Wallowa County Chieftain
News
wallowa.com
October 14, 2015
A3
State police lack proof that wolf
deaths were human-caused
By Eric Mortenson
EO Media Group
The lead Oregon State
Police investigator said the
agency does not have proba-
ble cause to believe humans
caused the deaths of the Sled
Springs wolf pair in August.
Senior Trooper Kreg Cog-
gins also said it’s unclear how
the wolves died. State police
use a standard of 51 percent
certainty in determining prob-
able cause, he said, and evi-
dence in the case did not reach
that level.
“At this point it’s somewhat
of a mystery,” he said.
It’s not always easy to tell if
an animal has been shot or poi-
soned, Coggins said. Decom-
position complicates investi-
gations, and the wolves were
found dead during hot August
weather, he said.
Coggins declined to specu-
late on what happened.
The environmental group
Oregon Wild has called the
deaths “suspicious” because
wolves have been killed ille-
gally in Oregon previously and
“there is a very vocal minority
that enthusiastically encourag-
es it.”
2'):FRQ¿UPHGWKH6OHG
Springs Pair killed a calf in
June. Coggins, who works out
of OSP’s Enterprise outpost,
downplayed the possibility
that the wolves were killed by
ranchers or others in retalia-
tion. Cattle have been attacked
by wolves many times in Wal-
lowa County, and no one has
shot wolves in response, he
said.
2UHJRQ ODZ GH¿QHV SURE-
able cause as a “substantial
objective basis” for believing
a crime has been committed
and a person to be arrested is
responsible for it.
Northeast Oregon Wolves
are protected under the state
Endangered Species Act and
killing them is a crime. But
their presence is controver-
sial, especially among cattle
and sheep producers who bear
the cost and stress of livestock
losses and of non-lethal defen-
sive measures.
The investigation began the
week of Aug. 24 after a track-
ing collar worn by the female
of the pair, OR-21, emitted a
mortality signal. State police
and Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife searched the
area, north of the town of Wal-
lowa, and found the female
dead. Coggins said he went
to the area the following day
and found the male wolf dead
as well. Police have said the
wolves’ bodies were within 50
yards of each other.
State police and ODFW
did not announce the deaths
until Sept. 16. OSP spokes-
man Lt. Bill Fugate said at the
time that investigators delayed
disclosing the information be-
cause they did not want to tip
their hand.
The pair had pups that
ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ DERXW ¿YH
months old when the adult
wolves died. A ODFW spokes-
woman said the pups have not
been seen, but they should be
weaned at this point and are
most likely “free-ranging” and
able to fend for themselves.
Joseph Church blessed with fellowship center
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Joseph United Method-
ist Church, located at 301 S
Lake St., in Joseph is breaking
new ground by doing just that
-breaking ground for their new
fellowship center. Construction
on the project started Sept. 28.
Rev. Cherie Johnson, pastor
of the church, says the whole
congregation is behind the cen-
ter, which has been about 15
years in the making. She hopes
to use the center for communi-
ty outreach.
“For starters, we’ll use this
as a complement to our Magic
Garden project. We anticipate
having a full commercial kitch-
en, and we’ll offer classes on
how to process food for long-
term storage, so people can
preserve their Magic Garden
goods or products from their
own garden,” Johnson said.
Another purpose for the
center is the lunches, which
are currently held downstairs
in the church. The area can be
GLI¿FXOWWRDFFHVVIRUGLVDEOHG
or elderly people.
“We’ll also use it to hold
classes whether they’re reli-
gious in nature or fellowship in
nature,” Johnson said.
As a ballroom dance in-
structor in a previous life,
Johnson has the intriguing idea
Bringing in bike bucks
Bicycle travelers contrib-
ute $400 million annually to
Oregon’s economy and spend
$124 more per trip than the av-
erage visitor.
But how does a NE Ore-
gon county attract that mon-
ey? Business owners can learn
how at the Bicycle Tourism
Studio program being put on
by The Eastern Oregon Vis-
itors Association and Travel
Oregon.
