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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (April 20, 2016)
BELOVED LOCAL ARTIST BOB FERGISON DIES. Page A3 Enterprise, Oregon Wallowa.com Issue No. 1 April 20, 2016 $1 Makin crowned CJD queen Aschenbrenner, Grote and Makin shatter previous ticket sales record By Scot Heisel Wallowa County Chieftain Scot Heisel/Wallowa County Chieftain The 2016 Chief Joseph Days court, from left: Princess Sarah Aschenbrenner, Queen Lauren Makin and Princess Taylor Grote. It’s been eight months since three local girls realized their dream of being named to the Chief Joseph Days court. On Saturday, CJD organizers got down to the business of crowning a new queen. When the dust ¿ nally cleared it was Lauren Makin of Joseph who emerged from an extremely close race to wear the queen’s crown. The announcement was made and ¿ nal scores were re- vealed at the annual Coronation Dinner and Dance on Saturday night at the Joseph Community Center. Sarah Aschenbrenner of En- terprise and Taylor Grote of Jo- seph will serve as princesses for the 2016 court, the rodeo’s 71st. After months of hard work and a long, dif¿ cult Coronation Day, all three young ladies al- lowed themselves a deep breath once the announcement was made by Rodeo Co-Chairman Terry Jones. And there were tears, most- ly of relief and joy. “I was good until I saw my family crying,” Makin said during the post-dinner dance. “That really got me.” Jones also announced that the trio “annihilated” the previ- ous record for ticket sales with a total of more than $91,400 — about $30,000 more than any other court in the rodeo’s history. All three members of the court confessed that they’d had very little sleep in the days leading up to coronation. Yet, earlier Saturday they found a way to put on a ¿ ne display of riding and public speaking at the Harley Tuck- er Memorial Arena. See QUEEN, Page A16 SEE THIS ARTICLE ONLINE AT WALLOWA.COM TO VIEW OUR 2016 CJD CORONATION DAY SLIDESHOW. Meet the candidates running to replace Hayward DeBoie, Nash, Wolfe eager to step in as County Commissioner WALLOWA LAKE LODGE SALE Investors group raises $3.1M for purchase and nine months of operation FINALIZED By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain With the sudden resigna- tion of Wallowa County Com- missioner Mike Hayward in January, commissioner po- sition No. 1 is slated for the May 17 election. Business- man Dan DeBoie and ranchers Todd Nash and Steve Wolfe have ¿ led for the position. Interim Commissioner John Lawrence is ¿ lling Hayward’s shoes until the new permanent member of the commission takes over in November. If any candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in the May primary, the seat will go to them with no need for a November runoff. All three candidates are slated to participate in a can- didates forum April 28 at Clo- verleaf Hall in Enterprise. In an effort to introduce the can- didates ahead of the forum, The Chieftain asked each for a brief biography as well as answers to four questions: 1. What is the single most important issue facing Wal- lowa County, and how should we address it? 2. Why are you running for county commissioner? 3. How do you intend to create time in your schedule to meet the requirements of the position? 4. Why should people vote for you? See POSITION, Page A8 Ellen Morris Bishop/For The Chieftain Joan Gilbert changes a “Save the Lodge” sign in Wallowa Lake Lodge lobby to “Saved the Lodge.” Gilbert designed the lodge’s posters and other artwork, and has been an important member of the team. SUCH A PERFECT OUTCOME By Kathleen Ellyn SHARES AVAILABLE Wallowa County Chieftain For a comprehensive inves- tors packet with prospectus, call 541-398-0305 or send an email request to info@ lakewallowalodge.com. W allowa Lake Lodge is pre- served. The organi- zation led by local investors seeking to purchase the lodge and preserve it from development an- nounced Wednesday (April 13) that it had closed on the purchase of the landmark property. The transfer of ownership has been a story of whirlwind action by local investors, the former owners who took the property off the market for nearly a year to give locals a chance to raise funds, and the Nez Perce Tribe, who agreed to take over the conservation easement of the nearly 10-acre property surrounding the lodge. Every step of the way history was made. Firstly, Lake Wallowa Lodge LLC was created speci¿ cally to preserve a popular tourist area from excessive development while still proudly em- bracing the Travel Oregon 7 Wonders of Oregon designation. Additionally, this will be the Nez Perce Tribe¶s ¿ rst conservation easement, established primarily for purposes of cultural resources and habitat protection and held in Courtesy photo Wallowa Lake Lodge in summer. perpetuity. The lodge sits on the headwaters of Wallowa Lake and in the past was an important waterway for a vibrant population of spawning steelhead. The Nez Perce Tribe is a partner in protecting this fragile landscape from being converted into a condo- minium subdivision. The tribe will hold a conservation easement that precludes development on most of the open ground, including the Wal- lowa River wetlands and adjacent uplands. And in a remote, rural county where environmental concerns often clash with concerns over livelihoods, the purchase of the lodge is an exam- ple of how various parties can come to an agreement if the plan is right. “This campaign to secure the lodge and land at the head of the lake is a testament to the vision and commitment of the community,” said James Monteith, managing member of the new company. “Local residents and friends of the county rallied in an unparalleled effort. I’ve never seen people stretch together like this to solve such a dif¿ cult problem with such a perfect outcome.” Through the combined efforts of local investors and support through- out the Paci¿ c Northwest, the new company raised $3.1 million to purchase the lodge and cover the expenses of a nine-month campaign. Investor Jay Graves, who helped launch this private effort after retiring as chairman of the Oregon State Parks Commission, expressed appreciation for the unique ability of investors to see the “big picture” with regard to popularity and pres- ervation. “We are so excited that the Wal- lowa Lake Lodge will continue to operate as one of the great lodges of the West and that this sacred ground of the Nez Perce will be protected,” he said. “We are eager to see the fu- ture of the lodge unfold and many more memories made through this inspiring community accomplish- ment.” See SALE, Page A8