Dignitaries
2025 Button Design Winner Sonja Karabotsos
Hi, my name is Sonja Karabotsos. I am in Mr. Danielson’s 5th grade class at Hellen Haller Elementary.I live with my mom & dad, older brother, my dog Oly, and cat Artemis. One thing I love about living on theOlympic Peninsula is that there are lots of beautiful places to explore. The Dungeness River is…
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2025 Honored Pioneers
Honored Pioneers are a tribute to those who came early and stayed late. Honored Pioneers must be a descendent who has/had a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent that lived within the current boundaries of the Sequim School District prior to 1950. These Honored Pioneers are selected by the Sequim Pioneer Association Committee. The Honored Pioneers are…
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2025 Honored Pioneer Hazel Messenger Lowe
Hazel’s lineage traces back to her great-grandparents, who homesteaded near Chicken Coop Road in Blynn. Born to Chauncey Messenger and Dorothy Delaney, she was the fourth of five children: Mayme, Phyllis, Pete, Hazel, and George. Tragically, Chauncey passed away when the children were young. In 1954, Dorothy remarried Don Hendrickson, and they had a son,…
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2025 Honored Pioneer Tim Wheeler
This year, as Sequim celebrates the 130th Irrigation Festival, it is with great pride that we recognize Tim Wheeler as one of the festival’s esteemed Honored Pioneers. Tim’s deep roots in the Sequim community, coupled with his remarkable career and unwavering commitment to service, make him a fitting honoree for this milestone celebration. Born and…
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2025 Honored Pioneer Janet Duncan
The small city of Sequim is honoring Janet Ellis Duncan with the title of Honored Pioneer at the Sequim Irrigation Festival, a recognition she holds dear with gratitude and pride. Janet, a 1956 graduate of Sequim High School, has fond memories of her childhood in the Dungeness area, where she grew up surrounded by the…
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2025 Honored Pioneer Betty Kettel
For Betty, Sequim has always been home. A 1953 graduate of Sequim High School, Betty’s fond memories of growing up in the valley are as cherished as the moments she spent giving back to the community. During her senior year, Betty served as one of the princesses, a role that introduced her to the importance…
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2025 Grand Marshal Mike Dashiell
Mike Dashiell was born into a U.S. Navy family and spent his younger years crisscrossing the county with his family until settling in the Kitsap County area, where he graduated from Central Kitsap High School. He developed a love for words early on, and found his future vocation at Olympic College’s journalism classes. He graduated…