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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2016)
A10 WEDNESDAY July 13, 2016 Pay to play proposed for portion of Snake Wallowa County Chieftain Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Chieftain The Dragons in the Wallowas dragon boat club benefited from another killer workshop thanks to Rick and Colleen McLaughlin of the 200-member Golden Dragons race club in Portland. The team showed such improvement in a short time that the McLaughlins have committed to a third workshop before the Aug. 27 races. In this photo, Colleen is in the front of the boat and Rick is tiller. UP FOR THE CHALLENGE Local dragon boat squad ups its conditioning as out-of-towners plan August visit By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain T he Dragons in the Wallowas dragon boat club continues to grow and is looking for even more members as they prepare for the Aug. 27-28 race event on Wallowa Lake. According to race coordinator Michael Lockhart, 11 teams from around the North- west have submitted entry forms. “I expect more,” Lockhart said. “But we’re a going concern at this point.” The gathering will feature four separate events, two each on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s races will be a traditional four- lane, 500-meter race and a similar 250-me- ter race. On Sunday there will be a second four-lane, 500-meter race and two identical 250-meter serpentine one-lane courses. The serpentine course is an original Wallowa County invention that Lockhart, a former organizer of ski races, conceived of as a “water slalom.” “The dragon boat community is really excited about that,” Lockhart said. Most of the competing teams arriving from Portland, Vancouver and other cities will have years of experience, so the brand- new Dragons in the Wallowas have their work cut out for them. Fortunately, Wal- lowa County team members have exhibited better-than-usual fi tness levels for begin- ners, according to workshop coach Colleen McLaughlin, head coach of “The Golden Dragons” of Portland. Nevertheless, the practice sessions for the local Wallowa club must show rapid improvement in technique and condition if they hope to be competitive by late August. “It’s a very ambitious goal,” McLaughlin said. For that reason the club has decided that regular Tuesday and Thursday evening prac- tices can no longer accept “try it, you’ll like it” new paddlers unless their fi tness level is already very high. Two new paddlers of high fi tness levels came out for their fi rst time recently and did well, so if you’re in good shape, don’t hesitate to come on a Tuesday or Thursday, said head coach Nicole Bellows. Forest managers would like to charge a special recreation permit fee of $5 to $10 per passenger for people who travel on the Wild and Scenic portion of the Snake River. The proposed fee would be per-person, per-trip and would be collected from all boaters and passengers. The fee also would include individuals using outfi tter/guide services on the Wild and Scenic portion of the Snake River. The area subject to the pro- posed fee is the Snake River beginning at Hells Canyon Dam to Cache Creek Ranch (approximately 70 miles). Employees of outfi tters and guides would not be subject to the fee during working hours, nor would travel by private, noncommercial boat to any private land in- holding; or any person who has right of ac- cess for hunting or fi shing privileges under specifi c provisions of treaty or law. The $5 to $10 fee would be used to im- prove maintenance of developed facilities and historic sites used for recreation, ex- pand interpretation, address health and safe- ty concerns and provide extra river patrols. In 2004, Congress passed the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act which allows the Forest Service to keep 95 percent of fees collected at certain recreation sites and use these funds locally to operate and maintain and improve these sites. Deputy District Ranger of the Wallowa Mountains Offi ce Jake Lubera said the ser- vice was having trouble keeping up with normal operations and hoped the fee would help provide a stable funding source. “With this proposed investment from those who use the river, we will be able to maintain the sites to the level and qual- ity that people expect and invest in other needs such as education and safety,” Lu- bera said. See BOATS, Page A16 See RIVER, Page A16 Little Buckaroos ride again at CJD rodeo By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain The Chief Joseph Days Ro- deo will host the Little Buck- aroo Rodeo for special needs individuals for the second year on Wednesday, July 27 in the Harley Tucker Arena. This year there will be no age limit on competitors. There is no admis- sion fee, either. “They just need to be dis- abled in some way to be part of this,” said organizer Debbie Scudder of Enterprise. “I think this is going to be quite an out- reach to people with disabilities in our community.” Scudder is prepared for up to 25 competitors in the event. “The fi rst 25 that show up will participate,” she said. “This year Sports Corral supplied belt buckle awards for all competi- tors.” Sports Corral also supplied stick horses, hats and more for the event and are sponsoring the event along with the Chief Joseph Days board of directors. A volunteer cowboy or cow- girl accompanies every compet- itor, and the CJD royalty again will help out. Volunteers are usually very happy to step for- ward because the “job” is so much fun, Scudder said. See RODEO, Page A16 Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain 2015 CJD Queen Addie Kilgore shows the Hall twins of Pilot Rock how to run the barrels on stick horses during last year’s Little Buckaroo event. Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Katie Hall of Pilot Rock gives bull riding a try. Two-day invitational a success despite weather In regards to the weather, golf- ers who signed up to play in the 2nd annual two-day invitational tourna- ment last weekend at Alpine Mead- ows lucked out Saturday with omi- nous clouds but only a spatter of rain and a barrel of sunshine. On Sunday the same fellows weren’t so lucky ... the black sky opened with barrels of rain and not a spatter of sunshine. Although the 32 golfers who played the two-man best ball format Saturday were disappointed with weather conditions that caused the Sunday game cancellation, they de- parted for home earlier than planned Rochelle Danielson in an understanding, happy mood with prize payouts awarded to six of eight teams in each fl ight, and dou- ble amounts in skins. Saturday Team Winners: First Flight Gross: 1. Logston/Al- len, 68; 2. Boggs/Neyer, 68; 3. Corn/ Griggs, 68. (Determined by handi- cap and pops) First Flight Net: 1. L Homan/G Oveson, 70; 2. D Johnson/B Ables, 73; 3. Jolma/Rosbarsky, 74. Second Flight Gross: 1. J Har- mon/J Stoffel, 74; 2. D Duquette/M Gibbs, 75; 3. H Talbott/F Cornett, 77. Second Flight Net: 1. D Ander- son/J Cornett, 81; 2. J Kissinger/P Kissinger, 85; 3. Lynn/Beck, 87. Greg Corn won KP (closest to pin in one shot) on No. 1/10, 5’ 7”; Patrick Lynn, KP No. 4/13, 10’ 7”; Gordy Jolma, longest putt No. 8/17, 24’ 3”. Only two-person teams were rewarded, but there were excel- lent single scores recorded. For in- stance, M. Griggs had low gross for the fi rst fl ight and fi eld with a 73. And Howard Talbott had low gross for the second fl ight of 79. Saturday was a day of good golf. Entry handicaps ranged from low “one” handicap to high in the low 20s. Birdies were numerous, and our hometown boys scored well. Lance Homan birdied Nos. 5, 11, 16 and 18. Marvin Gibbs, Nos. 6 and 8. Bill Ables, No.s 6, 14 and 15. Dean Duquette, No. 14. Jeff Stoffel, Nos. 8 and 18. Dick Anderson, No. 7. Terry Decker No. 14. Paul Kissing- er, formerly of Enterprise, Nos. 1 and 12. “The course is in excellent shape,” said one player from the Montoga/Martinez team of Wal- la Walla. “It is beautiful out there, and we have had a good round and a good time.” Chef Sherri Currie served a bar- becue ribs dinner at the clubhouse Saturday evening. Rochelle Danielson is an Alpine Meadows member who resides in Enterprise.