Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
News
September 26, 2018
New venue spells success
for 2018 festival of arts
Business booming in
Wallowa County
Center’s numbers
are up overall
By Steve Tool
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa County Chieftain
Artists with works in the
2018 Wallowa Valley Festival
of Arts walked away with more
than $5,000 in prize money,
not to mention thousands more
in sales during the Sept. 13-16
show. The festival is spon-
sored by the Wallowa Valley
Arts Council.
“I’m tired, but it went really
well,” festival director Jeff
Costello said.
According to Costello, art
sales went well, particularly in
light of the venue change from
the Joseph Community Center
to the Josephy Center and Mt.
Joseph Lodge. Also, the show
juried in less art for a higher
quality show.
The show drew entrants
from all over the country, the
farthest being sculptor Bill
Wolff of Maryland. Costello
added that the majority of
the art came from the Pacific
Northwest.
“There’s a real respect and
affinity for the Josephy Cen-
ter,” Costello said. “We wanted
the art to be enhanced and com-
plemented by the structure. It is
our arts and culture center, so it
make sense to have the festival
based there.”
He added that Mt. Joseph
Four new businesses, 11
new jobs and $313,510 in
increased sales have been
reported in Wallowa County
in 2018.
Those numbers, compiled
by the Wallowa County Small
Business Development Cen-
ter, are even more impressive
when compared to the reports
from 2016. In less than two
years, 20 more clients have
availed themselves of free
counseling; three times the
hours of counseling have been
booked by entrepreneurs; and
training events offered have
increased from one in 2016 to
seven in 2018.
In just five months of
2018, center advisers Den-
nis Sands and Kristy Athens
served 118 clients in 269 ses-
sions for a total of approxi-
mately 192 hours.
Recent clients were Roots
Salon, Joe Trolley, Pioneer
Portraits and The Vanilla Stag
Bakery.
All this had been accom-
plished in Wallowa County
on a budget of $12,000. Wal-
lowa County Board of Com-
missioners regularly votes to
support the center from video
lottery funds, and pledged
$10,000 at a recent meet-
ing. Other expenses are cov-
ered by donations, a $30,000
grant from the Small Busi-
ness Association and other
sources.
LETTERS
Continued from Page A4
Williams vs.
Williams
Wes is methodical
calm and
open-minded
We support Wes Williams
for Circuit Court judge in
November.
We have known Wes
through many years of col-
laboration, especially during
Sandra’s experience as a fam-
ily law attorney, mediator
and chair of the Family Law
Advisory Committees in both
counties.
In that capacity, he inter-
acted extensively with both the
other attorneys and the judges.
He gained a deep apprecia-
tion for the personal and intel-
lectual qualities that result in
“judicial temperament.”
Stephen has served for
18 years with many Ore-
gon judges on the Chief Jus-
tice’s Statewide Family Law
Committee.
In our opinion, a judge
should be calm, methodical,
scrupulous,
compassionate
and open-minded. These qual-
ities reflect personality, experi-
ence and education.
In our interactions, Wes
exhibited the qualities neces-
sary in an effective judicial
officer. He was well-informed
on the law.
He showed a genuine con-
cern for finding workable solu-
tions for clients’ problems
and not making their situation
worse through endless wran-
gling. He was willing to hear
Steve Tool/Chieftain
This year’s Wallowa Valley Festival of the Arts brought in 250-300 art patrons at it’s official
opening night at the Josephy Center and Mt. Joseph Lodge on Friday, Sept. 14. The show
awarded more than $5000 in prize money to category winners.
Lodge across the street equally
enhances the art.
The director also noted that
attendance was above aver-
age with an estimated 250-300
people attending both venues
during the popular Friday night
festival opening.
The success of the “Quick
Draw” competition, which
took place at the Mt. Joseph
Lodge, also pleased festi-
val staff. Formerly a catered
indoor event with an admission
charge, this year, the event was
held outdoors in the afternoon
with free admission. According
to Costello, many more people
came off the streets to watch
the event transpire than the
paid admission crowd last year.
“I think we did just as well
on bidding and numbers,” he
said. “When we looked at what
each piece went for, it was a
wonderful success.”
In a windfall for some of
the winners, certain category
sponsors augmented the prize
money. For example, one $200
award skyrocketed to $500
while another went from $200
to $450.
“It’s always nice when some
of the sponsors and donors kick
in a little more to up the ante,”
Costello said. “The artists are
so grateful, and it means a lot
to them.”
Costello said that the artists
and attendees liked the change
of venues so much that the
arts council hopes to keep the
same locations for next year’s
festival.
out another point of view.
His broad experience, good
relations with other members
of the bar and excellent tem-
perament make him extremely
well-qualified to serve as Cir-
cuit Court Judge in Union and
Wallowa counties. We would
be very fortunate to have a
judge of his caliber.
This November presents a
rare chance to make a real dif-
ference in the quality of our
local bench. We endorse him
with enthusiasm and hope that
you will concur.
Sandra Purnell
Stephen Adams
La Grande
nesses, even those who look as
though they haven’t bathed.
