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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 16, 2017)
AT THE FAIR Issue No. 18 Enterprise, Oregon See more fair photos online at wallowa.com Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Karly Baremore, 11, of Wallowa dodges a kiss from “Earl” shortly before enter- ing the Market Steer class at the 2017 Wallowa County Fair. Check out Page 13 for more photos from the fair. August 16, 2017 Wallowa.com McKee shares vision, drive for housing opportunities Enterprise considers remodeling, rebuilding burned out city hall City County Insurance Services, had suggested the city hall be housed in portable Enterprise City Hall will structures, but the cost was remain in temporary digs at high. Dr. Rusty Woods’ former “Renting locally has kept offi ce, 117 E costs down,” Main Street in Duncan- “RENTING Enterprise, for Caspar said. LOCALLY the foreseeable “Everything future. you’ve done HAS KEPT There was has been great COSTS DOWN. for keeping no crystal ball costs down.” available at the EVERYTHING The question Aug. 15 work of what the session when YOU’VE DONE insurance administrators, HAS BEEN adjuster will council consider members, the GREAT FOR “replacement” city’s insurance agent, lawyer KEEPING COSTS was the primary subject Monday and engineer DOWN.” night. Duncan- were present to Casper told the discuss “what Kathy Duncan-Caspar, assemblage that happens next” of Wheatland Insurance conversations after the old city with the hall was gutted adjuster had led by fi re July 10. her to believe the potential Nevertheless, the mood for razing the structurally was hopeful. damaged 1957 building and The city has a building a new and better- “replacement” limit of $1.3 designed building was good million on the fi re damaged given the cost to refi t on a and gutted building on potentially unsafe building. 108 NE First and another The city has known for approximately $360,000 to years that bringing the old pay the rent on the temporary city hall up to code would be site and replace offi ce expensive — if it were even machines. The city’s insurance agent, possible. In 2009, structural engineer Jon Walker told the Kathy Duncan-Caspar of city the building was not worth Wheatland Insurance, praised the city for its cost-saving See CITY hall, Page A18 actions. The city’s insurers, By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain Brothers see possibilities in Enterprise By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain W hen you look Andy McKee in the eye, you know you are not looking at a wide-eyed dreamer. This is a man with a library of knowledge and a vision. Before McKee became a one-man revitalizing force for downtown Enter- prise and the champion of potential rent- ers currently stuck in their motor homes waiting for an apartment, he operated a business managing up to 500 bank-owned properties in four states, employing 40 workers. He knows fi nance, he knows both the ups and downs of housing, he knows how to husband a labor force, and as a result, he knows how to develop a viable busi- ness model. “Our strategy is to buy the junk that nobody wants and to make it into some- thing everybody wants,” he said. “And for me, the way you stimulate down- town growth is to have people living downtown.” McKee and his brother, Todd, of Grand Rapids, Mich., began their revi- talization in Wallowa County by taking Paul Wahl/Chieftain Local businessman Andy McKee makes sure the housing market is looking up as he remodels another Bowlby Stone landmark in Enterprise. The mixed use building on the corner of Highway 82 and Main will have approximately 12 apart- ments upstairs and retail space downstairs. NO PLACE LIKE HOME “OUR STRATEGY IS TO BUY THE JUNK THAT NOBODY WANTS AND TO MAKE IT INTO SOMETHING EVERYBODY WANTS.” Housing Challenges in Wallowa County Andy McKee on the eight-unit Joseph Apartments on Main Street in Joseph. Formerly a “low rent district” in an unfl attering way, the apartments are now remodeled and rent- ing for approximately $800 monthly. His next project addressed his desire to revitalize downtown Enterprise. He built a new luxury apartment upstairs in the Burnaugh Building, a historical Bowlby Stone building on River Street. See HOUSING, Page A10 Joseph council buoys farmers market plans Critics say it is costing businesses revenue By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain The Joseph City Council resolved an issue with the Wallowa Valley Farmers Market on Aug. 3. The issue stemmed from a July 6 council meeting that took an unexpected twist. During council comments, Teresa Sajonia asked mayor Dennis Sands if the council had stipulated criteria for items allowed to be sold at the farmers market before it approved its operation in the city. Sajonia said she believed the market was to be a place that sold produce, canned goods and garden plants, but had branched into crafts and jewelry. She called the market a “fl ea mar- ket,” as did council member Pearl Sturm and audience member Raider Heck. Joseph Chamber of Commerce president Becky Rushton and Sajonia leveled several complaints against the market. • The market ran over its allotted time. • It acted as a haven for food carts so own- ers didn’t have to pay the city a vendor fee. • It took business away from local brick and mortar entities. • The market itself didn’t pay a vendor fee. Council member Tyler Evans had sug- gested initially that the market’s manager, Carol Bartlow, appear before the council. Market vendors and supporters did that at the Aug. 3 meeting. See COUNCIL, Page A18 $1 Eclipse viewing Historical eclipse due Monday Wallowa County residents will join the rest of the world in observing a total solar eclipse Aug. 21. Pendleton Portland Corvallis Eugene Madras Bend Path of total eclipse, August 21, 2017 Sources: U.S. Naval Observatory; www.greatamericaneclipse.com Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group La Grande Prairie City Ontario Wallowa County — Starts: 9:11 a.m.; Best time to view: 10:26 a.m.; Duration: 2 hrs., 37 min.; Obscuration: 98.6%