PIO626 by C.M.I.

Lifestyle

County

Congratulation graduates

Apple Box Children’s Theater produces free Shakespeare play for kids See B1

See A3

Wednesday June 26, 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 25

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Dallas honors top community contributors Independence

Days returns with fireworks, parade, music and more

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

At the end of the 67th Annual Dallas Chamber Awards June 21, the Downtown Arts Association Players act out a scene from The Wizard of Oz to honor Carol Dalton (seated, center) with the Chamber’s Choice Award, as the one behind the curtain in husband Brain Dalton’s success. He received the evening’s penultimate award for Lifetime Achievement. To view photos from the evening’s other winners, see page A6.

Independence Days returns to the Riverview Park in downtown Independence July 3-5 with three full days of non-stop fun as the community comes together to celebrate the birth of a great nation. Event goers will be welcomed with upbeat live entertainment, wholesome family activities, and YMCA kid’s zone, a diverse selection of food trucks and downtown restaurants a Grand Parade that stretches from Monmouth to Independence, a rubber ducky derby on the Willamette River, fireworks and much more. The spectacular firework shows and live entertainment each day are made possible, in part, through a gate admission fee. These gate funds are also distributed to various school teams and charitable organizations throughout our community, as they perform tasks in support of this complex community event. This year, following guidance from the resident-city council budget committee, wristbands will be available for $10 each for July 4 and 5. A special discount for Independence residents can be purchased through June 28 for $6 at the Independence Civic Center. To take advantage of this discount, residents will need to show proof of residence, such as an ID, utility bill, or a piece of mail. Please note, the $6 price is limited to six wristbands per family.

A LIFE WELL LIVED:

Dorothy Blagg celebrates 100th birthday By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

Sitting within the comfy confines of her one-bedroom apartment at Dallas Retirement Village, Dorothy Blagg reflected on the milestones of her life shortly after her 100th birthday. Blagg was born in Lebanon, Oregon, on a “diversified farm.” Her family had come across the plains in a covered wagon and laid claim to 160 free acres. “My dad got more land after that. We raised dairy cattle. Raised a lot of hay and corn,” Blagg said. “I loved it. Hoed corn day after day.” Technically, she grew up during the Great Depression. “But we didn’t know there was one,” Blagg explained. They grew their own food. Her mother made all their own clothes, even underwear. Her mother made dresses out of flour sacks. “We didn’t have electricity until I was a sophomore in high school. We had one kerosene lamp. It wasn’t one of those big fancy ones some people had. We put it in middle of the dining table,” Blagg recalled. “We three kids, older brother, sister and I sat around table doing homework, dad read, and mom sewed, all around that little lamp. When we got our homework done, they came to the table, and we’d play card games until time for bed.”

See INDEPENDENCE, page A6

Blagg worked on the farm until she went off to college. As a teacher for 32 years, Blagg recalled the day she signed up for classes at Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University). Going off to school at the age of 19, Blagg said she’d always intended to be a nurse. “But I woke up one morning and thought, ‘I’m not going to be a nurse. I’m going to be a teacher.’ I think it was a God thing. I was being directed by God,” Blagg recalled. “If I had been a nurse, I would have been a good one. Because everything I did, I did well. But I wouldn’t have enjoyed it. I love teaching.” Now determined to sign up at OCE as a teacher, she remembers jumping over to the shorter line and meeting her future roommate. “I met another girl at the end of registration line. We signed up for all the same classes and ended up living together,” Blagg said. “We got an apartment over a service station. That was wonderful, because it was two-bedroom apartment. We each had our own room.” When the state started building Camp Adair that attracted workers who were able to pay a lot more in rent. “So, we had to move. We found this tiny place that four of us shared. PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES One bedroom with twin bunk beds. Dorothy Blagg holds a certificate from Western Oregon University honoring her as their oldest living alumni, also See BIRTHDAY, page A6 marking the two years she earned degrees in teaching.

IN THIS ISSUE Voices Corrections Obituaries Puzzle Solutions Social Public Records Classifieds Puzzles

A9 A9 A8 B2 B2 B4 B8 B9

OHA issues heat wave safety advisory STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

As summer kicks off June 20, Oregon Health Authority recommends people in Oregon take steps to keep this season from becoming a “bummer” with tips for staying healthy and safe. The Oregon ESSENCE Summer Hazard Report dashboard allows people to monitor trends in the most common summer-related hazards. The dashboard contains interactive graphs showing total daily counts of emergency department and urgent care center visits in Oregon associated with four injury and illness categories: heat-related illness, water submersion events, wildfire-related smoke inhalation, and air quality-related respiratory illness. Users can also select data sets by year, going to back to 2018. The dashboard page under each tab also contains a description of the injury or illness, the groups most at risk, and how it can be treated or prevented. The dashboard is updated weekly. See HEAT, page A6

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