OPINION
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
A5
MAIN STREET
Rich Wandschneider
Not going
anywhere, and
not done writing
I
n my column last month, I tried to pull
together 50 years on Main Street in
Wallowa County — and in the end, I
misled some people. Here are the mislead-
ing words: “I can’t leave without saying
that the most satisfying best part of the 50
years is the way we are now getting along
with the Nez Perce.”
For someone who has lived by the pen
— and typewriter and computer screen
— for much of my working life, that line
was, at best, ambiguous. Was it my last
column? Was I leaving the county? In
my mind I had rambled on over the 50
years in memory, and, totally caught up
in all the people and events I’d missed,
I was leaving that extra-long column
behind. It was an apology for the misses
— but not a promise to quit writing or
quit the county.
About leaving, I’m reminded of two
greetings to newcomers 50 years ago.
First, we were told that coming into the
county over the Minam grade gave us
two options. One, we could just drop
our wallets and whatever was in them
off at the top of the hill, and turn around
and go home, wherever that was. Two,
“come on in,” realizing that whatever
was in the wallet would soon get eaten
up, and that we might find a way to sur-
vive, but we’d never be able to afford to
leave.
The second greeting was to tell me
that being a native required at least four
generations in the county. Being 28 and
a bit smart-alecky, I remember telling
some pie-baking grange ladies that I’d
just come from the East Coast, where
native meant being able to trace roots to
the Mayflower, and before that I was in
Turkey, where being native meant dirt.
In the first acknowledgement that I was
in Indian country, I suggested that the
only true old-timers here must be Nez
Perce.
About writing: I came here in 1971
with a job with the Extension Service; I
worked with my best boss ever, Chuck
Gavin, for five years. During that time,
I dreamed of becoming a writer. I sent
stories of high school baseball and the
Kurdish and Turkish people I’d lived and
worked with as a Peace Corps volunteer
to magazines big and small.
After five years in the courthouse with
Gavin, we opened the Bookloft across
Main Street. I’d make my living with
other people’s words while I continued
to write myself. There were glimmers
of hope — a few short pieces published
in magazines and newspapers you’ve
likely never heard of, and once, an invi-
tation to send another story to the New
Yorker. They’d liked my baseball story,
but it “wasn’t quite right” for them. I
sent another, and another, and each time
the rejection letters got shorter and less
personal.
Bob Evans was a good customer at
the Bookloft, a drummer in local bands,
and all at once the editor at the Chief-
tain. Bob had seen my letters to the edi-
tor and occasional writings in the paper,
and he asked me to write a column
twice a month. He thought I should call
it “Main Street,” because an old-timer
named Ben Weathers had written one
called “50 Years on Main Street” a long
time ago — and Weathers’ old office
and sign happened to be in the Bookloft
building. He’d pay me $25 a month for
two columns, and ask the poet of Prairie
Creek, Betty Cornwell, to do the same.
Thanks, Bob!
In 1988, with help from Alvin Jose-
phy, a good summer customer who’d
become a friend and mentor, with Kim
Stafford, a poet in the Wallowa School
in 1978 who’d also become a friend,
and with a gaggle of local word lov-
ers including Elizabeth Oliver, Eve
Slinker, Don Green, Marylin Krueger,
Frank Conley and Janie Tippett — and
I’ve surely missed important ones — we
launched Fishtrap. It would celebrate
Western writers and writing in the West.
It did, and still does.
In my 20-plus years directing Fish-
trap, my own writing turned to grants,
press releases and letters to writers about
coming to Fishtrap. And when I moved to
the Josephy Center with Alvin’s books in
2003, I kept writing them — only now the
letters were emails, and most of the grants
are online. I began writing/creating other
things too. With experience at the fledg-
ling Nez Perce Homeland in Wallowa and
with Alvin looking over my shoulder, I’ve
been putting together Indian exhibits and
writing a blog about history and Indians
for the last dozen years.
I never made or saved enough money
to leave the county — if I’d wanted to;
and I’ve been able to keep learning about
the Nez Perce and to keep writing. I’ll
keep at it as long as you keep reading.
———
Rich Wandschneider is the director of
the Josephy Library of Western History
and Culture.
Meal and snack ideas for back to school
IT’S ABOUT
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS
Ann Bloom
A
ugust is National Back to School
Month, which seems appropri-
ate since schoolchildren across
the nation are heading back to in-person
learning. That noise you heard was the
collective sigh of relief from those chil-
dren, their parents and teachers. It has
been a long time coming.
