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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 2017)
A8 News wallowa.com November 1, 2017 WINTER Wallowa County Chieftain HELP Continued from Page A1 Continued from Page A1 repeatedly ignores advice and then expects us to do the work for free ... there’s going to have to be consequences,” said Pub- lic Works Director Travis Goebel of Wallowa. Failing to wrap pipes under the house may not only be a costly mistake, but can cause days of suffering as plumb- ers and other tradesmen are already booked weeks and months out. The case may be the same for fuel delivery, so plan to fi ll tanks soon. Many folks burn wood for supplemental heat but wood isn’t free, so careful calcula- tion is required to insure best value. Local prices for wood range $185 to $225 per cord. Looking into a more effi cient wood stove may be worth the investment. According to Energy Star, using an energy effi cient wood stove for heating can save 10 to 40 percent of annual heat- ing costs of an electric, fuel oil or gas furnace. There is also a state tax credit for 2017 of $150 and $400 for the pur- chase of an energy effi cient stove, according to Brent Neely of The Stove Store in Wallowa. Residents are cautioned to keep an eye out for ice dams again this coming win- ter. Dams form when warm weather and heat from inside the house begin to thaw roof snow. Once the water reaches the eaves, however, the water cools and it refreezes, creat- ing a dam. Melt also fi lls the gutters HAWKINS Continued from Page A1 been held at city hall, but those do not imply the proj- ect is a city-sponsored proj- ect, Mayor Knifong said. One project ready to move forward was the installment of a new city sign. However, a decision regarding placement of the Steve Arment-designed sign was postponed until ODOT and city maintenance were consulted and a formal pre- sentation could be made to the city. Switching to her Tamka- liks grounds hat, Hawkins said progress is being made on the Tamkaliks grounds outside of Wallowa as well. The new longhouse was dedicated in August, and the 110-foot Minam steel truss bridge was installed at the site later last fall. Low income is $23,540 per year for a single person; $31,800 for two. This program begins Dec. 1, 2017. Weatherization Assistance Program Qualified low-income applicants receive a free full home weatherization energy audit. Auditors inspect crawlspace to your attic, heat systems, insulation, air infiltration, combustion appliances, refrigerator energy usage, some aspects of air quality especially carbon monoxide, faucet heads, window covers and give energy-related education to help the homeowner live more comfortably and efficiently. Weatherization contractor perform the approved work. Applicants are placed on a waiting list. Housing Rehabilitation Program A loan of up to $35,000 for rehab of a home that is owned or being purchased by the applicant. The loan is not repaid until the house is sold or the owner dies. Repairs may include plumbing, electrical, structural repair, roof repair, siding, paint, windows, insulation, heat system and floors. Available to applicants that meet financial requirements. Example: Have a yearly income less than $30,800 per year for a single person in Wallowa County; $35,200 for two people. Other requirements also apply. Thinkstock.com Residents are cautioned to keep an eye out for ice dams again this coming winter. Dams form when warm weather and heat from inside the house begin a thaw roof snow. Once the water reaches the eaves, however, the water cools and it refreezes, creating a dam. and then freezes at night and tears the gutter off, water hits the ice dam at the edge of the roof and backs up under shingles where it swells as it freezes and creates leaks. A sheet of ice under new snow on the roof just hangs on instead of sliding off –– add- ing weight. If you have beau- tiful icicles hanging down, you’ve got an ice dam. Last year insurance com- panies in Wallowa County recorded dozens of building collapses due to excess snow and ice weight. Ice dam rakes will be avail- able at Enterprise Ace Hard- ware, Wallowa County Grain Growers and on order for same week delivery at Joseph Hardware. Renters should be sure to inform landlords if they see evidence of ice dams forming on their roofs. Complaints about electric- ity costs last year rose to a countywide wail last year. It may also be time to think of installing a heat pump, smart thermo- stat, solar panels and other energy saving applications. All of those can qualify for refunds through Energy Trust of Oregon. If you’re preparing for winter on a small budget, remember that weatherization efforts are always the fi rst line of defense — and can create Work has continued on connecting trails so that res- idents from Wallowa may access the Tamkaliks site and take walks around the area. The Homeland Proj- ect has also hosted several events in addition to Tam- kaliks Pow Wow, includ- ing two well-attended native youth gatherings. Although the tribes do not yet have a firm policy on how the site will be used, the discussion continues, Haw- kins said. “We’re starting to see the longhouse leaders from the various reservations in that place together, and they’re getting a sense of how they’re going to use it,” she said. No decisions have been made about how to use or restrict usage on the trails that will be accessible. “How to educate peo- ple about the use ... it’s all about being respectful of the native presence that was here before, but we want people from family and towns to be able to use it,” Hawkins explained. Other business included a discussion of raising build- ing fees in the city. Wallowa’s issue sur- rounding renewing the five- year lease of Back Achers, a second-hand, recycled and wholesale goods shop, has been resolved. An earlier report in the Chieftain stated the lease paperwork on the business incubator building had been lost in Wallowa files as orig- inally reported. Those papers were located during the origi- nal meeting — the holdup of the process of renew- ing the lease is because of a request to change some of the original rulings about how the lease would be managed. It is necessary for USDA offices in Pendleton to approve. That is pending, a city spokesman said. Shoot like a pro with one-on-one photo-coaching. Capture stunning landscapes with custom photo trips Ellen Morris Bishop 541-398-1810 paleobishop@gmail.com P.O. Box 352 Joseph, Oregon 97846 The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. eomediagroup.com EARLY DEADLINE for Nov. 22nd Edition Classified Liners, Legals & Display Ads DEADLINE Thurs. Nov. 16 