Wallowa County Chieftain
Soroptimists offer
$2K for education
ENTERPRISE – The dead-
line is Feb. 15 for women to
apply to the local Soroptimist
club for a monetary award to
help with higher education.
Soroptimists present the
Fellowship Award to a wom-
an who is continuing her ed-
ucation with a post-graduate
(master’s or PhD) program.
Applications are available at
the Thrift Shop or by contact-
ing Carolyn Pfeaster, 541-886-
9395. Completed applications
must be returned by Feb. 15.
They can be mailed to Soropti-
mist, P.O. Box 127, Enterprise,
OR 97828 or returned to the
Thrift Shop
The award will be made to
a woman who: (1) resides in
the Northwestern Region of
Soroptimist International of
News
wallowa.com
the Americas; (2) is established
in business or a profession;
(3) holds a bachelor’s or mas-
ter’s degree from an accredited
college or university; and (4)
presents a plan of worthwhile
post-graduate study at an ac-
credited college or university
leading to an advanced degree
or to enhance standing or com-
petence in her business or pro-
fession.
The Soroptimist club will
provide a cash grant of $2,000
to its award recipient. The Fel-
lowship Award will be paid in
its entirety to the college or
university the recipient attends.
For more information about
how Soroptimist improves the
lives of women and girls, call
Dolores Bridges at 541-432-
0467.
January 21, 2015
A3
MAYOR: Councilors sworn in
Continued from Page A1
He told the council that
implementing the proposal
would be “an arduous pro-
cess” necessitating a change
to the city’s charter, “but I
would like you to have that
in the back of your mind,” the
mayor said.
In advocating a longer
term, Lear argued that two
years was too short a period
for any mayor “to get things
evolved.”
Lear also talked about pub-
lic perceptions of the city’s
workforce. “People are con-
cerned about the salaries of
the employees of the city,” he
said, but he doesn’t personally
agree with that view. “I don’t
think that our salaries are out
of line in any way,” Lear said.
He supports more detailed
employee performance stan-
Enterprise city
councilors, from
left, Laura Miller,
Jenni Word, and
Dave Elliott are
sworn into office
Tuesday night,
Jan. 13, during the
monthly regular
meeting of city
government.
Elliott is the
Enterprise
council’s only new
member.
Rob Ruth/Chieftain
dards, however, and these
would form the substance for
regular employee reviews. “I
think that we as a council have
to be accountable. I think the
people that do the work have
to be accountable,” the mayor
said.
Yet another major focus
area Lear suggests for this
term: greater consistency in
enforcing city ordinances.
He said the practice current-
ly is that “some ordinances
we enforce and we enforce
vigorously,” while with many
others “we are lackadaisical.”
He concedes that part of
the problem is with the or-
dinances themselves, so he
says the city should fix that.
“Let’s enforce them all, and if
we have to change them, let’s
change them,” Lear said.
MULLER: Couple tours, teaches music, hosts concerts
“When I got to Seattle I start-
ed playing music and hooked up
with other people who played,
and I started doing that and
school fell by the wayside.”
Muller worked various “out-
side” jobs as needed in order to
help ends meet, but she dedicat-
ed herself to a music career.
“I’d work for awhile and
make money, then I’d get tired
of it and work on music. I taught
guitar and dulcimer lessons
in Seattle and made nearly as
much money as I did working.
The only problem with the les-
sons was people quit in sum-
mertime without any notice,”
Muller said.
Muller continued the work/
music cycle for 19 years and
met and formed a songwriters
group with Janis Carper, the
current executive director of the
Wallowa Valley Music Alliance.
In 2000 Muller left Seat-
tle for New Jersey to care for
her mother. During that period
she met her future music and
life partner Bob Webb at a mu-
sic conference. Although they
didn’t see each other for two
years afterward, they eventually
reconnected and became a cou-
ple shortly after that.
Muller and Webb lived in
West Virginia for the next seven
years and Webb introduced her
to teaching music to children, an
activity Muller had little experi-
ence in at the time.
Muller stayed in touch with
Carper, who had moved to the
Wallowa Valley. Eventually, In
2003, Muller started booking
music tours in the Northwest so
she wouldn’t lose touch with the
region. Webb eventually joined
her and they performed one of
their first concerts at Fishtrap
House. “We kept coming back
because the people are so wel-
coming here and I eventually
taught a summer Fishtrap song-
writing class,” Muller said.
Muller and Webb, with the
encouragement of friends, de-
cided to relocate to the area.
“We could have relocated to Se-
attle or Tacoma, but we wanted
a small town where it’s easier
to get to know people,” Muller
said.
In 2012 Muller and Webb
moved to the area while book-
ing a string of Northwest con-
certs. They still work as local
and touring musicians and as
music teachers.
Looking back on her career
and influences, Muller named
Joni Mitchell as the musician
who most influenced her.
A defining moment in
WALDEN: Representative talks forest plan
Continued from Page A1
Walden spoke of his seat
on the Energy and Commerce
committee, as well as, his
chairmanship of the Com-
munications and Technology
sub-committee. Walden cited
the sub-committee’s impor-
tance of obtaining broadband
Internet for rural areas and the
inherent community growth
associated with it.
While Walden spoke of
other legislation to overturn
laws on Obamacare and oth-
er issues, including the Key-
stone Pipeline, he admitted
the Republicans did not have
the votes to override a presi-
dential veto.
