Get ready to celebrate Independence Day!
Events calendar | Page A2
Connor is named
Grand Marshal
of Old Fashioned
Fourth of July
Parade
See Page A3
Enterprise, Oregon
Wallowa.com
Issue No. 11
June 28, 2017
LITTLE LEAGUE | DISTRICT 3 ALL-STAR TOURNAMENT
Tourney Time
$1
Committee
set to form
a library
district
Wallowa County says
it will ‘build a bridge’ to
keep limited funding
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
When a standing room only crowd met
with Wallowa County Commissioners June
13 to discuss funding the county library,
commissioner Susan Roberts gestured to the
petition to retain funding, with 803 signa-
tures, and said that if there were “20 go-get-
ters” on that list, a committee to create a spe-
cial district could be started.
Monday night, seven of those “go-get-
ters” Commissioner Roberts challenged
raised their hands and volunteered to be the
new board of the Wallowa Valley Library
Foundation.
The foundation is an entity that has been
around for eight years and has bylaws. The
nonprofi t was not an entity that “took off”
initially, according to Enterprise City Librar-
ian Denine Rautenstrauch, and had dwin-
dled to just two members, one of whom had
already announced her departure.
New energy was injected Monday night.
Using the foundation as a platform, the
seven-member board –– with an eighth nom-
See LIBRARY Page A10
Paul Wahl/Chieftain
Anthony Owings streaks for third base in action Saturday afternoon at the 2017 Little League District 3 All-Star Tournament in En-
terprise. The Wallowa Valley 8- to 10-year-old team won its first game Milton Freewater. Play continues at three venues through-
out the week.
More photos | Sports on Page A11 | Online at Wallowa.com
County’s budget
woes pinch jail
utilization funds
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
AMY HAFER RACE
FOR CANCER
AWARNESS
Wallowa County Sheriff Steve Rog-
ers may be doing his job too well. And that
could be a problem.
Recent efforts to take a bite out of crime
–– particularly drug dealing –– have resulted
in higher than customary costs for incarcer-
ating those arrested in the process.
“I know they’re broke. I know they’re
out of money, and I understand all that,” said
Rogers, referring to Wallowa County offi -
cials. Rogers has expressed concern with a
Wallowa County Budget Committee sugges-
tion that the sheriff’s offi ce reduce the num-
ber of criminals it sends to jail.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Depu-
ties and offi cers from the Enterprise Police
Department have collaborated on a number
of high profi le drug-related busts in the past
year.
By Paul Wahl
Chieftain
Members of the Bank of Eastern Oregon team –– from left,
Jolene Cox, Tressie Allen, Rhonda Beck and Jocelyn Tanzey ––
were among the most festively dressed for participation in the
Amy Hafer Race for Cancer Awareness Saturday in Enterprise.
The bank is one of the primary sponsors of the event, which is
designed to raise money and awareness to cancers of all types.
More photos | See Page A18 | Wallowa.com
See JAIL Page A18
Businessman proposes marijuana sales in Joseph
Flanagan plans to
propose idea July 6
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Sean Flanagan says business is
good, but it could be better.
He is the co-owner of The Peace
Pipe, a Joseph smoking accessories
and art shop on Main Street.
Flanagan and his partner
Michelle Kramer would like to add
a recreational and medicinal mari-
juana dispensary.
Flanagan admitted he had for-
gotten that the Joseph City Coun-
cil unanimously approved an ordi-
nance in 2015 that effectively
prohibits marijuana dispensaries,
but he said that won’t deter them.
He plans to bring the idea to the
council at its July 6 meeting.
While he expects some resis-
tance from the council, he believes
the benefi ts, particularly in the
form of tax revenue, might sway
enough council members to take
the leap.
“We get at least a half-million
visitors here every summer. Not
all of them smoke marijuana, but
many do,” Flanagan said.
The state levies a 17 percent
tax marijuana sales. Three percent
of that would accrue to Joseph’s
coffers.
With the approval of city vot-
ers, Joseph would also be allowed
to levy an additional three percent
on top of the state’s tax.
Flanagan said he understands
people may see marijuana sales
as a temptation for minors. He’s
already dealing with the issue.
See WEED Page A18