Scott Swanson
A capacity crowd saw Alice Grovom and Cmdr. Dale Jenkins honored with the Distinguished Service Award Saturday night, April 7, at the Chamber of Commerce’s 73rd annual Award Winners.
Other award winners were BPW Patti Woods Woman of the Year Susan Coleman, Junior First Citizen Dakotah Keys, First Citizen Scott Swanson, Radiator Supply House as Business of the Year and Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club as Organization of the Year.
In addition, Mayor Greg Mahler presented a Mayor’s Award to Bob Dalton.
VIP Award honorees were Chase Boyd, Julie Dedman, Andee McCubbins, Glenda Hopkins, Nikki Stafford and Susan Thompson.
The event, held at the Community Center, drew a sellout crowd of 300-plus for a 3½-hour program that featured a prime rib dinner from The Point, with options for those not into red meat, performances by local country music star Trevor Tagle, Singing Christmas Tree choir members under the leadership of Paul Rowton, and the male singing group Master’s Men.
Emcees were chamber board members Tess Yahyazadeh of Key Bank and George Medellin of Linn-Benton Community College.
Chamber Board Member Brian Adams, a manager at Safeway, served as Santa Claus.
The event also included the auctioning of wood carvings from the chainsaw carving demonstration held during the 2016 Sportsman’s Holiday celebration, an auction of desserts, and a silent auction, all of which raised more than $5,000 for the chamber.
Desserts were provided by: Cheryl Burkee of Burkee Blueberries (white cake with certified organic blueberry jam filling ); Coleman (white cake with raspberry filling in shape of a large white house with a Christmas tree in front of it); chamber volunteer Mindi Howland (almond apricot skillet cheesecake and apple oatmeal skilletcake with espresso carmel topping); Safeway and Adams (two large sheet cakes); Skyline Inn restaurant (chocolate and coconut cream pies); Molly Laycock of Miss Molly’s Sweet Delights (white cake with raspberry filling and red velvet cake); Deborah Kratzer-Reid (walnut brownies) and Lagea Mull (gluten-free chocolate cake).
Chamber President Bill Matthews introduced a list of dignitaries who were present: Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, county commissioners Will Tucker and John Lindsey, City Council members Mahler, Bob Briana, Coleman, Diane Gerson and Lisa Gourley, City Manager Ray Towry, Linn-Benton Community College President Greg Hamann, Key Bank Vice President Kimberly Zhar and chamber board members.
This year’s theme was “Christmas All Year ‘Round,” in recognition of Sweet Home’s role in producing this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree. Sweet Home District Ranger Nikki Swanson described how she lobbied for the ranger district to get the call to produce this year’s tree, including how she took full advantage of the three meetings she had with with the official who would make the decision – “one in an elevator and two in stairwells.
“Every time I saw him I told him, ‘Sweet Home needs the tree,'” she said.
She also told how 10,000 ornaments need to be produced for the tree and 75 smaller Christmas trees that will come from the area to be displayed in capitol offices, as well as outlining the need for sponsors and donations, an essay contest for fourth- through sixth-graders that will lead to the selection of an Oregon student to accompany the tree to Washington in November and assist in the tree lighting, and plans for a celebration in Sweet Home when the tree is sent on its way.
“You guys are kicking it off,” she said, to enthusiastic applause.
The Christmas theme was carried on by Rowton and his choirs. The Singing Christmas Tree, accompanied by Bill Langdon, sang “12 Days After Christmas,” a parody of the carol, and “Christmas To Me,” followed by a performance of “The Secret of Christmas,” by the Master’s Men, a group of singers from Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon and Rowton, from Sweet Home.
The theme of the latter, Rowton told the crowd, was that “the secret of Christmas is that you do it all year long.”
Tagle performed for about an hour prior to the program and at the end of the show.
Chamber award winners were presented by last year’s winners and introduced by Yahyazadeh and Medellin.
Distinguished Citizen/
Service Award, presented by Barbara Baumgartner
Alice Grovom was honored for her work as a volunteer since 1951 when she joined the Business and Professional Women’s Club (BPW) after moving to Sweet Home with her husband, who wanted to buy a radiator shop in town. Grovom, 92, has since served as secretary/treasurer for the Chamber of Commerce for nine years, formed the President’s Club in 1980, headed the Beautification Committee “and raised all the money for the light fixtures, flowers and water on Main Street and throughout Sweet Home,” Yahyazadeh said.
