenge him to drive it, you
were lucky enough to ride in the
back,” Bollman said.
While there were certain rules new
recruits to the fire department
learned about Fredricks, they also
quickly found out that, in Bollman’s
words, he “was always there to help.”
“He was more than our friend.
DALLAS
Main Street Empori-
um becomes full-scale
business.
»Page 2A
FALLS CITY
City council to take a
look at creating a sum-
mer festival.
»Page 5A
INDEPENDENCE
PHOTO COURTESY OF BOLLMAN FUNERAL HOME/ Itemizer-Observer
Delbert Fredricks began volunteering as a firefighter in 1951
More importantly, he was family. He
was our family,” Bollman said. “We
loved him like a dad and a grandfa-
ther, and probably some like a broth-
er.”
Dallas honored Fredricks’ legacy
Saturday at a funeral service at Dal-
las Fire Station that combined lov-
ing and funny memories of the fire-
fighter, father and man that he was
with long-standing fire service tra-
ditions.
Members of the community —
along with a large contingent of Dal-
las firefighters and those from sur-
Central’s boys and
girls basketball teams
see playoff runs come
to an end.
»Page 11A
rounding departments — crowded
into the bays normally occupied by
fire engines and rescue vehicles for
the service.
Fredricks served as a firefighter, en-
gineer, captain and battalion chief in
his years with the department. When
he could no longer actively respond
to calls, he served in other ways.
As Eriks Gabliks, the volunteer fire-
fighters’ association president, noted,
he never lost his love of the action,
even after doctor’s orders told him to
take it easy.
See DEL, Page 2A
MONMOUTH
Gov. Kate Brown vis-
its Ash Creek Elemen-
tary School.
»Page 12A
SPORTS
Dallas’ girls basket-
ball team falls in the
first round of the state
playoffs.
»Page 10A
Eclipse meeting
coming on
March 15
Itemizer-Observer staff report
KATHY HUGGINS/ Itemizer-Observer
The Rural Economic Vitality Roadmap will begin a new phase.
Roadmap ready to pave its own path
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
DALLAS — The Rural Eco-
nomic Vitality Roadmap
process started in Dallas in
September has grown up
and is ready to forge ahead
on its own.
The project — begun with
guidance of Rural Develop-
ment Initiatives, an organi-
zation helping rural com-
munities through leadership
and economic development
programs — now has a coor-
dinating committee of local
leaders and a set of goals to
work toward.
The effort is now known
as the Dallas Vitality Con-
nection, and on Feb. 28,
group members gathered to
celebrate accomplishments
and stake a path into the fu-
ture.
In September, the process
began with information
gathering.
“We had focus groups, we
had a community survey, we
had town hall meetings,”
said Mary Bosch RDI’s direc-
tor of economic vitality serv-
ices. “We added up all the
people, and since the month
of September, about 130
people participated at some
level.”
Those people helped
identify three areas needing
work in town: supporting
small businesses, commu-
nity marketing and proper-
ty development. Communi-
ty members formed three
“action teams” to address
those issues — some of
which have already held
events or are planning fu-
ture events.
The small business sup-
port group sponsored a
“holiday pop-up shop” at
Pressed Coffee & Wine Bar
late last year and is in the
process of creating a historic
downtown walking tour
brochure. Emma Guida,
who also works with the
Dallas Downtown Associa-
tion, is the team’s chair-
woman.
Community Marketing,
nicknamed “The Marke-
teers,” has a key goal: Bring
people to Dallas.
See ROADMAP, Page 5A
POLK COUNTY — The
Polk County Tourism Al-
liance will hold a Polk
County Eclipse meeting
March 15 from 10 a.m. to
noon.
The meeting will take
place at Eola Hills Wine
Cellars, 501 South Pacific
Highway W., Rickreall.
The public is welcome
to attend.
The meeting will have
representatives from state
agencies, the county,
cities, businesses and
groups in Polk County that
are planning for he
eclipse. Updates from
state agencies will be
given. There will also be a
discussion on logistics,
and groups will have a
chance to share informa-
tion about any events
being planned for the
eclipse.
The Great American
Eclipse will take place on
Aug. 21.
RSVP by Monday.
For more information:
Emily Gluckin, 503-838-
1212 or egluckin@ci.inde-
pendence.or.us.
Newsletter
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stagram.
wed
thu
fri
sat
sun
mon
tue
Hit all the right
notes and show off
your musical talents
at the Monmouth
Senior Center Music
Jam.
6:30 p.m. Free.
Dallas Public Library
will host award-win-
ning author Gina
Ochsner, featuring
readings from her
books and stories.
7 p.m. Free.
Get ready to rock
out at the Guthrie
Park Acoustic Music
Jam Session.
6:30 p.m.
Free (donations ac-
cepted).
Swing batter, batter!
Western Oregon’s
softball team hosts
Simon Fraser for a
doubleheader,
weather permitting.
Noon. $7 adults.
Get ready to spring
your clocks forward
as Daylight Saving
Time begins!
Enjoy a classic
movie at the
Friends of the Inde-
pendence Library
movie fundraiser.
7 p.m. $15.
Let your inner math
nerd show by cele-
brating Pi Day!
Rain
Hi: 49
Lo: 44
Rain
Hi: 51
Lo: 45
Showers
Hi: 50
Lo: 42
Rain
Hi: 51
Lo: 43
Cloudy
Hi: 49
Lo: 40
Showers
Hi: 50
Lo: 43
Showers
Hi: 50
Lo: 42