Wallowa County Chieftain
News
wallowa.com
January 4, 2017
A3
Two step down from county posts
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
In the fi nal days of 2016,
two long-time Wallowa Coun-
ty employees stepped down
from their posts: County as-
sessor Gay Fregulia and inter-
im county commissioner John
Lawrence.
John Lawrence had al-
ready retired from Wallowa
County’s juvenile department
when he found himself volun-
teering for the commissioner
position in January 2016, after
the sudden resignation of for-
mer lead commissioner Mike
Hayward. The commissioners
appointed Lawrence to the
post in February.
“I worked here 15 years,
pretty closely with the com-
missioners, and I thought I
knew everything they were
responsible for and what they
did. For some reason they de-
cided I’d be a good person to
appoint,” Lawrence said.
Despite all that experience,
Lawrence was surprised by
how much work the commis-
sioners do.
“It was an eye opener. I
thought I knew everything the
commissioners were respon-
sible for, but they’re respon-
sible for so much more,” he
said.
Balancing the budget
proved a challenge.
“When your revenue is
(increasing) three percent and
your costs are (increasing) four
percent and other things pop
up — and you don’t have the
Fire damages Lostine home
By Tim Trainor
Wallowa County Chieftain
An early-morning fi re
Friday in Lostine damaged a
home on Warnock Lane.
Both Lostine and Wallowa
rural fi re districts respond-
ed to the blaze in the 68000
block of Warnock. Upon ar-
rival, Lostine fi re chief Dusty
Tippet said fi refi ghters found
a single-family home with a
roofl ine and crawl space fully
engulfed in fl ame.
The two people who live
there were safely out of the
home and there were no inju-
ries.
Tippet said it appeared to be
an electrical fi re that started in
the walls of the house. Crews
cut a hole in the building and
sent a lot of water inside, but
Tippet said the home was
saved and remains standing.
Red Cross responders
arrived about 10 a.m. and
helped provide temporary
housing for the couple.
Contributed photo
Community Bank staff and Connie Guentert, Wallowa
County Community Connection Manager, celebrate a rush
of donations that helped area food banks serve the needy
during the holidays.
funds to cov-
er it, it can be
frustrating,”
he said. Still,
Lawrence
reveled in
the experi-
ence.
Fregulia
“I think
the
big-
gest accomplishment of the
last year was obtaining the
funds to get the roof on the
courthouse completed. It
was a high priority topic for
a number of years,” he said.
Lawrence also mentioned his
efforts to reverse rising costs
at the county landfi ll, which
proved a challenge because it
involved a fee hike.
“That was a big challenge,
and I’m not sure it’s a com-
plete answer
yet, but it
was some-
thing that
needed to
be done,” he
said.
L a w -
Lawrence
rence
is
looking for-
ward to his retirement, which
will really begin after his wife
Karen retires from teach-
ing English at the Wallowa
School District this spring.
“Until then, I’m chief cook
and bottle washer,” he said
with a laugh.
Todd Nash, who also won
election to the post in the May
primaries is succeeding Law-
rence.
“The citizens of Wallowa
County elected a very quali-
fi ed person to assume the po-
sition,” Lawrence said. “He’s
very comfortable in natural
resources ... I think he’ll do an
excellent job.”
Fregulia started her asses-
sor post in 1999 after working
in the offi ce for several years.
“The assessor at the time
left Wallowa County for De-
schutes County and the posi-
tion was offered to me as an
appointment, which I accept-
ed. I ran in the subsequent
year,” she said.
Fregulia said the years in
her offi ce proved a blessing.
“I enjoyed my time
here very much,” she said.
“There’s always something
new; it changes every day,
even though you wouldn’t
think it would, but it does.”
Of course, the job had
it’s challenges as well. There
were a constant parade of new
laws, the chief offender being
Measure 50 in 1997, which
limited property tax increases.
“It’s still a challenge, and
it has been almost 20 years
since that came along,” she
said.
