Wallowa County Chieftain wallowa.com YEAR through a long, rough patch. Former police chief Wes Kilgo- re resigned in March 2015, and the department was slammed by an Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police report later that year. That report said En- terprise PD had “a protracted history of accepting mediocri- ty” and a “lack of ethics.” It showed in the department, which had a hard time fi lling positions — none harder than the chief spot. Stops and starts in a nation- wide search left the job open for a full year until Fish was found 3,000 miles away in Hickory, North Carolina. The department’s staffi ng levels have since improved, as well as its relationship with the community. Fish made a good impression off the bat, and in his seven months on the job has helped return continuity and professionalism to the depart- ment. Continued from Page A1 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife offi cers killed four wolves in the Imnaha pack that had made a habit of preying on livestock. That cull was ordered just after Governor Kate Brown signed a bill affi rming ODFW’s decision to remove wolves from the state endangered spe- cies list. The state bill didn’t change much — gray wolves are still on the federal Endangered Spe- cies List in much of Oregon — but it was perhaps an import- ant symbolic step. In Wallowa County, seven years after the fi rst reintroduced wolf set foot on our soil, their numbers have recovered to sustainable levels, at least in the state’s eyes. 3. WALLOWA AVA- LANCHE CENTER DIRECTOR KIP RAND DIES IN AVALANCHE Kip Rand, director of the Wallowa Valley Avalanche Center, died March 8 after a steep fall and avalanche on Mt. Joseph. Rand was just 29 years old, yet had made an outsized mark on the backcountry ski community. He grew up in Boise and had been director at the center for only a few months before the accident. Board members said he was on his way to giving the center a stronger sense of direction and toward sustainability when the freak avalanche occurred. As we reported in today’s paper, the director position was vacant until just this week, and looks to recapture the direction Rand had set them on. Rand’s death was a remind- er of the dangers of backcoun- try activities, especially in the wilds of a Wallowa County winter. 4. ENTERPRISE GETS POLICE CHIEF It took awhile, but Enter- prise found Joel Fish and Joel Fish found Enterprise. Fish took over as police chief for the city in May, helm- ing a department that had been 5. INAUGURAL DRAG- ON BOATS RACES Wallowa Lake seems to have everything. But there was always some- thing missing: Dragons. 2016 took care of that, however, with the inaugural 7 Wonders Cup dragon boat rac- es held on the lake in August. A dozen teams took part, in- cluding a ragtag band of locals that held their own against vis- iting crews from Portland. The event brought in hundreds of competitors, along with their supporters Few visitors left without wanting to return, both to row and to vacation. Photos from the event are stun- ning, and aesthetically pleasing Wallowa Lake is perhaps the perfect venue for the aesthet- ically pleasing boats. Maybe a new tradition was born, one that will continue to expand the tourism season from the Fourth of July. 6. COMMISSIONER MIKE HAYWARD STEPS DOWN Changes are rare at the top of Wallowa County govern- ment. But a major one took place in 2016. Chairman Mike Hayward decided in December 2015 to step down after 19 years as a Wallowa County Commission- News/Opinion er, leaving to become general manager at Wallowa County Grain Growers. Hayward was fi rst elected to the board of commissioners in 1997 and became the board chair after only a few years of service. He was the guiding force on the board for much of his political career. His position was fi lled, on an interim basis through much of 2016, by John Lawrence. In the May election, Todd Nash was chosen to be Hayward’s full-time replacement, winning by a large enough margin not to require a November run-off. Nash, a local rancher, takes offi ce next month. 