Distinguished Service Awards to go to Olson, Duerfeldt, others

Retired educator Emily Duerfeldt and former McMinnville mayor and Yamhill County commissioner Rick Olson have been chosen as woman and man of the year in the annual Distinguished Service Awards program.

They will be honored along with other winners at a banquet on Wednesday, May 15. Ticket sales will begin soon.

In addition to Olson and Duerfeldt, winners include: Junior Citizens, Scott and Elizabeth Hinchcliff; Farmer of the Year, Junichi Fujita; and Educator of the Year, Melissa Hernandez, who teaches special education at Memorial Elementary.

The DSA program was started in the 1950s by the McMinnville Jaycees. After the Jaycees disbanded in the early 2000s, the program was continued by committees of past winners. The McMinnville City Club now sponsors the awards.