Debbie Lind
"Our community needs to remember the stories of the Maxville people and how it shaped their community and their history. Around every corner, there is a place, a time, a person that has made Wallowa what it is today.
As a volunteer I regularly attend Maxville events; and the people are hungry to share their story about what Maxville meant to them and their family. They don't want that story to be lost in broken down trestles or empty spaces of land where once stood their lives.
As a volunteer coordinator I help recruit people for the Maxville project. My work is helping bring into view a small slice of the Pacific Northwest history and give more people insight to the Maxville Heritage project. It is truly a fun and exciting venture to be a part of.
As a photographer, I am capturing the face of what is being done to restore Maxville's past. I am happy to be a part of capturing the photographic record of personal histories and the events that the Maxville project has revitalized in our community. It is not only a way of telling the individual’s and community’s story, but also to show the progress and support of the Maxville project. What I like best is photographing the faces of the people who are having fun telling their story.
I am living history, but at the same time I don't think of it that way. Let time pass, look back on my life and when I am 80, I can say 'I remember when....' Who knows, someone may just want to listen to me! What a good feeling this must be. "

Debbie Lind moved to Wallowa County in 1991 with her husband Ken, and their two children. She is the Wallowa Public Librarian. She has been a photographer for over 35 years and a member of the Wallowa Valley Photo Club for nearly 18 years. A few of her photographs have appeared in the annual calendar over the years. She uses her photography to design greeting cards and prints for sale. She enjoys writing children's stories and has published three volumes of poems in a collection called ON THE PLAYGROUND-Poems Inspired by the Spirit of Children and the Devotion of Teachers.