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'They make such a difference' Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Gold Hill City Park is just one of the places to benefit from the volunteerism of Cliff and Barb Finnie. The Finnies, who donated a bench to the park and have helped with its landscaping, this week were named Gold Hill's Citizens of the Year. Gold Hill honors Finnies as Citizens of the Year By BUFFY POLLOCK GOLD HILL - A pair known for helping out whenever needed have been named Gold Hill's Citizens of the Year. Whether making business cards for City Council members, volunteering with more than half a dozen groups or providing photography and computer expertise, Cliff and Barb Finnie are described by many as helpful, model citizens. Mayor Scott Eilefson, who chooses winners of the award, said he picked the Finnies because of their dedication and involvement. "We're just really lucky to have them as part of Gold Hill. They make such a difference," said Eilefson, who surprised the couple with the award at Monday's City Council meeting. "We were surprised," said Barb, "but we were also embarrassed because we looked around the room and saw many, many people who are just as deserving of recognition. We live in a town full of people that volunteer a lot." But City Recorder Tony Paxton said the award was appropriate. He said the Finnies, who have lived in Gold Hill five years, are "as helpful as they can be." "It's wonderful to have citizens involved that much. They've offered assistance with computers and several other things. They're just good, helpful people." The computer and photography buffs are retired and volunteer with numerous groups, including the Gold Hill Community Development Organization, known as Can-DO, the Gold Hill Historical Society museum and Friends of the Library. Cliff provides computer help, including printed supplies like business cards, for the Planning Commission and City Council. He jokes he "moved the museum into the computer age" when he helped program software to organize records and trained volunteers in digital photography. Barb volunteers with the SMART reader program at Patrick Elementary School and helps raise awareness about Can-DO and the museum. "We try to see where we can use our computers to help make things better," said Cliff. "We find something that needs doing and just do it." "We want to use our time and talents to better our community," added Barb, who said they both felt honored to be part of a small town that needed them. They were born to Swedish families in neighboring towns in rural Minnesota and became sweethearts when they met in high school, said Barb. Their hometowns were small, and neighbors helped each other. "They just do that in small towns," said Barb. "It takes a whole village to raise a kid, right?" The two went their separate ways after high school but met again at a 1993 school reunion and "instantly rekindled the flame." Before retiring, Cliff worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. Barb went to work right out of high school for the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington and was a secretary most of her working years. Then she earned a college degree in communications at age 57 and took a reporting job at the Rogue River Press. She gave it up after a year and a half to devote more time to Can-DO and the museum. Both say they stay involved because they enjoy helping but mostly because they want to give back to the community. "We just feel so very lucky to be together again and living on the Rogue River in a small town," Barb said. "Giving back comes easy and feels normal. We just wish we had more time to give more." Buffy Pollock is a free-lance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.