Walden mentioned the
Blue Mountain Forest Plan
saying, “Nobody probably
summed it up better than
Bruce (Dunn, chairman of
the Wallowa County Natural
Resources Advisory Commit-
tee) in his public analysis in
the paper.” Walden referred
to a Jan. 7 newspaper article
in which the Chieftain quot-
ed Dunn as saying the plan
“sucks.”
Walden said, “The plan
does not produce the timber
resource we need and frankly,
the management that the for-
est needs, and I’ll do every-
thing I can to keep the pres-
sure on the Forest Service on
this.”
Walden also offered to
speak with the Forest Service
regarding the recent loss of
the Sled Springs Helitac to La
Grande and move it back to
Wallowa County.
Citizens kept their ques-
tions to rural issues in the
main. Walden reassured at-
tendees of his commitment to
forestry and natural resources
issues.
Showing sympathy for
local ranchers dealing with
wolves, Walden cited his
work in obtaining $1 million
in funds for lethal and non-le-
thal methods of wolf control.
He also declared his support
for delisting the wolf as an en-
dangered species.
On other forestry issues
Walden downplayed the cur-
rent Wyden/Merkley attempt
to increase forest harvest and
instead touted an indepen-
dent Republican plan which
he thinks has a better chance
of passage through congress.
Walden also mentioned sev-
eral pieces of legislation he
worked on to expedite timber
harvest including a law that
targets lawsuits filed by en-
vironmental groups. Walden
added the new Republican
controlled congress would
institute more forestry reform
although he again mentioned
the president’s veto pen in that
regard.
Walden criticized the
Obama administration on ev-
erything from Obamacare to
U.S. foreign policy, spending
and immigration. Walden said
the president probably never
read the Affordable Care Act
and also said the reduction in
the federal deficit is because
of Republican policies, not
the Democrats or the White
House.
Walden cited recent for-
eign policy decisions such as
the administration’s failure to
provide a representative to the
Paris Unity March. “I think
it’s wrong that someone of the
cabinet level or above wasn’t
there to stand in solidarity
with the people of France.”
He acknowledged no Repub-
licans attended the event.
Questioning the admin-
istration’s foreign policy,
Walden said, “There is a clear
understanding the world has
not gotten safer. Especially
under this administration it
has gotten more dangerous.”
Regardless of some of
the negative aspects of the
political landscape, Walden
promised the House would
do its best to rectify the na-
tion’s problems. “Our goal is
to do as much as we can in the
House … we make progress
and live to fight another day,”
Walden said.
Afterward, County Com-
missioner Susan Roberts
expressed her views on the
meeting, “The people who
come to these town hall meet-
ings are the people who are
truly interested in the well-be-
ing of our county and our na-
tion. I’m always pleased when
our representatives come and
interface with our people per-
sonally.”
301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177
BIRTHs
A daughter,
Graciela Alicia Rosaley Ramirez,
was born
November 5, 2014,
in Enterprise to Joseph and
Amy Ramirez of
Enterprise. Grandparents are
Nancy and (the late) Red
Rorden, Joe Ramirez and
Muller’s career came at the Se-
attle Opera House in 1992 when
she opened for singer-songwrit-
er Nancy Griffith at a 3,000-seat
venue.
Recently, the company
that publishes the famed “Rise
Again” folk songbook informed
Muller that they intend to pub-
lish a song of hers in their next
edition. “They called me out
of the blue for one particular
song and asked me to send
some others, and they chose
one more that has a connection
to this area. It’s called ‘Sacred
Ground,’ which has a piece in it
about Chief Joseph.”
As to leaving a legacy,
Muller says: “As a songwriter,
I’d like to know that some of the
songs I’ve written have mean-
ing for other people. When I put
them out in performance or CDs
my intention is that they ripple
out from the center and help
someone get through the day or
a situation.”
DOES YOUR PET HAVE
BAD BREATH?
10%
Savings
10%
Savings
On: On:
Canine and
Feline
Dentals!
Canine
and
Feline
Dentals!
, 2015
Month
Continued from Page A1
Offer good Feb 1-28, 2015
Pet Dental Health Month
s!
Present this ad for a
complimentary oral exam at
the time of your dog or cat’s
first visit .
706 Depot St. Enterprise * enterprisevet.com * 541.426.3331
Bobbie & Jerod Rogers
Adoption Fundraiser
January 31, 2015
at Enterprise Community Connection
Spaghetti Feed @ 4:30 p.m.,
Adults $15, Children $5
Auction @ 5:30 p.m. Music by Last Call
Auction items will include: pies/desserts, wheel polishing
service, hand crafted cards, Brad Wagner Metal Work,
$50 Simply Sandy’s Gift Card, Zel’s Gift Basket,
Handmade Jewelry, a Wood Bowl with Huckleberry Goodies,
Lee’s Carpet Cleaning Service, Wood Mantle Clock,
a beautiful Quilt & many more items!
(the late) Margaret Holguin.
RSVP to Bobbie Rogers: 541-263-2521
The Spirit of Agriculture
Every year begins with the hope of
good weather and better prices.
Some years Mother Nature co-operates and
some years she doesn’t.
That’s agriculture. But every year begins with the
faith and hope that this year will be the year.
That’s the spirit of agriculture. We believe in it.
Get your ag loans from us.
Bob Williams
Loan Officer
John Bailey
Loan Officer
Term
Loans.
Lines
of Credit.
Ag & Real
Commercial
Real
Estate
Loans.
Term
Loans.
Lines
of Credit.
Commercial
Estate Loans.
Hobby
Farm
Loans.
Member FDIC
Enterprise Branch • 101 Hogan St • 541-426-4205 •  www.beobank.com