Wallowa Co
unty Fair
2015 WALLOWA COUNTY FAIR GUIDE
inside this issue!
www.wallowa.com
Enterprise, Oregon
June 3, 2015
$1
Schools roll budget dice again City still mulling police report
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
The Public Employees Retire-
ment System (PERS) issue has
been settled in a new direction and
schools are again gambling on po-
tential outcomes.
Patton
On April 30 the Oregon Su-
preme Court overturned a 2013
legislative decision that reduced
public employee retirees’ cost of
living adjustments from 2 to 1.25
percent.
See BUDGET, Page A7
or supported by a sergeant for
two months.
The Enterprise department
(QWHUSULVH 3ROLFH 2I¿FHUV normally has four full-time
George Kohlhepp and T.J. RI¿FHUV LQFOXGLQJ WKH FKLHI
Miller are still working over- when at full strength. Former
time, carrying a department that chief Wes Kilgore resigned
hasn’t been overseen by a chief in March, and Sgt. Michelle
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
Bloker is currently on medical
leave.
Other law enforcement is
helping out, but only on emer-
gency calls, said Wallowa
County Sheriff Steve Rogers.
See COPS, Page A7
FIREFIGHTERS
PAY IT FORWARD
Courtesy photo
The old and the (relatively) new Enterprise fire trucks sit side by side for comparison. The 1993 Pierce (left) is Enterprise’s “new” truck. The 1974 La France (right) is now the “new”
truck for Greater Bowen Valley FD.
ENTERPRISE GETS ‘NEW’ 1993 TRUCK AT A DISCOUNT FROM
PENNSYLVANIA, SENDS OLD TRUCK TO GREATER BOWEN VALLEY
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
T
alk about getting your
money’s worth.
Enterprise Fire De-
partment decided that 41
C HIEFTAIN
WA L L O WA
C O U N T Y
Wallowa County’s
Newspaper Since 1884
Volume 133 Issue No. 7
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years of service was enough for
their 1974 La France fire engine
and finally replaced it.
With a 1993 Pierce custom
pumper.
The new(er) engine comes
from Pennsylvania where a fire
department with plenty of money
was simply replacing what they
considered “older” engines with
brand new ones, said Paul Kar-
voski, Enterprise fire chief.
The new-to-Enterprise engine
is “immaculate, spotless,” said
Karvoski. “It has low miles and
low engine hours and we paid
$50,000 for it. Replacement for
this engine is easily $550,000
and this particular truck could
have brought (the Pennsylvania
department) $125,000 for sure.”
Enterprise didn’t pay the top
price, because fire departments
like to pay it forward and help
a brother firefighter, Karvoski
said.
See FIRE TRUCK, Page A7
Festival of Arts opens Friday JCS
super
retiring
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
June 5-7
Joseph Community Center
JOSEPH — Twenty-one Wallowa
County artists will participate in the 33rd
annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts,
the weekend of June 5-7 at the Joseph
Community Center.
In all, this year’s show will feature 201
pieces of art from 88 artists, working in
widely varying media, including every-
thing from bronze and oil paint, to glass,
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sale.
Wallowa County artists taking part in
the weekend festival include Tom Clev-
enger, Sam Collett, Robert Dawson, Mary
Edwards, Jean Falbo, C. Rene Fleming,
Jennifer Hawlins-Connolly, Teresa Hen-
ke, David Jensen, Shelly Johnson, Aimee
Jungman, Keith Kirts, Michael Koloski,
Mark Kortnik, Leslie Leviner, David
Martin, Kendrick Moholt, Tim Norman,
Malcolm Phinney, Dennis Reinke, and
Kirk Skovlin.
The weekend begins with a special
artist and patron’s reception on Friday
evening, June 5, from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets
are $25 at the door, but a limited number
are available in advance for $20. Tickets
are available via the Web at www.wallo-
wavalleyarts.org.
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Courtesy photo
Opening night at the 2014 Festival of Arts. The 2015 fest opens at 7 p.m. Friday,
June 5, with the artist and patron’s reception.
Admission includes the opportunity to
preview the art before the public viewing
days as well as a hand-painted wine glass,
free wine bar, and hors d’oeuvres. Award
winning artists will be honored as well as
the festival judge, Paul Hoelscher, profes-
sional artist and art instructor from Baker
City who was a featured artist on OPB’s
“Oregon Art Beat.”
The show continues on Saturday and
Sunday. Admission on those days is free.
On Saturday there will be art demonstra-
tions and music from 10 a.m. to 5 pm.
The festival’s popular “Night of Quick
Draw” is slated Saturday from 7 to 10
p.m. (doors open at 6:30) with silent auc-
tion, live music, food and no-host bar.
Admission is $5 and artists will complete
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1½ hours.
The festival concludes with Sunday’s
free viewing hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Established in 1981 to showcase the
bronze sculpture for which Joseph is not-
ed, the festival has grown to include art
of all media.
JOSEPH — She led the
school through such changes
as consolidating the elementa-
ry school into the junior high
and high school complex and
gaining charter school status
for Joseph.
But now Joseph Charter
School Superintendent Rhon-
da Shirley is retiring, even
though her associates believe
she’s still at the top of her
game.
“Mrs. Shirley is a vision-
ary who will be missed at Jo-
seph Charter School. Luckily,
the programs and infrastruc-
ture she has implemented are
established and will be valued
by many to come,” said JCS
teacher Laurie Altringer.
See SHIRLEY, Page A7