Fegulia isn’t sure what she
plans to do with her spare time
when she retires, although one
thing she isn’t planning to do
is hit the road.
“I really like Wallowa
County — I don’t need to
travel,” she said.
Randy Wortman, who ran
unopposed and won the as-
sessor’s slot in May 2016, is
succeeding Fregulia.
“Places in Wallowa County” exhibit opens
Josephy Center
show will feature
all new art
The Wallowa County Chieftain
The Josephy Center for Arts
and Culture will ring in the
New Year with a new exhibit:
“Places in Wallowa County.”
The show opens Friday and
will run through Feb. 27.
The idea of celebrating the
place where we live originated
with local painter Mike Kolos-
ki, and will feature a variety of
places — from farm to forest,
home to business.
“This is a unique oppor-
tunity to showcase not just
landscapes, but other scenes
that make Wallowa County
special,” said Casey Holmes,
JCAC’s resource coordina-
tor. “Thousands of tourists
come through here and many
of them only experience a
glimpse of what we see every
day. And many who live here
walk or drive by not nnoticing
what the photographer, painter,
or sculptor sees as something
special.”
Several local artists, in-
cluding Ellen Bishop, Rick
Bombaci, and David Martin,
have submitted artwork for the
show, which will be juried by
Tim Norman, Vice President
of the JCAC Board of Direc-
tors.
An opening reception will
be Jan. 6 at 7 p.m.
“We will only be show-
ing artwork that has not been
displayed here previously,”
Holmes pointed out. “So for
us, it will be an entirely new,
fresh look at Wallowa Coun-
ty.”
As with all Josephy Cen-
ter shows, this one will be
accompanied by Brown Bag
programs and workshops. On
Tuesday, Jan. 10, the noon
Brown Bag will celebrate the
work of historian Grace Bart-
lett. Bartlett was the original
curator at the Wallowa Coun-
ty History Museum and wrote
several articles and two books
about the county from the
1930s to the 1990s.
The Josephy Center is also
coordinating Saturday morn-
ing workshops for January
and February. Prospective
guest speakers include Geol-
ogist Ellen Bishop, who will
explore “local rocks” and vis-
itors are invited to bring their
own rocks for discussion. Da-
vid Wheeler will address early
Wallowa County photography;
visitors are also encouraged to
bring old photos for this event.
Finally, Rich Wandschneider
invites you to bring any Wal-
lowa County story you might
want to turn into a poem, es-
say, or video story. Times and
places for these workshops
will be announced in the com-
ing weeks.
Tenth Annual
Digital
Contest
County food banks in Births
good shape this winter
Lola Rae
A daughter,
By Tim Trainor
Wallowa County Chieftain
In September, the Oregon
Food Bank announced ware-
house supplies were growing
thin, and that it could face a
statewide food shortage this
winter.
Community
Connection
food bank coordinator Lisa
Hollingsworth said food banks
in Wallowa County were pre-
paring for the worst, but local
business and individuals came
to the rescue.
Winter is the busiest time of
year for most food banks in the
area. In the summer, Wallowa
County banks served 50-100
families each month. In the
winter — because of the de-
mands of the holidays, energy
costs and seasonal employment
— Hollingsworth said those
numbers often double.
To help deal with the in-
crease, Wallowa County food
banks have received record
amounts of both monetary and
food donations, according to
Hollinsworth.
“The rise in donations is re-
ally great,” she said. “So many
more organizations stepped up
to help then we’re used to.”
