EAGLES WEEK SENDS BOTH CAGER TEAMS TO DISTRICT
FLOOR SKIRMISHES CHARACTERIZED THE JOSEPH/WALLOWA BOYS AND
GIRLS GAMES | PAGE A8
Enterprise, Oregon
134th Year, No. 43
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
$1
FIRE
and
Ellen Morris Bishop
The anemometer (wind gauge) and rain
gauge for Scott Hampton’s weather station
measure changes as a front moves across the
Wallowa Mountains, bringing more snow to
the county. The antenna provides telemetry
that updates readings frequently.
ICE
Moonshine Glass Art off ers something beyond the ordinary
By Christian Ambroson
Wallowa County Chieftain
M
G LASS A RT IS OPEN
for business in Enterprise.
The new installation to the
Wallowa County art indus-
try makes and sells glass
art. But so much more than a typi-
cal studio and gallery, the new Enter-
prise storefront also has an interactive
OONSHINE
appeal, offering a menu of different
classes that customers can dive into.
Inspired by longtime local art-
ist Russell Ford, Moonshine Glass
Art is owned by Portland native Stir-
ling Webb. Webb moved to Wallowa
County nine years ago in 2010.
After visiting his mother, who had
been diagnosed with Alzheimers,
Webb realized his mom would need
some extra help. He packed up his
Portland life and moved east to Wal-
lowa County. Once here, Webb came
into a good group of friends as well
See Moonshine, Page A7
Stirling
Webb,
owner of
Enterprise’s
Moonshine
Glass Art
working his
magic.
Ellen Morris
Bishop
The main furnace is set to
2,070
degrees
Snowpack
near 100%
of 30-year
average
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
Winter snowfall that supports summer
stream fl ow is one of Wallowa County’s
most critical needs. This year, there’s good
news. Our 2019 snow-water equivalent as
of February 11 stands at or 100 percent of
the 30-year average, according to the Natu-
ral Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
measurements. And that’s before the next
series of winter storms hit later this week.
“Right now, the Imnaha and Wallowa
River watersheds are both 100 to 90 percent
of normal. All and all it’s a pretty good pic-
ture for snow-pack and snow-water equiva-
lent in your region,” said Scott Oviatt, Snow
Survey Supervisory Hydrologist for NRCS
in Portland.
SNOTEL (Snowpack telemetry stations
that transmit data to NRCS every hour) mea-
surements as of February 8 show 39 inches,
or 98 percent of normal, atop Mount How-
ard, and 51 inches, or 97 percent of normal
at Aneroid.
As of NRCS’s newly-released Febru-
ary report, the northeastern Oregon region,
including the Grande Ronde, Powder, Burnt,
and Imnaha watersheds are at an average
of 103 percent of normal. Even better, they
have, so far, collected 97 percent of nor-
mal precipitation for the water year (Oct. 1
– Sept. 30). Oviatt’s optimistic hope is that
Wallowa County’s snowpack will remain
normal or better. He noted that warmer con-
ditions, like those we have had at times this
winter, produce wetter snow and hence more
water in the snow pack, even though the
snow may not be as deep.
See Snowpack, Page A7
Enterprise students celebrate history of the OK Theatre
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wallowa County’s storied
OK Theater fi rst opened its
doors almost exactly a cen-
tury ago, on Saturday, Jan. 25,
1919. With the help of Fish-
trap’s Story Lab, Lorri Fisch-
er’s fourth and fi fth grade
class is bringing that opening,
and the history of the theater,
to life by making a fi lm. It’s a
seemingly appropriate tribute
for a historic movie theater.
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, Cam-
eron Scott of Story Lab
coached 22 costumed fourth
and fi fth graders as they
re-enacted scenes from the
past. Those included the the-
ater’s opening which was
delayed more than six weeks
by the deadly global infl u-
enza pandemic of 1918-19.
Precautions taken in Wallowa
County included closure of
the schools and postponed
openings of public gathering
places, including the new the-
ater, to ensure that the highly
contagious disease didn’t
spread.
Each of Lorri Fischer’s
students has a role to play in
this hands-on living history
lesson. The short fi lm pro-
duced by Scott will include
recaps of memorable mov-
ies shown at the OK The-
atre. Students play the stars,
including Cyrus Carter as
Charlie Chaplin, Kaylee
Eaves as Dorothy in the Wiz-
ard of Oz, and Owen Cun-
ningham and Celina Roberge
as Roy Rogers and Dale
Evans. Kason Mitchell stars
as Mr. Hackbarth, the the-
ater’s original owner. Daw-
son Cudmore appears as Dr.
Charles Ault, the local phy-
sician charged with keeping
infl uenza in check.
Linda Bright designed
and provided the period cos-
tumes. Steve Roundy is doc-
umenting the project through
still photography.
“This is truly learning
history through story-tell-
ing,” Scott said. “It’s very
hands-on, authentic, and fun.”
The short fi lm premiers at
Fishtrap’s Big Read Finale,
March 19 at Cloverleaf Hall.
Ellen Morris Bishop
Kason Mitchell (left) plays the role of Mr. Hackbarth, the OK
Theater’s original owner, while Dawson Cudmore appears as
Dr. Charles Ault, the local physician charged with keeping
infl uenza in check.