A6
COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Wallowa Lake Lodge prepares for new season Early 2021 arrival
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA LAKE —
Leadership at the Wallowa
Lake Lodge is hoping to
have a new, improved and
expanded deck completed
by next month — just in
time for the start of the new
season.
It’s the latest improve-
ment at the lodge, and one
that became a clear need
last year after the COVID-
19 pandemic forced business
outside.
“It became really appar-
ent last year when we had
to move outside as much as
possible because of coro-
navirus to stay open,” said
Madeline Lau, general
manager of the lodge. “We
had to limit our capacity in
the dining room by half, so
we could only get 42 people.
Also with the views and the
ambiance and the beauty of
our location, people want to
be outside anyway. It became
apparent our deck had some
structural issues last year.”
Lau isn’t quite sure when
the deck was assembled for
the 98-year-old lodge, but
thinks it was possibly built
during a major renovation to
the building in 1988.
Lau said the old deck was
ripped out during the winter,
and the rebuild started April
5.
Madeline Lau/Contributed Photo
Progress is made on the new bowtie deck being built at the
Wallowa Lake Lodge.
The new deck will have
a bowtie design and, at
roughly 2,000 square feet,
will be about 30% larger
than the one it’s replacing.
The new deck will be built of
cedar, and will include posts
made of locally sourced juni-
per, juniper burls at the entry
and a stainless-steel tension
cable for the railing. The
deck is being built by local
community members.
The hope is to have the
deck completed by May 21,
in time for the lodge’s open-
ing on May 28.
“It’s our goal to make
the most beautiful deck in
Eastern Oregon and a place
where everyone is welcome,”
she said.
It’s a season where Lau
hopes to see a vision of the
lodge being used by both
locals and tourists. The local
community has sustained
the historic place and saved
it fi ve years ago.
“We are announcing that
I want the community to use
the lodge in a much bigger
way,” she said.
Lau said in the past, the
lodge has been more of a
destination for tourists, and
the locals have wondered
about the accessibility to
them.
“It is my goal to make
the lodge as accessible as
possible to the widest vari-
ety of guests and customers,
but also to see the commu-
nity use the lodge more than
they have before,” she said.
“I want this to be a gathering
place, I want the community
to feel very welcome here.
For a long time the lodge
was set apart and felt almost
inaccessible. We want to be
a place that the community
uses.”
Among the adjustments
this season, which will run
through Oct. 31, are restau-
rant hours being changed,
and now being from noon
to 9 p.m. Tuesday through
Sunday. It will have a happy
hour from 3-5 p.m. on Tues-
day through Sunday, and a
brunch from 8-11 a.m. Satur-
day and Sunday.
The restaurant will have
a “Scandanavian-inspired
menu,” Lau said.
There also is a plan to
have live musicians on the
deck from 5-7 p.m. Friday,
and pianist Gail Swart will
play Sundays from 6-9 p.m.
in the dining room.
With the deck coming in
at about double the expected
price due to a spike in
lumber prices, the lodge has
launched a gofundme.com
page to help with the addi-
tional expenses. The page
has a goal of $15,000.
“Initially, the cost of the
deck was half of what it now
is, so we can use community
support to get us there. Any
little bit helps,” Lau said.
COMMUNITY BRIEFING
effi cient application.
People can review a
sample application, program
guide and cross-program
eligibility chart for addi-
tional information. Recent
webinars posted on the SBA’s
YouTube channel also off er
more information. Links can
be found on the SBA’s social
media platforms. Also, the
Portland SBA District Offi ce
will host informational
webinars on Tuesday, May
4, at 3 p.m. and Thursday,
May 6, at 9:30 a.m. To regis-
ter for those, search www.
eventbrite.com or contact
pdxhelp@sba.gov.
Sip and shop at
Echo Ridge Cellars
ECHO — A pop-up shop
will be available at Echo
Ridge Cellars during Moth-
er’s Day weekend.
People are invited to bring
their mom and enjoy a glass
of wine while browsing
vendor booths. You might
fi nd your mom something to
express your appreciation for
all she does — from candles
and chocolates to baked
goods and much more. A
number of local vendors will
be on hand with a variety of
handcrafted goods.
The event is Saturday,
May 8, from noon to 4 p.m. at
the winery, 551 Thielsen St.,
Echo. Among those selling
their wares will be Denard’s
Bakery. Straight from Deana
Taylor’s certifi ed kitchen, she
off ers original recipe taste-
tested baked goods.
For more information
about the event, call 541-376-
8100.
Breath of Life
fundraiser benefi ts
cystic fi brosis
UMATILLA — The
Bearded Villain Oregon
Woodsmen are co-host-
ing a fundraiser in support
of Jessica Brown-Grooms’
annual cystic fi brosis fund-
raising event.
Those in attendance are
in for an evening of fun
while raising awareness and
money to help fi nd a cure for
cystic fi brosis. The event is
Friday, May 14, beginning at
5 p.m. at The Bridge Bistro
& Brews, 1501 Sixth St.,
Umatilla.