With back to school comes the ques-
tion of what to do about breakfast, lunch
and after-school snacks for all those chil-
dren. After approximately 17 months
since many children have been in the
classroom, it is hard to remember what
a school breakfast, lunch or snack might
look like. Many children participate in the
federal Free and Reduced Meal Program,
which provides a free or reduced-cost
lunch and breakfast to students in Oregon
schools.
Mornings can be hectic, and the last
thing children and their parents need or
want to think about is what to make for
breakfast or lunch (if children pack a
lunch to school). Everyone needs some-
thing easy, fast and yet, nutritious.
Here are some ideas: A toasted, whole
wheat English muffin with peanut but-
ter or hummus (a spread made with gar-
banzo beans), plus a piece of fresh fruit
(a banana or some grapes) or a glass of
100% fruit juice, is one idea. The English
muffin can be substituted with a piece of
whole wheat toast. Another quick break-
fast is a bowl of cold cereal (100% whole
grain is best) with fruit or juice. Low-fat
or fat-free yogurt, coupled with a piece
of fruit and toast is also quick and easy. A
whole wheat bagel smeared with peanut
butter or hummus, is portable and nutri-
tious. Hard-boiled eggs, kept in a bowl
in the refrigerator, are a handy breakfast
item.
Breakfast should include a protein
source and a source of complex carbo-
hydrates. The complex carbohydrates (as
opposed to the simple carbohydrates of a
donut, or sugar-added cereal) take longer
to break down in the body and provide a
longer and steadier source of energy so a
person does not get hungry so soon after
eating. This helps to avoid that “crash”
feeling at 10 a.m. and the need to eat long
before the noon meal is available.
Just about anything can be turned into
a breakfast including leftovers, such as
soups, stews, even leftover pizza warmed
in the microwave. A tortilla, either whole
wheat or corn, can be spread with refried
beans and cheese, topped with a lit-
tle salsa and warmed in the microwave,
then once wrapped in aluminum foil it
becomes a quick, portable breakfast. The
point is something for breakfast is better
than nothing for breakfast, even if it is a
nontraditional breakfast food.
But what do you, as a parent, do if
your child is one of those children who
doesn’t want to — or can’t — eat break-
fast first thing in the morning? Some peo-
ple can’t imagine eating breakfast before
10 a.m. This is where eating breakfast at
school is a good option, since breakfast is
served a little later in the morning.
Sometimes one needs to think out-
side the box … the cereal box, that is,
and get creative. Macaroni and cheese
may not seem like a breakfast food, but it
goes down well and contains a lot of cal-
cium and protein that can sustain a child
through until lunch, and it is kid friendly.
Fruit smoothies are also quick and easy.
Both options can be made using gluten
free pasta, and can be made using dairy-
free ingredients, for those with food sen-
sitivities or allergies.
Lunches can also be just as easy as
breakfasts. How many of us can say we
grew up eating peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches, AKA, PBJs for lunch? PBJs
can also be a breakfast staple and a snack
food.
With a little advanced preparation,
sandwiches such as tuna or egg salad, or
cheese with sliced avocados and lettuce
and a little mayo, are simple and nutri-
tious. Make sandwich fillings the night
before and assemble sandwiches in the
morning to avoid soggy lunches. Lettuce
acts as a barrier between the bread and
the filling. Presliced lunch meats such as
roast beef are quick to put together in a
sandwich.
Again, leftovers can be turned into
lunches — soups or chili in a thermos, a
salad with dressing on the side, topped
with a little chopped chicken, bacon or
seasoned ground beef, etc. Whole wheat
crackers and cheese, with fruit and milk,
is also an appropriate lunch. Raw vegeta-
bles such as baby carrots, celery, cherry
tomatoes and jicama, with low-fat ranch
dressing, are a good way to get an extra
serving of vegetables into children.
After-school snacks can be varia-
tions on the lunch and breakfast themes
— yogurt with fruit, cheese and crack-
ers, etc. can help stave off hunger until
the evening meal and keep blood sugar
steady, which can help students focus on
homework. Smoothies are a quick and
easy snack that students can usually make
themselves. Smaller children can learn to
make smoothies with adult supervision.
Smoothies made with frozen fruit, milk
and yogurt are a refreshing end to the
school day.
