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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
A8 News wallowa.com December 27, 2017 Wallowa County Chieftain ‘Puppy Love’ exhibit opens soon Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Courtesy photos Two of the artworks that will be exhibited as part of the “Puppy Love” exhibit at Josephy Center opening Jan. 6, 2018. It’s a doggone good show of canine artworks It will be wall-to-wall dogs at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture beginning with opening night Jan. 6 at 7 pm. Doors open at 6 p.m. That’s when the “Puppy Love” art exhibit opens. Visitors can begin enjoy- ing the wide variety of dog- themed paintings, photogra- phy, drawings and more. It is billed as an exhibit that celebrates man’s best friend. Visitors on opening night will also enjoy drinks and a variety of Italian inspired foods. Entry is free, but dona- tions are welcome. The exhibit will run until Feb. 14, and visitors are wel- come to view it during busi- ness hours, Monday through Saturday noon until 4 p.m. Dog themed books, includ- Brandy Shelton, newly appointed as the Child Care Resourc- es and Referral person (also in charge of WIC) for Umatilla and Morrow County Head Start offices in Wallowa County, explains how the education components in the various pro- grams build on one another. Shelton leads charge against county’s child care crisis By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain ing “Bound for the Western Sea: A canine account of the western expedition” and the newly released “True Tails: The Human-Animal Part- nerships of Wallowa County Oregon” will also be available for purchase. A signing event for “True Tails” will also take place. Two films with dogs as the main characters, “Best in Show” and “Lady and the Tramp,” will be shown. There will also be Brown Bag lunch events with the Eagle Cap Extreme Dog Race organizers and Carol Vencill from the Humane Society. A lecture with Morgan Anderson, a musher, and a concert with songs about dogs are also planned. Artist Terri Malec will teach a dog sculp- ture class. Visit josephy.org for information. Thank you Wallowa County for a fabulous 2017 and your continued support in 2018! HOURS: M-F 8AM-6PM SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM Hurricane Creek Road - Enterprise 541-426-3116 May your New Year be merry and bright. Child care options can be tricky in Wallowa County, and parents need all the help they can get. That’s where Brandy Shelton comes in. “Every child deserves qual- ity care,” said Brandy Shelton. “The most important job we’re ever going to have as individ- uals on this earth is to be a parent. And it’s the only job for which there isn’t required training.” Shelton was recently hired as family and community advocate for Head Start in Enterprise and Wallowa, certi- fier for the Women Infants and Childre. Shelton is confident she’s been well-prepared for what the job will entail. She graduated from Lin- field College in McMinnville, Ore., in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary educa- tion. She then worked as pro- gram manager in a child care facility in Lewiston. In 2014 she moved back home to Wallowa County and spent two years with Building Healthy Families as the lead Early Start Head Start teacher. She earned her master’s in early education through Ari- zona State University. “I love growth and devel- opment,” she said. “Every child is a product of their envi- ronment, so the more we edu- cate parents and providers the more that product is going to be ready for what the world has to offer when they step out into public school. And the expectations in kindergarten are so high.” She helps Head Start fam- ilies plan their way through the coming years — answer- ing questions, understanding family history, discussing bud- get concerns, setting goals and showing them what assistance is available. Shelton’s son, Sorrin, 4, (youngest of three children) has attended Early Head Start and Head Start in the county and Shelton can’t say enough about the quality of the pro- gram. All the programs in Wal- lowa County are Star Rated through the Oregon Depart- ment Education Spark. Two private child-care facilities, Miss Angela’s Child Care in Enterprise and the Montessori Learning Tree in Joseph, are working toward that rating. There are 33 children already in Head Start in Enter- prise and Wallowa and eight in Early Head Start. There are 35 more children on a waiting list for classroom space. Ideally, those children would be going to a top child- care provider, but existing child-care facilities are full. There is a shortage of child care providers in the county. “I would describe Wallowa County as being in a child care crisis,” Shelton said. “We have very few licensed child care providers in the commu- nity. I have done a couple of overviews with some poten- tial providers and others who are already serving as many kids as they can serve and are working toward licensure.” Given her training and background, Shelton believes she may soon be allowed to become a master trainer. Today, training is completed outside the county or online. She’s also a champion of Women, Infants and Children. “That program is really my baby,” she said. “We had 65 active clients when I started three months ago and we are now at 94. The goal we’ve set is 101. I really believe in that program and what it has to offer.” Her WIC responsibilities include meeting four times a year with mothers to offer education, record weights and heights of children, help screen children who may need help, refer mothers to other agencies as needed and talk “mother talk.” “Parents are the experts when it comes to their chil- dren,” she said. “I ask them what they need from me. I’m also a parent. It can just be two moms that are talking about what they struggle with in raising their children. I have resources that can help; I have tons of pamphlets and books and resources for parents.” She works with the coun- ty’s medical and mental health clinics so that everyone can provide children with the best care. “My passion is serving the families of this community,” she said. “I feel extremely privileged to be able to serve the community the way I do.” Info: umchs.org or call 541-398-2397. 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