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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 2017)
A10 News wallowa.com June 28, 2017 Wallowa rancher First fi res of season were small ones shoots wolf legally By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain Animal that was chasing cattle was not found By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain A Wallowa County cattle rancher shot and presumably seriously wounded or killed a wolf in the act of chas- ing livestock June 25. It is the fi rst incident of its kind in Wallowa County and the second in the state. The rancher and his wife, who had suffered numerous instances of wolves harass- ing their cattle, saw a wolf chasing a herd of cows. The rancher called county commissioner Todd Nash, who is chairman of the Ore- gon Cattlemen’s Association Wolf Committee, for advice. Nash told the rancher he could legally shoot the wolf. The man did and the animal limped away. Nash and Wallow County chief deputy Fred Steen, who later contacted Ore- gon State Police, responded to the scene. The team did not fi nd the wolf and fur- ther investigation indicated the rancher acted within his legal rights. The rancher’s identity was not released. “This is just to show you can do this and have ano- nymity,” Steen said. “It’s absolutely legal to do such and we’ve always believed it’s the rancher’s right to protect his livestock as pri- vate property. People need to know this is an option.” In a separate incident the ODFW investigated a June 21 reported suspected wolf depredation in the Chesnim- nus Creek Drainage. A citi- zen found a dead bull on an active U.S. Forest Service grazing allotment and noti- fi ed authorities. The depart- ment contacted the rancher who leased the allotment and investigated. The ODFW found the bull died of causes other than wolf depredation, noting the lack of wolves in the area and no evidence of premortem injuries, although some postmortem scavenging had occurred. Now in Paperback SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult T HE B OOKLOFT Across from the courthouse in Enterprise 107 E. Main • 541.426.3351 always open at www.bookloftoregon.com • booklofteoni.com ELECTRICAL & PLUMBING SUPPLIES ELECTRICAL & WATER SYSTEM CONTRACTOR PUMPS • IRRIGATION HARDWARE• APPLIANCE PARTS 208 S. RIVER ST. • ENTERPRISE, OR www.jbbane.com • 541-426-3344 Thanks to the quick responses of U.S. Forest Ser- vice and Oregon Department of Forestry fi refi ghters, Wal- lowa County’s fi rst fi res of the season burned only about 1.5 acres. The two fi res, out- side Lostine and Flora respec- tively, started with light- ning strikes from a June 26 thunderstorm. Blue Mountain Inter- agency Fire Center responded to a report of a fi re six miles up the Lostine Canyon Road on the edge of the Eagle Cap Wilderness at 2 p.m. Because of the steep ter- rain on the upper third of the slope and its location in a wil- derness area, the center dis- patched the Blue Mountain Rappeler Team by helicopter. Treacherous winds allowed only two rappelers, one an incident commander, to reach the scene before the helicop- ter was forced to return to Enterprise. Jerry Garrett, assistant center manager of fi re cen- ter, said that the two crew members battled the blaze, which burned in heavy dead and down brush and timber until two other crew mem- bers arrived at 7 p.m. The crew managed to halt the fi re, burning little more than an acre. The four members of the crew were still on the scene as LIBRARY Continued from Page A1 inated but not yet secured –– immediately sat down for their fi rst offi cial meeting to discuss the scope of the proj- ect and establish a timeline. Busy days are ahead of the group hopes to approach county voters on the May 2018 ballot. Citizens must petition to have a ballot measure for a local option tax put to a vote. A petition has already begun circulating. Cities and outlying areas must agree to go to vote. A bond must be raised by Nov. 9 in the vicinity of $1,200 to fi le the petition. The board must defi ne goals. They must, as Commis- sioner Roberts advised in the earlier meeting, “have some- one on the board or advising the board that understands the fi nancing of a permanent tax rate that funds employees, services, facilities and cost increases