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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2019)
NEWS Wallowa.com Wednesday, March 20, 2019 A7 Veterans celebrate women’s month with Honor Quilts By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain More than 30 people showed up at the Eagle Cap Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4703 in Enterprise on Sunday, March 17, to honor women veterans. March is Women’s History Month, so attendees were there to honor the service of women veter- ans and the Wallowa Moun- tain Quilters Guild honored their service by handing out about a dozen Honor Quilts to women veterans in the area. The quilters’ guild and other VFW members also went all-out to provide a lun- cheon from the post kitchen with all the “fi xins” for the ladies. The guild brought out nearly 30 quilts to the gather- ing to give the veterans a wide range to choose from. The ladies spent a good portion of time before the meal perusing the quilts in order to choose one that suited their needs. After the meal the ladies (and one man) stood and posed for photos and a few shared their thoughts with the Chieftain. Cathy Cogan is a U.S. Navy veteran Radioman who Steve Tool/Chieftain In honor of Women’s History Month and their service, these 10 women (and one man) veteran spent a good part of their St. Patrick’s Day at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post eating a prepared luncheon and receiving Honor Quilts sewn by the Wallowa Mountain Quilters’ Guild. (Back row L to R): David McBride, Linda Carlsgaard, Patricia Welch, Holly Siebers, Tracy Murry and Michelle Musia. (Front row L to R): Janice Hill, Joann McBride, Holly Hutchison, Cathy Cogan, Sally Goebel and Cathy Cleary. spent 10 years in the service, which ended in 1997. It’s not going on her bed. “I’m going to display it on my couch in the living room where everyone can see it,” she said. “When they ask about, I can say this is where I got it. Sheriff: Rogers tapped for board of directors Continued from Page A1 Rogers said that west- ern sheriffs organized the group in 1993 to give voice to western states. He pointed to issues such as public lands and even civil rights issues. “Such as fi rst and sec- ond amendment rights,” he said. Rogers added the group has taken on several issues, but border security is the issue of the moment. Malheur County Sher- iff, Brian Wolfe, nomi- nated Rogers for the post. The board had two openings and only one per- son stepped to the plate. Wolfe and Rogers looked at each other for a moment before the Malheur sher- iff nominated him. A Mon- tana sheriff was nominated a moment later. Rogers thought he could bow out but the other Ore- gon sheriffs had a different idea. “They turned around and looked at me and said, ‘Don’t you dare.’” Rogers didn’t bow out. The fi rst round of voting between Rogers and the other candidate came out in a dead heat. Before the start of the second, Rogers was in for a surprise. “We had to step up and give a speech,” he said with a laugh. “I had like three minutes to prepare for this thing.” Rogers spoke about a speech earlier given to the group by former U.S. attor- ney general, John Ash- croft and sheriffs of New Mexico regarding “being rogues” and stepping up for what’s right, “and not what’s necessarily being shoved at you.” and the Air National Guard couldn’t fi nd a quilt rack for her quilt she’d received pre- viously, but she found a towel rack works just as well. “It’s hung underneath the military shadow board they gave me when I retired,” she said. much the guild charges for them. She said that the guild often has to track older mem- bers down to make the quilt presentations. “I’ve got a dozen names now that we could give away quilts to tomorrow if we knew how to make contact,” Koloski said. “We’re still col- lecting names. We’re told there may be as many as 1000 veterans in the county, and we’ve now presented about 125 quilts.” This is the fi rst year the guild chose Women’s History Month to make their presen- tations to female veterans “We thought it would be fun during Women’s History Month to emphasize that we have women veterans in the county, too,” Koloski said. “We’ll do it again next year if it works. We need more names.” The guild would like to know the name and address of every veteran in the county, so each one can have a quilt. Koloski can be contacted by phone at 542-426-8604 or email: lkoloski@eoni.com by anyone who knows a vet- eran who hasn’t yet received a quilt. Library: Enterprise library steps up to the plate Continued from Page A1 “I never even suspected I’d come close to win- ning,” he said.” The sheriff said that his post will be good for the county and for the state. “It’s going to give Wal- lowa County and the state of Oregon a massive leg up in voice in those conversa- tions we have in regards to public land issues and Sec- ond Amendment issues.” Sheriffs in the group tes- tify in Washington D.C. on occasion. Rogers said he hasn’t gotten a com- plete job description yet but he does know he’ll be in charge of the group’s elections. Rogers’ tenure on the board is at least fi ve years and possibly six. Although the Sergeant-at-Arms is the lowest post, serving on the board is not to be taken lightly and board member- ship has a learning curve, although members occa- sionally retire or are voted out. Members can rotate into other positions for that reason. “I could wake up tomorrow and fi nd myself president,” he said. The group meets quar- terly, but the sheriff said he won’t have to travel a lot as he can perform many of his duties via teleconferencing. He will attend a National Sher- iff’s Association training conference in Louisville, Kentucky. “I’ll pick and choose those things to go to that won’t hurt me or the county,” Rogers said. Asked how the new position will affect his work and personal life, Rogers had a ready answer. “I’ll be busier.” Building Healthy Families would like