Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
Business
November 1, 2017
A13
Simply Sandy’s will remain a Main Street staple
BIZ BUZZ
The good news on Joseph’s Main Street is
three fold this week.
First, Simply Sandy’s at 305 Main Street in
Joseph has been sold to new owners who plan
to continue the successful business of supply-
ing locals and tourists with home decorations,
remodeling accessories, reclaimed and “western
style” furniture, metal yard art, custom wood
furniture pieces and the work of local artisans.
We’ll still have that attention-grabbing busi-
ness attracting those tourists and we’ll still have
one of our favorite décor and gift shops.
Second, the new owners are local people you
know: Jill McLaran and Emily Cunningham are
the new co-owners and Judy Botham and Jessie
Kassahn remain your clerks.
Continuity is good and we’re always glad to
have local folks keeping businesses vital.
Third, a holiday open house is set Nov. 11
and Sandy Warnock will serve homemade cin-
namon rolls, so you’ll have the opportunity to
congratulate her on building a great business
over the last 15 years and the good luck to fi nd
local buyers for the business when she was
ready for something new.
No big changes are planned for the business,
according to McLaran and Cunningham.
“We’ll sell with love,” said McLaran. “That’s
going to be our mission.”
“Just loving people that come through the
door,” added Cunningham.
“That goes back to Sandy’s customer service
tradition,” McLaran said.
They’ll continue to feature shabby chic,
Kathleen Ellyn
eclectic, unique fi nds for the home and garden,
and some western décor in the Red Barn annex.
Sandy did a great job with this business and
one of the ways she really excelled was in cre-
ating an online presence: You can follow Sim-
ply Sandy’s on email, Facebook, Pinterest or at
Simply Sandys.com. Another thing Sandy really
did right was in cultivating her online sales and
taking care of shipping for her customers. It’s
no small thing to get those things organized and
keep up on them, but it can make a big differ-
ence for a small-town business.
Hours for the business will be 10 a.m. to
5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed
Sunday.
McLaran said she was looking for something
different than ranching at least half-time and the
McLaran ranch will be well looked after by her
sisters Maggie and Beth and her father, Scott.
Cunningham, a hairdresser, is wife of Jason
Cunningham. Jason has worked off and on for
McLarans for at least seven years and Emily
and Jill were friends.
“I decided the business was going to be a lit-
tle much for one person, so I called Emily,” said
McLaran. “I thought she would be a good busi-
ness partner and she’s always been interested in
Christoffersen is ‘Realtor of the Year’
Anette
Christoffersen,
tional marketing from the
principal broker in the Joseph
Norwegian School of Mar-
offi ce of Wallowa Mountain
keting when she met her hus-
Properties, has been named
band Nils. The couple made
“Realtor of the Year” by the
their home in Zimbabwe,
Northeast Oregon Board of
Africa, where their two chil-
Realtors. Christoffersen was
dren were born, later moving
presented with the award and
back to the United States and
Paul Wahl/Chieftain landing in Wallowa County
a plaque by current board
president Sharron Langdon Anette Christoffersen has in 1999, when Nils accepted
been named “Realtor of the a job at Wallowa Resources.
at a ceremony Oct. 20.
“I was honored to be rec- Year” by the Northeast Ore-
“It didn’t take us long to
ognized,” said Christoffersen, gon Board of Realtors.
fall in love with Wallowa
who won the award based on
County,” said Christoffersen.
a variety of criteria, includ-
“We love the outdoors, and
ing professional accomplishments, continuing we enjoy being able to hike, bike, ride horses,
professional education and certifi cations and backpack and ski here. But most of all we
community involvement. Christoffersen has love the people who live here.” Christoffersen
served as a Wallowa County representative to is involved with the Eagle Cap Ski Club and
the board for the past three years, teaches the heads the annual Ski Swap fundraiser.
real estate section of a free class for fi rst-time
Christoffersen became a real estate agent
home buyers offered by Community Connec- in 2005, after working as a marketing consul-
tion and is an active member of The Rotary tant for several years.
Club of Wallowa County.
“My marketing background was really
Born and raised in Norway, Christoffersen benefi cial,” Christoffersen said. “It shortened
received an undergraduate degree in interna- my learning curve quite a bit.”
Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain
Emily Cunningham and Jill McLaran are ready to welcome you to the new Simply Sandy’s.
The duo purchased the business and have planned a Nov. 11 Open House.
home décor and antiques.”
As important as the tourist dollar is, Sim-
ply Sandy’s will remain a hometown business
with a hometown focus. Local customers are
the heart of the business and Wallowa County is
the brand. If anyone can understand branding, it
will be these gals with ranch heritage.
“I think one thing both Jill and I want to
do through the business is share our heri-
tage of ranching in Wallowa County,” said
Cunningham.
McLaran agreed.
“We want to tell the Wallowa County Story,”
she said.
Himes hangs up her EMT career
Joyce Himes is retiring as
an EMT with Wallowa County
Health Care District after 26
years.
Himes and her family
moved to Enterprise in 1991.
She was granted reciprocity
from Montana, allowing her
to volunteer as an EMT Basic
for the district. In the late ‘90s,
she advanced her career and
became an EMT-Intermediate.
In 2006 she became a full time
employee for the district.
In 1979, Himes was
involved in creating a Quick
Response Unit in the remote
area of Montana where she
lived. She was an EMT Basic
and responded out of a sta-
tion wagon that was used to
store and transport equipment.
The QRU unit is in operation
today and has a fl eet of ambu-
lances serving the remote areas
Himes
of Montana.
Himes was awarded the
State of Oregon Lifesaving
Medal in 2016, which is given
to an EMT who makes an
“extremely noteworthy contri-
bution to efforts that result in
the saving of a life while in an
off-duty or volunteer capacity.”
The award grew out of
an experience where Himes
walked into a restaurant with
her husband and friends to have
dinner. She noticed a commo-
tion at a table and heard a man
yell, “Are you choking?”
She discovered a woman
who could not breathe and was
turning purple. Himes quickly
identifi ed herself as an EMT
and performed the Heimlich
maneuver until the obstruction
was dislodged and the wom-
an’s breathing resumed.
Himes has three children,
seven grandchildren and one
great-grandchild. In her spare
time she grows a bountiful
garden, quilts and is an avid
hunter.
She also teaches CPR and
fi rst aid class.
800 S. River, Enterprise • 541.426.9228 • carpetoneenterprise.com
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