NEWS
Wallowa.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
A7
Moonshine: Turning a passion into a career
Continued from Page A1
Ellen Morris Bishop
Scott Hampton and his service dog check the depth
readings at josephoregonweather.com’s SnowBee snow
depth gauge in the valley north of Joseph. “Historically
we get good snows in the mountains during February
and March,” he said. “The incoming system is part of that
pattern.”
Snowpack: Winter
weather could enhance
summer stream flow
Continued from Page A1
Ellen Morris Bishop
Sterling Webb of Moonshine Glass Art walking through his creative process with members of
the Wallowa County Chieftain.
could do this.”
It wasn’t a simple task
getting the shop up-and-run-
ning. There’s quite a lot of
overhead required to work
in glass. The main furnace,
set to an intimidating 2,070
degrees during working
hours — 1,800 the rest of
the time, “runs constantly
for three years at a time,”
Webb said. Between all the
equipment and energy costs,
a shop like this takes a lot of
preparation and planning.
For Webb, every step
and every struggle is well
worth it. “Every day I come
here and it doesn’t feel like
work to me. When I come
here I’m inspired,” he said.
Not one to take all the credit
himself, however, “I’ve got
a great team.”
And to Webb, all of this
is only a starting point.
“I totally look forward to
incorporating more people
into this shop … to making
Kade Kilgore
ATHLETE
“This week we’re get-
ting cooler arctic air that’s
coming down from Can-
ada,” he said. “For the next
seven to 10 days or more
we’ll see wetter weather
and more Pacific mois-
ture overriding the cold
air, which gives us more
opportunities for snow.”
“The apparent weaken-
ing of the current El Nino
may lead to a cooler spring
with more storm impact,”
he said. “That could keep
snow in the mountains later
in the year, and ultimately,
enhance summer stream
flow. “
Summer stream flow in
the Grande Ronde River at
Troy, as well as the Los-
tine and Wallowa Riv-
ers, is anticipated to be
nearly 100 percent of nor-
mal, according to the Feb-
ruary 7 NRCS report. The
Imnaha flow is predicted
to be somewhat lower, at
about 89-90 percent.
“Stream flow predic-
tions are based on averages
of what similar conditions
have produced in the past,”
Oviatt said. “The numbers
could change with a big
early spring warm-up and
runoff, or the accumulation
of a lot more snow.”
Wallowa
County
weather watcher Scott
Hampton is optimistic that
mountain snowpack will
continue to increase. “His-
torically we’ve been get-
ting good snows in the
mountains during Febru-
ary and March,” he said.
“The incoming system
that will bring snow this
week is part of that pat-
tern.” Hampton’s website
josephoregonweather.com
provides forecasts and a
wealth of local weather
and other data for the Wal-
lowa Valley. He’s happy
to see wind-blown spin-
drifts of snow curling
from the high Wallowa
Peaks. “Those winds cre-
ate drifts that pack and seal
the snow’s surface,” he
said. “That’s another way
to keep it from melting or
evaporating too fast.”
The rest of Oregon is
not as fortunate as Wal-
lowa County. The north-
ern Cascades have a mere
58 percent of the normal
snowpack, and only 76
percent of normal water-
year moisture. Summer
stream flow is expected to
be below average in the
western half of the state
according to the February
7 NRCS report.
“While a few more
months of winter means
there is still time for snow-
pack conditions across
Oregon to improve, a
full snowpack recovery
throughout the entire state
is unlikely,” Oviatt said.
Based on current con-
ditions and long-range
weather forecasts, water
supplies may be limited
this summer across much
of Oregon. The NRCS
report cautions that water
users should be aware that
nearly 75 percent of the
state is currently listed in a
severe or extreme drought
status by the NRCS
National Drought Monitor.
as opportunity for work at
Terminal Gravity Brewing
where he did a little bit of
everything.
In fact, Webb credits Ter-
minal Gravity for indirectly
providing a stepping-stone
into his career in glass-
work. It was there that Webb
met colleague Jake Kurtz.