Tickets will be available
at the door — spectators are
$10 and competitors are $25.
Organizers promise that you
don’t want to miss this beard
competition. It will feature
multiple categories for beard
types, and no experience
is necessary. Those with a
beard, who want to partici-
pate, should send a message
via www.facebook.com/
rachelle.reed.73113.
Brown-Grooms of Herm-
iston, who has hosted a yearly
Breath of Life fundraising
event, was diagnosed with
cystic fi brosis when she was
18 months old. Those with the
genetic disease, which causes
the lungs to produce a thick,
sticky mucus, have a shorter
life expectancy. However,
because of advances made
through research over the
past 60 years, the life expec-
tancy, which used to be age 5,
now surpasses 40.
Continued funding of
research helps people with
the disease continue to
breathe. For more about
the disease, visit www.cff .
org; and for more about
the upcoming fundraiser,
EOU names winter
honor roll
Geoff Parks/Contributed Photo
Kim, left, Berlyn and Jay Bales in the barrel room of their
Echo Ridge Cellars in Echo. Echo Ridge is the second winery
— the other is Sno Road Winery, established in 2004 — to be
sited in the old town, formerly a major stop on the old Ore-
gon Trail in the mid-19th century.
go to www.facebook.com/
events/2911224389163317.
Bark Park
offi cially unleashes
with dedication
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston Bark Park will
host its dedication and ribbon
cutting this week.
The grand unleashing
event will include a Doggies
Got Talent show. Paws
Off Obedience will host a
clinic on basic dog obedi-
ence and commands. The
event is Friday, April 30, at
4 p.m. at the park, which is
located at Butte Park, 1210
N.W. Seventh St., Hermis-
ton. There is no admission
charge.
Her miston Parks &
Recreation gave a wag of its
tail to Oregon Trail Veteri-
nary Clinic, Pet Rescue and
PetSense for their support
and involvement with the
event. For more information,
call 541-667-5018.
Faith-based
gathering to unite
believers
HERMISTON — Area
Christians are excited about
God’s outreach in the region.
To further mobilize the
movement, people are invited
to attend RE:NEW Gathering
with Andrew Palau.
A time of prayer, inspira-
tion, worship and unity, the
event is Thursday, May 13,
from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at New
Hope Community Church,
1350 S. Highway 395, Herm-
iston. There is no admis-
sion charge, but people are
encouraged to reserve a ticket
in advance.
The gathering will include
believers from through-
out the region who will
learn from evangelist Palau
and speaker Jose Zayas.
Grab your family, friends
and coworkers to worship
together and fi nd encourage-
ment. For more information,
visit www.facebook.com/
cityfestGreaterHermiston.
To register, go to luispalauas-
sociation.regfox.com/herm-
iston-renew.
Restaurant
fund accepts
applications
PORTLAND — Regis-
tration for the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund (RRF)
will begin Friday, April
30 at 6 a.m. and thenSmall
Business Administration
will begin accepting appli-
cations via the Restaurant
Revitalization Award Portal
at https://restaurants.sba.gov
on Monday, May 3, at 9 a.m.
The American Rescue
Plan Act established the
RRF to provide funding to
help restaurants and other
eligible businesses keep their
doors open. The program
will provide restaurants
with funding equal to their
pandemic-related revenue
loss up to $10 million per
business and no more than $5
million per physical location.
Recipients are not required to
repay the funding as long as
funds are used for eligible
uses no later than March 11,
2023.
The application portal will
remain open to any eligible
establishment until all funds
are exhausted. Qualified
applicants should familiar-
ize themselves with the appli-
cation process in advance
to ensure a smooth and
LA GRANDE — Eastern
Oregon University named
629 students to the dean’s
list for the 2021 winter term.
Qualifying students achieve
and maintain a grade point
average of 3.5 or higher on
a 4.0 scale while complet-
ing a minimum of 12 hours
of graded EOU coursework.
The following local
students were named to the
list:
Athena :
Lawson
Denny III, Megan Phillips,
Malinda Swaff ord; Board-
man: Veronica Alvarez
Frias; Echo: Kaden Clark,
Michael Fisher, Natalee Sher-
bahn; Helix: Joao Pedrosa;
Heppner: Kellen Grant,
Hunter Nichols; Hermiston:
Vanessa Ambriz Mendoza,
Ryne Andreason, Lara Arri-
ola, Giovanni Gallardo,
Martin Heredia, Callie Ann
Hoeft, Andrew James, Isaac
Lambert, Jaime Madrigal,
Julia Maldonado, Anani
Medina, Michelle Munro,
Edgar Navarrete Ruiz,
Cecia Palacios, Ivana Pena,
Mario Rodriguez, Ashley
Seibel, Sheana Shafer, Elsy
Spears, Emily Wadkins,
Luke Walchli, Ericka Wells;
Irrigon: Kimberly Renteria
Montes; Meacham: Stefanie
Buckley; Milton-Freewater:
Eli Garlitz, Brianna Hernan-
dez, Kara Hoel, Ashley
Jones, Giselle Lopez De
Loera, April Martinez, Noah
Pratton, Amanda Stewart;
Pendleton: Samson Beck-
man, Alexi Brehaut, Robert
Brown, Katelyn Gould,
Aimee Gunter, Carter Habig,
Bruce Hernandez, Brittney
Jackson, Katelen Johnson,
Enes Kaplanovic, Brook-
lynn Lunny, Drew Lunny,
Jeneal Merriman, Erin
Monagle, Joseph O’Rourke,
Kacey Robbins, Adriana
Ruiz, Jillian Samp, Jessica
Thomas, Jonathan Wolotira;
Pilot Rock: Ellie Lankford,
Logan Weinke; Stanfield:
Larissa Castellanos, Jade
Martinez; Umatilla: Rach-
elle Nycz; Weston: Brittany
McGill.