Grovom is also a member of Fir Lawn Lutheran Church and has “stayed involved and learned from everyone she met because she believes you need to continue learning throughout your life,” Yahyazadeh said. “She is beloved by many.”
Also honored was American Legion Cmdr. Dale Jenkins, who has lived in Sweet Home for 10 years and has been very active in veterans affairs.
Jenkins served in the U.S. Navy from 1971 to 1975 as a boatswain’s mate and is commander of the new AMVETS Post #13. He is next in line to become the 3rd District Commander of the largest district in the state, Yahyazadeh said.
Jenkins is a founding sponsor of the Army Museum in Washington D.C. He has been active in Sweet Home through school functions, Christmas programs, the Medal of Honor Highway effort, the March for Child Abuse Awareness and other local patriotic functions.
BPW Patti Woods Woman of the Year, presented by Wendi Melcher
Susan Coleman was honored for her service as a City Council member, with the Christmas Tree Lighting in Clover Park, leading Bible studies through Mid-Valley Women for Christ, service as a board member for Hillside Fellowship and the Chamber of Commerce, as church liaison for the SHEM board of directors, and chair of the Sweet Home Capitol Christmas Tree Committee.
Yahyazadeh said Coleman, who has been married 23 years to local minister Matt Coleman and has four children, also has volunteered at the HOPE Center, is a Toastmasters member, and has helped and develop and implement Life Skills for Littles, a program teaching cooking, budgeting and character-building skills to children grades one through six.
Junior First Citizen, presented by Josh and Brandi Darwood
Dakotah Keys was honored as a 2010 Sweet Home High School graduate who went on to the University of Oregon, where he as a two-time track and field All-American in the decathlon, as well as Sweet Home and state Athlete of the Year as a high-schooler.
Medellin noted that Keys is now head coach of the track and field program at SHHS, when he’s not working as a Oregon State Police trooper based in Albany. Keys, he said, used his own time and money to convert a shed at the high school track into a weight room to provide training opportunities for athletes.
Keys and his wife of eight years, Justine, have a 2-year-old daughter, with another due in August.
Medellin said, Keys’ “passion is getting intoxicated drivers off the road, with 97 DUI arrests in 2017.”
First Citizen,
Presented by Lori Carlson
Scott Swanson was honored for service to the Linn County Cultural Coalition, SHARE, the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, organizing and driving local high school teams in the Portland to Coast Relay, volunteering and participating in the Best in the West Triathlon, organizing and performing music for services and an annual Christmas Carol Service at Elm Street Baptist Church, judging local events, editing and producing a newsletter for an association of churches, and helping the disadvantaged and elderly in various ways, Yahyazadeh said.
Business of the Year
Presented by Tess Yahyazadeh
Sweet Home Radiator, owned by Will and Ryan Garrett, was honored for its growth and impact on the community.
Yahyazadeh noted that the business, which aspires to be on the “cutting edge of technology,” ships locally manufactured products worldwide and, in the 14 years it has been in Sweet Home, has “exhibited consistent growth,” doubling its workforce from 22 to 44 in the past year alone.
Sweet Home Radiator, she said, has moved to a new 12-acre facility at 1460 47th Ave., which offers twice the space its original plant did.
Organization of the Year
Presented by Lydia Hall
of the Friends of the Library
Medellin said the Sweet Home Boys & Girls Club “is driven by a mission to provide critical programs, services and opportunities designed to prepare any child for success – in school, work, post-secondary education and life.
He noted that the club’s membership in 2017 was nearly 900 children, of whom an average of 114 elementary and 30 junior high-aged students participate in after-school events, including 35 sports teams. More than 100 children participated in club summer programs and 25 attended a no-cost preschool offered by the club beginning last year, “helping them to gain the skills they need to be ready to successfully engage in kindergarten,” Medellin said. The organization serves 20,000 meals a year.
“The incredible energy, dedication and generosity of the Sweet Home community, coupled with outstanding partners such as the Sweet home School District, City of Sweet Home and the Sweet Home Library, and a dedicated staff, are what makes all this possible,” Medellin said.
Mayor’s Award
Mahler cited Bob Dalton’s numerous accomplishments, including long stints at Willamette Industries and Weyerhaeuser before he retired, along with service to Sunshine Industries, SHEDG, the the Presidents Club, Sweet Home Beautificaiton, the Sweet Home Health Committee and – Mahler paused, then added: “I had to condense this because if I didn’t, we would be here another hour.”
