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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2019)
Enterprise, Oregon 134th Year, No. 35 Wallowa.com Wednesday, December 11, 2019 NAVY WIFE RECEIVES SURPRISE GIFT Desiree Nash given car show raffle proceeds By Bill Bradshaw Wallowa County Chieftain C hristmas giving was on the minds of all present Friday, Dec. 6, when Navy wife Desiree Nash was presented with an unexpected gift of $820 as the beneficiary of this year’s Main Street Show and Shine. “This was a huge surprise,” Nash said. “It’s absolutely amazing.” The mother of four children, ages 4 to 12, is the wife of Navy Chief Joshua Nash, a rescue swimmer sta- tioned in San Diego. She said her hus- band won’t make it home for Christ- mas, but he’s retiring in February after 20 years’ service. Joshua Nash, who grew up in the area, brought his bride here before they married and said, “This is where I’m going to end up; this is where I’m going to retire,” his wife said he told her. Originally from San Diego, Desiree Nash has been overwhelmed by the welcome she has received in the Enter- prise area. “This community has been so uplifting,” the homemaker said. “It’s a huge blessing.” Bob Rush, who presented the Show and Shine ticket proceeds to Desiree Nash, said this is the fourth year the proceeds have gone out to a deserv- ing person or group. He said that when he got involved, he put forth the idea of selling raffle tickets at the Show and Shine in August – put on by Main Street Motors – and award- ing half to the winner of the drawing and the other half to a person or group selected. Previous beneficiaries have been Meals on Wheels – twice – and Divide Camp. The Show and Shine was the brainchild of Doug Crow at Main Street Motors and Dick Stangel of Stangel Industries. NAPA/Thomp- son Auto Parts, the Enterprise Elks and Greater Enterprise Main Street (GEMS) are other key sponsors of the car show. This year, when asked who he wanted to be the recipient, Rush said, “I wanted it to go to a military family.” He said with the help of others, the Nashes were identified and selected – but it was kept top secret until Friday. The car show raffle ticket sales raised $1,640 this year. Rush noted that an error in communication had the supersized check Nash received for $810, but she actually received $820. Rush was in charge of selling the tickets, but he didn’t do it alone. He got parental permission for 12-year- old Danny Follett and 11-year-old Wyatt Sutter to help. “Those two kids did absolutely wonderful,” Rush said, adding that they’ve already volunteered to help sell tickets next year. Bill Bradshaw Ingrid Maly, 14 months old, was fascinated by all the sights and sounds – and the taste of the vendors’ cards, said her mom, at Friday’s Wallowa County Christmas Bazaar and Craft Show at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise. Upper Valley bazaars draw plenty of shoppers Vendors have out their wares galore By Bill Bradshaw Wallowa County Chieftain Photos by Ellen Morris Bishop U.S. Navy wife Desiree Nash smiles in astonished gratitude upon opening a Christmas card with a gift of $820 in cash from Main Street Motors and the Show and Shine car show. Her four-year-old daughter, River, thinks it’s pretty cool, too. From left, Navy wife Desiree Nash holding 4-year-old daughter River, Bob Rush and Danny Follett. Rush, Follett and Wyatt Sutter sold raffle tickets at this year’s Main Street Show and Shine in August to raise $1,640, half of which was presented to Nash on Friday, Dec. 6, on behalf of her military family. Rush noted that an error in communication had the supersized check made out for $810 but she actually received $820 in cash. Holiday gifts galore were on sale recently at bazaars all over Wallowa County, and nowhere more abundant than in the offer- ings in Enterprise and Joseph. They supplied everything from locally made arts and crafts to food, soaps, knitted and crocheted goods and even hand-tanned deer hides. Bazaars got started the weekend after Thanksgiving and really heated up this past weekend. In Enterprise, the Veterans of Foreign Wars post had 22 tables set up each of Fri- day, Dec. 6, and Saturday, Dec. 7, while also offering breakfast and lunch. Proceeds from the tables – totaling $440 – was split between the VFW and its Auxiliary, accord- ing to Sandy Kessler. Proceeds from the breakfast and lunch sold during the day also went to the VFW and Auxiliary relief funds to help veterans. One particularly noteworthy display was that of Mountain Men Medical, where Tyson Botts showed a variety of cutlery, many with handles made from antlers. Another display offered a variety of homemade soaps. Down the street at the Cloverleaf Hall was the Wallowa County Christmas Bazaar and Craft Show, also both days. Annika Maly was wandering the floor with her 14-month-old daughter, Ingrid, who was fascinated at all the sights, sounds – and tastes. “She loves it,” Annika said. “We’ve got- ten a lot of Christmas presents and she’s eat- ing the vendors’ cards.” Maryanne Spence had a display of wool items made from the sheep she raises just See Bazaars, Page A7 Winterfest adds holiday cheer to Enterprise Parade, other activities brighten foggy night By Bill Bradshaw Wallowa County Chieftain It was a dark and foggy night – but it was brightened with an array of col- orful, holiday lights Saturday, Dec. 7, as the 2019 Enterprise Winterfest Cel- ebration lit up the town. Winterfest events started with the opening of downtown stores but really got going when members of the local International Order of Oddfellows lodge lighted about 11 burn barrels along Main Street, with the idea that Winterfest-goers could keep warm – particularly later in the evening when the mercury dropped. They even said old copies of the Chieftain came in handy to light the barrels. “It’s perfect for this kind of thing,” Oddfellow Jeff Greene said. As the day progressed and the bar- rels warmed up, Santa Central opened at 2 p.m. at the OK Theatre. There, kids – and teens – got to sit on Santa Claus’ lap, tell him what they wanted for Christ- mas and get their pictures taken with the jolly red-suited character, aka Donavon Shaw, a former Enterprise police chief. One girl, 7-year-old Gabriella Pat- terson, said she gave Santa a pretty tall order. “I told him I want a hoverboard,” she said, adding that her 11-year-old brother, Luke, was more realistic just asking for a set of Legos. See Winterfest, Page A7 Bill Bradshaw Main Street Motors’ float bearing Santa Claus and all the trappings of the North Pole, including Christmas trees, reindeer and snowmen, won first place in the float competition during the Enterprise Winterfest Parade downtown Saturday, Dec. 7.