Students with food sensitivities can
still enjoy the snacks and meals their
friends enjoy. For a gluten-free snack, try
gluten-free crackers. Sandwiches can be
made with gluten-free bread, too. For the
lactose-intolerant student, almond milk
for a smoothie is an option as are cheeses
and yogurts made without dairy products.
If you have time on the weekends, quick
breads (e.g., banana or zucchini) and muf-
fins can also be made with gluten-free
products and frozen for use during the
week. These are easy and are often a
child’s first introduction to cooking.
If you are looking for homemade
snacks, granola or do-it-yourself trail mix
are choices, too. Trail mix can be tailored
to children’s tastes and is easy for them
to make on their own, as a family or with
friends. Made with oats (these can be glu-
ten free, also), nuts and dried fruit, it pro-
vides a serving of whole grain, nuts (any
kind will do) and dried fruit (try raisins,
dried apricots or dried cranberries). As
with any meal item, take into consider-
ation food allergies (peanuts, soy, dairy,
etc.) and choking hazards with small chil-
dren when choosing snack or meal food
items.
For more information, recipes, tips
and ideas for back-to-school meals and
snacks, visit www.foodhero.org.
———
Ann Bloom lives in Enterprise and has
worked for the OSU Extension Service for
15 years as a nutrition educator. She
studied journalism and education at
Washington State University.
Gayle Beck Ladies Invite a huge success
TEE TIME
Rochelle Danielson
I
n all the years Alpine Meadows lady
golfers has hosted the Gayle Beck
Ladies Invitational I’ve not seen this
large of a turnout,” said Carol Marr, as she
welcomed local members and guests who
had traveled to Enterprise from Baker,
Union, La Grande and Lewiston, Idaho.
It was a surprise, indeed, to local club
members as it had only been two months
earlier that they deliberated whether to
host an August tournament because of
past participation, and also a diminishing
local group membership.
“Looking back at the successful event
we made a right decision,” said President
Rochelle Danielson. “The high energy
level shown among the gals projected a
feeling that everyone was ready to break
out, breathe fresh air, lighten up and
freely mingle after a year of caution, fear,
masks and mixed messages.”
Play on Tuesday, Aug. 10 began with
blessed warm, but not miserably warm,
weather. Thirty-two gals teamed in threes
and fours took to the fairways for 4½ to 5
hours in scramble play. After 18 holes of
crazy, challenging golf, the groups gath-
ered at clubhouse for a luncheon set in
a colorful Southwest theme chaired by
Donna McCadden and Judy Ables, with
chef Belinda Kunz serving salads. Winners
reaped golf balls and dollars, and losers
drank lemonade and lamented missed putts.
Winners — 1st Low Gross: Cally
Goss, Beccy Kramer, Tana Sanchez, Cheri
Lamb. 1st Low Net: Sandy Hudson, Dana
Endicott, Michelle Homan. 2nd Low Net:
Julie Earp, Linda Taylor, Tammy Craw-
ford. Highest scoring team: DeAnna
Grim, Mary Kerns, Carol Marr, Karen
Coppin. Closest to the Pin: Flight 1, Carol
Marr, 14 inches. Flight 2, Panky Haux-
well, 29 feet, 9 inchers. Closest to Line:
Flight 1, Carol Marr. Flight 2, Karen Cop-
pin. Longest Drive: Flight 1, Deb Koop-
man. Flight 2, Nancy Holub. Long Putt:
Flight 1, Sandy Southard. Flight 2, Beth
Hough.
Winners: Elks Tournament held in
mid-July.
1st Flight: Low Gross — 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd, Mike Walker, Kyle Crawford,
Dakota Hull. Low Net — 1st, 2nd tie, and
3rd, Josh Harmon, Tim Gilbert, Randy
Anderson.
2nd Flight: Low Gross — 1st, 2nd,
3rd, Dale Johnson, Chad Conrad, Michael
Walborn. Low Net — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Bran-
don Nobels, Lucas Stangel, Patrick Lynn.
Sole Survivor: 1st — Nick Januzzi/
Terry Lamb. 2nd, Dale Johnson/Kyle
Crawford.
Closest to the Pin: Mel Jackson, Mike
Walker, Mike Reynolds, Dale Johnson.
Long Drive: 1st Flight, Kyle Crawford.
2nd Flight, Jerry Hook. Ladies: Lacy
Weber. Straightest Drive, Terry Lamb.
———
Rochelle Danielson of Enterprise loves
the game of golf and has golfed for many
years at Alpine Meadows.