Sitting at a table near the front of the stage, Tanner Dowless didn’t have too far to walk to accept two of Thursday evening’s most significant honors at the annual Samaritan Awards.
Named as this year’s Future First Citizen and also announced as the first-ever recipient of a new scholarship, Dowless would actually prefer stay in the shadows. So the quick stage entrance and exit suited him just fine.
Gallery: Samaritan Awards (Feb. 15, 2024)
A collection of photos from the Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce’s Samaritan Awards on Thursday, Feb. 15, in the Philomath High auditorium.
So is the Philomath High School senior very good at accepting praise?
“Not really,” Dowless said while one of those oversized checks for $1,000 leaned against his table. “I mean, I don’t really don’t want to be the big attention seeker … I’d rather just do it discreetly.”
The event, hosted by the Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce and staged in the PHS auditorium, each year honors exemplary volunteers and exceptional organizations and businesses in the community.
The other spotlight individual honors of the evening went to Steve Bell, Philomath Middle School principal (First Citizen); Rose Bricker, who has volunteered for a number of organizations (Junior First Citizen); and Rich Saalsaa, Philomath Fire and Rescue deputy fire chief (Senior First Citizen).
“You know, it’s humbling,” Bell said about receiving the First Citizen honor, which goes to a nominee between the ages of 40 and 64. “As Chris (McMorran) said in the opening, there’s many, many people that deserve recognition. I don’t believe I stack up to many people in what they do, but it’s an honor, so it’s a pleasure.”
Bell’s local volunteering efforts have included the Philomath Youth Activities Club and Philomath Community Foundation.
“People have asked me why have we stayed in Philomath and really, it’s the community, it’s the family,” he said. “It’s the stability and the comfort of knowing who people are around the corner and down the street and being able to wave and say hello and genuinely with a smile.”
Bell, who has served as middle school principal since 2002 and earned a statewide principal honor in 2016, greets students by name each morning as they arrive on campus.
“I used to be better at it — it takes a while,” Bell laughed when asked how he remembers all of those names. “With the sixth graders, it takes until about this time of the year to finally sort of feel like I can confidently say their names without getting it wrong.”
Dowless gained a degree of notoriety this summer for the construction of an outdoor teaching kiosk at Philomath Elementary, a project he completed as part of his Eagle Scout requirements. He said he knew most everybody in the room at Thursday night’s event.
“With my Eagle Scout project, my involvement in 4-H and other community service projects — and I’ve been in Philomath my whole life — I know all these people that were here getting awards tonight,” Dowless said.
Among the very familiar faces was Diane Crocker, a former teacher who with the Philomath City Council nominated Dowless for the honor, which goes to a volunteer 18 years of age or younger.
Dowless, who has also organized Mount Union Cemetery cleanup events and redesigned and installed a sign in honor of his great-grandfather, Bill Dowless, for the Benton County Fair, appears to be a solid candidate for future volunteer efforts.
“I definitely think I will,” Dowless said. “It’s something that I find joy in — helping others out even when I don’t get much to gain out of it (personally).”
Dowless was named the first recipient of the Philomath Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $1,000. This year’s inaugural scholarship was given in the name of the late Art Helkey and his granddaughter, Chloie Hamsher, presented the award to Dowless.
Dowless hopes to attend Linn-Benton Community College for its diesel mechanics program with the ultimate goal of either working in a shop setting or as an owner-operator.
“I’ll try to stay in this area,” he added. “It’s definitely a good place to be.”
The Junior First Citizen honor goes to a volunteer who falls in the age group of 19 to 39. Bricker’s volunteer efforts in the community have been widespread with involvement on the city’s Park Advisory Board and Inclusivity Committee, Philomath Community Services, Strengthening Rural Families and more than a dozen years with the Boys and Girls Club organization.
In 2022, Bricker and other local community members organized the first Philomath Pride event.
Saalsaa, who received the Senior First Citizen honor for candidates aged 65 and over, is well-known in the community through his efforts with Philomath Fire and Rescue. He joined the fire district as a volunteer in 2014 before advancing into a paid staff position the following year. He currently serves as deputy fire chief and public information officer.
Saalsaa’s contributions have revolved around training and education in the areas of fire safety and community emergency preparedness. In 2022, he played a key role in a city-hosted town hall event that brought together a panel of experts in wildfire preparedness.
Saalsaa, who was unable to attend the event, has also served in various capacities in the region as part of task forces deployed to wildfire sites and was among those distributing personal protective equipment to anyone in Philomath during the pandemic.
Several other prestigious awards were part of the evening. Christie Wiegel was named Volunteer of the Year, Bashful Bob’s earned Small Business of the Year, Shonnard’s Nursery was named Large Business of the Year and the Philomath Fire and Rescue Volunteer Association earned the Nonprofit of the Year honor, an announcement that brought a standing ovation from the audience.
Samaritan Awards went to Peter Fox (Maxtivity), Capt. Dan Eddy (Philomath Fire and Rescue), Candy Koetz (Philomath City Council), Sandy Heath (Philomath Community Services), Will Kramer (Philomath Frolic and Rodeo) and Jeremy Hruska (Philomath Youth Activities Club).
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