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wallowa.com
THREE
minutes with ...
Cheryl Coughlan
CHERYL NORTH
COUGHLAN
Executive Director, Josephy Center for Arts
and Culture
December 13, 2017
Cheryl North Coughlan, 49, of Joseph is well-known in
the community through her work as executive director of the
Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph. It’s a job she
really enjoys and is passionate about, and that is important
to her.
She graduated from high school in St. Louis, Mo., in 1986
and went to Bard College in the Hudson Valley outside of
New York where she received her bachelor’s degree in art.
After Bard, she moved to New York and worked at a
public relations office that handled publicity for PBS and
at a photo stock agency. It was during this time that she
met husband Brian Coughlan, a fifth-generation Wallowa
County boy who now owns Eastern Oregon Landscaping
in Enterprise.
Brian had come to New York to visit his school chum
Tyler Hays and stayed, working for an Internet company
that did ticketing for symphonies. Cheryl and Brian met by
chance and discovered they lived in the same neighborhood.
They married in 1999.
They moved back to Wallowa County in 2001 with their
two children, Ella, 16, and Henry, 13, and Cheryl worked as a
court clerk at the Wallowa County Circuit Court for 10 years
before moving to Josephy Center.
She enjoys doing things that benefit the community and is
on the committee for The Big Read, joined the board at Jose-
phy and worked on the board until hired and is on the board
of the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce. She’s played
a big part in making the Barn Tour Map, which should be
completed in January.
Q. Why Wallowa County? You were a big city girl.
Wallowa County Chieftain
A. We came back because Brian had family here and once
we got here we realized it’s really an ideal place to raise kids
and allows them more independence. I actually really like
living in a small town. I am kind of a city person, but I like
the dynamic of knowing everybody.
Q. What has Wallowa County taught you?
A. I think, Wallowa County has really taught me to have a
good work ethic. A lot of people work really, really hard here
whether they are working on ranches or at their jobs. A lot of
people own their own businesses and they commit a lot of
time, and that helped me come into this job. I was influenced
by people who are really dedicated to what they are passion-
ate about.
I think it’s also taught me to appreciate the physical beauty
of this place. I grew up in the suburbs and the city, and I think
what makes this place special is the beauty and remoteness.
We complain about the remoteness, but it’s what makes it
special. If we were an hour from Portland we wouldn’t be
the people we are.
Q. What is the first book you can remember checking
out of a public library for yourself? And what book
that you’ve read recently can you recommend?
A. “Where the Sidewalk Ends,” by Shel Silverstein. I was
seven or eight and checked it out of the University City
Library in Missouri. I liked it because each page had a differ-
ent story and there were drawings. For a kid it was humorous
— for an adult it had a different side. I just read “A Gentle-
man in Moscow” by Amor Towles. I bought it at the Book-
loft in Enterprise. It was funny and smart and a great story.
Excursion train enjoys a banner year
By Paul Wahl
Wallowa County Chieftain
Despite a truncated season
due to fire concerns, the Eagle
Cap Excursion Train had a
record year.
A total of 1,671 passengers
boarded for one of the week-
end rides, according to infor-
mation disseminated at the
annual meeting of the Friends
of the Joseph Branch Dec. 2 at
the depot in Elgin.
The group’s treasurer,
Ralph Swinehart of Enterprise,
reported $105,400 in revenue
was received to put against a
total of $76,000 in expenses.
Much of the profit will go to
Wallowa Union Rail Author-
ity, which owns and operates
the track on which the excur-
sion train runs.
“This figure doesn’t include
money spent on motels and
restaurants in the area by rid-
ers,” Swinehart said. “It’s quite
an economic engine.”
Chieftain file photo
The Eagle Cap Excursion Train makes a brief stop on one of
its fall runs out of Elgin.
The authority was formed
by Wallowa and Union coun-
ties in 2003 for future eco-
nomic development potential
to the region. In addition to
the train, a railrider concession
also operates seasonally on the
line.
Each weekend ride has a
theme, many of which resulted
in sold-out crowds, according
to Janet Dodson, who coordi-
nates sales and marketing for
the excursion train.
Among the more popular
were the wine and cheese and
the wine and chocolate events,
as well as the “train robbery”
adventures.
The season kicks off with a
Mother’s Day ride, for which
tickets are available, accord-
ing to Dodson. A list of which
themes will be part of next
year’s schedule is expected to
be posted around Jan. 1.
A number of “familiariza-
tion tours” were also hosted
last year, including travel writ-
ers and photographers from
around the country. Dodson
said their work provides pub-
licity it would otherwise be
impossible for the friends to
purchase.
For the first time this past
year, the annual July 1 ride to
honor and thank military ser-
vice veterans was split into
two rides. It was offered free
to veterans, and more than 100
packed onto each of the runs.
A portion of the annual
meeting was devoted to a dis-
cussion regarding recruit-
ing additional members to the
organization, especially those
willing to volunteer for the
weekend runs.
President Ed Spaulding
said the only limit to boost-
ing the group’s success was
having enough trained people
willing to serve as hosts in one
of the vintage rail cars.
Training includes an all-day
first aid and safety unit, taught
by Dick Burch of Joseph.
Although the group began
with more than 200 mem-
bers in 2004, that numbers has
dwindled to around 80. Sev-
eral of the original members
remain active in the group,
including Swinehart, Bill Oli-
ver and Linda Cassady of
Enterprise.
Significant efforts are
underway to maintain and
improve the rail cars used on
the train. Several need new
wheels.
Friends of the Joseph
Branch are anticipating work-
ing to obtain used AMTRAK
equipment for that purpose.
An authentic caboose has
been obtained and returned to
original condition. It will be
added to the train in 2018.
Additional improvements
in the condition of the track
–– including major repair of
the bridge at Water Creek ––
will mean speedier and lon-
ger runs. The track travels
between Elgin and Joseph, but
only a portion outside of Elgin
is used for the excursion train.
Maximum speed is 15 mph on
that sector.
The donation of two sema-
phore blades to be erected
near the Elgin depot was also
announced at the annual meet-
ing. The depot also serves as a
railroad interpretive center.
A dinner train fundraiser
for February 2018 is under
consideration.
The excursion train din-
ing car will be transformed
with linen tablecloths and vin-
tage china to recreate a grand
historic adventure passengers
during the ‘30s and ‘50s might
have enjoyed.
Food served will be from
original recipes that have been
unearthed during research.
The group is also plan-
ning a showing of “The Polar
Express” 6 p.m. Friday, Dec.
15, at the depot. Admission is
nonperishable food items for
the food bank. Free popcorn
and cocoa will be served.
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