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BIG READ HAS BIG SCHEDULE Page 3
Enterprise, Oregon
Wallowa.com
Issue No. 44
February 14, 2018
PHOTOGR APHIC
PHENOMS
Winners at the 11th Annual
Wallowa County Digital Photo Contest
$1
Defendant
disrupts
circuit
court
County courthouse goes
on lockdown Wednesday
By Steve Tool
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa County Circuit Court is gen-
erally a place with a subdued atmosphere.
Voices are occasionally, only briefly, raised
to disturb the court’s sanctified atmosphere.
That wasn’t the case Feb. 7.
Preston Robert Ryan, 29, of Nevada
County in Cailfornia was slated for a plea
and sentencing hearing pertaining to a
felon in possession of a firearm incident
that occurred on Hurricane Creek Road and
Alamo St. on Christmas Day of last year. His
felony crime was for possession of metham-
phetamine. The court sees a number of these
kinds of cases each year with little fanfare.
Ryan had several law enforcement escorts
and every door in the courthouse was locked
down until he was seated in the courtroom.
When Ryan was escorted upstairs he looked
See COURT, Page A7
WILDFIRE INEVITABLE
County
unveils plan
to help protect
homes, towns
Success will depend
on cooperation from
area homeowners
OICE
PEOPLES’ CH
1 ST
Place
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
ABOVE: This photo, entitled
“Just Pretty,” won first in the
people’s choice competi-
tion in the 11th Annual Wal-
lowa County Digital Photo
Contest, sponsored by the
Chieftain and Wallowa Val-
ley Photo Club. It was sub-
mitted by Treva Crooks of
Joseph. RIGHT: This pho-
to, entitled “Barn in Sum-
mer Storm,” won first in the
judge’s choice competition.
It was submitted by Kristi
Wade of Lostine.
Joseph is at high risk of burning in the
event of a catastrophic wildfire. That is just
one of the things that approximately 40 resi-
dents of Wallowa County learned when they
gathered to hear about the new Wallowa
County Community Wildfire Protection Plan
at a meeting Feb. 7 in Enterprise.
The plan was prepared to comply with
local, state and federal direction, and having
such a plan may be required for a community
or county to qualify for disaster aid.
Wallowa County is roughly 65 percent
forested, and the likelihood of a forest fire is
high. But what recent years have revealed is
that forest fires no longer burn in the wilder-
ness. They are superfires, faster than a speed-
ing bullet and able to jump broad rivers in a
single bound.
There are plenty of causes to consider,
and dire circumstances to ponder, but the
JUDGES’ CHOIC
E
1 ST
Place
INSIDE: More
photos of contest
winners | PAGE 13
See FIRES, Page A7
Tram receiving $80,000 in upkeep, upgrades in 2018
SkyTrac electrical controls
going in, other work set
By Kathleen Ellyn
Wallowa County Chieftain
It’s “winter business” as usual for the Wal-
lowa Lake Tram, which means maintenance —
$80,000 worth for 2018.
“This tram is very important to the tourism of
Wallowa County, so we want to invest in keep-
ing it in the best shape possible,” said co-owner
Michael Lockhart. “Trams like ski lift equipment
need constant maintenance, and right now we’re
working on a new drive that will improve the lift
and extend the life of the tram significantly.”
Extending life is important because it would
cost an estimated $10 million to replace it, Lock-
hart said. It’s also a way to keep tram ride costs
as low as possible.
The work will replace technology of the late-
60s era with new SkyTrac electrical controls,
said tram facilities manager Perry Batten.
The cosmetic appearance is also being
addressed. Several gondolas have been repainted
and reupholstered and are awaiting new win-
dows. Those upgrades will cost management
approximately $1,000 per gondola.
Batten is in the midst of a three-year plan to
rebuild all of the 50 cast steel gondola assem-
blies (the part that connects the gondola to the
lift cable). His crew has rebuilt 11 assemblies in
the last 10 months and by the end of 2018, Bat-
ten believes they will be 40 percent completed
with that part of the project.
They are also planning to rebuild each of the
25 tower assemblies, beginning with the towers
bearing the heaviest loads.
Safety engineers from both the tram’s insur-
ance company and Oregon Department of For-
estry inspect the tram annually.
“We have a stellar safety record,” said Lock-
hart. “Our engine is also checked every seven
years and is going in for a complete service this
year.”
Kathleen Ellyn/Chieftain
Lift Maintenance Technician Eric Post of Enterprise makes
some final adjustments as he works on a lift assembly at Wal-
lowa Lake Tram.