VIP Honorees
Chase Boyd was honored for his volunteer activities, which range from serving as president of the Sweet Home High School Key Club and the youth History Club, which he helped found, to serving on the city Youth Advisory Council.
In addition, Boyd, a high school junior, has volunteered for Sweet Home Emergency Ministries and for the Hero Half Marathon, Zombie and Sweetheart runs, is a regular blood drive participant, is a member of the Board of Directors for East Linn Museum, is active in the high school Leadership Class and the Watershed Youth Council,.
He also organized a Socktober event in which hundreds of socks were collected for homeless shelters.
“On top of all of that, we should mention that, despite all the hours this individual gives of his time to give back to our community, he still manages to be a 4.00 GPA scholar,” said presenter Bob Dalton.
Julie Dedman, who was unable to be present at the banquet, was honored for her work at SHEM, where she chairs the Board of Directors, and other activities.
“Her volunteerism and dedicated hours to the Sweet Home Emergency Ministries cannot be counted,” Dalton said.
He noted Dedman is a volunteer with the “Back to School Bash” school backpack giveaway held at Harvest Christian Fellowship, caters the Oregon Christian Convention in Turner and other events each year, has helped with organization for the Race for the Cure and Walk for the Cause events, has volunteered for political campaigns and works with Friends of the Library.
Dedman, who attends Riverside Church, also helps organize the Shoebox project for children in other countries, participates in the annual Christmas pageants and went on a mission to Haiti last year.
Glenda Hopkins was honored for her work at the Sweet Home Senior Center and the East Linn Museum.
Hopkins, who moved to the Holley area with her husband Don in the late 1970s, was a GED instructor for Linn-Benton Community College’s Sweet Home Center, “putting in extra hours when needed to help students achieve their goals of attaining an education,” Dalton said.
After retiring, she has spent “countless hours” volunteering.
“When she isn’t serving meals, giving tours, answering phones or giving a senior friend a ride to a doctor’s appointment, she can be found trapping gophers and baiting slugs in her garden or writing short stories to share with her grandchildren.”
“She has always given freely of her time; the goal being her efforts will bring a smile to a person in need or lift a burden of someone who is overwhelmed. Kind words of encouragement and her willingness to serve are just a few of her qualities.”
Andee McCubbins was honored for her work with Hope’s Closet, which she founded five years ago.
“She wanted to make a difference, thus becoming involved with the Kids Food Packs Program,” Dalton, who noted that McCubbins, a native of North Dakota, moved to Sweet Home 13 years ago.
“As a result, she used her passion and learning to develop/start a similar program for clothing – what is known today as Hope’s Closet.”
McCubbins activates Hope’s Closet at least twice a year to give away clothing and other personal essentials, provided via donations, to needy people.
“Her hours spent organizing, collecting, sorting and running events to help others cannot be counted,” Dalton said. “Along with the help of her husband, children, Husky Cheerleaders, Key Club, members of the community and friends she continues to serve and puts her love and heart of caring to help kids.”
Nikki Stafford was honored for her work with the Sweet Home High School Forestry Club, ” keeping forestry skills and logging heritage alive in Sweet Home.”
Dalton said Stafford has headed Sweet Home’s program for the past two years after helping out for several years previous to that. She procures supplies and boots, as well as spending a couple of hours a day, four or five days a week, preparing club members for forestry competitions as far away as Knappa and Clatskanie, Dalton said.
“These competitions involve power buck (saw), axe throw, arbor climbing, pole climbing, log roll, choker setting, tool identification, compass and pacing, log scaling and map reading. All those require attention to detail and safety.”
Stafford also works with the Oregon Department of Forestry, preparing for the three-day fire school held annually in Sweet Home for local teens as well as from participants from “many other schools.”
“We have never seen a more dedicated person devoted to kids,” Dalton said.
Susan Thompson was honored for her work with a wide variety of organizations in the community.
After retiring from a nursing career, Thompson has served on the board and sung on the Singing Christmas Tree, the Lebanon Community Chorus and the choir at St. Helen Catholic Church, where she also provides “unofficial” grounds maintenance.
She is a 40-plus-year member and officer of Sweet Home PEO Chapter FA, and ahas served multiple years as a volunteer with the Oregon Jamboree.
“As a member of the Sweet Home Beautification Committee, she can be often seen weeding and planting flowers throughout the community,” Dalton said, noting that Thompson also started a quilting group.