H OW OUR LOCAL WRESTLERS FARED AT
DISTRICT TOURNEY IN E NTERPRISE
- page A9
www.wallowa.com
Enterprise, Oregon
February 25, 2015
$1
ODF picks Howard as unit forester
By Rocky Wilson
Wallowa County Chieftain
On Feb. 1, a change in the hier-
archy at the Oregon Department of
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and replaced him with the best qual-
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sition, a man who’s been working in
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Mike Shaw, who had performed the
duty as unit forester in Wallowa since
2007, was promoted to a position as
assistant to the area director of Oregon
Department of Forestry (ODF), based
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Howard, 45, who until Feb. 1 had op-
Becoming a unit forester has been a career
goal of mine ever since I came to Wallowa.
Matt Howard,
former fire
control
officer for
the Oregon
Department
of Forestry,
in Wallowa,
has been
promoted
to the local
office’s top
position of
unit forester.
He replaces
Mike Shaw
who was
transferred
to Prineville.
“
Matt Howard
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Wallowa.
John Buckman, ODF’s district for-
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agency, program, and area landowners,
and Howard was their choice.
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ence of working in Wallowa County,
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successful working with partners.”
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will shift somewhat from hands-on
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hind-the-scenes approach.” Because
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of ODF’s role within Wallowa Coun-
ty, says Buckman, up to 70 percent of
Howard’s new job will continue to deal
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See HOWARD, Page A7
Rocky Wilson/Chieftain
Bill seeks
to make
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required
Non-medical
exceptions for
immunizations
high in Wallowa
County
By Rocky Wilson
Wallowa County Chieftain
S.F. Tool/Chieftain
Wallowa Mountain Medical Clinic is being acquired by Wallowa Memorial Hospital.
TAKING CARE
HOSPITAL ACQUIRING CLINIC IN JOSEPH
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Directors of the Wallowa County
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Memorial Hospital against
The hospital intends to maintain
FKDQJHVLQUHLPEXUVHPHQWOHY the clinic in Joseph and add another
els and other health care pa- clinic on the hospital campus.
rameters, the hospital intends
Wallowa Memorial Hospital
to acquire Wallowa Mountain Med- :0+&KLHI([HFXWLYH2I¿FHU
ical Clinic.
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The clinic, located in Joseph KROGVSRVLWLYHDVSHFWVIRUERWK
at 100 N East St., has a scheduled entities. “Health care is changing,
By Steve Tool
I
Wallowa County Chieftain
and the focus is on hospitals and
clinics, how they work together and
getting more into seamless care,”
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Seamless care includes inte-
grating patient information, patient
tracking and other patient needs
between a hospital and clinic. “Any
hospital you know today is going to
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cause health care is changing — for
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said.
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ing a diabetic patient. “It’s far easi-
er to coordinate if you’re one entity
instead of two or three separately
trying to help the person with the
disease process. If you’re in one
system, you’re in the same comput-
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See CLINIC, Page A7
A bill currently perco-
lating in the Oregon Senate
would impact a higher per-
centage of Wallowa County
residents than it would those
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the state.
The bill, SB 442, would
make immunizations man-
datory for students attending
public schools in Oregon,
ending all the non-medical
exemptions that are currently
allowed.
Oregon State Senator Bill
Hansell (R-Athena), who
hasn’t taken a position on the
measure, says it’s expected to
pass.
Oregon is one of the least
immunized of the nation’s 50
states and Wallowa County
one of the least immunized
counties in Oregon.
Wallowa County Health
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that non-medical exemptions
from immunizations in Wal-
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higher than the state norm.
See BILL, Page A7
Cycle Oregon’s riders set
sights on county and lake
C HIEFTAIN
WA L L O WA
C O U N T Y
Wallowa County’s
Newspaper Since 1884
Volume 132 Issue No. 45
© 2015 EO Media Group
By Rocky Wilson
Wallowa County Chieftain
Courtesy image/WVAC
Cycle Oregon, an annual bi-
cycle tour through Oregon that’s
now drawing more than 2,000
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will spin through Wallowa
County in mid-September of
2015. Called “Hell on Wheels”
this year because the tour will
JOSEPH — The Wallowa of that total still needs to be allow cyclists the opportunity to
Valley Arts Council (WVAC) is secured.
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in the process of soliciting funds
Joseph artist Shelley Curtiss, GZDU¿QJ WKH 6QDNH 5LYHU WKLV
to construct and erect an 8-foot x chair of the WVAC, has de- year’s loop beginning and end-
10-foot stone-based sign to greet signed a prototype of the large ing in Baker City can take in-
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sign with the assistance of Jerry GLYLGXDOULGHUVXSWRPLOHV
The sign, designed to be Hayes, owner of Hayes Printing depending on day routes chosen.
lighted at its base, comes af- and Graphics, of Enterprise.
The only stop for more than
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Because the sign will be- RQHQLJKWZLOOFRPH6HSWDQG
City Council that designated come the property of WVAC, 17 when cyclists will be expect-
-RVHSK DV WKH ¿UVW FLYLF DUWV D QRQSUR¿W RUJDQL]DWLRQ GR ed to pitch their tents at Wallowa
and cultural district in the nations for its construction and Lake. According to the agenda
State of Oregon. Backing that installation are tax-deductible. for this year’s Cycle Oregon
designation with action, Jo- Donations can be mailed to tour, participants are encouraged
VHSK¶V FRXQFLO YRWHG HDUOLHU Wallowa Valley Arts Coun- — at their leisure — to bike into
this month to set aside $1,000 FLO32%R[-RVHSK25 Enterprise, bike into Joseph, or
for the sign’s construction.
stay at the lake to sightsee and
The total estimated cost of the
rest on Thursday, the 17th, after
See SIGN, Page A8 DUULYLQJ WKH SUHYLRXV GD\ IURP
SURMHFWLVDQG
Shelley Curtiss and Jerry Hayes designed a roadside sign that
would inform visitors that Joseph is an Arts & Cultural District.
Funds sought for
cultural district sign
ipant packets with no cycling.
Day rides for participants, who
typically come from most states
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miles.
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tour will take participants 51
miles from Baker City to Fare-
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bridge to Halfway, depending
Courtesy photo/Cycle Oregon
on the route.
Cycle Oregon’s 84-mile leg
In reference to Cycle Or-
on Sept. 16 goes on the HJRQ¶V :HGQHVGD\ 6HSW
scenic byway from Halfway 84-mile ride from Halfway to
to Wallowa Lake.
Wallowa Lake, the Cycle Or-
egon website states, “The ride
Halfway, an 84-mile ride.
from Pine Valley to the high
This is the 27th year for Wallowas is the most memora-
Cycle Oregon, which began in EOHZH¶YHHYHUODLGRQZKHHOV´
1988.
On Friday, Sept. 18, the cy-
The popular one-week FOLVWVZLOOWUDYHORQ+LJKZD\
HYHQW ZLOO VWUHWFK IURP 6HSW for 85 miles to La Grande, then
12 through Sept. 19, with Sat- conclude the tour Saturday
urday, Sept. 12, a day set aside with a 59-mile ride back to
to register and distribute partic- Baker City.