The following is information about the four candidates running for two city council positions in the city of Wallowa. The positions will be determined by a popular vote with the two receiving the most votes in the Nov. 5 mail-in election taking over the positions effective Jan. 1, 2003.

Two of the four – Star Longley and Ron Philbrook – are incumbents while the challengers are Bud Phillips and Bob Keyser.

Star Longley

Star Longley has seen some changes in Wallowa since first sitting on the city council in 1990. He served two four-year terms on the council, sat out one year, then was reappointed to the post when Bob Lewis gave up his council seat to replace John Duckworth as mayor.

During his 11-year tenure Longley has witnessed the planning and building of the senior center, taken a role in the massive sewer project which was completed in Wallowa and been actively involved in plans for a new emergency services/fire hall building which just went out for bids last week.

At age 63, Longley has lived the past 57 years of his life in Wallowa County. He went to school at the Big Sheep Creek school before it closed and is a 1957 graduate of Joseph High School. His vocational background is in ranching and logging, and he moved to the city of Wallowa in 1973.

He argues that “the railroad has great possibilities down the road” and that the city needs to make an effort to attract train travelers to stop in the city of Wallowa. He says that there is not even a platform currently in Wallowa to encourage anyone to stop.

He admits that the economy of the city is not good and that efforts must continue to be made to attract business to the industrial sites within the city.

Longley contends that the Wallowa school system is one of the best in the state and attracts people who just want their children to attend school in Wallowa.

“Change is good to a point, but we need to retain our small town atmosphere,” says Longley. “Instead of all the people going to Enterprise and Joseph, we need people to stop here.”

Ron Philbrook

Ron Philbrook, age 63, spent 37 years of his life working as a longshoreman and has been on the Wallowa council nearly two years. He was appointed to the position to replace councilor Marge Sarmento who ran for and was elected mayor.

Philbrook likes the current mix of people on the council and enjoys the role he plays. Much of the time during his two years has been spent planning for the emergency services/fire hall building. He worked closely with Sarmento on finding financing for the structure. He was also involved in the final stages of the big sewer project which was recently concluded.

His future concerns for the city include the overall water system. He hopes to expand the storage and distribution system, the former by increasing the size of the city’s storage tanks. He suggests the possibility of a new well.

Philbrook lived in Wallowa from 1974-1980 when he ran an eatery then known as The Homestead. He has spent considerable time commuting between Wallowa and Rainier since then and moved back permanently in 2000.

A 1958 graduate of Rainier High School and a veteran of the Air Force, this is Philbrook’s first experience with city government. He did, however, volunteer four years of his time on the Rainier school board.

He would like to see more job possibilities come open in the community, whether through the creation of new business opportunities or the expansion of existing businesses.

Philbrook credits Sarmento for her diligence in securing funding for the fire hall.

Bud Phillips

It was a Chieftain editorial encouraging citizens to run for office which convinced Bud Phillips to toss his hat into the ring for the position of city councilor for Wallowa. At age 72 Phillips professes the conviction that senior citizens have extra time and should get involved in the task of filling public offices. He says they offer “mature wisdom and expertise.”

Phillips retired from the Oregon Parks Service where he worked for 20 years, most recently as a biologist at Fort Klamath near Crater Lake. He has lived in Wallowa 15 years, attracted to this area because of its rural atmosphere.

Phillips describes himself as a very analytical individual who looks at all sides of an issue before making a definitive conclusion. He has no platform for his campaign, but promises to “keep his finger on the pulse of the people and be open to listening to all sides of issues.”

In 1966 Phillips graduated with a bachelors degree in wildlife management from South Dakota State University.

He views the opening of the railroad to Wallowa County as having the potential to bring some good to the county as a whole. He thinks it can first bring in some tourism and eventually bring in other businesses as well.

He was disappointed that the pellet mill proposal for the Wallowa community did not reach fruition. Still he encourages the economic development committee to continue its labors to bring industry to the city.

In addition to running for the Wallowa city council, Phillips has submitted his name to be on the ballot for the proposed parks and recreation board of directors.

Bob Keyser

Bob Keyser offers a slightly different perspective than the other city council candidates in that he grew up in Wallowa, was away for about 30 years and moved back to the community in 1999. If elected Keyser says that he would try to determine if the community wants to advance and, if so, find out in what direction by creating focus groups to visualize what the people would like to see five to ten years down the line.

Keyser graduated from WHS in 1968, received his bachelors degree from Oregon State University in 1972 and received a masters degree in business administration from City College of Portland in 1989.

He spent several years working for International Harvester at a number of locations, working in credit, parts and in sales. For ten years he was employed as the director of the small business development center at Portland Community College, a position which offered the 52-year-old man the opportunity to travel extensively outside of the United States. His most recent employment was with Barreto Manufacturing in La Grande, a company which sells rototillers and trenchers world wide.

Long time Wallowa residents may remember Keyser as the fullback on Wallowa’s state championship football team of 1967.

Talk to Keyser about the needs facing the community and he immediately brings up the topic of economic development. He views the slow economy in Wallowa as the common denominator, or base, of most of the city’s problems.

He wants to get into the political arena to give back to the community, he says. He suggests that people vote for him because, if they indeed want it, he will be committed to facilitate change.