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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
Wallowa County Chieftain News wallowa.com New Enterprise High School Field House a big improvement A7 November 1, 2017 Matthews, 19, sentenced to 120 months in sex case By Kathleen Ellyn By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain When Enterprise High’s old Field House burned Oct. 25, 2016, there was an under- standable surge of concern countywide. But the phoenix that has risen from the ashes is stunning. The humble timber and ply- wood fi eld house, constructed 1949-1952, didn’t look like much –– but its replacement value is what the insurance company paid –– $820,000. Now, a year later: “We’re a lot better off than we were before,” said Enterprise High School Principal Blake Carlsen. Because of the replacement value, in addition to modern- izing the building to a great degree, the school was able to include a lot of rooms the old building didn’t offer, Carlsen said. “Our ticket booth, conces- sions and track equipment stor- age were all separate before and we didn’t have a visitors locker room,” he noted. The building went from approximately 1,600 square- feet to a 2,718-square-foot col- ored concrete building. Now, not only are those rooms added to the fi nal build- ing, but many upgrades were added thanks to donated time and materials or money saved in one area that could be applied to another. That better “bang for your buck” came because although Balfor Construction out of Boise oversaw the construc- Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain Just a peek in a corner of the boys locker room at the new Enterprise High School Field House as the team practiced on the field during an Open House event last week. tion, local contractors did most of the work. Carlsen gave a partial list of the individuals and groups who donated time, beginning with teachers who dedicated a whole afternoon after school to paint the inside of the building. Construction crews also gave extra hours throughout the build, as did plumbers, electri- cians and suppliers. Two representative contri- butions were those made by Troy Farwell of Wellens Far- well Construction, who put the lockers up on galvanized strip- ping to prevent rusting, and Jared Bedard of Carpet One, who put fascia on the surface to prevent mop water damage. Part of that support went to the Enterprise Educa- tion Foundation in donations — a total of approximately $27,000. Enterprise Educa- tion Foundation President Cindi Aschenbrenner said they had recently begun dip- ping into that fund. “We’re just starting to spend the money, now that we can see what’s benefi cial to the kids,” Aschenbrenner said. “We’re still working with the administration and coaches of not only the football but track program to spend the rest of it.” So far the foundation has purchased motivational signs for the locker room, stencils to paint the fi eld, laptop and projector and screen to review games; additional pads and protective gear, coolers for road trips, water bottles and more. Wallowa County Chieftain Court Beat Kevin Matthews, 19, Wallowa, was sentenced to 120 months in the Ore- gon Department of Correc- tions after pleading guilty to a count of unlawful attempted sexual penetra- tion of a child under 12 and fi rst degree sexual abuse. Court-appointed attorney Rick Dall represented Mat- thews and deputy district attorney Rebecca Frolander represented the state. Judge Thomas Powers presided in Wallowa County Circuit Court. The crimes stemmed from incidents that took place late in 2016. Frolander told the judge that the victim’s mother was unhappy with the plea agree- ment and said the abuse happened many more times than the charges indicated. Only to save her child from having to recount the inci- dents to a 12-person jury as well as suffer cross-exam- ination did the mother agree to the stipulated sentence. Powers agreed, saying that studies show children who testify at trials are pro- foundly traumatized by the experience. Powers said that no sen- tence could undo the damage done and the line between punishment and rehabilita- tion was a fi ne one. “I don’t want to be the one to tell my four-year-old that ‘I’m sorry someone did this, but they’re not going to get in trouble for that,” the mother told the judge. Dall spoke for Mat- thews, saying that there was no proof, charges or admis- sions regarding the child. He said that when confronted about the crime he pleaded guilty to, Matthews read- ily confessed and expressed remorse. He also said that an evaluation of Matthews showed his upbringing, cir- cumstances, drugs and alco- hol issues and the fact he had taken responsibility for the crimes and was amena- ble to treatment, he could have received outpatient treatment except for Ore- gon law. “Unfortunately, because we live in Oregon, we have these mandatory mini- mums,” Dall said. “My cli- ent, even though he is young and has absolutely no crim- inal record, is treated no differently than someone who had committed mul- tiple offenses like these ... We’re stuck with that unfor- tunately, it takes the discre- tion pretty much away from everybody. Dall added that his cli- ent was happy that he could earn some good time (toward early release), and asked Powers to approve the plea deal. Matthews made a brief statement apologizing to