Kurtz, who also works at
Moonshine Glass Art, was a
coworker at Terminal Grav-
ity and first introduced Webb
to Ford.
Kurtz and Ford, who
between the two have over
50 years of glass-blowing
experience, brought Webb
into the craft, teaching him
what they know. Webb reit-
erated the importance that
the two played in shaping
his new career. “I can’t thank
Russell Ford and Jake Kurtz
enough for bringing me into
this,” said Webb.
Webb discovered in just
six months of working with
glass that this was what he
wanted to do. He needed to
open his own shop. “I was
surprised at how it all came
so naturally to me,” said
Webb. And while the busi-
ness is so much more than
just creating and selling art,
teaching others came nat-
urally to Webb as well. “I
didn’t know I would be good
at talking people through the
process … but it came natu-
rally too.”
Determined to turn his
passion into a career, Webb
combined all of his sav-
ings and some loans to
make his dream a reality.
He remarked, “I did every-
thing I had to do to make this
happen.”
But web also acknowl-
edged that he could not have
done any of this on his own.
“I want to express my grat-
itude to this whole place,”
said Webb with a hand ges-
ture towards Mount Joseph.
He continued, “to all these
people,
everyone
who
helped me get all of this
together … probably over 40
people came in and helped
on their own time.”
Webb gave special credit
to his wife, Emily Bright.
During the three month pro-
cess of getting the shop open
for business, Bright really
stepped up and supported
Webb in number of ways.
“Emily is the only way I
S
201 E. Hwy 82, Enterprise • 541-426-0320
www.edstaub.com
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Prairie outside Joseph, Oregon. Terrain is rough
and physically challenging. Oregon hunting
regulations apply. The Nature Conservancy
has generously donated the LOP tag to benefi t
Chief Joseph Summer Camp, a week-long edu-
cational day camp held each July since 1961 in
Joseph, Oregon serving the rural kids of Wallowa
County. Raffl e to be held at camp location,
Ferguson Ridge Ski Area. You do not have to
be present to win; winner will be notifi ed
within 24 hours of drawing.
Tickets:
$100 each
Only 100 tickets
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Drawing to be held
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To purchase tickets, contact Board President
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CJSC, c/o Dana Ingram, P.O. Box 588 Joseph, OR 97846
WEEK
udly
Pro onsore d b y
p
OF
THE
the week honor
This week’s athlete of etball player,
School bask
goes to Joseph High nior is the all-around
Kade Kilgore. The se adept at off ense
ually
man on the team, eq Fulfer said he is the
Olan
and defense. Coach player on the squad.
ist
ns
most co ent
it bigger and better,” said
Webb.
Informally, Webb keeps
an open door policy — if he’s
there anyone is welcome to
come in and he will do his
best to accommodate. “That’s
just how I roll,” said Webb.
Beyond that, the estab-
lished hours are Thursday
through Saturday: 10 a.m.
— 6 p.m. It may be another
month before the business’s
website is up and running.
For now, interested cus-
tomers can schedule classes
with Emily Bright at
541-398-2090.
Wallowa Mountain Chapter
21st Annual B ig g ame B anquet
When: Saturday, March 9, 2019
Where: Enterprise Cloverleaf Hall (Hwy 3)
Catered by Chuckwagon Paradise Rose
Time: Social Hour/Admission 5:00pm
Proceeds benefit elk and other wildlife
The Wallowa Mountain Chapter invites you to
A GREAT TIME FOR A GREAT CAUSE.
YES, your dollars do work locally!
In Oregon, RMEF and its partners have completed
928 conservation amd hunting heritage outreach projects with
a combined value of more than $62.3 million. These projects
have protected or enhanced 806,240 acres of habitat and have
opened or secured public access to 133,569 acres.
Register online at events.rmef.org
Or for more information call:
Gary Taylor 805-798-2862
Kathy Taylor 805-798-4530
Volunteers Welcome!