Wallowa County Chieftain
wallowa.com
Opinion/Community
January 4, 2017
C HRISTMAS GIVING
THE SCENE
BARRETO
Continued from Page A4
We say, “It sure would be
nice if we could only afford
it.” There are many things we
would enjoy, but can they be
paid for?
Any government program,
regardless of the value, must
be paid for. The most basic rule
of economics comes into play.
There is a cost to everything
and there are no free lunches,
period. The question is, how
much can we afford?
Listening to the governor,
the speaker and the senate
president at this month’s busi-
ness summit, it’s all the fault
of the business community that
the state doesn’t have enough
money. The fact is, there will
never be enough money to sat-
isfy this state’s wants. The gov-
ernment was never intended to
satisfy our wants — regard-
less of what those on the far
left continue to say. Everyone
should live within their means
and those that are able should
pay their own way and this in-
cludes the state of Oregon. Just
because we want a new car
when we can’t afford a new car
doesn’t mean we should expect
someone else to buy it for us.
But don’t be discouraged,
we can only go down this road
for so long until the voters that
have elected our legislators
into offi ce start to realize that
if we continue to dig a deeper
fi nancial hole, at some point,
we will be unable to dig our-
selves out. And I’d say we’re
just about there. Someone must
pay, and if the burden falls on
the business community, I an-
ticipate some businesses that
can, will start to move out of
the state as the majority party
continues to demonize them.
Every rock will be turned over
to extract more revenue from
everyone, including the mid-
dle-class worker, to satisfy this
insatiable bent of unbridled
spending. I hope voters hear
their wake-up call.
The next legislative session
starts Feb. 1. It should be an in-
teresting year.
■
Greg Barreto, of Cove,
represents Wallowa County
and House District 58 in the
Oregon State House.
A5
Friday, Jan. 6
• “Places in Wallowa Coun-
ty” exhibit opening, 7 p.m. at
Josephy Center
• Open mic, 7 p.m. at
Terminal Gravity
Tuesday, Jan. 10
• Brown bag lunch cele-
brating historian Grace Bartlett,
noon, Josephy Center
Thursday, Jan. 12
Big Read Kickoff, 7 p.m.
Fishtrap, Enterprise
Friday, Jan. 13
• Bart Budwig and Marshal
McLean, 7 p.m. at Terminal
Gravity
Saturday, Jan. 14
Steve Tool/Chieftain
Volunteers for both the Elks’ Christmas Basket program and the Tree of Giving, line up behind just a few of about 100
gifts and baskets at Cloverleaf Hall going out to needy Wallowa County families and individuals on Dec. 23.
WINTER
Continued from Page A4
As remote as Wallowa
County is, it was affected by
Vietnam.
Old timers have stories of
Vietnam veterans and hip-
pies of that era drifting in,
desiring to fi nd a new life.
ROMBACH
Continued from Page A4
We now rejoin Fraser and
his cluster fl ies. Chuck said
he knew at least one good
thing about real cold winters
like this. When conditions
are just right, with temps
well below freezing and lots
of sunlight outside, he cranks
up the forge in his blacksmith
shop until it gets a bazillion
degrees inside. This sets the
stage for what he calls Fras-
er’s Revenge.
The sauna temperatures in
These “newcomers” shifted
the culture of Wallowa Coun-
ty, bringing new ideas, new
ways of doing things.
I encourage readers to
watch for Fishtrap’s calendar
of events for The Big Read
and come when you can.
Among them will be a dis-
cussion by a panel of veterans
who have read the book. A
photo display “Exit Wounds”
will be on exhibit at Divide
Camp Headquarters in Jo-
seph, and then in Wallowa,
with the photographer giving
a presentation. “Good Morn-
ing, Vietnam!” will be shown
at the OK. These are open to
the public — veterans of all
eras and citizens, young and
old.
By reading “The Things
They Carried,” and attending
the events, perhaps we will
learn what we each have car-
ried since the tornadic 1960s
that circled around Vietnam.
And understand.
■
Katherine Stickroth is a
freelance writer who blogs at
awallowagal.com.
the shop rouse the cluster fl y
population living up among
the rafters. The fl ies get
downright lively, start buzz-
ing around the joint and that’s
when he shuts the lights and
all the doors, covers the win-
dows and snuffs any and all
light in the shop. Blackout.
