PIO710 by C.M.I.

Lifestyle

Dallas

Dallas City Park hosts breakfast, art and car show events July 28

Talent show goes on showcase at Independence Days See B8

See A3

Wednesday July 10, 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 27

www.polkio.com

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Benedetto Vineyards tops Best of Willamette Valley By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

For the past five years, Best of Willamette Valley has asked residents to vote for their favorite businesses, from entertainment and dining to agriculture and real estate. Coincidently, Benedetto Vineyards opened their tasting room around the same time after planting their first crop seven years ago. Co-owner Nick Marshall, along with wife Lisa, said they have

routinely won four or five awards a year for their locally produced wine in the hills north of Dallas. However, in 2024, Best of Willamette Valley touted the fact they received more than 405,000 votes, an increase of 31 percent over last year. And it looks like many of those votes went to Benedetto Vineyards. With more than two dozen Polk County businesses receiving best of votes, Benedetto

tallied their most ever with eight wins. “It’s obviously flattering. We’re small compared to a lot of people out there,” Nick Marshall said from the comfy, air-conditioned confines of Benedetto’s tasting room, ever growing in popularity. “There’s a lot of great wine in our area, a lot of great tasting rooms in our area. It’s a flourishing industry with so many people. You win one or two it’s flattering. You win that many – I don’t

know if I was surprised. More proud, honored.” Benedetto win gold awards for Best Wine Club, Best Live Music and Best Date Night, and took home silvers for Best Winery, Best Happy Hour, Best Outdoor Wine Tasting, Best Pinot Noir and Best Wine Selection. “This is a place people meet and see the owners more often than not when they’re here because we care a lot about our customer, particularly our wine club,” Marshall

said. “Winning gold for best wine club, we put a lot of time and effort and passion into it.” He added Benedetto sells about 1,200 to 1,300 cases a year with almost 90 percent coming out of the tasting room. One key to the tasting room’s success he said is they’re always looking to improve. “We set high expectations on ourselves. We try to improve the place, See BEST OF, page A6

Celebrating the 4th of July in style SUBMITTED IMAGE

The city of Monmouth unveiled its new logo, July 2, designed by Altar Media of Independence with help from community survey results, committee members, councilors and department heads.

New logo defines what Monmouth is to many By LANCE MASTERSON For The Itemizer-Observer

PHOTO BY SMY PHOTOGRAPHY

Chief Neal Olson drives Polk County Fire District’s 1928 American LaFrance fire engine in the Independence Days Grand Parade on July 4. For more images from the event, see page B1.

Local author expects readers to get lost in debut novel “Beyond the Woods” well but not as predictable. And that would keep people captivated and wanting to turn the page,” Hafer As a devout Christian, both said. “I was tired of going through Heather Hafer’s husband and father the shelves, looking in their sections are preachers for the Church of for something good. I think I could Christ in Dallas. In addition, raised get into this and compete with these with a Christian mindset, she was authors.” naturally attracted to the fictional With a degree out of college in works of renowned authors like health education, the most she’d C.S. Lewis’s “The Lion, The Witch written was educational literature. and the Wardrobe” series and JRR Undaunted, with many ideas conTolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and stantly percolating in her mind, in more recently Francine Rivers’s 2019 Hafer decided to see one to inspirational romance novels. completion. However, she was left wanting A stay-at-home mom of 4 ½ year after reading so many other Christian old daughter, Hafer took pen to fiction books. paper to scribble out her ideas when “I’d be like, this is predicable. inspiration struck. She completed Short and sweet. But I began thinkher first big undertaking three years ing I may be able to do this just as later, “Beyond the Woods.” By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

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

A4 A4 A6 B2 B2 B3 B6 B7

Since the book hit Amazon and other local bookshelves two months ago, Hafer said she gets asked all the time what it’s about. She’s reluctant to say too much, preferring readers discover its twists and turns for themselves as they go along. While not a fantasy setting, “Beyond the Woods,” is more a historical fiction tale set amid a rivalry between three nations with mysterious woods in between. “An orphan girl, Eden, age 12, goes to live on an estate with her uncle and cousins, in the northern PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES state, and is told she can never go Heather Hafer’s Christian in the woods but not offered an themed debut novel “Beyond explanation why,” Hafer carefully the Woods” has now been available to readers for a couple months on Amazon.

See BOOK, page A8

The city of Monmouth has a new logo, and it drew rave reviews during an unveiling July 2 at council chambers. “It’s beautiful. It’s bright. It shows the trees, and the sunlight,” said Sabra Jewell, the city’s communications coordinator, to those in attendance. The logo was designed by Altar Media of Independence. It features bright colors, fields, hills, sun and silhouettes of trees, along with the words “Monmouth Oregon” and “Where Great Things Grow.” The logo captures what many residents consider to be the essence of Monmouth. “This logo represents the vibrancy of our community and the love we have for the landscape. The array of colors speak to our inclusivity, energy, growth, and diversity of the Monmouth community,” Jewell said. “We hope that you enjoy this new logo for years to come and are proud to say that you live and play in Monmouth, Oregon. Where great things grow.” The new logo promotes consistency in messaging as well. “If you look at the (old) logo, how heavily pixelated it is,” Jewell added, as it was projected onto a screen behind her. “The logo wasn’t consistent from department to department. The green of the city See LOGO, page A8

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