The year’s Fourth of July falls on Friday next week, and this year’s featured honorees have been announced!  Eric (Rick) Madsen was named the Honored Veteran of the Year, and you can find his story on Page 2 of the paper.  The Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented on July 3rd after the Kids’ Parade, and it will be presented to Doug and Dianne Adams.  The Grand Marshals of this year’s parade are Dennis and Sherrie Evans.  The Honored Pioneer for this year is Patsy Bybee.  We were not able to arrange to speak with Patsy before press time, so she will be featured in next week’s paper, along with the parade map, schedule, and other relevant information.  This week, we bring you Rick Madsen, Dianne and Doug Adams, and Sherrie and Dennis Evans.  The events listed on the next page are more or less locked in, but next week’s paper comes out on July 3rd, and we will present the final, completed schedule at that time.

Grand Marshals—Sherrie and Dennis Evans

Dennis and Sherrie Evans are lifelong Maladites, who, in Dennis’s words “Have loved Malad as long as I can remember.”  Both of the Evanses were born and raised in Oneida County, and other than time spent at college, have spent most of their lives in the Malad Valley.  Their families have been in the valley for generations.

Their daughters, Kami Willie and Tori Green live here in town, and work at Malad High School, where Dennis himself taught social studies, health, PE, and “a little bit of everything” for 38 years.  Sherrie worked at Valley Oil fuel distribution for 18 years, and then ATC Communications for 11.  Their other daughter, Mindy Barringer, currently lives with her own family in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

Like most people whose families have a long legacy in Malad, Sherrie and Dennis say that “a lot has changed” in the time they’ve lived here.  “A lot of new people,” Sherrie says.  

“It used to be we could memorize license plates on cars and know who they belonged to.  Now we’re lucky if we can remember our own,” Dennis laughs.  

“You used to know everybody,” Sherrie agreed.  “It’s just harder now because there are so many people you don’t know.”  

Dennis coached for most of the years he was at the High School, and was the “Voice of the Dragons” for Malad sports prior to Jeff Richins.  He was also involved with the Theatre Guild for many years, acting in the melodramas and the shootout that are a beloved tradition of the 4th of July festivities.  “It was fun, and I think people enjoyed it,” he said.  Dennis also developed the Visions program, where he took kids to Washington, D.C. and other spots to learn about history and civics.  

Sherrie was involved with the Junior Miss (now DYW program), and the Oneida Education Foundation, as well as many other groups around town throughout the years.  Both of them have had a long line of church callings as well.  

Most of the extended family will be visiting this year for the Fourth, which is a day Dennis has a strong connection to. His father passed away near the holiday, and it always brings a sense of family home to him.  The extended family has spent many of the last 50 years at Sherrie’s aunt Fay Cottle’s house, watching the parade and then having a barbecue.  This year, of course, the family will get to watch them ride past!  It will be a great topic of conversation when they head to Kami’s house later in the day.

“I don’t know that the Fourth of July is not my favorite holiday,” Dennis says.  “We do a lot with family, and we just love it.  I think the parade brings the town together, and provides a common focal point for us.  I look at myself as being very patriotic, and the parade gives us a very patriotic idea.”

“A sense of pride in the community, I think,” Sherrie adds.

“It’s neat to see people stand for the National anthem, and the flag when it comes by,” Dennis says.

“We do have a lot to be grateful for, living here,” Sherrie says.  

“We do,” Dennis agrees.  “The peace of this valley.  And we’ve got some really good people in
this town.”

Volunteers of the Year—Dianne and Doug Adams  

Dianne and Doug Adams were chosen by the City Council from a large group of nominees this year, all of whom were deserving of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Doug and Dianne have donated many items of their beautiful art to benefits in Malad. Among them are the Evening of the Arts for the Oneida County Hospital Foundation, the Firemen’s Ball, and other special benefits. Dianne has conducted painting classes.  We have been told that Doug is known as the “Mayor” of the Summit.  According to County Commissioner Bill Lewis “Over the last four years Dianne and Doug Adams have created and donated Bells to honor Veterans in Malad City and Rigby cemeteries. They serve on the Oneida County Hospital Foundation and have each year made and donated a bell to be auctioned off to provide funds for hospital projects. They have gathered the Summit Community to pull noxious weeds and gather litter along the roads leading to the Malad Summit. Doug and Dianne have hosted socials in their beautiful yard to bring the Summit Community together.”

Dianne graduated with an associates degree in Art from Ricks College (BYU Idaho). She was influenced by many great artists including Leon Parsons, Arlo Coles, and Matthew Geddes. Growing up in Moscow, Idaho, during the 1960s and 70s, Dianne’s childhood was deeply intertwined with the natural world. The rolling hills of the Palouse Empire and the serene waters of Lake Coeur D’Alene, where her family had a cabin, instilled in her a profound appreciation for the outdoors. This connection would become a recurring theme in her artistic journey.

Doug Adams is an award-winning recycled sculptured bell artist. Growing up in Fielding, Utah, on a small Appaloosa horse ranch and farm, his childhood involved working in the fields, hauling hay, weeding sugar beets, and building fences, which instilled a strong work ethic in him. After graduating high school, Doug served in the Utah National Guard for five years training as a tank mechanic. Upon returning from his military service, Doug found employment constructing a large steel mill nearby. A year later, he began his 30-year career in the steel industry.  Doug created his first bell using a recycled cylinder in the early 1980s. It wasn’t until he met his talented artist wife that they began creating one-of-a-kind sculptured bells with her help and inspiration. Doug continuously searches for reclaimed treasures, priding himself on the rarity of his finds, which include old tools, machinery, and car parts. He masterfully combines found objects, upcycled and reclaimed steel parts, and priceless antiques in his sculptures. In recent years, Doug began incorporating glass elements into his sculptures. These “stunning gemstone-looking additions” are created by Dianne from reclaimed slag glass from old window factories and up-cycled glass bottles.

The two couples will be riding in next weeks parade.