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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (July 27, 2016)
Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com Free Medicare 101 classes coming to Eastern Oregon Wallowa County Chieftain Eastern Oregon residents with questions about Medicare will be able to get free in-person help this August during Medi- care 101 classes hosted by the Oregon Senior Health Insurance Beneits Assistance program. “We hear from people from many different backgrounds, and about the only thing they all share is the feeling that Medicare is complicated,” said volunteer instructor Sally Peatow of Hermiston. “I al- ways tell people it really has to be. It touches on many dif- ferent areas of health care and it covers so much. Medicare 101 classes give people a head start learning about the basics, After two years at slightly above four billion board feet per year, Oregon’s timber harvest dropped below that in 2015 to a number on par with the 2012 harvest, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry’s annual timber har- vest report issued this week. Decreases occurred across all ownerships except for state-owned forestlands. Approximately 49 per- cent, or 30.2 million acres, of Oregon is forested. Feder- al forestlands account for 60 percent of these forestlands, industrial forestlands for 19 percent, family forestland owners own 15 percent, state- owned forests comprise 3 per- cent, and all other forestland owners (counties, tribal, etc.), 3 percent. The only area of increase was where USFS had entered into collaborative agreements with Grant and Harney counties. State forestlands harvest had increased from 230 million board feet in 2014 to 290 million board feet in 2015, for an over- all 26 percent increase in timber harvest. July 27, 2016 A7 CHAR Continued from Page A1 and we can connect folks to additional enrollment help if they would like.” Participants will ind out how to enroll in Medicare and will gain an understanding of costs. They will also get infor- mation on where to get Medi- care help in their community. The two-week tour is spon- sored in part by Libraries of Eastern Oregon. Classes will be held in Enterprise from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16 at Community Connection and in La Grande, from 6-8 p.m. Mon- day, Aug. 15 in the Misener Conference Room at the Union County Courthouse Annex. Early registration urged. Call 800-722-4134 or email shiba. oregon@oregon.gov. Oregon timber harvest down Wallowa County Chieftain News During that same time pri- vate Industry harvest decreased statewide by 10 percent from 2014 to 2015 to 2.36 billion board feet. These decreases were pres- ent on both sides of the Cas- cades, but were most prominent on the west side, as a percent- age, where private industry har- vest declined by approximately 9 percent. Non-industrial private land- owners had an approximate 19 percent decrease in harvest, statewide, for a 2015 total of 453 million board feet. Harvests on Native Amer- ican forestlands decreased ap- proximately 9 percent from 57 million board feet in 2015 to 52 million board feet in 2015. The decrease in timber har- vest was largely driven by the slowdown in exports to Asia. Along with the decrease in log exports, the expiration of the Softwood Lumber Agreement in the fourth quarter led to an increase in imports of lumber from Canada, affecting demand for Oregon logs. Finally, an active ire season, along with a wet and warmer than usual winter, created is- sues for logging and hauling. A Northeast Oregon native with deep family roots in Wallowa County, Williams’ grandfather built the irst cab- in on the west moraine in 1918. She has been an integral part of Wal- lowa County since she and her husband Dan moved back to the county in 1986. “I didn’t want to move here at all,” she said. “The winters were too cold.” So her husband Dan offered to put his contractor skills to work and build her an indoor riding arena. “That sealed the deal,” she said. Today, as always, Williams’ life re- volves around her horses. She confessed that she has inally given up two import- ant but risky activities — riding colts and roping. But life without horses, she said, would be close to impossible. The arena, which allows riding during the coldest part of the winter, remains an integral part of her stable. Her horses include paints, palominos and a Peruvi- an Paso. She likes mares because they seem to be wiser than geldings, she said. Williams’ pride and joy is Paintnot Patterson, a straight-legged, big-boned, kind-hearted 3-month-old half-warm- blood colt out of her registered paint Ellen Morris Bishop/For The Chieftain mare. 2016 Chief Joseph Days Parade grand marshal Char Williams with her Paint mare “He’s going to be 17 hands,” she said and 3-month-old foal, Paintnot Patterson. proudly. “But I’m going to have to sell him. I don’t know what I’d do with a School. educator and horsewoman, stewardship horse that tall.” “There is no more rewarding job of Chief Joseph Days and family ties to Her favorite ride is her Peruvian than teaching at Imnaha,” she said. the community and event make Char Paso. From supportive ranch families and kids Williams an outstanding Chief Joseph “She has a wonderful gait, and it’s who relish the outdoors, to the land- Days Grand Marshal. not that far to the ground.” scape itself, “It’s the greatest teaching “This is such a beautiful place,” she Of all her work here, Williams trea- job ever,” she said. said. “And it’s especially beautiful to sures her time teaching at the Imnaha Her longtime and caring work as an those of us who live here.” Wallowa Valley Trail Riders Association would like to thank WC ACEHARDWARE • THOMPSON’S NAPA SPORTS CORRAL • OUTLAW MOTOR SPORTS RAM AUTOMOTIVE • JOSEPH HARDWARE RED ROOSTER’S • SUBWAY WC GRAIN GROWERS • WILD CARROT FOR YOUR SUPPORT of our 2016 POKER RUN IT WAS A SUCCESS WITH YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!