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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2016)
INSIDE: Local schoolchildren pen letters to Santa. Page C1 Christmas column: Too much stuff . Page A4 Enterprise, Oregon Wallowa.com Issue No. 36 December 21, 2016 $1 Agnew seeks to bridge the gulf between old and new cultures NEW POLITICAL FACES New councilors in Enterprise and Joseph New mayor in Enterprise M icah Agnew has lived in Enterprise for less than three years. The 34-year-old, married father of four said he is at least seven years away from being known as an “old timer.” That word has real meaning here, and that is something that Agnew appreciates. But it comes with a downside. “There are two cultures in Enterprise, and really the whole county,” said the pastor of Abundant Life Ministries, who squeaked out a fi ve vote win to earn a seat on city council. In Agnew’s view, one culture includes the families that have deep roots here, who are well-connected socially and have a strong relationship with the land. The other culture includes the newcomers, drawn here by work or play, who have shallower roots and can feel isolated or unwelcome. They can See AGNEW, Page A5 Tim Trainor/Chieftain Micah Agnew, 34, said he hopes to bring a new perspective to Enterprise city council. Clevenger wants to build ‘a real community, not just a tourist one’ om Clevenger has been in a public offi ce for most of his working life, but he never saw his name on the ballot until November. He made his fi rst campaign a winning one, defeat- ing three challengers to secure a seat on Joseph City Council. Clevenger, 56, is a volunteer fi refi ghter for the city. He retired from a career in fi refi ghting in Southern California and moved to Wallowa County in 2002. He has been involved in local politics since he ar- rived, most often representing the fi re department. But he has also served on plenty of committees, and even sat in on a goal-setting session earlier this year. That session spurred him to want to sit on the council, Tim Trainor/Chieftain Tom Clevenger is a new city not just in the crowd. “It was so dysfunctional,” he said. “I’m a common sense guy. I don’t want to just talk councilor in Joseph. He said he wants the city to always keep and talk. I want to get information, make a decision (and move on).” By Tim Trainor T See CLEVENGER, Page A5 Wallowa County Chieftain full-time residents in mind when they make decisions. Karvoski wants to ‘stay on path,’ but make some changes T here’s a new mayor in Enterprise, but Sta- cey Karvoski said she doesn’t see a major change in direction for the city. Karvoski, 50, has been a longtime city coun- cilor, so she has had a hand in recent decisions. And she has been supportive of outgoing mayor Steve Lear. Lear decided not to run for re-elec- tion and Karvoski in November defeated three challengers to secure the position. “I believe in a lot of the things we’ve been doing, and I just want to stay on that path,” Kar- voski said. Still, she wants to make some changes. That includes being more active in statewide and re- gion-wide groups, including the League of Ore- gon Cities and the Oregon Mayors Association. Karvoski said she wants to improve her rela- tionship with other Eastern Oregon representa- tives, and look for common ground and share best practices with mayors across the state. “My goal is to represent Enterprise on that type of scale,” she said. “I think we’ll have a louder voice.” But Karvoski is plenty busy already, work- ing fulltime at Wallowa Memorial Hospital as a registered nurse. She has been involved in local politics for decades, and served on Joseph city council from 1992-1994. “I’ve always been the kind of person to want to be involved,” she said. She thinks the city is well-positioned to grow and succeed. The recent sewer project is an im- portant piece of infrastructure that can support future development. And updating the personnel policy and catching up on employee evaluations will help the city improve its customer service skills to- ward residents. But Karvoski knows a lot of the city’s fu- ture rests on the success of the private sector, and the entrepreneurs who operate in Enterprise now and those she hopes will in the future. “A lot of (our success) is jobs,” she said. “That’s what makes everything else possible.” Karvoski plans to get councilors more in- volved in city committees, tapping into each specifi c council member’s passions and direct- ing them to engage with those volunteers on the committee. Staff photo by Tim Trainor She said that will make councilors better plugged in, and more knowledgeable about is- Stacey Karvoski, a longtime sues that eventually make their way in front of city councilor, will be the new mayor of Enterprise in 2017. the council, she said. ■ ■ ■ Tim Trainor is fi ll-in editor of the Chieftain. Email him at editor@wallowa.com or call 541-426-4567. A bird’s eye view Local birders brave negative temperatures to participate in Christmas Bird Count By Michael Beaudoin For the Wallowa County Chieftain On Dec. 18 at 5:30 a.m., the sun not yet up and temperatures down in the negative num- bers, a variety of souls were en route to Enter- prise eatery Red Rooster. Some arrived in comfortable SUVs, some in rumbling pickups. They came from as far away as Troy to partake in the Christmas Bird Census, an event with roots that stretch back into the 20th century. Birdwatching, or birding, attracts an eclec- tic mix of committed and adventurous people who are curious about the detailed workings of nature. Andie Lueders, despite early morning car troubles, ran the meeting. In collaboration with Mike Hansen of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, she organized and di- rected the count. “Some of the regulars aren’t here this year, and some of the irregulars are,” joked Diane Highberger, as the group met for ear- ly breakfast. The bitter cold may have held some back from committing to such an early morning. As Jeff and Nancy Greene arrived, the Photo by Michael Beaudoin table was fi lled: friends chatted and ordered food and discussion turned to the day at hand. This photo was taken with an iPhone through binoculars. The red-tailed hawk is common throughout Wallowa County, and See BIRDS, Page A5 more noticeable in winter when trees are bare.
