Wallowa County Chieftain News wallowa.com November 22, 2017 A9 Beloved Boggan’s Oasis burns By Kathleen Ellyn Wallowa County Chieftain Boggan’s Oasis on High- way 126 is no more. The nearly 80-year-old landmark, set next to the only bridge crossing the Grande Ronde three miles north of the Wallowa County border with the state of Washington, was destroyed by fire Nov. 18. No one was injured in the fire, according to co-owner Bill Vail. He and his wife, Farrel, have owned the business for 34 years. The restaurant is not in a fire dis- trict so no fire department responded. “We would have responded if there were a life threat,” said Noel Hardin, Chief of Asotin County Fire District 1. “We ascertained that there was no threat to life. Blue Mountain Fire Dis- trict is closer, their border is about three miles from Bog- gan’s, but they are primarily a wildland unit and cannot do structure firefighting.” Farrel Vail said they called both fire districts but Courtesy photo Little remains of Boggan’s Oasis after a fire Nov. 18. understood when they called that they were not in the fire district. The distance to Aso- tin also meant that response time would have been at least one hour and the building was already fully engulfed at the time she called. Farrel reported that the fire began at approximately said. “I heard the noise again and lifted the blind on the restaurant side and saw the flames.” The cabins, which are 11 p.m. and burned fiercely. “I heard this noise out- side and I stuck my head out and didn’t see anything, so I got back in bed,” she part of the camping area at the Oasis, were filled with visitors, so Farrel approached one of the out- door guides who was staying there and asked him to enter the building to get the fire extinguishers, but the fire was already too advanced for that. “Power lines were down and arcing all over the place, and the people who were here in the cabins were beating the fire out on the banks so it didn’t travel up to the dwellings,” Farrel said. The Vails, who live just 20 feet from the restau- rant, are in their 80s and are unsure if they will rebuild the well-known stop. “Hell, I’m 84 years old, why do I want to start over?” Farrel Vail said. “We’re more worried about our cus- tomers than anyone else; we’re working on our third generation of customers.” It will be some time before the cause of the fire is known. “Easter brunch may be a little late,” Farrel said. OSP investigating wolf poaching incident By Stephen Tool Wallowa County Chieftain Wallowa County has joined the spate of ille- gal wolf killings. On Nov. 17, the Oregon State Police announced that OR-23, a collared wolf, was found shot in the Chesnimnus Springs area. The wolf was a breeding female and a member of the Shamrock Pack, formerly known as the Chesnimnus pack. Two wolves in the Klam- ath Falls area were recently killed, OR-25 and OR-33. The species is listed as endangered DAGGETT Continued from Page A1 “How do we balance that?” The candidate said that a number of agencies and orga- nizations are doing good work in the county. She said taking a look at those entities and finding out what they’re focused on and encourage them to work together more tightly while offering county support could save more money and get more done in the long run. “We need to maximize the in the area. In late October, a hunter also killed a wolf in what he said was self-defense in Union County. OR-23 started as a mem- ber of the Ukiah Pack before dispersing to northern Wal- lowa County sometime in 2014 where she paired with a male wolf. In April 2017, OR-23 was documented as having four surviving pups. Environmental groups have blamed the killings on recent delisting of wolves in northeastern Oregon, which they say has desensitized the public to the plight of wolves. “Wolves in Oregon are being gunned down mali- ciously after wildlife offi- cials prematurely removed state-level protections for these misunderstood ani- mals,” said Amaroq Weiss, West Coast wolf advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Whatever you think of wolves, poaching is wrong and cowardly.” Oregon State Police is investigating the killing and asking for the public’s help. “Poaching of fish and wildlife, including wolves, is a problem in Oregon and will be vigorously investi- gated by the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division,” said Captain Jeff Samuels. The ODFW is also asking the public to step up. “We are upset and frus- trated by the unlawful wolf killings in Oregon,” said Doug Cottam, the agency’s Wildlife Division Adminis- trator. “Poaching of any wild- life is wrong and harmful to their conservation. Please, if you know something about any of these cases, step for- ward and provide informa- tion to OSP, which can be done anonymously.” resources we have,” she said. The county is in a state of transition, according to Dag- gett. She recognizes that many people don’t want the county to change, while others do. She said the community could ben- efit from finding ways to allow residents to continue their lives prospering in what they do while extending a hand to newcomers. “The fact is, people are coming. Let’s get ready for them and maximize our oppor- tunities. We’re going to grow; we can’t stop it,” she said. “For example, what I’ve seen in the past few years is baby-boomers coming here to purchase their dream home,” she said, adding that’s the reason the county needs to focus on expanding medical services. The candidate called for access to broadband Internet service. Dagget said that it’s import- ant for rural areas to maintain a presence on the other side of the state where many policies are formed. “You have to be at the table,” she said, “and you have to come to the table with the ability to listen and to interact.” She said the “us versus them” barrier on both sides needs to come down because many rural communities face the same problems as inner cities. Above all, Daggett wants voters to know that her roots run deep in the county and the welfare of the county is never far from her mind, and she believes that her experiences outside the county can help usher it into the future with its essence intact. “I grew up on the ranch my father grew up on and had the pleasure of raising my chil- dren there,” Daggett said. “I am committed to this place and its people. I have a his- tory of being in this commu- nity, working the land, and I want to continue that in a dif- ferent way. I can bring experi- ence to the floor, and I’m eager to learn.” (5VU7YVÄ[*VTT\UP[`/LHS[O*LU[LY WALLOWA COUNTY LIBRARY Continued from Page A1 207 NE Park Street in Enter- prise. A light supper will be provided before the meeting at 5:30 p.m., and child care will be available. At this meet- ing, various committee leaders will be prepared to organize volunteers and make assign- ments and a short list of talking points will be provided. Volun- teers will be able to select the committee that best uses their skills: fundraising and event planning; phone calling or knocking on doors to remind residents to get their ballots in; helping with graphic design, messaging and media contact; coordinating public meetings and coffees to educate voters; speaking to service clubs such as Rotary and Lions; writing letters to the editor and other jobs. Join us to celebrate Stricklands Sherry & Zane 5 0 Health Line 519 W. North Street, Enterprise 541.426.3413 Mon-Thurs 9 to Noon/1-5pm; Fri. 9-1 OHSU Resident Maria Palazeti, October 31 – November 30 Keycode Entry Weight Room • Cardio Women’s Circuit • Tanning 202 W. 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