LOCAL
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, August 17, 2022
A9
Enterprise council OKs funds for sports fi elds
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — A new
request for funding for ath-
letic equipment was approved
by the Enterprise City Coun-
cil at its meeting Monday,
Aug. 8, presented by Jim
Nave of the Wallowa County
Athletic Network.
Mayor Ashley Sullivan, in
a press release after the meet-
ing, said Nave and the Pub-
lic Works Committee — who
met Friday, Aug. 5 — were
requesting the council award
the network $73,589.80.
The money would be to
improve all sports fi elds in
Enterprise, including back-
stop improvements at all
fi elds, an extension of the
high school backstop, new
dugouts at the high school
baseball fi eld and improve-
ments to parking.
Council President Jenni
Word asked for information
regarding available funds.
City Administrator Lacey
McQuead told the council
that the current Opportunity
Fund, which includes antici-
pated revenues from this fi s-
cal year, totals $74,000.
Beyond that, there was
leftover American Rescue
Plan Act funding available,
which totaled $29,924.51. If
the ARPA Opportunity Funds
are used, there is $30,000
remaining, originally allo-
cated for Enterprise business
assistance and resident assis-
tance, that can be moved into
Opportunity Funds.
Nave said that if more
funding is needed, he has
some ideas on possible
donations.
Word asked if a request
for funding support by
the schools would still be
requested if the council
approved the full amount.
Nave said he still will be
asking for support from the
schools.
The council then approved
Nave’s request, contingent
upon receiving the ARPA
funds. The funding will
include $29,924.51 from the
ARPA Opportunity Fund and
$43,665.29 from the Motel
Tax Opportunity Fund.
ARPA spending
Other business
In another matter related
to the ARPA funds the city
is expecting, Finance Offi cer
In other matters, the
council:
• Witnessed the swear-
Group sheds light on suicide prevention
Clayton Lamm
Cabinet & Countertop Specialist
Sales & Installation
Clayton@CarpetOneEo.com
MORE INFORMATION
For more information or questions about the event, contact
Tosca Rawls or Amy Busch at 541-426-4524 ext. 1031. Visit
the Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness website at wvcen-
terforwellness.org for a current list of upcoming suicide
prevention and education events.
Kevin McQuead that his
department will be receiving
the new computers over the
next month. He recognized
Brooke Langerman, police
department administrative
support specialist, for her
eff orts and assistance in the
transition of the department.
• Was told by Pub-
lic Works Director Shawn
Young that there were
some problems with resi-
dents moving through bar-
ricades after streets were
paved. Lacey McQuead said
she would place a notice on
Facebook, asking the pub-
lic to respect the barricades
and not enter newly paved
streets until said barricades
are removed.
• Set the next council
meeting for Sept. 12.
PORTLAND — St. Pat-
rick’s Episcopal Church’s
Main Street Garden has
received a grant of $2,230
to add fruit trees and fruit
bushes, along with a deer
fence, to expand its off er-
ings to the local food
bank, Wallowa County
Alternative
Education
High School and Head
Start, according to a press
release.
The American Asso-
ciation of Retired Per-
sons announced the award
Monday, July 25, as part of
an eff ort to help communi-
ties across Oregon that are
working to become more
livable for residents of all
ages. AARP is working
in partnership with local
leaders, organizations and
dedicated residents to help
make that vision a reality.
“St. Patrick Church’s
Main Street Garden will be
able to continue transform-
ing the church’s lawn into
an edible garden,” Vicar
Katy Nesbitt said. “AARP
funding will pay for fenc-
ing, fruit trees and bushes
that will be tended by our
elderly congregation to
serve customers of our
local food bank as well as
two local schools.”
Four
Age-Friendly
Communities
grantees
were chosen from across
the state. Grants were also
awarded to Ashland Senior
Services, the city of Philo-
math and Grow Portland.
The grants fund inno-
vative projects that inspire
change in transportation,
public spaces, diversity
and inclusion and civic
engagement. The grant-
ees were chosen from
applicants for the national
AARP Community Chal-
lenge Grant and are funded
by AARP Oregon. In June,
six national grantees were
announced.
“AARP Oregon Age-
Friendly
Communities
Grants seek to help com-
munities like Enterprise
become great places for
people of all backgrounds,
abilities and ages, espe-
cially people 50-plus,” said
Bandana Shrestha, AARP
Oregon state director.
“We know that quick-ac-
tion projects like these can
spark innovation and cata-
lyze long-lasting change.”
AARP is the nation’s
largest nonprofi t, nonpar-
tisan organization dedi-
cated to empowering peo-
ple 50 and older to choose
how they live as they age.
SEEKING SUPPORT?
If you or someone you know is seeking local crisis support,
call Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness Crisis Line at 541-
398-1175. For anyone in Wallowa County who isn’t in crisis
but is seeking additional resources, the WVCW has same-
day service available 541-426-4524.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or call the National Suicide Preven-
tion Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit
SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
the Hearts for Health Build-
ing at 606 Medical Parkway,
Enterprise.
