REGION
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022
THE OBSERVER — A3
Stanfield Music festival coming to Baker County
Music
City Council Chautauqua
Festival scheduled
May 20-22
appoints for in Richland
new mayor
By LISA BRITTON
Baker City Herald
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
STANFIELD — Susan
Whelan will be sworn in
as Stanfi eld’s mayor at a
city council meeting on
Tuesday, May 3.
Whelan, a Stanfi eld city
councilor since 2017, was
selected April 18 from the
council to replace Mayor
Thomas McCann, who died
April 16 of a heart attack.
“I will do my best,” she
said.
Whelan said she admires
McCann a great deal. They
knew each other for sev-
eral years, she said, and
their families
were close.
According
to Whelan,
their chil-
dren played
together, and
she misses
Whelan
him. But
then, she said, many people
in town have the same
feelings.
“He was an icon in the
community, well-loved and
well-respected,” she said. “It
will be hard to fi ll his shoes.”
McCann, she said,
“really knew how to run a
meeting.” She attributed his
authoritative presence to his
history as a police offi cer;
he knew how to command
respect. She said it will be
diffi cult for her to be like
him in the same way.
At the city council
meeting in which she was
selected, she recalled that
Councilor Jason Sperr nom-
inated her to the vacated
mayoral position. She said
no one else was nominated.
Before the other councilors
voted, she asked them if
they thought she could do
it. They said that she could,
and then they unanimously
voted in her favor — 5-0,
with Whelan abstaining.
Asked why she was
selected, Whelan joked that
it was “the only way they
were going to get her off the
council.”
The incoming mayor
is lighthearted by nature,
she said, and she likes to
laugh. She said she feels that
“humor makes things go
easier” and “life is short.”
Also, life can be “hard for
people,” she said. A sour
attitude makes things worse.
Whelan said she has
recently been the sub-
ject of teasing within her
family. Family members are
asking her if they should
call her “mayor” rather than
“grandma.”
She said she is happier
with her grandchildren
calling her grandma, just
like she prefers to be called
“Susan” around town.
Whelan is not doing this
job to satisfy her ego, she
said. Nor does she have
great plans to “make her
mark” on the town, she
added. Instead, she said she
is focusing on the job itself.
“God doesn’t care if I’m
mayor, and I’m not trying to
impress anyone,” she said.
In the coming months
and years as mayor, Whelan
said she will look after con-
tinuing projects in town.
Constructions projects and
cleaning up Main Street are
two things she said are on
her mind.
RICHLAND —
Booking the bands was the
fi rst step.
After all, musicians are
the backbone of a music
festival.
“We’ve had those in
place for a while,” said Sara
Artley of the Eagle Valley
Locals, who are organizing
the fi rst Chautauqua Music
Festival in Richland.
The event is happening
May 20-22 at Eagle Valley
Grange Park.
Featured bands will be
Tiller’s Folly, Juni Fisher,
The Wasteland Kings,
Carter Junction and JJQ
(Jenni, Jon and Quinn).
“We’re all huge music
lovers,” Artley said of the
organizers. “We feel like
Richland is this hidden
gem — we have a lot going
for us.”
In addition to music,
Artley said 30 vendors are
confi rmed for the weekend.
“We’d like to get another
20,” she said.
Off erings so far will
include food stands — bar-
becue, gourmet hot dogs,
coff ee, desserts — as well
as artisans.
She said a “local craft-
er’s booth” will be avail-
able to those who have
local products but not
enough supply for their
own stand.
Interested vendors can
request an application by
emailing ChautauquaVen-
dors@gmail.com.
Lodging, sponsors
Artley said they’ve
posted a list of lodging
partners on the website —
look under “Attendee Info.”
“We’re encouraging
people to use our partners
who are sponsoring us,”
she said.
As for sponsors, she
said organizers — who are
all volunteers — welcome
more businesses that would
like to support the festival,
Contributed Photo
Tiller’s Folly is one of the bands scheduled to play at the Chautauqua Music Festival in Richland May 20-22, 2022.
CHAUTAUQUA MUSIC
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MAY 20
• Vendors open at 3 p.m.
• Carter Junction plays from 3:30-5 p.m., The
Wasteland Kings follow at 5:30 p.m., and Juni
Fisher fi nishes the day from 7:30-9 p.m.
which they plan to make a
yearly event.
They held a “mini Chau-
tauqua” fundraiser earlier
this spring and are cur-
rently running a raffl e to
win a Ruger American.
Tickets are $10 and avail-
able at the same places as
festival tickets. The winner
will be drawn on May 21 at
the festival.
Any profi ts from the
festival, she said, will go
back to benefi t the local
community.
Anyone interested in
being a sponsor or making
a donation can con-
tact Artley by email at
badroadsfestival@gmail.
com, or send her a message
through the Chautauqua
Music Festival Facebook
page.
Open mics, tickets
Artley said May 21 also
includes six 30-minute
slots throughout the day for
open mic sessions.
“People can come do
La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR
975-2000
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE
ACDelcoTSS
Joe Horst
SATURDAY, MAY 21
• Breakfast served at the Eagle Valley Grange
from 7-11 a.m.
• Vendors will be open all day.
• The music starts at 2 p.m. with JJQ, followed by
Carter Junction at 4 p.m. and Juni Fisher at 6 p.m.
Headliner Tiller’s Folly takes the stage at 8 p.m.
• The day fi nishes with a campfi re jam from
10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
poetry or music,” she said.
Those interested in the
open mic can contact her in
advance at badroads-
festival@gmail.com.
Tickets are on sale at
www.chautauquamusic-
SUNDAY, MAY 22
• Breakfast served at the Eagle Valley Grange
from 7-11 a.m.
• Vendors will be open in the morning only,
from 8-11 a.m.
• A gospel jam fi nishes the festival from
10-11 a.m.
festival.com, or in Baker
City at Ryder Bros. and the
A-Frame RV Park. Artley
also has tickets at her
restaurant, Sara’s Richland
Cafe.
Tickets are $17 for May
20 only, and $25 for May
21. An all access ticket for
both days is $35. For chil-
dren ages 6-12, tickets
are $10 for May 20, $15
for May 21, or $20 for a
weekend pass.
Charles & Eileen
Stewart
10304 A 1st St.
Island City, OR
cstewartpc@gmail.com
541.910.5435
Pay cash or
Rent to own
Authorized Dealer
Then
NOW
2022 Graduates
y
l
n
O
49
$
Includes full color. Three line maximum message.
Mobile
Mobile Service
Service
Outstanding
T HE O BSERVER
Computer Repair
Fast &
& Reliable
Reliable
Fast
Open
for
all 24/7
your
Call or Text
Call or Text 24/7
Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831
Dale Bogardus 541-297-5831
Stay up-to-date
Microsoft’
If your with
computer
is s most
advanced
operating
system to date,
in despair
call Outstanding
Windows
11
Computer
Repair!
Jennifer Smith
Desktops and laptops in stock
www.outstandingcomputerrepair.com
Or upgrade yours today for the best security!
Refurbished Desktop & Laptops For Sale
House calls (let me come to you!)
Drop Offs & Remote Services are Available
All credit cards accepted
High School Name
Congratulations Jen!
We are so proud of you!
Love, Mom & Dad
2x3 example size
Name of graduate:
School:
Message:
Call Devi 541-624-6007 or email
dmathson@lagrandeobserver.com