Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 15, 2017 11A
Distinguished Service
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
Josh Cronin, of the Three Legged Dog, is honored with
the Distinguished Service award.
HAUGEN’S GALLERI/ for Itemizer-Observer
Monmouth Mayor Steve Milligan gets emotional after being honored as the First Citizen of the Monmouth and In-
dependence communities at the 52nd annual Monmouth-Independence Community Awards Banquet on Friday.
Professional Service Provider
Lights of the Community
Community Awards showcase Monmouth, Indy businesses, people
By Emily Mentzer
And the
winners are
The Itemizer-Observer
R I C K R E A L L — Mo n -
mouth Mayor Steve Milligan
struggled to hold back the
tears, touched to be named
First Citizen of Monmouth
and Independence.
“I get to celebrate 35 years
tomorrow of being clean
and sober,” he said. “I start-
ed volunteering really young
in my life because of my
grandparents and my par-
ents, the examples that they
set. But it wasn’t until I got
clean and sober that it
helped me understand that
you can’t keep it (joy) unless
you give it away.”
Milligan has been an ac-
tive volunteer in the Inde-
pendence and Monmouth
communities since shortly
after he moved to Mon-
mouth in 1998, said Cec
Koontz, presenter of the
award.
“He has spent countless
hours working toward the
betterment of our commu-
nity,” she said. “Particularly
not known is he has been
behind the success of many
bond measures, the police
department (in Monmouth)
and the fire department
levy.”
Business awards
Retail services — In-
dependence Cinema.
Nonprofit or Organi-
zation — Partnerships
in Community Living
Inc.
Food and Beverage
Service — Arena Sports
Bar & Grill.
Personal Service
Provider — Monmouth
Fitness Club.
Professional Service
Provider — Monmouth
Independence Net-
works.
Financial Service
Provider — Oregon
State Credit Union.
—
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
Marilyn Morton accepts the award on behalf of Monmouth
Independence Networks, presented by Scott McClure.
Nonprofit Organization
Citizen awards
HAUGEN’S GALLERI/ for Itemizer-Observer
Andrew Love, Junior First Citizen, thanks the community
for making giving him a great place to grow up.
Milligan said once he
started helping people
change thier lives, he saw
the joy and wanted to con-
tinue to share that with oth-
ers.
“You guys are an amazing
group of people to serve
with,” Milligan said. “We’ve
accomplished a lot. There’s a
lot more that we can accom-
plish.”
First Citizen — Steve
Milligan.
Distinguished Serv-
ice — Josh Cronin.
Junior Citizen — An-
drew Love.
Educator of the Year
— Marcella Stepp-Ro-
darte.
Education Support
Staff Employee of the
Year — Becky McMil-
lian.
Personal Service Provider Financial Service Provider
HAUGEN’S GALLERI/ for Itemizer-Observer
Zellee Allen accepts the award for Partnerships in Com-
munity Living Inc. from Tommy Love.
Educator of the Year
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
Tony Jeffries accepts the award for Monmouth Fitness Club,
presented by Miriam Haugen on Friday.
Oregon State Credit Union was named Financial Service
Provider of the Year, the first year for this new award.
Marcella Stepp-Rodarte said it has been “an absolute
honor” to work with children and families at Talmadge.
Education Support Staff
Food and Beverage Service
Retail Services
HAUGEN’S GALLERI/ for Itemizer-Observer
HAUGEN’S GALLERI/ for Itemizer-Observer
HAUGEN’S GALLERI / for Itemizer-Observer
Becky McMillian, Education Support Staff of the Year, has
worked at Central School District for 29 years.
Julia Parks and Miranda Garrison accept the award from
Sandra Paoli for the Arena Sports Bar & Grill.
Cruz Orozco accepts the award for Independence Cin-
ema, named Retail Services of the Year.