Shut that forge door. We need
total darkness.
You let that ride for a
while. Just the hot and the
dark and the buzzing of a ka-
jillion cluster fl y wings.
Then Chuck and his fel-
low metal artist Lyle throw
open the big shop doors all
the sudden. The light fl oods
in, the cluster fl ies see that
glorious sunshine, fi gure it’s
springtime, they all head for
the light in those multitudes
they’re famous for and out
they go, hustling from well
above a hundred degrees to
way below zero until they
hit that abrupt temperature
shift and then they just hit the
snow. Done. It’s quite a sight,
Chuck assured me. And very
satisfying. I begged him right
then to give me a call next
time conditions are right for
Fraser’s Cluster Fly Revenge.
This is an event I want to be-
hold with my own eyeballs.
Between the frozen pipes,
frozen nose hairs, squeaky
snow and double-digit-be-
low-zero mornings, I needed
this one instance of extreme
cold being turned to good
use. I also might need a
blacksmith forge in my living
room. That sounds like just
the thing.
■
Jon Rombach is a local
columnist for the Chieftain.
• Wallowa County Gam-
blers Snowmobile Club Annual
Poker Run, Salt Creek Summit
• Tunesmith Night, 6 p.m.
Featuring Marshall McLean,
Bart Budwig and Kory Quinn at
Stockman’s Lounge
Wednesday, Jan. 18
• Eagle Cap Extreme sled
dog race, 9 a.m. vet check in
Joseph and 1 p.m. vet check in
Enterprise. Followed by com-
munity potluck at the Joseph
Civic Center.
Thursday, Jan. 19
• Eagle Cap Extreme sled
dog race, start at 1 p.m. at
Fergi Ski Area
• Old-Time Community
Dance
Saturday, Jan. 21
• Old-time community
dance, 7-10 p.m., Hurricane
Creek Grange Hall. $5 per per-
son, under 12 free. Beginners
welcome, no partner or special
clothing required, all dances
taught and called.
Thursday, Feb. 9
Big Read movie night, 7
p.m., OK Theatre. Showing of
“Good Morning Vietnam.” $5.
Saturday, Feb. 11
Big Read fi nale, 7 p.m.,
The Place/Joseph Methodist
Church. 1960s fashion show,
potluck dinner and dance party
with live band. $10.
Please submit Enter-
tainment Calendar event
information to editor@
wallowa.com
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M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM

Kickoff: Screening of “Dick Cavett’s Vietnam” Hurricane Creek Grange Hall,
Joseph
Thursday, January 19 @ 7pm
What Vietnam Teaches Us: Wallowa County Veterans Discuss The Things They
Carried Tomas Conference Center, Enterprise
Thursday, January 26 @ 7pm
Sale
01/31/2014
Sale
Ends
1/31/2017

Sale ends
ends 01/31/2013
America in Vietnam: Understanding Tim O’Brien’s Vietnam War w/ David
Schmitz The Place/Joseph United Methodist Church, Joseph
Thursday, February 2 @ 7pm
Life after War: Photography & Oral Histories of Coming Home w/ Jim
Lommasson Wallowa City Hall, Wallowa
Thursday, February 9 @ 7pm
Movie: Good Morning Vietnam OK Theatre, Enterprise
wallowa.com
uo matter
what your business is,
the Wallowa County
Chieftain has the
audience you need!
We have many options
to market your business
in an affordable
and effective manner.
Call
Jennifer Powell
today!
541-426-4567 poffice)
or email jpowell@wallowa.com
Saturday, February 11 @ 7pm
Finale: 60’s Fashion Show and Dance Party
The Place/Joseph United Methodist Church, Joseph
Additional Events:
Exit Wounds: Art Exhibit
January at Divide Camp – Joseph
February at Wallowa City Hall – Wallowa
Book Discussion at Fishtrap
Wednesday, January 18 at 10am at
Fishtrap--Enterprise
Writing Workshop
The Other Warriors: Voices of the Women of Vietnam Veterans
Saturday Mornings in January at Fishtrap – Enterprise
$10 per session suggested donation
NEA Big Read is a program of the
National Endowment for the Arts
in partnership with Arts Midwest.
fishtrap.org
541.426.3623