PORT ANGELES — At a student music concert in the Port Angeles High School auditorium in 2009, music teacher Ron Jones couldn’t help but notice a young girl in the audience mirroring him as he conducted his student orchestra.
“She was conducting so vigorously that she was hitting the poor man in front of her,” Jones told the audience gathered for the 2014 Clallam County Community Service Awards.
Without giving it much thought, Jones said he walked right into the audience that night five years ago and brought the girl up with him to his podium to help lead his orchestra.
“In so many ways, you go out on a limb, [and] you don’t think about yourself; you think about other people,” said Jones, a Port Angeles High music teacher.
Such dedication to the community epitomized Jones and five others honored before at least 150 friends, family members and admirers during the Community Service Award ceremony Thursday night at the fellowship hall at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Angeles.
“I feel extremely honored to be [included in] this group of people,” Jones told the audience. “I thank you so much.”
The awards honor the dedication and accomplishments of community leaders and volunteers who have made a difference in Clallam County.
“This is an evening about six people, all from different walks of life, whose unselfish commitment has made Clallam County a better place,” said John Brewer, Peninsula Daily News publisher and editor.
The other 2014 honorees were:
■ Hearst and Jerri Coen, who have given their talents to the local AARP Tax-Aide program, Olympic Land Trust’s StreamFest fundraisers, Franklin and Evelyn Plant Green Point Foundation and several neighborhood improvement groups.
■ Linda deBord, dedicated leader of Pink Up Port Angeles, which benefits Operation Uplift cancer screenings and support groups.
■ Wayne Roedell, a horticulturist with community service in his heart who has poured thousands of service hours into projects and fundraising for the Nor’wester Rotary Club of Port Angeles and The Answer for Youth.
■ Mark Schildknecht, whose passion for lending a hand leads him to volunteer with local fire districts and law enforcement, KSQM-FM, Clallam County Emergency Management team and Mount Olympus Detachment 897 of the Marine Corps League.
A blue-ribbon judging committee selected the six honorees from 25 nominations made by individuals, clubs, churches, businesses and other organizations.
The award was begun by the PDN 35 years ago and is now co-sponsored by Soroptimist International of Port Angeles-Noon Club. The award recipients received framed certificates.
The Coens
The Coens were described as “the consummate power couple, and uniquely gifted” during a presentation at the ceremonies by Sequim Mayor Candace Pratt, one of the judges for the 2014 awards.
“I certainly appreciate the people who spent the time and effort to do all the nominations,” said Hearst Coen, who praised the particular volunteerism of Nancy McLaughlin, one of those who nominated him and his wife, for her work with the AARP Tax-Aide program.
“I appreciate the volunteers, and I’m honored to accept this award for them.”
Linda deBord
Sheila Roark Miller, another of the awards judges and the Clallam County community development director, praised deBord for starting the Pink Up Port Angeles campaign.
The yearly effort raises money for Operation Uplift, a Peninsula-wide nonprofit cancer support group.
It generated more than $50,000 during Pink Up Week last year.
The recipient praised all volunteers.
“Nobody gets here, in this exclusive group, without so many people that catch the fire and put their feet and hands to work,” deBord said.
DeBord also thanked her husband for his unwavering support.
“It’s not just the one of us; it’s the two of us,” deBord said. “If I get involved, he’s there involved with me.”
Wayne Roedell
Roedell, described as a go-to guy who gets the job done, also thanked his wife for her support of his volunteer efforts.
“I read the most important decision you can make in your life is who you marry, and I did very well there,” he said.
He has been instrumental in numerous community fundraising efforts spearheaded by the Nor’wester Rotary Club, including the club’s annual car raffle.
Phillis Olson presented Roedell with the honor and said the car raffle raises more than $10,000 annually in scholarships for graduating Port Angeles and Crescent High School seniors.
“Wayne is the quintessential community advocate,” said Olson, president of the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center and one of the awards judges.
Mark Schildknecht
Schildknecht was lauded as a local hero dedicated to public safety who has volunteered with Clallam County Fire District No. 2, the county sheriff’s Marine Patrol and Sequim’s Volunteers in Police Service Program.
“This is a guy you want living next door to you,” said Craig Fulton, another of the awards judges and Port Angeles public works and utilities director.
A former Marine who did two tours in Vietnam, Schildknecht is also active in the Mount Olympus Marine Corps League Detachment 897 and the detachment’s honor guard.
He said the honor guard provides rifle salutes and plays taps at veteran memorial services, attending 60 last year across Clallam County.
“What really makes me proud is the support I have from other volunteers,” he said. “I would like to recognize my wife for all the support that you’ve given me over the years. Thank you!”
Ron Jones
Jones said he feels blessed to have worked with such talented and hard-working students over his 39 years of teaching music in Port Angeles.
“They have so much energy and so much enthusiasm, and they will give it to you if you guide them,” he said.
