LADY COUGS CLAW OPPONENTS, BOYS SPLIT
Enterprise, Oregon
WALLOWA BASKETBALL | PAGE A8
Wallowa.com
134th Year, No. 40
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
$1
A citizen’s guide to fi nding your voice at the Capitol
By Claire Withycombe
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — When Oregon
legislators meet this session,
they could raise or lower
your taxes, cut or boost gov-
ernment services and decide
how much your landlord can
hike the rent.
Interest groups, from the
pharmaceutical industry to
labor unions, spend millions
of dollars lobbying legisla-
tors and contributing to their
campaigns.
We asked former lawmak-
ers and citizen advocates:
how can an ordinary constit-
uent, without the same cash
or cachet, have an impact?
Here’s their advice to help
you infl uence what happens
at the Capitol
Get a group
The old adage holds:
There is strength in numbers.
“Bills that get passed
are the bills that the hearing
room is full,” said Bobbie
Jager, school choice outreach
coordinator at the Cascade
Policy Institute. “They’re
bills that make senators take
notice that it isn’t just their
opinion, it’s their people and
their constituents that want
something, and things move
usually that way.”
Jager isn’t a hardened
political operative. She got
her start in politics after she
was named 2012 Oregon
Mother of the Year.
After the honor brought
her to the Capitol to address
legislators, she was asked to
lead a group of parents advo-
cating for education reform.
If you’re passionate about
an issue — affordable hous-
ing, for example, or criminal
justice reform — fi nd a group
that shares your interests and
point of view. They will track
proposals that could become
law.
Julie Parrish represented
Tualatin and West Linn in the
House for eight years until
she was defeated for re-elec-
tion in November.
“We’re all a special inter-
est at the end of the day,” Par-
rish said. “If you’re a veteran,
if you’re a senior, if you’re
a mom with kids in school,
(you) have an interest in what
happens in our government.
And there’s some group out
there that is speaking with
your voice, and so go fi nd
them, and get involved with
them, and they will help
mentor you as well.”
Parents and families of
people with disabilities have
proven some of the most suc-
cessful lobbyists, Parrish said.
“We worked on things that
mattered to families because
families showed up,” Parrish
said.
Write to your legislators
— in your own words
Whether you have your
own idea for a change to state
law or want to share your
opinion about an existing
proposal, lawmakers recom-
mend writing a letter or email
yourself and including your
address so that they know
you live in their district.
Most legislators want to
stay in offi ce, so they pay
attention to what their con-
stituents want. Many also
hold town hall meetings in
their districts where constitu-
ents can share their ideas or
concerns.
To fi nd your representa-
tive and senator, go the leg-
islature’s home page at www.
oregonlegislature.gov.
Beware of emails from
advocacy groups asking you
to click a link to send a form
letter to legislators.
It may be convenient, but
doing that can result in thou-
sands of identical messages
that pile up in lawmakers’
inboxes.
“Most of those aren’t
read,” said former State Sen.
Alan DeBoer, a Republican
from Ashland who didn’t
seek another term last year.
Testify
If you have the means and
See Voice, Page A15
Chieftain
welcomes
familiar face
as editor
By Christopher Rush
EO Media Group
Christian Ambroson/Chieftain
On the move — Participants in the third annual Wallowa County Women’s March smile as they spread their message walking
down Main Street in Joseph. The march occurred on Saturday, Jan. 19, and about 75 people participated.
WOMAN’S MARCH FOR PROGRESS
By Christian Ambroson
Wallowa County Chieftain
In 2017, Wallowa Coun-
ty’s charming corner of the
world came together to sup-
port a national Women’s
March. Now three years
later, the number of march-
ers has dwindled but a pos-
itive spirit lives on.
At the inaugural march,
about 300 local residents
took to the streets in peaceful
protest, surprising even local
organizers. As it was then,
this year’s event took place
on a cold, dreary weekend,
and in many circles it was
politically unpopular. About
75 people braved the bad
weather to take part.
Tracy Sword of Joseph
had her fi rst experience with
the march this year.