over time.” Then comes a campaign to educate the voters on the need for a tax. Monday, it took 30 min- utes, and a group of 40 cit- izens to determine they wanted to move forward. Seven volunteers agreed to take on the Each local library board must approve members for the foundation board, a step that is not expected to be an obstacle. A dozen people in the room added their names to a sign- up sheet of people inter- Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Mike Crawford of Troy was tapped to head the Wallowa Valley Library Foundation board. ested in serving on commit- tees to assist the board. The new board members are Chairman Mike Craw- ford of Troy, Kay Sawin and Kirsten Rohla of Joseph, Maggie Holcomb of Wal- lowa, Kim Witherrite of Imnaha and Autumn Wilburn and Tamara da Silva of Enter- prise. Wendy Stauffer of Wal- lowa has also been asked to serve. Two hours of discussion during the June 13 meeting revealed the commissioners were set on cutting $105,000 from the library budget, end- ing more than a dozen com- munity services it provides in addition to supporting library services in Troy and Imnaha. Those programs are funded via approximately $40,000 in grant money, but without the operating costs provided by the county, there would be no way to continue them. Citizens spoke to the value of the library in their lives, of the morning of June 27. At 4:30 p.m. June 26, the Oregon Department of Forestry offi ce in Wallowa fi elded calls from landowners regarding a fi re about three miles southwest of Flora. Joseph Goebel, wild- land fi re supervisor for the Wallowa ODF offi ce, said response time to the fi re was a half-hour as he already had two Type-6 fi re engines on the North Highway looking for lightning strikes. Landowners met the trucks on the highway and guided them to the scene where the fi re burned in pine needles and grass. Firefi ght- ers held the blaze to one-quar- ter acre. the lives of their children and the lives of others served by the programs. Commission- ers did not dispute the value of the library, repeatedly stating their support. But the commis- sioners said they were over a fi nancial barrel and were down to cutting public safety budgets to balance the budget. The library, like the city garbage transfer stations that had been discontinued for the same funding reasons, had the possibility of fi nding other funding, they reckoned. To buy the community time to come up with other fi nancing, the commission- ers offered county librarian Susan Polumsky a 16-hour weekly contract with no ben- efi ts. Polumsky has been the county librarian for 13 years, and according to Enterprise city Librarian Denine Rauten- strauch “no organization in the county could do as good a job on early literacy as Susan Polumsky.” County commissioners never expected Polumsky to take the offer, according to commissioner Todd Nash, but she did. As a result Nash stated the commissioner’s intent to “build a bridge” to keep the county library open those 16 hours per week and allow the continuation of programs already funded by grants until the community could come up with a new source of funding. That bridge would remain extended as long as the com- munity was showing action toward that goal, commis- sioners said. BBQ Wednesday Births This week’s athlete of the week is Talluah April of Lostine who played softball for Little Bear Drive-in and competed for the Wallowa Valley All-stars in her age group. April is 10 and entering the fourth grade at Wallowa in the coming year. She loves to ride motorcycles and water ski on Wallowa Lake. April is the daughter of Hub and Terah April of Lostine. A daughter, Noelle Annalee Boyd was born June 16, 2017 in Enterprise to Benjamin and Sheryl Boyd of Enterprise. Grandparents are Patrice and Brent Murphy and Janice and R. Devee Boyd. A son, Karter Lynn Talluah April Proudly Sponsored By: was born June 6, 2017 to Derrick Horton and Tiffany Snedeker of Enterprise. Grandparents are Curtis Davidson, Melissa Matthew, Angie and Craig Horton. Eastern Oregon’s Full Service Propane Supplier 201 E. Hwy 82, Enterprise 541-426-0320 www.edstaub.com 301 W. Main, Enterprise • 541.426.3177 e Chieftain office will be CLTSED Tuesday, July 4 for Independence Day. EARLY DEADLINE To reserve space in our July 5th