to thank everyone who participated in our College and Summer Jobs Fair! We look forward to an even bigger and better event next year. Cathy Cleary served in the Army for 12 years and also doesn’t intend to use it for sleeping. “I’m going to put it up somewhere where I can see it,” she said. Linda Carlsgaard, who served 30 years on active duty Sally Goebel, also a mem- ber of the Air Force, served 22 years, six on active duty, and happily received her quilt. “It’s going on my couch,” she said. “That way, I can let all the recipients know what I did to get it.” Quilting guild member, Linda Koloski, said the guild is trying to make quilts for every veteran in the county, which can be diffi cult. “We have a lot of names, but it’s hard to track them down,” she said. “Some of them are home bound and need to make arrangements.” The guild has 30-35 mem- bers who work on the quilts mostly a piece at a time. The Oregon Arts Council awarded the guild generous grants the last two years to help the quil- ters fulfi ll their mission. Doz- ens of hours go into making each quilt. Patterns are sought for their simplicity in order to accommodate the many dif- ferent styles of each member the quilt passes through. Koloski also said it can be diffi cult to get veterans to understand the purpose of the project. Some will initially say they don’t need any more blankets or even ask how and threw her arms toward the ceiling. Since Septem- ber, 2018, the Enterprise Public Library’s circulation has increased by 40 percent, including an astounding 54 percent in October 2018. Prior to June, when the county library closed, the City of Enterprise Pub- lic Library served about 65 patrons each day that they were open. Library hours were limited to Mon- day-Thursday. But visitors nearly doubled to more than 100 patrons per day once the county library shut its doors. Most of the new “custom- ers” were children who had participated in the County’s after school programs. “It’s really hard to truly serve that many people in a day, and give them the attention and help they need,” Rauten- strauch said. Rautenstrauch appealed to the city for more support. They agreed to add more hours, including Friday and Saturday, keeping the library open six days per week. That spread visitor’s numbers out a bit—and also brought in even more patrons. “I was really thrilled with the city,” Rautenstrauch said. “They really listened. When our patron and cir- culation numbers started going up, they squeezed out money for an 18-hour/week assistant librarian.” And so, Enterprise added Amber Edwards to the Library staff. “I love being surrounded by books,” Edwards said. “A lot of what I do is help- ing with interlibrary loans, and helping kids.” Edwards volunteered at the library before being hired. She works Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Recently, a $2,600 Ellen Morris Bishop Assistant Librarian Amber Edwards checks out books to Celina and Savannah Roberge while Librarian Denine Rautenstrauch works in the background (right). grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Ser- vices funded more than 100 new children’s books and two generous, anonymous donors provided $500 each for new book shelves to house them. The additions gave the library’s children’s area a new life and new look. In addition to standard library fare, you’ll fi nd toys, puzzles, and even a puppet theater on the fi rst fl oor. The children’s collection will continue to grow, Rauten- strauch said. “We have a $400 grant from Soropti- mists, and a matching $800 Pilcrow Foundation Chil- dren’s Book Project grant for rural libraries. The county library’s Chil- dren’s Story Time programs for pre-schoolers have a new life at the Enterprise Public Library. Building Healthy Families took over the fund- ing that supported Story- Time, and has continued support for the program, which is run by Jill Dough- erty. Between 10 and 20 pre- schoolers and their parents participate every Thursday from 10:30-11:30. The Story Time program includes a new feature: a toy exchange. “If you give a child a toy, sometimes they get tired of playing with it after awhile,” Rautenstrauch said. “The toy exchange allows children or their par- ents to bring in a toy that isn’t used much, and swap it for something they like bet- ter.” The selection includes games, puzzles, stuffed and soft toys, and educational toys. “Exchanging toys seems really appropriate for a library,” she said. ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING SUPPLIES ELECTRICAL & WATER SYSTEM CONTRACTOR PUMPS • IRRIGATION HARDWARE• APPLIANCE PARTS 208 S. RIVER ST. • ENTERPRISE, OR www.jbbane.com • 541-426-3344 UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA AND UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING TO DEMENTIA-RELATED BEHAVIOR An educational program presented by the Alzheimer’s Association® THANK YOU • Area High Schools • Wallowa County Juniors and Seniors • Blue Mountain Community College • Eastern Oregon University • United States Forest Service – Wallowa Mountains Office • Wallowa Resources • Winding Waters Medical Clinic • Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness • Bank of Eastern Oregon • Community Bank • Wallowa County Youth Entrepreneurship Program • Wallowa Memorial Hospital • Cabin Rentals at Wallowa Lake • Wallowa Lake State Park • Wallowa Lake Resort • Oregon Department of Transportation ALZHEIMER’S IS NOT NORMAL AGING. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Join us to learn about the impact of Alzheimer’s, strategies to address common behavioral challenges, stages and risk factors, current research, and Alzheimer’s Association resources. CEU credits available! Friday, April 5 | 2-4:30 p.m. Veterans of Foreign Wars 800 N. River St. Enterprise, OR 97828 This class is free but registration is required at 800.272.3900 Presented in collaboration with: Building Healthy Families 207 E Park St, Enterprise, OR 97828 541-426-9411