Sword said she had a
positive experience, and is
already working with other
participants about ideas for
next year’s event. There’s
talk of incorporating more
activities and events, accord-
ing to Sword.
“I hope that happens,”
she said. “I look forward to
showing up to support the
women of Wallowa County
and the message of equality
again next year.”
Beyond the excitement
surrounding this dynamic
event, any observe can sense
that change is in the air. With-
out deviating from its foun-
dational goal of addressing
concerns regarding national
politics, in 2019 the move-
ment has adapted to meet the
diverse needs of Wallowa
County.
For Marky Pitts of Joseph
“the woman’s march is all
about respect — for women,
for immigrants and ref-
ugees, and for maintain-
ing the integrity of the U.S.
Constitution.”
Enterprise resident Kate
Forster said she is more
interested in the social jus-
tice element that is gaining
steam within the movement.
“I march for those who
can’t,” said Forster. who
said she is most interested in
“[bringing] our community
together, to have those con-
versations, listen, learn, and
grow together alongside our
neighbors.”
See March, Page A15
A familiar face to many locals already,
Joseph resident Christian Ambroson has
taken the reins of the Wallowa County Chief-
tain newsroom as its new editor.
“I am so excited to have an editor who
brings his love for this community to the
Chieftain,” said general manager Jennifer
Cooney while making the announcement
last week. “I am confi dant in his ability to
embrace the role with confi dence, knowl-
edge and incredible passion for community
news.”
Ambroson, who recently served as devel-
opment coordinator for Fishtrap, is a gradu-
ate of Joseph High School.
“I’ve enjoyed spending the past several
years rekindling relationships and friend-
ships throughout the Wallowa Valley, as well
as making new ones,” said Ambroson.
At age 15, Ambroson moved with his
parents Rodd and Mary Ambroson from
Lake Oswego to the Wallowa Valley. After
high school, he attended a small liberal arts
university in Ohio and obtained a degree
in sociology before entering law school
at Willamette University in Salem, where
he earned President’s List honors. While
earning his law degree, he also served as a
research assistant and as associate editor for
the Willamette Law Review and the Willa-
mette Journal of International Law and Dis-
pute Resolution.
Ambroson worked as a criminal defense
attorney in Redmond and Portland before
returning home to Wallowa County. He said
he is ready to dive headfi rst into a commu-
nity journalism career.
“My excitement is matched only by my
mindfulness of the heavy responsibility and
integrity required to meet the high standards
of quality and trustworthy community jour-
nalism that we’ve all come to expect from
the Wallowa County Chieftain.”
Ambroson may be contacted via e-mail at
editor@wallowa.com
Wallowa Lake Dam reconstruction plans underway
By KATY NESBITT
For EO Media Group
JOSEPH, Ore. — With
$16 million earmarked in
Gov. Kate Brown’s budget
to rebuild the Wallowa Lake
Dam, irrigators are prepar-
ing for its reconstruction in
August 2020.
The Wallowa Lake Irri-
gation District owns the 100
year-old dam, long in need
of repair to ensure safety for
downstream communities.
When news broke that the
governor’s budget included
money for the dam, the dis-
trict’s board of directors hired
McMillen Jacobs Associ-
ates of Boise to manage the
project.
At a public meeting Jan. 16
in Joseph, Morton McMillen
said his timeline is aggressive,
but doable, putting shovel to
dirt in 18 months and complet-
ing construction by the end of
June 2021.
McMillen said, “We need
to implement a schedule that
ensures completion within
the state funding cycles.”
The board has been get-
ting ready for this moment.
Dan Butterfi eld, the district’s
board president, said McMil-
len fi rst drew a concep-
tual reconstruction design in
2002, but money was always
an issue.
“Mort’s been ready for a
long time,” Butterfi eld said.
“We got really close a couple
times to getting funding and
then it fell out.”
Katy Nesbitt/Capital Press
See Dam, Page A16
The Wallowa Lake Dam will be rebuilt if $16 million in Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget
passes the legislature.