— EO Media Group
of the Prairie Star
BRUCE
BARNES
BLOOMIN’ BLUES
ame: Smallfl ower
Woodland Star or
Prairie Star
Scientifi c name: Litho-
phragma parvifl orum
Welcome to our 18th
year of articles about our
local wildfl owers. Last
year, folks stayed home,
avoided group meetings,
and missed visits with
friends and family. So
Bloomin’ Blues shifted
to lots more photos of
wildfl owers, and cut back
on the text. Now, we are
shifting back to focusing
on a single wildfl ower per
week, and including more
descriptive information
about the plant.
Until last week, the
wildfl owers have been
showing up quite late,
likely due to a cold dry
spring. This week the
focus is on a plant that
usually starts blooming in
mid- or late May in lower
elevations of the Blues. In
spite of the late spring, it
appeared the fi rst of April
in our backyard here in
town, where we’ve never
seen it before.
Prairie Star is a well-
known member of the
Saxifrage family. The
scientifi c genus name,
Lithophragma, is from the
Greek lithos for stone, and
phragma for rocky place.
The scientifi c species
N
Bruce Barnes/Contributed Photo
Prairie Star, Lithophragma
parvifl orum.
name, parvifl orum, is for
small-fl owered.
Look for the Prai-
rie Star in grassy areas.
It grows in prairies and
grassland to sagebrush
desert and lower montane
forest. The plant ranges
from British Columbia and
Alberta, south to Califor-
nia, and east to Montana,
the Dakotas, and Colorado.
The plant is a perennial,
so once you fi nd some they
should be in the same place
in future years. Each plant
has a single simple stem
about 6 to 12 inches tall,
with two to three small
clusters of few fl owers at
the tip, and a few small
leaves at or near the stem
base. Each fl ower has fi ve
pink or white petals, each
petal having three pointed
lobes.
———
Bruce Barnes’ exten-
sive collection of Eastern
Oregon fl ora can be found
at http://fl ora-id.org. Reach
him at fl ora.id@wtechlink.
us.
PENDLETON CATTLE BARONS WEEKEND 2021
Presented by Beef Northwest Feeders LLC
Entry to All events for the weekend is by Donation Only
Friday - April 30, 2021: Doors Open 7 AM
Happy Canyon Arena
8 am-12 pm - Broken Circle Border Collies Working Dog
Clinic - Robin & Rocky Brown.
Pendleton Convention Center
9:00 am – 5:30 pm - D&B Supply Tradin’ Post & Gear Show
and Sale
Round-Up Pavilion
8 am to 4pm - Horse Sift and preview of Western Select
Ranch Horses and Working Dogs. An opportunity to check
out a horse and dog you would like to bid on at the Saturday
auction.
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm Northwest Farm Credit/Hodgen
Distributing Ranch Rodeo – Team Branding, Trailer
Loading, Team Sort and Roping Championship; Stock Dog
Roping & Mixed Branding (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
Saturday - May 1, 2021: Gates Open 7 AM
Round-Up Pavilion
7:30 am - 9 am NWSRA Steer Roping Qualifying Round
Convention Center
9am – 5:30pm - D & B Supply Tradin’ Post & Gear Show
and Sale
Round-Up Pavilion
10 am – 1:30 pm – Preview of Western Select Ranch Horses
and Working Dogs
Convention Center West Side Parking Lot
11 am – Ticket Sales – People’s choice – Cattle Barons
BBQ Challenge, Cattle Barons Beer Garden,
1 pm - Cattle Barons Buckaroo BBQ Challenge & People
choice Voting - Northwest BBQ Association sanctioned
competition made possible by Hines Meat Company
Convention Center
2:30pm – Introductions and Presentations @ Sale Ring in
Main Hall
3:00pm – Pendleton Whisky Western Select Invitational
Ranch Horse & Working Dog Sale
Round-Up Pavilion – Kick off with Speed Painter brought to
you by Helix Pub & Market/Pendleton Catering
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Community Bank/Les Schwab Stock
Saddle Bronc Championship (Doors open at 5:30 PM)
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm –Band in Arena brought to you by
Virgil’s at Cimmiyotti’s