the victim and her family as well as the court. Powers admonished Mat- thews for the crimes. “Your actions with a girl this young are profoundly scarring for her,” he said. “It is something that she’ll have to deal with for the rest of her life.” Powers followed the stipulated sentence of the plea agreement: On the fi rst count, Matthews will serve 120 months with credit for time served. He will also have three years of post- prison supervised proba- tion. Powers also recom- mended no contact with the victim or family or any- one under the age of 18 and not frequenting the vic- tim’s school or place of employment. Matthews must com- plete all recommended sex offender, substance abuse and mental health treatment or reside within three miles of the victim. He was fi ned $500 and ordered to pay $500 toward his attorney. On count two, a Measure 11 crime, Matthews was sentenced to 75 months in the DOC to run concurrently with count one and ordered to pay another $500 to his attorney. Matthews is eligible for good time and earned time that could allow his sen- tence to be reduced to 75 months. He will also serve up to three years of post- prison supervised proba- tion. Matthews will com- plete sex offender, mental health and drug abuse treat- ment. Should he return to Wallowa County, he cannot live within three miles of the victim. Frolander said the sub- ject matter made the case diffi cult. With Matthews, Frolander noted the line of punishment versus rehabilitation. “It’s a pretty tough case. He is only 19, and how do we best serve the interests of justice? ... We have to look at the age of the per- petrator, his back story and what is in the best interests of the community. Putting him in prison for the rest of his life without the opportu- nity to go through treatment and be rehabilitated and become a functioning mem- ber of society probably isn’t doing justice.” Concern about the trau- matizing effects of the vic- tim testifying in court also caused Frolander to negotiate the fi rst charge, which could have car- ried a minimum 25-year sentence. Still, she didn’t want Matthews off the hook. “We looked at how much time we could give him that allows adequate punish- ment and allows the girl to become an adult,” Frlander said. Darrell Brann (center, newsboy cap) talks to one of many possible patrons/donors at the OK Theatre Centennial Countdown Kickoff at the Lostine Tavern on Friday, Oct. 27. The event raised nearly $20,000 towards the $56,000 needed to match a $100,000 grant from the state. OK Continued from Page A1 one of the chief volunteers for the renovation, also spoke to the audience about the impor- tance of the OK People mem- bers and GEMS in the theater’s renovation and its importance to the area as a project and for economic development in the community. “The theater has always been important to me, and I want to see it remain open,” she said about her involvement. She added that the auction was an over-the-top success. “Local businesses are always so giving for a good cause,” she said. The work of Kendrick Moholt and other photogra- phers was featured in a pre- sentation that showed theater soundman Bart Budwig in humorous poses while unveil- ing a variety of the theater’s physical defi ciencies that the renovation would remedy. The auction proceeds doubled Brann’s initial goal of raising $10,000 as well as some in-kind donations. Brann said that Lostine Tavern owner and partner Peter Ferre made a $10,000 donation “That put us near the half- way point for our match,” Brann said. “He’s always been very supportive, and it was an amazing gesture. I think the way this turned out showed how much people really care about the theater. In fact, it showed three things: People love going to the theater, they love going to the Lostine Tav- ern and they love Vali’s.” ! Steve Tool/Chieftain EE FR Darwin, Disaster, and Adventure in Peru Presented by David Jensen Thurs, Nov. 9 7pm Colossal natural disasters are common events in the high Andes where Enterprise photographer David Jensen has twice traveled to climb mountains and take pictures. Based on his experience and research, his presentation focuses on the most appalling natural disaster ever to hit the Western Hemisphere and explores the Darwinian implications of Peru’s violent natural history and the cultural impact globally of Darwin’s big idea. Natural History Discovery Center 508 N. Main • Joseph • 541-263-1663 • wallowology.org Fight the Flu! BARGAINS OF THE MONTH ® While supplies last. YOUR CHOICE 6.99 8-pk. AA or AAA Alkaline Batteries E 137 898, 899 YOUR CHOICE 7.99 4-pk. C, D or 2-pk. 9V Alkaline Batteries E 193 042; 192 096; 196 615 M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM Sale Ends 11/30/17 Protect yourself and others Get your flu shot at the following locations: ENTERPRISE Monday November 6: 10:30 am – 1:00 pm @ Community Connections 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm @ Enterprise School Multipurpose Room JOSEPH Tuesday November 7: 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm @ Mt. View Medical, 100 North East Street WALLOWA Wednesday November 8: 11:30 am – 1:30pm & 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm @ Wallowa Senior Center All insurance accepted. Brought to you by: The Wallowa County Health Department Mt. View Medical Group and Winding Waters Community Health Center