The free community plan-
ning program will kick off
with a region-wide workshop
for local businesses and or-
ganizations on Oct. 22 at the
Cook Memorial Library in La
Grande. Follow-up commu-
nity action planning meetings
will take place in Union, Baker
and Wallowa counties in No-
vember.
Participants will identify
and prioritize regional goals to
foster development of appro-
priate bicycling infrastructure,
business services and market-
ing activities, and motivate lo-
cal action and next steps.
All participants are asked
to attend both the region-wide
workshop and at least one of
the follow-up action planning
meetings. Pre-registration is
requested online at Industry.
TravelOregon.com/north-
eastBTS. There is no cost to
participate.
The region-wide work-
shop is scheduled for October
22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
Cook Memorial Library, 2006
Fourth St, La Grande. The fol-
low-up action planning meet-
ing in Wallowa County will
be held Nov. 18 from 8 a.m.
to noon at the WC Chamber of
Commerce.
BE EKE EPING
G AT H E R IN G
Lear n abo ut t he be ek e ep in g in
Wal low a Co un ty wi t h t he e x pert s.
Steve Tool/Chieftain
The congregation of Joseph United Methodist Church stand next to the foundation of their
new Fellowship Center. After posing for photos, the group broke into an impromptu version
of the gospel standard “Holy Ground.”
of holding dance classes in the
center. School tutoring is a pos-
sibility as well.
“There’s so many different
options we can explore just
by having the space,” Johnson
said.
Nearly all of the funds are
already available to pay for the
center’s construction as church
members have made various
pledges through the years.
“We’re really in a good
place with that. Some peo-
ple understandably said they
weren’t paying their pledges
XQWLO WKH ¿UVW QDLO ZDV GULYHQ
We may not have nails yet, but
we have rebar!” Johnson said.
The project coming to-
gether after 15 was due to the
perseverance of the church
building committee and single
board governance according to
Johnson.
As a relative newcomer
to the church, Johnson said
the vast majority of preparation
for the project was completed
by the time she took the helm.
Folk instrument
classes available
A beginning Appalachian
Dulcimer class will be offered
IRU ¿YH ZHHNV RQ 7XHVGD\V
October 20 to November 17
from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at the
Woodshed, 705 S. River St. in
Enterprise. The instructor will
be Heidi Muller, a longtime
player and teacher.
Cost is $95 and pre-regis-
tration is required. There are
dulcimers available to rent for
an additional $40. Some new
instruments are also available
for sale from the instructor.
One of America’s own folk
instruments, the dulcimer has a
sweet and delicate sound. It is
one of the easiest folk instru-
ments to learn, having just three
or four strings. There is no need
to have a musical background.
Chieftain Archives
Bicycle tourists from the group Cycle Oregon pass
through downtown Joseph.
Fall Signature Cocktails
Amazing Dinner Specials
Check out our deli / to-go items
Live, Local Music w/ Janis & Carolyn
Wed 10/ 14, 7:30-9:30 pm
Open 11am-10pm, Wed-Sun
HIGHWAY 82, LOSTINE • 541-569-2246
Stay Connected On Facebook
Gambling Problem?
Signs & Symptoms
• Deterioration of work performance • Problems in concentration
• Missing deadlines and important activities • Frequently borrowing money
• Gambling to escape boredom, pain or loneliness
• Lying to loved ones about gambling • Trying to win back money lost
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a gambling problem,
HELP IS AVAILABLE It's Free – It's Confidential – It Works.
Call today: Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness
541-426-4524 • Or 1-877-My-Limit (24 hour Helpline)
207 SW 1st, Enterprise, OR 97828
“I’m very proud of this
church and I couldn’t be more
excited for what they want to
do for the Wallowa County
community,” Johnson said.
Jan Lohman,
Vazza Farms, Hermiston, OR
Past President, Oregon State Beekeepers Association
Oregon Master Beekeeper
Maureen Kelly
Cove, OR
Potluck
All are welcome! Beginners and veterans alike.
Thursday, October 29, 6 p.m.
At M. Crow & Co. • 541.569.2285