I believe those traits are
part of his character, and I’m
confident that he’ll carry them
with him when he’s elected.
Wes is uniquely qualified to be
a Circuit Court Judge in East-
ern Oregon.
Martin J. Birnbaum
La Grande
Birnbaum is a retired
Union County District
Attorney
Former Union
DA supports Wes
Gov. Kate Brown appointed
Wallowa County District Attor-
ney Mona K. Williams to the
position of Circuit Court Judge
in mid-2018 after conducting a
thorough review and vetting of
professional credentials and per-
sonal background checks of all
candidates. Judge Mona K. Wil-
liams was the best qualified law-
yer at the time of the appoint-
ment and nothing has changed.
While serving as the Union
County District Attorney 2006-
14, I worked regularly with
Mona and her staff. I had many
opportunities to observe her in
personal and professional roles.
She is thoroughly enjoy-
able on a personal level and this
carries through into her profes-
sional life. She possesses impec-
cable integrity, a comprehensive
knowledge of criminal and civil
law and an admirable work ethic.
Most importantly, Mona has
a well-developed sense of fair-
ness, justice and accountability.
These qualities must be utilized
in the correct measure to insure
fair litigation and resolutions to
parties before the Circuit Court.
Litigants need fair hearings,
victims should he heard and
supported, public safety should
be promoted, and offenders
need to be held accountable for
their actions.
I urge citizens in Union and
Wallowa counties to support
Judge Mona K. Williams.
Timothy R. Thompson
Dallas, Ore.
I support Wes Williams for
Circuit Court Judge.
I have known him for
almost 25 years since he first
came to Eastern Oregon to
practice law. Our contact has
been primarily professional,
since I was then the adminis-
trator of the Indigent Defense
Consortium for Union and
Wallowa Counties and later
the Union County District
Attorney.
Wes and I faced each other
in a number of trials, so I’ve
had lots of opportunity to
observe him.
Wes has a set of qualities
which really suit him to be
judge. He works hard and is
always prepared, arrives early
and leaves late. He has a deep
love for the law and for ethical
standards.
Most important, he is a true
gentleman; he treats everyone
with respect –– not only judges
and lawyers and court staff,
but also his opponent’s wit-
Mona K. already
a judge; keep her
A5
MCCAIN
Continued from Page A4
less successful but persistent
attempts to improve immigra-
tion policies.
McCain ran for president
twice, in 2000 and 2008. His
primary battle against George
W. Bush was thwarted in South
Carolina, after a particularly
venomous smear campaign
against him took its toll. He
lost an honorable battle against
Barack Obama in 2008.
One of his best moments
in that campaign came in
response to a voter who
accused Obama of being “an
Arab.” McCain politely but
bluntly replied, “No ma’am.
He’s a decent family man,
citizen, that I just happen to
have disagreements with on
WEBSITES TOPIC
FOR CLASS
Wallowa County
Chamber of Commerce
will sponsor a
program, “Grow Your
Business by Growing
Your Online Presence,”
8-11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct.
2 at the chamber, 309
S. River St., Enterprise.
The session will
provide information
on how to maximize
your investment in
an online presence.
Katherine Cleland is
the instructor.
Individuals who
are clients of Small
Business Development
Center can make
arrangements ahead of
time to have a website
review completed.
Preregistration is
required. Course fee
is $59. Visit conta.
cc/2O3fR1M.
Training events have
included classes on Quick-
books and Quickbooks Pay-
roll, marketing basics, market-
ing on a budget, introduction to
social media, website tune-up
and more. Businesses are sur-
veyed to learn their greatest
needs to determine what train-
ings will be most useful, and
the center obtains grants to
support services and reduce
workshop registration fees.
The Wallowa County
SBDC office is at 401 North-
east First Street in Enterprise,
inside the Wallowa Resources
building. Call 541-278-5864
or email sbdc@bluecc.edu.
fundamental issues.”
McCain was a man of
principle, but also one who
knew the value of respect
and forgiveness. It is a last-
ing tribute to his spirit that
he honored both President
George W. Bush and Pres-
ident Obama by inviting
them to deliver eulogies at
his funeral. His pallbearers
included friends from both
sides of the aisle.
It is also telling that he
requested that President
Trump and his former run-
ning mate, Sarah Palin, not
be invited to his funeral. Even
as he faced death, McCain
understood that our country
deserves a high standard of
dignity and tolerance among
those who are expected to
make a good faith effort to
solve the nation’s problems.
WALLOWA COUNTY
Health Line
WES
WILLIAMS
FOR JUDGE
Integrity,
Fairness,
Experience
519 W. North Street, Enterprise
541.426.3413
Mon-Thurs 9 to Noon/1-5pm; Fri. 9-1
SPACE RESERVATION DEADLINE
for weekly advertising is 5pm Friday
for the following week. Ad copy is due
on Monday at 10am. Ads must
be approved by
.
Tuesday at 12pm.
Contact Jennifer Cooney today
for all your advertising needs!
jcooney@wallowa.com
541-805-9630
209 NW First St., Enterprise • 541-426-4567