LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Sixth graders ponder ‘If I Were Mayor’
IN BRIEF
Youths put
forward ideas
for leading city
Lending Heart,
hospital host
lending drive
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — What
may be the next generation
of political leaders in Enter-
prise was honored Monday,
May 10, as the City Coun-
cil recognized the winners
of the “If I Were Mayor”
contest during the regular
council meeting.
“Things would be dif-
ferent around here,” wrote
Luke Patterson, the fi rst-
place winner in his entry. “I
would make
sure that we
had a better
way to get
your opin-
ion heard.”
He rec-
ommended
Tyson
a suggestion
box with a
person designated to read
the suggestions.
“People need to be
heard,” the 12-year-old
Luke wrote.
Luke, the son of Pat-
rick and Amy Patterson,
was recognized along with
second-place winner Tyson
Herold, 11, son of Justin
Herold and Eva Barnes, and
third-place winner Celina
Roberge, daughter of Adam
and Donna Roberge.
All three are in Donna
Yost’s sixth grade class at
Enterprise Middle School.
As fi rst-place winner,
Luke will compete in the
state competition. Each of
the kids won “Buckskin
Bucks” redeemable at busi-
nesses in Wallowa County.
Luke won $100, Tyson got
$50 and Celina received
$25.
The state contest is spon-
sored by the Oregon May-
ors Association and accepts
entries from three grade-
level categories. Yost’s
class was the only local one
to participate this year.
First-place
statewide
winners in each of the three
categories will win a gift
valued at $500, accord-
ing to the OMA website.
These students will receive
their prizes at an awards
luncheon held during the
OMA Summer Conference
in North Bend July 29-31
“We
haven’t
actu-
ally asked the Enterprise
School District to par-
ticipate in the ‘If I Were
Mayor’ contest for some
time,” city Administra-
tor Lacey McQuead told

Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Enterprise Mayor Ashley Sullivan stands with two of the three winners in the recent “If I Were
Mayor” contest at the Monday, May 10, 2021, City Council meeting. At left is Celina Roberge,
who won third place. At right is Luke Patterson, who won fi rst. Tyson Herold, who won second,
was unable to attend the meeting.
the council April 12. “This
year, I was contacted by the
Oregon Mayors Associa-
tion and asked if the city
of Enterprise would like to
participate again.”
Student eff orts impress
Yost was proud of her
students’ achievements.
“I was impressed with
some of their ideas for
improving things in our
city, some of the improve-
ments that could be made.
They were really insight-
ful,” Yost said last week.
“It was one of those things
for kids in the sixth grade
where they could enter
writing contests and it was
good for them. They were
able to show patriotism
and have the freedom to
express themselves.”
Mayor Ashley Sullivan
also was impressed.
“I’d say Luke had me
feeling like he could teach
me a thing or two,” she
said last week. “It’s neat
that these kids know what
they want for their future
and can put it all into
words with such convic-
tion. They’ll be great lead-
ers one day.”
Although the kids will
have to wait until they’re
18 to run for mayor, Sulli-
van looks forward to their
contributions.
“I really hope we’re
lucky enough see one of
these students as Enterprise
mayor when they’re older,”
she said. “Local govern-
ment needs fresh, young
ideas to keep our small
towns thriving.”
Tyson
had
some
thoughts on private prop-
erty and animals.
“I would make sure to
say ‘no trespassing’ on any-
one’s property unless you
have their authority,” he
wrote. “I would also make
sure that there are no deer
or animal killings in town,
making most exotic ani-
mals illegal.”
Celina
wants
to
see repairs to cracked
sidewalks.
“I have tripped on them
thousands of times,” she
wrote.
The kids all recom-
mended improvements to
the city park and support
of small businesses. They
weren’t unmindful that city
government can’t just wave
a wand and order things to
happen — that most things
cost money. One sugges-
tion off ered was fundrais-
ers that would donate to
businesses.
Celina wants to see the
public pool brought back at
the park, having been told
of its former existence by
her mom.
Tyson wants to see more
support for sports and fund-
ing for any needed sports
equipment.
Other ideas also were put
forward, such as encour-
aging local Boy and Girl
SPRING
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Ed Staub & Sons
Energy Community Service.
201 East Hwy 82 Enterprise, OR 97828
541-426-0320
Not just
propane
Scout troops, encouraging
the wearing of face masks
amid the coronavirus pan-
demic — but not forcing
anyone to — a local movie
theater, a bowling alley, a
game store and supporting
the police.
As for a future in poli-
tics, Luke and Tyson both
would consider it, but
Celina wasn’t so sure.
“Probably not,” she said.
“That comes with a lot of
responsibility that I don’t
really want to deal with.”
Although the mayor
doesn’t have jurisdiction
beyond city limits, all three
kids were mindful of the
beautiful area Enterprise is
located in.
Luke, in particular, said
taking care of the envi-
ronment is part of being a
“good person.”
He recommended harsh
punishment on litterers.
“If someone is caught lit-
tering in the wild, then you
should have to pick up the
whole forest. If you are fi ne
with throwing your trash
into the wilderness, then
we are fi ne with throwing
the wilderness trash back
to you,” he wrote. “DON’T
THROW YOUR TRASH
INTO THE FOREST, OR
THE LAKE.”
ENTERPRISE — Lend-
ing Heart Community
Resources and Wallowa
Memorial Hospital are team-
ing up for an equipment drive
to take place May 17-21.
According to a press
release, donations for the
drive will be taken at the hos-
pital’s main entrance at 601
Medical Parkway in Enter-
prise from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
each day. Donations can also
be dropped off at the Wal-
lowa City Hall parking lot at
104 N. Pine St. from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m. each day.
According to the press
release, needed equipment
includes “wheelchairs, trans-
fer chairs, portable elec-
tric hospital beds, bed rails,
plastic covered hospital bed
mattresses, front wheeled
walkers, seated walkers,
commodes, shower chairs,
tub transfer benches, wheeled
knee walkers, hoyer lifts &
slings, canes (single point and
footed), gait belts and sock
and shoe assists.” Lift chairs
or other upholstered items,
items requiring a prescrip-
tion, or adjustments by a tech-
nician cannot be accepted.
Lending Heart had loaned
$63,000 of equipment in the
past 15 months, the release
states.
For more information,
contact Linda Bauck at
541-398-0196.
A3
Introduction to
needle felting
class off ered
JOSEPH — A class
introducing
craftsmen
to needle felting will be
off ered from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m. Saturday, June 12, at
the Josephy Center for Arts
and Culture, according to a
press release.
The in-person class
will be taught by Janet
Hohmann. Cost for the
class is $30. Preregistration
is required by June 9.
Needle felting is a craft
that turns raw wool into all
sorts of useful or decorative
items. In this class, partici-
pants will explore the tech-
niques of using felting nee-
dles to create a coaster and
then move on to making
a felted animal of choice.
Domestic sheep wool will
be the primary medium,
but other “wools” (llama,
alpaca, even dog or cat)
also will be available to
experiment with. Natural
colors and dyed wool will
be available. All materials
will be provided.
Because felting needles
are very sharp, this class
is for anyone older than 12
years of age.
No
experience
is
necessary.
For everyones health
and safety, masks will be
required at all times.
To learn more, visit
https://josephy.org/event/
introduction-to-needle-felt-
ing.
— Chieftain staff
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This week’s featured book
Broken
Horses
by Brandi Carlile
107 E. Main St.
Enterprise OR 541-426-3351
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