Just to name a few of the do-
nors and events that have raised
funds for the food bank, here
are just some examples of sup-
port from our local area:
▪ The Community Bank
Food Bank Drive netted $7,827
between Joseph and Enterprise
branches
▪ Stangel Industries raised
more than 600 pounds of food
and $800 from their Annual
Christmas Party
▪ U.S. Forest Service em-
ployee food drive in Joseph
netted more than 190 pounds of
Time for a Computer Tuneup?
food, and came with a promise
of one brave employee to jump
into the freezing waters of Wal-
lowa Lake
▪ Joseph Hardware raised
$1,937 in donation funds from
their Men’s Night Out event
▪ Don Ward Trucking donat-
ed $200
▪ Wallowa High School col-
lected 255 pounds of food and,
just to show the older kids how
it’s done, the elementary school
delivered 385 pounds two
weeks later
▪ The Wallowa Valley Cen-
ter for Wellness raised more
than $180 in cash donations
and 67 pounds of food
▪ The Methodist Church in
Joseph collected 82 pounds of
food and donated $40 in De-
cember alone
▪ Eastern Star donated 107
pounds of food
▪ Wheatland Insurance col-
lected 114 pounds of food
▪ North End Grange donated
$100 to the Food Bank
▪ Alpine Chiropractic and
Affordable Integral Medicare
donated $200
▪ Individuals donated $565
Bohnsack
was born December 20,
2016 in Enterprise to
Veronica Warnock and
Jesse Bohnsack of La
Grande. Grandparents
are Michele Story, William
Warnock, and Chris
and Jim Bohnsack.
Who can enter?
All amateur photographers who live in Wallowa County
either full-time or part-time, or who have ever vacationed
in Wallowa County, are eligible. E5ceptions: Members of
the Wallowa Valley Photo Club, the staff of the Chieftain,
and their immediate families may not submit entries.
"Immediate family" includes only spouses, parents, and
children.
301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177
SOROPTIMIST
THRIFT SHOP
NOW OPEN
First Saturday of the Month
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
105 NE First Street, Enterprise
Basement of Odd Fellows Hall
Open Monday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Tuesdays 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Public display of photos: All submitted photos will be
displayed on the Chieftain's web site as they are received.
After judging, winning photos will be featured on the Chief-
tain's web site, and as many winning and non-winning
photos as space allows will be featured in the Chieftain's
print edition. Selected winning and non-winning photos
may also appear in a single issue of the Wallowa Valley
Photo Club's monthly newsletter and on the Photo Club's
web site in the conte5t of informing members of the Photo
Club about the contest.
Awards: There will be two categories of awards.
1. The People's Choice awards for the most popular
submitted photos, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in each
division. Everyone can vote by browsing to the Chieftain's
contest web page and choosing their favorite Student
Division photo and their favorite Adult Division photo.
Prizes are $40, $20, and $10, plus certificates.
wallowacountysoroptimist.org
CHECK OUT
LOCAL
SPORTS
EVERY WEEK IN THE
WALLOWA COUNTY
CHIEFTAIN
Spyware Removal • 541-426-0108
103 SW 1st St., Enterprise
VISIT THE CHIEFTAIN ONLINE AT WALLOWA.COM
2. Overall best photos, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in
each of the two divisions as determined by the judges.
Prizes are $40, $20, and $10, plus certificates. Honorable
Mentions may be awarded at the discretion of the judges.
Prizes for honorable mentions will be certificates.
The Wallowa Valley Photo Club
is solely responsible for all awards.
Deadline: Submissions to the contest may be made
beginning Sunday, January 1, 2017 and will be
accepted through Saturday, January 21, 2017. Vot-
ing for the Peomle's Choice award is from Sunday,
January 22, 2017 through Sunday, February 5, 2017.
Winners will be announced in the Wednesday, February
15, 2017 issue of the Chieftain.
Submissions: All submissions must be digital – prints
and slides are not accepted. However, prints and slides
may be scanned and digital copies submitted.
• Digital photos may be submitted via the Chieftain's online
submission form or emailed to PhotoWallowa@
gmail.com. CDs may also be dropped off at the Chief-
tain (209 NW 1st, Enterprise, Oregon).
Complete List of Rules: Please see the website for a
complete
list
of
the
contest
rules
at
www.wallowa.com/photocontest