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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2018)
Wallowa County Chieftain News wallowa.com THREE minutes with ... VICKI YOST Retired Vicki Yost, 71, grew up in Joseph and graduated from Joseph High in 1965. She is the daughter of Alta and Henry Ward Beecher “Bee” Daggett Jr. Bee worked in the forest, cutting logs for Roy Daggett, working in the local sawmills or out in the forest. Alta was a homemaker until her father, Wilbur Reece, went into care and the family needed a second income. Wilbur Reece was one of the originators of Chief Joseph Days back when it was in a big outdoor arena on the east moraine. He also produced the sign that reads “This little town is heaven to us so don’t drive like hell through it.” The number of events and responsibilities held by fam- ily members is long and storied, Vicki said. Her own part in Chief Joseph was “doing whatever they needed me to do.” After high school, she moved to Portland to learn to be a cosmetician. She married James Yost of Enterprise in 1966, and the two lived in Kentucky until James got out of the ser- vice. Then they moved back to the Paul and Gladys Yost ranch where James ranched and Vicki worked as a beautician. The couple had two children, Tony and Jill (Hite). When the children were young, Vicki went to work at the Wallowa County Courthouse and became the assessor — a job she held for around 15 years. During that time, she served as state president of the county assessors association. She and James divorced in 1988, and Vicki moved to Deschutes County and took a job in the assessors office to be near her daughter. She remained in Deschutes County until approximately 2004 when she returned to Wallowa County. By then, both her children had returned to Wallowa County, and she was able to enjoy her four grandchildren. “I wanted to be really involved in their lives,” she said. “Those memories you can’t get back. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, and I just love it. So that’s my life.” She lived at home in Enterprise until 2017, when her sixth back surgery — the result of a broken back in a horse wreck when she was a young mother and the passage of years of wear and tear — prompted a move. “I was used to being an old farm girl, and it took a long time for it to get through this old head that I couldn’t do all the things I used to do,” she said. She now lives at Wallowa Valley Senior Living but con- tinues to lead an active life with trips to ball games, out to November 21, 2018 A5 dinner and other events. “At first I thought I was in prison,” she said. “And then I decided maybe it wasn’t that bad. I always wanted a maid, a chef and a chauffeur.” The list of her volunteer efforts includes involvement and leadership in 4-H, FFA, March of Dimes, Jaycees, Soropt- omist, Chief Joseph Days, Stockgrowers Association, Cow Belles and “anything to do with kids ... I don’t think my head ever says no.” She continues to volunteer — she was busy recently helping make up the Christmas list for residents of Wallowa Valley Senior Living. Q. Why live in Wallowa County? A. Why not? Because it’s gorgeous. Where else could you live in such beautiful country, with beautiful people, caring people, a community that is always there for you. If you need help, you don’t even have to say so. Someone else will pick up the phone. Q. What has Wallowa County taught you? A. Humility. Just to be thankful for everything: the blessings and the hard work. Q. Can you remember the first book that really had an impact on you? Can you recommend one you’ve read recently? A. I read lots of Disney books when I was a kid. We lived in logging camp all summer long and anything I could get my hands on to take to logging camp with me . . . I would go to the library or wherever anybody had a stockpile and take those Golden Books with me. I loved Donald Duck — don’t ask me why. What I can recommend that I’ve read recently: the voters pamphlet! I have a passion about people and voting. Many people died for you to have that right to vote. Take advantage of that. Don’t poo-pah that away. Take it seriously. Scams: Beware, it could happen to anyone Speaker tells how to avoid being duped SIX SIGNS IT IS A SCAM ut of the blue.” an “emergency.” 2. Scammers claim there is rsonal information. 3. Scammer ask for your pe wire money. 4. Scammers want you to e it a “secret.” 5. Scammers tell you to ke d too good to be 6. Scammers make it soun true. By Paul Wahl 1. Scammers contact you “o Wallowa County Chieftain If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Be skepti- cal and vigilant. Don’t engage. Those were some of the takeaways from an hour-long presentation on scams Nov. 15 hosted by Wallowa Cham- ber of Commerce in the Tomas Conference Center. Kevin Jeffries, consumer liaison for Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, said that the number of scams and their sophistica- tion is on the rise. “In rural areas like Wal- lowa County, we tend to let our guard down,” Jeffries said. “Most of you would never think of doing something this dishonest, it’s just not on your radar.” His advice was broken into two broad categories -- precau- tions businesses should take and steps individuals can uti- lize to avoid being duped out of money. He advised business own- ers that if they don’t need a customer’s information, don’t collect it. “It’s just more risk you have to manage,” Jeffries said. He said businesses need to pay attention to destroying records properly. He told of one case his department investigated in which a business had disposed of bank boxes full of personal information into a dumpster, putting customers at risk. Individuals should always be suspect of anyone asking for their Social Security num- ent SOURCE: Oregon Departm ber, and he suggests asking why it’s needed and how it will be stored. “If you get a credit card offer in the mail, open those up and look to see if there’s any personal information inside. and if there is, shred it,” Jef- fries suggested. Never carry your Social Security card in your wal- let and if you still have the old Medicare card on which your ID is your Social Secu- rity number, do not carry that either. In large part, too much private information is being shared on social media. Jef- fries told about a scam pop- ular in Portland in which dishonest individuals troll Facebook looking for people who are posting from a vaca- tion location. While they are out of town, thieves will either list their home as “for rent” and of Justice scam potential “renters” or in some cases hold an “estate” sale. When the homeowners returned, they are cleaned out. People who use cell phones should always have them set to require a password to get in. Don’t use a debit card if a purchase requires the card to leave your hand, Jeffries said. Use a credit card only for online or over-the-phone transactions. And never swipe a credit card through a reader, use the embedded chip. “Magnetic strips have a lot of information on them that’s not encrypted, the chip is encrypted,” Jeffries said. Senior citizens are espe- cially susceptible to fraud, particularly scams involving grandchildren. He explained one common scenario in which an individual calls grandma on her cell phone and the number appears to be that of the grandchild. The phony grandchild on the other end of the conver- sation tells a sad tale of woe –– usually they are in prison overseas and need money to get out -– and asks for money to be wired. Jeffries said to hang up on these callers immediately. “And for sure, don’t answer your cell phone if you don’t know who is calling,” Jeffries added. Many unknown calls are aimed at data mining –– col- lecting your information to sell to another entity. If you pick up and attempt to engage, Paul Wahl/Chieftain Kevin Jeffries, consumer liaison for Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, shows an actual private carrier envelope used to ship a check that was part of a scam his office busted. He said thiefs will often attempt to lend le- gitimacy to their dealings by making the scam appear as of- ficial as possible. your information becomes more valuable to thieves. “Scammers who know yours is an active number but you are not willing to engage are less likely to contact you,” Jeffries said. Another common scam asks individuals to put money on prepaid gift cards, which is nearly always a scam. Chamber executive direc- tor Vicki Searles said she was pleased with the turnout and plans to have Jeffries return for another session in 2019. “The more people know about how these scams work, the better they are able to pro- tect themselves,” she said. ATTENTION “The Kettle Korn Lady” will be carrying freshly made organic Kettle Korn at Market Place Fresh Foods in Joseph beginning Saturday Nov. 3rd! Traditional Snicker Doodle, Caramel and Chocolate varieties. Stressed? STUDENT of the WEEK TOO MUCH STRESS Hunting for Bargains literally causes the human brain to freeze and shut down temporarily. 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