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Professor releases music album about his transformational life

Fleetwood Mac gets the tribute treatment at Friday concert See B1

See A2

Wednesday July 24 2024 | Volume 148, Issue 29

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Everything Blaine Likes might include something for your collection By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

One would assume that Blaine likes a whole lot of weird and eclectic stuff, as evidenced by the name of the new Dallas store, Everything Blaine Likes ... And Nothing Else. Filled to the brim with action figures, music memorabilia, vintage clothing, classic video games and consuls, CDs, toys and so much more, Everything Blaine Likes is one of those kinds of a marketplaces where a customer walks in not knowing what they want until they see it. But who is owner, Blaine? He’s Blaine Gorze, who runs the collectibles store with his wife Justine. Now in his 30s, Blaine has been into collecting since his middle school years when he inherited his love of collecting comics from his stepfather. “That was when I switched from kid playing with toys to kid collecting toys,” Blaine said, chatting from the comfy lounge chairs placed before vintage consuls hooked up

to a tv in the center of his store. He invites any kid to try out a game there before, or after, purchase. In his own early years, to facilitate his growing addiction, Blaine would take any extra money earned sweeping the floor at his mom’s salon and rush over to KB Toys before it went out of business. “She’d give me $10. I’d go to KB Toys and buy three figures. Started tacking them to border on the ceiling of my room. Then I started toting them all,” he said. Back then, he invested heavily into action figures from the World Wrestling Federation and anything else that looked visually cool. For a decade, however, he gave up toys for other vices – playing guitar, skateboarding and hanging with the punk rock crowds. And, he admits, alcohol. “I was a big alcoholic age 16 to 23,” Blaine said. He was turning his life around when he met Justine. He managed security and she bar tended at Duck Fur in Portland. A fellow music

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Blaine and Justine Gorze opened Everything Blaine Likes ... And Nothing Else in Dallas on July 6, an eclectic store of offering their favorite items from their personal collections. head, they began attending shows in the Portland area together, purchasing memorabilia, vinyl records and t-shirts.

“When I stopped spending money on booze and cigarettes, I had more for toys and comics again,” Blaine

Expect fun for the whole herd at Polk County Fair

said. “I switched addictions. Plastic crack we call it.” See BLAINE, page A8

Polk County Special Olympians shine at state By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

FILE PHOTO

The mutton ride is always a popular attraction during Rough Stock Rodeo, happening Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Polk County Fairgrounds. By DAVID HAYES Itemizer-Observer

Tina Andersen is praying for mild weather come Aug. 7. That’s when the 2024 Polk County Fair kicks off and answered prayers mean better odds of attracting bigger crowds. “Last year, it was not hot. Attendance was up,” said Andersen, fair manager. “When it gets hot, we’re in trouble.” Last year’s fair attracted just shy of 16,000 attendees. Two years ago, when temperatures topped 100, attendance was down to 9,000.

“A good hot year was 12,000. The heat just makes it so hard on kids when they’re showing animals. It just makes for a rough fair when it’s super-hot,” Andersen said. Eliminating the things out of her control, Andersen figures she and the Polk County Fair Board have assembled the best attraction they can for a fair their size. This year’s theme, chosen by contest winner Lori Hineman, is “Fun for the Whole Herd,” reflecting enough activities throughout to satisfy everyone.

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

A4 A4 A6 B2 B2 B3 B6 B7

She ticked off the new attractions sure to be crowd pleasers, starting with FMX Rampage, featuring eighttime Extreme Games gold medalist Adam Jones. “He put together a really great show. We’re super excited,” Andersen said. To accommodate his high flying show, staff wiped out one end of the arena. “We’ve never had enough seating for the rodeo. So now we have taken the fence down on the south end of arena and put the stock on the

outside. People can now sit around the entire arena and enjoy a good view,” Andersen said. “FMX said we’re 280 feet long and he needed 300 feet, but he said he could do it.” Other new attractions include an 18-hole mini-golf course, a climbing rock wall brought in by the Oregon National Guard, and new bouncy attractions by Willamette Valley Bounce that includes a huge water slide, obstacle course and bounce house. See FAIR, page A7

For the first time in seven years, Oregon Special Olympics returned to action July 12-14. Athletes from Polk County joined representatives from every county in the state at Reser Stadium at Oregon State University. Polk County coordinators Madonna and Ron Drummond said their team members were excited to be back in action in some traditional and non-traditional summer, track and field sports. “Were they successful? Yeah, everyone there had a great time. That’s our goal,” Ron said. “They’re reaction? Higher than a kite.” “Happy, happy, happy,” his wife, Madonna added. “All the teams. It’s so great. You walk in through the grandstands, people, strangers, and the kids, the athletes, just high fiving each other. They did a great job.” Ron said more than 700 athletes competed in the return of the Oregon Special Olympics, accompanied by 300 coaches and more than 1,000 volunteers. Polk County’s team had 15 athletes with nine earning medals in events from 4x100 relay, softball and shotput throws and 50- and 100meter dashes. The Drummond’s own See OLYMPIANS, page A6

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