NEWS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
A5
Banquet: Nine citizens given awards for their service to the community
Continued from Page A1
Leaders of America club.
Like most school teach-
ers, Dotson’s exploits go far
beyond the classroom. Dot-
son said she had held Cun-
ningham when she was a
child, and Cunningham’s
children as well.
Dotson,
like
virtu-
ally every other recipient,
accepted the award gra-
ciously and with humility,
remarking, “I was very sur-
prised and touched that Jes-
sie thought of me for the
award. It’s really an honor
to be chosen by someone I
respect so much.”
The Business Leader
Award, sponsored by the
Chieftain, saw business part-
ners Dick Stangel and Doug
Crow as recipients after their
nomination by local busi-
nesswoman Sondra Lozier.
The two men jointly own
Main Street Motors, an auto
repair and auto sales busi-
ness in Enterprise. Lozier
recounted their efforts in
2012 to build their success-
ful business in a historic
Enterprise building and the
fruition of their idea to start
the “Show and Shine” vin-
tage car show in Enterprise,
still going strong today. The
two men kept their com-
ments brief, thanking both
Lozier and local citizens
for their award and business
success.
Wallowa Memorial Hos-
pital registered nurse and
Enterprise mayor, Stacey
Karvoski, took home the
plaque for Employee of the
Year after her nomination by
WMH nursing chief, Jenni
Word, who also serves on
the Enterprise City Coun-
cil with Karvoski. Word
recounted not only Kar-
voski’s deft mayoral hand,
but also gave her kudos for
several major awards the
hospital recently received,
including the sixth-ranked
rural hospital in the U.S.,
Karvoski, who is the hos-
pital’s infection control
quality director, was quick
to give credit to those she
worked with for her success.
“I don’t do this all
myself,” she said. “Every-
one works hard.”
Long-time
Fishtrap
employee, Cameron Scott,
won the Leader in Arts
award, sponsored by the
Josephy Center for Arts and
Culture, after his nomina-
tion by Fishtrap executive
director, Shannon McNer-
ney. Scott received the
nomination for his selfless
efforts regarding his Youth
Story Lab, that teaches Wal-
lowa County students to
tell their stories through all
forms of media, including
writing. Having taught lit-
erally hundreds of students,
their descriptions of him
ranged from passionate,
caring, and inspiring among
others. “Every time some-
one gets their own voice a
little better and feels more
empowered to do their own
writing or own good work
from knowing their voice
is even more awesome.”
After crediting the impor-
tance of collaboration, Scott
continued, “a single voice
is like a single steelhead
retiring to a river system.
‘I WAS VERY SURPRISED AND TOUCHED THAT JESSIE
THOUGHT OF ME FOR THE AWARD. IT’S REALLY AN HONOR
TO BE CHOSEN BY SOMEONE I RESPECT SO MUCH.’
Marla Dotson, teacher and adviser for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club
Steve Tool/Chieftain
This heartfelt hug from Jessie Cunningham, (L) Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce, to long-time Joseph Charter School
teacher and mentor Marla Dotson typified the good feeling of the chamber’s Citizen Awards Banquet on Sunday, Feb. 27.
Cunnningham selected Dotson for the President’s Award for her selfless service to both Cunningham and her students.
Nancy Roberts
Andy Marcum
Tens of thousands of return-
ing fish are way better than
one. That is when fishing
can start to sustain an entire
community.”
Wallowa teacher Nancy
Roberts earned the Educa-
tor of the Year for her Title
I work in both reading and
Matt Howard
math. The program now
reaches all students in the
school, thanks to her efforts.
Her dedication to students is
shown not only through her
endless patience and ready
laugh, but by the 50-plus
miles she drives each day
from Joseph to Wallowa.
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Doug Crow
Dick Stangel
Cameron Scott
Nominated by fellow
instructor Marilyn Soares,
who said Roberts deserves
the award every year, the
recipient said,”I’m passion-
ate about what I do.”
The Oregon Department
of Forestry Wallowa Dis-
trict Office received the
Stacey Karvoski
nod for Leader in Natu-
ral Resources, sponsored
by Wallowa Resources.
Unit Forester, Matt How-
ard, brought several of his
employees with him as he
recounted the value of vari-
ous firefighters and foresters
he works with. In addition
to firefighting, the group
also promotes forest health
through providing free tech-
nical assistance for healthy
forests to private landowners
both large and small. They
also serve on the county’s
Natural Resources Advisory
Committee that advises the
county on resource issues.
During his audience
address, Howard said, “This
is the most selfless group
of foresters and firefighters
I’ve ever met.”
Julie Wheeler, president/
director of Divide Camp
secured the honor of Leader
in Non-Profits award for her
selfless dedication to the
camp, both financially and
with her vision. Wallowa
County
Commissioner,
Todd Nash, nominated
Wheeler for the award and
told of the director’s vision
to start a nature camp on
the Big Sheep Creek Divide
with the purpose of healing
post-9-11 veterans.
Wheeler, with the aid of
volunteers, built the camp
literally from the ground up,
including refurbishing cab-
ins and property improve-
ment so veterans can heal
physical and psychologi-
cal wounds through nature
experiences such as hunting,
hiking, fishing and white-
water rafting and the oppor-
tunity to “get out of their
minds.”
Wheeler was unable to
attend the event as she is
taking care of her mother in
southern Oregon, but camp
vice-president, Andy Mar-
cum spoke on the director’s
behalf about her thankful-
ness for community support.
Nash added that if Wheeler
had something to say, it
would be, “I give all the
glory to God.”
In an email to the Chief-
tain, Wheeler said she
“couldn’t be more pleased
with how the mission has
grown” in the last eight
years. “I love the support
we get from our vendors and
friends in Wallowa County
— it’s the right place to go
to take care of veterans!”
The last award of the
evening, the Unsung Hero
Award, went to 92-years-
young, Hope McLaugh-
lin. No one deserved the
award more. Age hasn’t
slowed McLaughlin down
as she’s very busy in the
Wallowa Mountain Quil-
ters Guild, not only sew-
ing, but with patience and
humility, teaching others the
craft while acting as friend,
teacher and mentor. Mem-
bers of her quilting group
joined her on stage for the
award. Members Gail Hill-
ock, Linda Koloski and
Marietta Herincks sang
McLaughlin’s praises as
quilt members gifted her a
beautiful log cabin quilt.
Perhaps not surpris-
ingly, the award winner still
helps son, Erl McLaughlin,
raise and harvest barley and
wheat on the family farm
outside of Enterprise. When
she took the microphone to
accept the award, her words
were brief, but poignant, and
a fitting closure to the event.
“I want to thank the com-
munity for this award,” she
said. “I love you one and
all.”