This vigil is one of many
that will be held across the
country to bring awareness
to suicide prevention and
off er support for community
members who have been
impacted by suicide. Rawls
said the event will begin at
dusk, and that there is no
formal schedule.
“People can absolutely
come and go as they would
like,” she said.
WVCW dedicated its
work in 2022 and 2023 to
suicide prevention education
and outreach. They have
held several free classes and
trainings — open to the pub-
lic — focused on how to rec-
ognize signs of suicide, talk
to those at risk and get help
for individuals in crisis.
“Our hope for impact is
that we can continue to raise
awareness around suicide
prevention and to focus our
eff orts on providing treat-
ment,” she said.
DESTINY rse W Fai E r as C a K sen S ior
wa County Ho
cipated in the Wallo
ty. Wecks won
Destiny Wecks parti ting nine years of 4-H in Wallowa Coun well as senior
as
ple
ok
member, com
ior record bo
in reining, in
ion and the 4-H sen
4-H senior presentat ion in showmanship, senior champion other awards.
of
mp
st
cha
and grand
addition to a ho events. She left
her
n State 4-H Fair in all as Miss Teen Rodeo
go
Ore
the
for
d
fie
ves
ser
she
Wecks quali
as
o
de
Ro
the Canby
te Fair. Wecks
Tuesday, Aug. 16, for then will go directly to the Oregon Sta start of the
Oregon 2022 and nton County Fair, Corvallis, prior to the erican flag
the Am
was at Be
r where she carried
Wallowa County Fai the rodeo as Miss Teen Rodeo Oregon.
udly
to begin
Pro
OF
THE
Get ready to
get inspired!
Tosca Rawls/Contributed Photo
Community members walk alongside illuminated bags
during the inaugural Out of the Dark luminary vigil in
Enterprise, hosted by the Wallowa County Center for
Wellness on Sep. 30, 2021.
ing-in of new Police Offi cer
Shannon Emel.
• McQuead told the coun-
cil that Councilor Corey
Otten was not success-
ful in his attempts to con-
tact a member of the Oregon
Department of Transpor-
tation on the city’s traffi c
control concerns, nor was
McQuead able to make con-
tact with them. For now, the
discussion is tabled until
contact can be made with
ODOT.
• Heard the Library
Department report where
librarian Denine Rauten-
strauch said the summer
reading program had closed
out with 206 participants,
the most successful summer
program to date.
• Was told by Police Chief
Main Street Garden receives grant
Wallowa County Chieftain
By SHANNON GOLDEN
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
Wallowa Valley Center for
Wellness will be holding its
second-annual Out of the
Dark luminary vigil Satur-
day, Sept. 10, in honor of
National Suicide Prevention
Month.
The event coincides with
World Suicide Prevention
Day, a yearly worldwide
awareness event geared
toward spreading a singular
message — suicide can be
prevented.
Tosca Rawls, the center’s
public relations and devel-
opment director, hopes the
event will allow community
members to remember those
they have lost, bring people
together, and perhaps foster
hope by showing that sup-
port is readily available.
For the team at WVCW,
this year’s vigil is just one
of the many suicide preven-
tion education and outreach
eff orts it provides for resi-
dents in Wallowa County.
“Our community has
been deeply aff ected by a
rise in completed suicides
in the last two years,” Rawls
said. “We also just want to
shed some light on the issue
and reduce the stigma in
talking about it.”
Those who attend the
vigil can expect to see hun-
dreds of bags, fi lled with
battery-powered tea lights,
illuminating the lawn and
walkways in front of the
Wallowa County Court-
house in Enterprise.
Rawls said last year’s
vigil was a powerful way to
show just how many people
have been aff ected by sui-
cide. She noted that, for the
moment, the center plans to
make it an ongoing annual
event.
“I think that when people
saw the amount of lights, it
had a real impact,” she said.
“I think that it gave people
an opportunity to remember
those who had been lost.”
Between Aug. 17 and
Sept. 7, community mem-
bers are encouraged to visit
locations around Joseph and
Enterprise to pick up bags to
decorate for the vigil. The
bags can either be decorated
on-site, or personalized and
returned before Sept. 7.
Last year, Rawls said the
bags were covered in mes-
sages and notes remember-
ing those who had been lost,
pictures of hearts and rain-
bows and messages of hope.
Displays with bags to
decorate for the event will
be at the following loca-
tions: Wallowa Memorial
Hospital lobby, the Josephy
Center, Enterprise’s Build-
ing Healthy Families, the
Enterprise Public Library,
Winding Waters Clinic,
Wallowa Public Library or
Christie Huston submitted a
memo to the department man-
agers and the council explain-
ing the process for which the
funds would be expended.
Prior to purchasing the
items discussed, a resolution
must be passed. McQuead
said that the original approval
was quite generalized, as
department managers esti-
mated the cost for their pro-
posed purchases. Therefore,
prior to expending the funds,
a resolution, which will
explain the funds for each
expenditure and the exact
cost of the purchase, will be
required prior to approval.
sore d b y
on
Sp
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