at 5:00pm 541-426-4567 209 N.W. 1st St. Enterprise OR 97828 Office will be CLOSED Nov. 23 signifi cant savings. Installing storm windows and door seals –– or even door “snakes” of other cloth along the bottom of the door can help. Add indi- vidual thermometers in rooms to judge the warmth for bet- ter zone heating management and return to the old prac- tice of draping the doors or entry halls between less-used rooms and the main source of heat. Opening drapes during sunlight hours to take advan- tage of passive solar is a freebie. Keeping most-used rooms at 68 degrees for comfort and turning that down to 60 degrees at night, and keep- Wallowa Resources Free Wood List With the help of donors of wood and volunteers from Wallowa Resources, individuals in need who use wood heat are able to receive approximately half-cord of wood (per delivery) to assist in heating. Priority is given to seniors, disabled, veterans and families with children. You will be placed on a list, and there is no guarantee that wood will be available. Call Community Connection to be placed on the “wood list.” You will be called directly by a volunteer from Wallowa Resources when a load of wood is available. Call 541-426-3840. ing rarely used rooms above freezing but lower than com- fort — can save a lot. By one estimate, each degree dropped saves an estimated two percent on your heating bill. PG&E offers tips to save energy along with energy managing services, such as Energy Tracker, to help you control your bill. Equal Pay averages costs throughout the year to avoid winter bill- shock. You may also fi nd that you use your electric- ity differently than average and will save a few dollars if you choose Time of Use bill- ing rather than Basic Service billing. Low-income families and individuals should check with Community Connection for free weatherization sup- plies, fi nancial assistance for weatherization, energy assis- tance programs, getting on the free wood list and other resources. Vichy sentenced to six months in domestic violence case By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain A Wallowa County Cir- cuit Court six-person jury found David Arthur Vichy, 41, of Wallowa, guilty of separate counts of assault in the fourth degree, con- stituting domestic violence and harassment. The jury acquitted Vichy of criminal trespass in the first degree. Judge Russell B. West presided over the case Oct. 4. Deputy district attor- ney Rebecca Frolander prosecuted while attorney Rick Dall represented the defendant. The case was a result of a Nov. 1, 2016, incident in the victim’s home. According to court records, the victim told Vichy, who had been stay- ing at her home for about two months as a romantic partner, that she was going to meet a man in the Safe- way parking lot in Enter- prise to purchase a pair of shoes for her son. The victim testified that Vichy was uncomfortable with her meeting another man. She said he began following her around the house suggesting that he should come with her or pick up the shoes himself. She did not acquiesce. Vichy continued requesting until at one point she became aggra- vated enough to throw a tube of toothpaste in his direction as she brushed her teeth. It did not hit Vichy. She also requested that he leave. As the victim attempted to go outside to avoid the defendant, Vichy sneaked behind her and put his hand over her hand on the door and grabbed her around the waist with the other. She still had her toothbrush in one hand. As she struggled to free herself, he began backing up and brought her to the floor. The victim found her- self face-down in the car- pet with Vichy on top of her with his hand over her nose and mouth. She testified she was unable to breathe. She forced herself to calm down and asked Vichy if she could finish brushing her teeth, at which point the defendant let her up. She eventually retrieved her phone and keys and walked toward the front door as though to leave. “I’m just thinking, ‘I have to get away from this guy,’ ” the victim testified. She later added she also intended to tell Vichy to get out. Vichy blocked her way to the door, asking what she was going to do and repeat- ing the question endlessly. The victim walked toward the back of the house and escaped through the back door, and away in her car. She said she also called her therapist and told her what happened. A deputy from the sheriff’s depart- ment also interviewed her about the incident. Later she returned to the hos- pital complaining of pain in her neck, which she attributed to the struggle with Vichy. On cross examination, Dall hammered away at the victim’s credibility, noting she had suffered a traumatic brain injury that cased seizures and also had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He also convinced the victim to affirm that she occasionally smoked mar- ijuana to relieve stress and that throwing the toothpaste at Vichy was an “irrational” act. Sgt. Neil Rodgers of the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office, who conducted the interviews with the victim, also took the stand. Both his testimony and the clos- ing arguments were essen- tially reiterations of the victim’s testimony and cross-examination. Vichy did not take the stand. The jury took about an hour to reach a verdict. West remanded Vichy into custody. Through a video hookup from La Grande the following morn- ing, the victim testified that she’d like to see Vichy get help. Frolander recommended a sentence of 60 days with credit for the 40 days he’s already served plus 24 months supervised proba- tion with enrollment in a domestic violence pack- age including the coun- ty’s Batterers Interven- tion Program, a no-contact order with the victim and a mental health evaluation and complete recommend treatment. Dall argued at some length that the incident was overblown and his client shouldn’t be jailed. Vichy tearfully testi- fied in his own behalf that he did not wish to par- ticipate in any programs and would prefer to serve a full jail sentence, sell his Wallowa property and move on. “You’d rather do a year in jail rather than comply with the conditions of pro- bation?” West asked. “I want to be able to do a year in the county jail so that I can leave this state a free man, never to return,” Vichy said. He added that he was ashamed of the case and said he didn’t “appreci- ate any of this.” Frolander’s response was a recommendation of a minimum of six months in jail. West said the Vichy’s three previous domestic violence convictions trou- bled him as did the fact he now had eight criminal convictions. “I’m going to grant your wish. I’m giving you six months in jail,” West said.