His student orchestras are well-known in the Washington-Oregon region, said Steve Burke, another of the 2014 awards judges who presented Jones with the honor.
Burke noted that Jones’ bands have been invited numerous times to play at Carnegie Hall in New York.
“It’s an amazing feat [Jones] has done,” said Burke, executive director of the William Shore Memorial Pool.
“I feel extremely honored to be [included in] this group of people,” Jones told the audience.
“I thank you so much.”
The awards honor the dedication and accomplishments of community leaders and volunteers who have made a difference in Clallam County.
“This is an evening about six people, all from different walks of life, whose unselfish commitment has made Clallam County a better place,” said John Brewer, Peninsula Daily News publisher and editor.
The other 2014 honorees are:
■ Hearst and Jerri Coen, who have given their talents to the local AARP Tax-Aide program, Olympic Land Trust’s StreamFest fundraisers, Franklin and Evelyn Plant Green Point Foundation and several neighborhood improvement groups.
■ Linda deBord, dedicated leader of Pink Up Port Angeles, which benefits Operation Uplift cancer screenings and support groups.
■ Wayne Roedell, a horticulturist with community service in his heart who has poured thousands of service hours into projects and fundraising for the Nor’wester Rotary Club and The Answer for Youth.
■ Mark Schildknecht, whose passion for lending a hand leads him to volunteer with local fire districts and law enforcement, KSQM-FM, Clallam County Emergency Management team and Mount Olympus Detachment 897 of the Marine Corps League.
A blue-ribbon judging committee selected the six honorees from 25 nominations made by individuals, clubs, churches, businesses and other organizations.
The award was begun by the PDN 35 years ago and is now co-sponsored by Soroptimist International of Port Angeles-Noon Club.
Ron Jones
Jones said he feels blessed to have worked with such talented and hard-working students over his 39 years of teaching music in Port Angeles.
“They have so much energy and so much enthusiasm, and they will give it to you if you guide them,” he said.
His student orchestras are well-known in the Washington-Oregon region, said Steve Burke, the 2014 awards judge who presented Jones with the honor.
The bands have been invited numerous times to play at Carnegie Hall in New York.
“It’s an amazing feat [Jones] has done,” said Burke, executive director of the William Shore Memorial Pool.
Hearst and Jerri Coen
Hearst and Jerri Coen were described as “the consummate power couple, and uniquely gifted,” by Sequim Mayor and awards judge Candace Pratt.
“I certainly appreciate the people who spent the time and effort to do all the nominations,” said Hearst Coen, who praised the volunteerism of Nancy McLaughlin, the woman who nominated him and his wife, for her work with the AARP Tax-Aide program.
“I appreciate the volunteers, and I’m honored to accept this award for them,” Hearst Coen added.
Linda deBord
Sheila Roark Miller, Clallam County community development director, gave the presentation lauding deBord, who was praised for starting the Pink Up Port Angeles campaign.
The yearly effort raises money for Operation Uplift, a nonprofit cancer support group based in Port Angeles, and generated more than $50,000 during Pink Up Week last year.
The recipient praised all volunteers.
“Nobody gets here, in this exclusive group, without so many people that catch the fire and put their feet and hands to work,” deBord said.
DeBord also thanked her husband for his unwavering support.
“It’s not just the one of us; it’s the two of us,” deBord said.
“If I get involved, he’s there involved with me.”
Wayne Roedell
Roedell, described as a go-to guy who gets the job done, also thanked his wife for her support of his volunteer efforts.
“I read the most important decision you can make in your life is who you marry, and I did very well there,” he said.
He has been instrumental in numerous community fundraising efforts spearheaded by the Nor’wester Rotary Club of Port Angeles, including the club’s annual car raffle.
Phillis Olson, the judge who presented Roedell with the honor, said the car raffle raises more than $10,000 annually in scholarships for graduating Port Angeles and Crescent High School seniors.
“Wayne is the quintessential community advocate,” said Olson, also the president of the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
Mark Schildknecht
Schildknecht was lauded as a local hero dedicated to public safety who has volunteered with Clallam County Fire District No. 2, the county sheriff’s Marine Patrol and Sequim’s Volunteers in Police Service Program.
“This is a guy you want living next door to you,” said Craig Fulton, the judge who gave Schildknecht his award. Fulton is Port Angeles public works and utilities director.
A former Marine who did two tours in Vietnam, Schildknecht is also active in the Mount Olympus Marine Corps League Detachment 897 and the detachment’s honor guard.
He said the honor guard provides rifle salutes and plays taps at veteran memorial services, attending 60 last year across Clallam County.
“What really makes me proud is the support I have from other volunteers,” he said.
“I would like to recognize my wife for all the support that you’ve given me over the years. Thank you,” he added.
The award recipients received framed certificates.
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Reporter Jeremy Schwartz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jschwartz@peninsuladailynews.com.