edition, the deadline is 5pm ursday, June 29 Fish Friday New Full Salad Bar Eggs Benedict, Bloody Mary's on Sunday Open 7-2, Closed Monday and another 6 miles to Wallowa Lake State Park! 66098 Golf Course Road • Enterprise, OR 97828-3004 • 541-426-3246 Wallowa County Chieftain FOR THE RECORD June 12 • 8:47 a.m. –– Found money in Enterprise. • 9:35 a.m. –– 911 call for Joseph FD to respond to local business for the smell of gas. • 10:35 a.m. –– Hit-and-run reported in Enterprise. • 2:11 p.m. –– Report of a perp nego- tiating a bad check in Enterprise • 3:22 p.m. –– Search and rescue activated to locate overdue rafter. June 13 • 10:10 a.m. –– Report of pickup pull- ing trailer with one sway bar drag- ging on the pavement. • 10:17 a.m. –– Arrest warrant issued for Connor James Patrick Sticka, 23. Charges are unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. • 10:27 a.m. –– Conner James Pat- rick Sticka, 23, was arrested on a warrant unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. • 10:29 p.m. –– 911 report of a motor vehicle crash in rural Joseph. June 14 • 8:33 a.m. –– Single-vehicle acci- dent called in from rural Lostine. • 9:56 a.m. –– Log truck hit a calf on Promise Road. • 2:37 p.m. –– Complaint of criminal mischief and theft in Joseph. • 10:35 p.m. –– Darell Wayne May of Lostine, 49, was arrested by Cen- tral Point, Ore., police on warrant for PCS Meth. June 15 • 7:22 a.m. –– Complaint of live- stock getting into the golf course in Enterprise. • 9:22 p.m. –– Cows on the road near Hurricane Creek Grange. Owner notified. June 18 • 3:08 p.m. –– Criminal mischief and harassment reported in Enterprise. • 9:08 p.m. –– Cody James Adams of Enterprise, 35, was arrested for vio- lation of conditional release agree- ment and criminal trespass by the EPD. He was transported to Umatilla County Jail. June 19 • 10:33 a.m. –– Complaint of haz- ardous fluid leaking from vehicle in Enterprise. • 12:05 p.m. –– Report of neglect of a dog in Joseph. • 4:41 p.m. –– Custody dispute in Wallowa. • 5:42 p.m. –– Connor James Patrick Sticka of Enterprise, 23, and Noah Levon Delury of Joseph, 19, were both arrested for probation violation. June 20 • 7:42 a.m. –– Possible wolf depreda- tion, rural Joseph. • 12:11 p.m. –– Report of a flipped raft at Minam State Park. Search and rescue swift water rescue team called, but were advised every- one was out of the river before they responded. • 3:19 p.m. –– Max McLeod Green- way of Enterprise, 21, was arrested for violation of release agreement. He was transported to Umatilla County Jail. • 5:40 p.m. –– Kristopher Bran- den Nye of Enterprise, 18, was arrested on a Lincoln County war- rant. Charges are probation violation, original charge PCS meth. Trans- ported to Umatilla County Jail. June 21 • 5:28 p.m. –– Doni Innes Merri- field of North Bend, Ore., 56, was arrested in Wallowa on a Deschutes County Warrant. Charges are fail- ure to appear, original charge reck- less driving. June 22 • 7:12 p.m. –– Warrant entered for Christopher Lane Kiesecker of Enterprise, 37, for failure to com- ply with terms of probation. Original charge was disorderly conduct. • 8:12 p.m. –– Christopher Lane Kiesecker of Enterprise, 37, was arrested on a WC Circuit Court war- rant for failure to abide by the terms of probation, original charge disor- derly conduct. Kiesecker was cited and released. June 23 • 3:31 p.m. –– Noninjury traffic crash in Enterprise. • 3:54 p.m. –– Report of a noninjury hit and run in Enterprise. June 24 • 11:09 a.m. –– Phillip Milton Evans of Joseph, 39, was arrested by EPD on a probation detainer for probation violation, original charge was felon in possession of a restricted weapon. Evans was transported to the Uma- tilla County Jail. • 6:44 p.m. –– Thomas James Collins of Enterprise, 46, was arrested by EPD for possession of meth. He was transported to Umatilla County Jail. • 8:45 p.m. –– Trespass in Enterprise. William Louis Moore of Enterprise, 34, was arrested by the EPD for criminal trespass. Moore was trans- ported to Umatilla County Jail. ATTENTION: MUTTON BUSTERS Chief Joseph Days will be taking entries until 3pm June 30. The only way to enter is E\FRPLQJLQWRWKH&-'RčFHċOOLQJRXWD form. Age 4 - 8 and under 60 lbs. must not have been a contestant last year. 2čFHLVORFDWHGDW10DLQLQ-RVHSK