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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2015)
Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com News June 10, 2015 A3 Enterprise free lunch program canceled By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain It’s good news and bad news for the free lunch pro- gram in the park in Enterprise. The good news is that more than 50 percent of parents in the school district make enough money that they don’t qualify for the program. The bad news Drivers rev up for new tax is that the Department of Hu- man Services requires 50 per- cent of a district’s students be in need for the program to be approved. So, the program is canceled, effective immediately, leaving about 25 kids (ages 1-18) with- out lunch unless private spon- sors are found. Organizers of the free lunch program learned of the change in eligibility when Community Connection Assistant Director Jeff Hensley sent in the usual paperwork and was told Enter- prise wasn’t going to qualify. “I said, ‘What? How is that possi- ble?’” Hensley said. “It’s very aggravating. We have children to feed.” The Joseph and Wallowa free lunch program is unaffect- ed and will continue as usual. The Enterprise program generally runs for eight weeks during summer break — ap- proximately 36-38 days. Based on last year’s numbers, Com- munity Connection Manager Connie Guentert estimates the program costs about $100 per day of operation. The program had been full-steam-ahead and making improvements, having recent- ly partnered with Building Healthy Families, which was providing their kitchen free of charge. “We were trying to save money and then: Bam!” Guen- tert said. So, it’s on to plan B. “I’m going out there and beat feet,” Guentert said. “We’re looking for sponsors willing to help us provide the lunches. We’ve got every- thing worked out with regard to menus and staff.” To sponsor a day, a week, or the whole program contact either Connie Guentert or Jea- nette Hibbert at Community Connection, 541-426-3840. sought for Hotel gets face-lift Donations ODNH¿UHZRUNVVKRZ By Steve Tool The Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce is cur- rently seeking donations for “Shake the Lake,” the annual WKRI-XO\¿UHZRUNVVKRZDW Wallowa Lake. Early this week, the Cham- ber reported that donations to date totaled nearly $3,000, but the fund-raising goal is $11,000. The Chamber asks for do- nations of $25, $50 or $100. Wallowa County Chieftain JOSEPH — It’s easy to look at the building that houses Ar- Wallowa County Chieftain rowhead Chocolates in Joseph and forget that another business Oregon is kicking things up resides just above it. That is the a notch in the state’s long-run- Jennings Hotel, an eight-room ning effort to develop an al- establishment currently under- ternative revenue scheme for going a complete restoration at roads, which lose more gas tax the hands of new owner, Greg GROODUVDVYHKLFOHV¶IXHOHI¿FLHQ- Hennes. cy improves. A Minnesota native, Hennes On July 1, the state will has lived in Oregon about launch OReGO, a new program 16 years, mainly in Portland, that calculates a 1.5-cent-per- where he owns a photo equip- mile tax for participating Or- ment rental business, and egon drivers for their vehicle several other concerns, in- travel over Oregon roads, and FOXGLQJ ³&DPS¿UH &RORJQH´ then issues either a credit or which is sold at several local a charge, depending on how stores. Hennes bought the Jen- much tax the motorist already nings Hotel in May of 2014 paid at the pump. and moved to Joseph several If this sounds somewhat months ago. familiar, it’s probably because Hennes started visiting Wal- an Oregon Department of lowa County over a decade ago Transportation (ODOT) pilot on backpacking and camping program has already tested the trips and eventually fell in love 1.5-cent concept, and in report- with Joseph. He returned to ing on this taxing alternative in the area once or twice a year December 2014, the Chieftain and got interested in the Jen- additionally noted that Wal- nings Hotel several years ago. lowa County Commissioner ³$ERXW¿YH\HDUVDJR,VDZLW Susan Roberts volunteered for was for sale, and I’d look at it the larger program that starts in every time I’d visit. I’d think July. about it, and eventually I took For this next, expanded the plunge and bought it,” stage, ODOT plans to begin Hennes said. with 5,000 vehicles, at most, di- Currently, the hotel hous- vided into segments according es a couple of resident artists to their fuel mileage: 1,500 that from the Josephy Center. In the get 17 miles per gallon (mpg) meantime, Hennes has gotten a or less; 1,500 in the 17-22 mpg team of seven designers from range; and 2,000 rated for better around the country who will than 22 mpg. each have creative control in 2'27 LQIRUPDWLRQ RI¿FHUV designing individual rooms. Michelle Godfrey and Tom Besides refurbishing the in- Strandberg, who visited Wal- side of the hotel, Hennes also lowa County and other North- installed a sauna and adjacent east Oregon locations late last shower for guests. For the week to talk up the merits of the moment, Hennes is doing the latest