Wooleys honored for long service

Long-time leaders of the Clatskanie Arts Commission (CAC) Dee and Elsa Wooley were honored with the Clatskanie Foundation's Birkenfeld Inspired to Give Award for extraordinary volunteer service.

Foundation president Deborah Hazen presented the award and a $10,000 check to CAC at the Project Convergence performance Nov. 8 at the Clatskanie Cultural Center's Birkenfeld Theatre. The award is named after the late Keith Birkenfeld, whose estate provided approximately one-third of the $3.3 million cost of restoring the Cultural Center. The former I.O.O.F. Odd Fellows Hall, the Clatskanie Cultural Center is owned and operated by the Clatskanie Foundation. In addition to the Birkenfeld Theatre, the center includes a 2,400 square foot ballroom, the offices of the City of Clatskanie, and the Reach the Stars dance studio.

Last year, the Foundation received an additional grant from the Birkenfeld Trust from which to give Inspired to Give awards annually. Last year, Joy and Jeff Green became the first recipients for having given extraordinary volunteer service to the Clatskanie Senior Citizens nutrition program for over a decade.

Charter members of CAC, the Wooleys have announced their upcoming retirement from the CAC board of directors on which they have served for nearly 40 years, bringing high quality entertainment and events to Clatskanie.