7. JOSEPH SETS BAN ON SHORT-TERM VACATION RENTALS Back in February, Joseph City Council voted narrowly to ban short-term vacation rent- als within the city’s residential zones. It was a controversial 4-3 vote, and it may shape the city for years to come. Such unauthorized but not illegal vacation rentals were popping up in Joseph’s residen- tial areas — some were causing problems and some were good examples of entrepreneurship. But more homeowners had be- gun to inquire about creating such vacation rentals, and city council decided to study and then take action on the matter. Some saw the ban as gov- ernment cracking down on free enterprise, while others saw it as a necessary protection to keep the Joseph community in tact. In in-demand parts of Ore- gon and in tourist destinations around the world, short-term rentals can be lucrative for homeowners. But perhaps too lucrative — often they price out many working class peo- ple from renting space and purchasing properties. The issue is likely to be dis- cussed in the future in Joseph, but for now the ban is in place. December 28, 2016 harder than getting there. Not so in 2016 for Brett Brugge- man. Back in January, the Mon- tana musher led the Eagle Cap Extreme 200-mile race from start to fi nish — taking the title for the second year in a row. Bruggeman completed the course in 32 hours and 24 min- utes, more than 2.5 hours faster than his nearest competitor. He then donated his $1,700 fi rst- place award to the event’s trail crew and revealed that when his wife had asked him earlier where he wanted to retire, he said “Joseph, Oregon.” One thing he’s not ready to retire: the Eagle Cap Extreme title. 9. LOSTINE TAVERN CLOSES One of Wallowa County’s iconic gathering spots, an ex- perimental restaurant in Los- tine, closed in March. The Lostine Tavern, owned by Peter Ferré and Lisa Arm- strong-Roepke, had received rave reviews after it reopened, partly due to the crowd-funding organization ChangeFunder. Through that website, more than $27,000 was raised to help remodel the 1902 building that was fi rst home to a pharmacy and doctors offi ce. It has been a tavern since 1940. The restaurant opened as the fi rst farm-to-table eating establishment in Eastern Ore- gon. It was an example of how agri-tourism, in particular culi- nary tourism, could be conduct- ed in rural locations. In addition to featuring local produce, meats and spirits, the business attracted top chefs. It employed approximately 10 people during the winter and 15 during the high seasons months. 10. MAJOR RAILS TO TRAILS PLAN GETS GO AHEAD In February, the Wallowa Union Rail Authority gave the green light to start the fi rst stage of a planned $20 million, 63- mile paved trail from Joseph to Elgin. The fi rst six-mile pilot seg- ment, from Joseph to Enter- prise, is the southernmost part of the planned trail. It is ex- pected to cost $2 million. Many decisions still must be made about the exact route and where bikers and walkers will access it, but the long-discussed ball is now offi cially in motion. Numerous individuals and organizations — led by the Wallowa Union Railroad Au- thority and Joseph Branch Trail Consortium — spent 2016 working out details and legal- ese. Construction is expected to start in 2017. It’s an important fi rst step to what would become a defi n- ing feature of the county, once and if it gets completed. HONORABLE MENTION: Hometown boy wins Chief Joseph Days bull riding com- petition Longtime Enterprise schools superintendent Brad Royse retires; Erika Pinkerton hired to replace him Joseph girls win 1A track title Pendleton man drowns in Wallowa Lake Joseph Charter School launches aviation program Chief Joseph Days shatters ticket sales record Wallowa gets lights for football fi eld Wallowa County Continued from Page A4 The merits of a broken speculation, or a bankruptcy, or of a successful scoundrel, are not gauged by its or his observances of the golden rule, ‘Do as you would be done by,’ but are considered with reference to their smartness…” “The following dialogue I have held a hundred times,” Dickens continued. “Is it not a very disgraceful circumstance that such a man as So-and-so should be acquiring a large property by the most infamous and odious means, and, notwithstanding all the crimes of which he has been guilty, should be tolerated and abetted by your citizens? He is a public nuisance, is he not?” “Yes, sir.” “A convicted liar?” “Yes, sir.” “And he is utterly dishonorable, debased, and profl igate?” “Yes, sir.” “In the name of wonder then, what is his merit?” “Well, sir, he is a smart man.” Perhaps I am just acutely sensitive these days to the word “smart” after having heard our president-elect make the self-congratulatory claim to that attribute on the basis of his avoidance of federal income taxes, but I cannot help but fi nd current relevance in Charles Dickens’ words of wisdom regarding the merits and foibles of our national character. ■ John McColgan writes from his home in Joseph. HEALTH LINE They say staying on top is 519 W. North Street, Enterprise 541.426.3413 Mon-Thurs 9 to Noon/1-5pm; Fri. 9-1 SAVE 40% or more 5 DICKENS 8. BRETT BRUGGE- MAN REPEATS AS EAGLE CAP EXTREME SLED DOG RACE WINNER SAVE ON HOME BASICS AND POWER TOOLS Keycode Entry Weight Room • Cardio Women’s Circuit • Tanning 202 W. 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