volunteer tax program, remodeling himself although reported approximately 2,200 he’s trying something that he drivers had tentatively signed hopes will enable him to hire up by the previous week. Sig- help: using the popular crowd- nups to OreGO’s “Interest List” funding site Kickstarter to help occur on the Web at myORe- ¿QDQFH WKH KRWHO¶V UHQRYDWLRQ Go.org. Joining the list early “No one’s done this before, and provides greater assurance of a once Kickstarter and crowd- spot when the program formally funding gained in popularity, launches July 1, at which time I thought it would be a good more details will be announced way to go about this. I can raise and drivers who’ve signed up funds without going to a bank,” can decide whether to follow Hennes said. through with volunteering. In Hennes’ case, Kickstart- According to Godfrey and er will allow individuals to Strandberg, most vehicles on contribute to the renovation the road today are suitable for the program because they have data ports, which have been common in vehicles since 1993. The state has contracted with SULYDWH WHOHPDWLFV ¿UPV$]X- ga and Verizon Telematics to provide in-vehicle devices that will report pertinent travel data while offering volunteers various value-added services, including, for example, one that allows the vehicle owner WR GH¿QH ³VDIH´ JHRJUDSKLF zones for a household’s teen driver to travel. “This is all part of a larg- er market that is developing around the connected car,” Godfrey explains. 7KH SULYDWH ¿UPV¶ GHYLFHV are both GPS-enabled. The OReGO program also offers a non-GPS device, available through ODOT. Because drivers of less IXHOHI¿FLHQW YHKLFOHV SD\ D greater number of gas tax dol- lars than operators of higher-ef- ¿FLHQF\ YHKLFOHV WUDYHOLQJ WKH same distance, members of the former group are more likely to see some reimbursement for what they paid at the pump. Oregon’s gas tax is 30 cents per gallon. This makes 20 mpg a kind of break-even point in the 1.5 cent program — the point at which gas tax collec- WLRQV IURP D YHKLFOH ¿JXUH WR 1.5 cents per mile. Godfrey says OReGO is designed to help the state de- termine if the per-mile fee “could be that long-term viable solution” to reversing the wid- ening gap in funding Oregon’s roads. By Rob Ruth All donors of $25 or more are entered into a drawing for a jet boat trip for two on the Snake River. The prize is hon- ored by Beamers Landing of Clarkston, Wash. Donations should be sent to: Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce; P.O. Box 427, Enterprise, OR 97828. 7KH ¿UHZRUNV VKRZ VWDUWV at dusk (around 10 p.m.) on Saturday, July 4. Weed Tour Friday Steve Tool/Chieftain Greg Hennes standing in one of his nearly completed Jennings Hotel rooms costs, exchanging donations for reduced room rental rates, or even a month’s stay for a contribution of $650. Other rewards include various ho- tel amenities or even art work when the renovation is com- pleted. “It’s a self-perpetuating animal, as people talk about it or come to visit,” Hennes said. Hennes’ 30-day Kickstarter campaign has approximately one week left, and the campaign has raised about 75 percent of the desired total. Hennes says he’s gotten responses from all over the United States as well as from overseas. People who contributed to the Kickstarter campaign can obtain rooms for as low as $75 per night, as compared to the $95-$125 nightly rate that ap- plies during summer months. During the winter, the hotel will revert back to artist residences. Hennes will choose which art- ists obtain residences at the hotel. Hennes doesn’t have a par- ticular time-line to complete the project. “We’re going to open RXU ¿UVW URRP SUREDEO\ DW WKH end of June. We’re taking it one room at a time. It’s a labor of love, as they say,” he said. Now is your chance to learn about weeds. And get a free lunch. Wallowa County Vegeta- tion Department, Wallowa Resources and Asotin Coun- ty Vegetation Department are loading up the vans for the 12th annual Weed Tour, Fri- day, June 12. Learn from local weed managers about basic weed LGHQWL¿FDWLRQUDQJHODQGPDQ- agement for landowners, how to calibrate your spray equip- ment to best manage weeds, and collaborative projects to help you manage weeds on your property. This year’s tour will be held June 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Asotin County Courthouse Annex in Asotin, Wash. Transportation to Aso- tin is available. Vans depart from the Wallowa Resources Building, 401 NE First Street, Enterprise, at 7 a.m. sharp. Contact Ashley Spaur at 541-398-2626 or aspaur@ co.wallowa.or.us to reserve a lunch and a spot in the van. Sharon’s Bouquet of the Week Many thanks to Enterprise Flower Shop for the lovely affordable live bouquets! I’m blessed to know you! Sharon Summer Denim! Shorts, capris, Bermudas From Rock Revival Silver Miss Me Jag Mid-Rise Comfort! Sizes 0-16 Open Daily 10 am – 5 pm New Dinner Specials served 5-9PM Sunday Brunch 11-2PM Growlers & Winers filled Free WiFi & Big Screen TV Open 11am-10pm, Wed-Sun Uptown Clothing & Accessories in Downtown Joseph 12 S. Main St. • 541-432-9653 HIGHWAY 82, LOSTINE 541-569-2246 Stay Connected On Facebook