Officer Steve Dodds
Lincoln City Police Officer and Newport resident Steve Dodds has agreed to be this year’s Loyalty Days Grand Marshal. Dodds has been making a remarkable recovery after being wounded by David Durham, who shot him during a routine traffic stop in Lincoln City in mid-January. Durham is still at large but some investigators believe he probably drowned trying to swim across the “Waldport Jaws” after law enforcement pursued him from south of Lincoln City to Waldport.
Loyalty Days organizer Patty Louisiana says the only proviso in Dodds’ appearance in the Loyalty Days parade is that there are no unforseen medical issues that develop between now and April 30th, the day of the parade in Newport.
Here’s more information provided by Loyalty Days Co-Chair Patty Louisiana
In celebration of the 55th annual Newport Loyalty Day & Sea Fair Festival, we are honored to name as our Grand Marshal’s the Newport Fire Department, Newport Police Department and the Lincoln Co. Sheriff’s Department. We have also extended an invitation to Officer Steven Dodds of the Lincoln City Police Department, and a Newport resident, to join us as our Honorary Grand Marshal. The men and women who make up these departments are the first called and the first to respond during the tough times we citizen’s may face. This was brought even closer to home earlier this year when Officer Dodds was wounded in the line of duty. We will honor all these brave men and woman throughout this celebration and during our annual patriotic parade scheduled for Saturday, April 30th 2011, beginning at 12:00 p.m.
The Newport Loyalty Day and Sea Fair Festival Association would like to announce the selection of the 2011 Senior Court. From a field of Newport High School senior’s, the following have been selected; Abriana Cortes, Danica Edgington, Ciara Hoffman and Michaela Pyentes.
The 2011 Newport Loyalty Day & Sea Fair Festival is scheduled to begin Thursday, April 28th and will run through Sunday May 1st . “ Heart of America” has been selected as this year’s theme.
A scholarship fund for the Newport Loyalty Day Senior court was first established in the mid-Seventies. The purpose is to advance the young women’s public speaking abilities and act as Ambassadors for the City of Newport during the festival weekend and also while attending out of town activities. Public donations to the scholarship funds are accepted and are tax deductible. The 2011 Senior Court Chair, Robin McRoberts can be reached at (541) 961-0041.
Along with our traditional hometown patriotic parade, the Newport Loyalty Day’s festivities include the Queen’s Coronation, Davis Show carnival, cars shows hosted throughout town, Vietnam Veteran’s remembrance with the annual Memorial Reading of the Names, Veteran’s of Oregon Honorable Service Medal ceremonies, Field of Flags and numerous other activities hosted throughout the city. As a guest of the local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 411 Patriotic and Country Western Signer Rockie Lynn will be joining us in Newport as well.
Loyalty Day was originated by the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) on the East Coast, with Newport’s Veteran’s starting our local Loyalty Day celebration in May of 1956. As the celebration continued to spread throughout the nation, Congress wrote a Joint Resolution and President Eisenhower signed the Bill into law designating the First of May as Loyalty Day, a special day set aside for the recognition of the heritage of American’s freedom. With Newport’s strong support of the Loyalty Day tradition and its designation as a Coast Guard City USA, we invite all to join with us in this year’s celebration.
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