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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (April 17, 2019)
BEES DO THEIR SPRING THING Wallowa Valley boys tested OSU associate professor studies how human management aff ects bees, butterfl ies, beetles and the ecosystem services they provide. B3, B4 Enterprise, Oregon They split against Vale, 6-5, 12-2. A5 Wallowa.com 135th Year, No. 1 $1 PORTLAND TO WALLOWA COUNTY CURRENT STATE of AFFAIRS Christian Ambroson What can we do for you today? Wednesday, April 17, 2019 4 S T E H G E D I D R I V B I DE H - C ommunity journal- ism has a special place in the hearts of rural Americans. But it also plays a critical role in the identity, development, functionality and vibrancy of rural communities. And with that comes great responsibility — some- thing we don’t take lightly. In an an editor’s note a while back I wrote: “Jour- nalism is a trade, the English language is our tool belt. Sometimes we choose the wrong tool, but here we will always work fi ercely to hone our craft and correct our errors.” I continue to stand on this assurance. A local blogger recently criticized an arti- cle reported by the Wal- lowa County Chieftain as crossing the line between objective and subjective reporting on a local pub- lic hearing. I am thankful for this individual’s con- cern for the credibility of this paper and appreci- ate the wisdom behind the critique. Sometimes we have to report things that we’d prefer not. But there is a difference between report- ing opinion and report- ing facts that are negative but speak for themselves. There was no agenda behind the article. But if a line was blurred I hope this community accepts my sincere apology; improving the quality of both the journalistic integ- rity and public perception of this paper is my primary agenda. National award win- ning community journal- ist, Samantha Swindler, once said: “I spent most of my career in small, rural newspaper and I consider it perhaps the highest form of journalism. You are truly accountable to the people you write about.” The closeness to the people and issues we cover, whether positive or negative, provides poten- tial for positive change but also demands heightened levels of caution. Mis- takes will be made just as our staff reporters and I will be criticized whether Wallowa County 4-H families host Portland teens Ellen Morris Bishop Wallowa County Chieftain O n a dark, drizzling April morn- ing, cold even by Wallowa County standards, Todd Nash stops his truck amid a sea of hungry Angus cows and their calves. Clouds veil the moun- tains. There is more mud than grass. It’s bleak. Nash slices blue twine from the one-ton bale perched on the back of his fl atbed and Portland area middle school students Maya Braibish and Julia Larkin gamely clamber up onto back of truck to wrestle with an ungainly, lopsided one ton big bale. Cows anxious for food furtively steal hay. As Nash creeps the truck across the pasture, the two girls begin peeling off big fl akes. “Breakfast is served,” Braibish shouted. This is the 12th year that Wallowa County’s 4-H extension program has col- laborated with Portland-area schools to help bridge the urban-rural divide. This year, a dozen middle-schoolers from the Portland-area spent April 5-9 living and working with four Wallowa County ranching families. The program seems to be working. “It’s a real eye-opener for these kids to see what these small rural communities are like out here,” said Scott Lawrence, the Portland-area 4-H coordinator for the program. “All of them are surprised by what they learn. On our trip home, some of them talk about ranching and farm- ing as careers when they grow up. Their understanding of ranchers and rural life can really change.” Changes in perceptions of rural, ranching life can be both humorous and insightful. See Opinion, Page A9 See 4-H, Page A9 Ellen Morris Bishop Charity Ketscher demonstrates hoof care to Portland 4-H’ers Rita Tan (left) and Hadley Kersans. The girls were part of this year’s 4-H Urban 2 Rural Exchange. Nine Portland students spent four days living and working with four Wallowa County ranch families. TOP RIGHT Julia Larking herds a group of wayward, adventurous calves back into the pasture with their mothers. “Sometimes they seem, like, kind of dumb,” she said. “But sometimes it’s really hard to outsmart them.” EAGLE ATHLETES COLLEGE-BOUND Practice and determination pay off Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain Thanks to their athletic ability, four Joseph Charter School seniors are getting a little tuition help at their selected colleges. Emma Hite, Steven Beckman, Tori Suto and Ella Coughlan all signed letters of intent for their respective schools at a gym ceremony on April 11. Both Hite and Beckman will attend Treasure Valley Community College. Hite will play volleyball for the school and Beckman will join the wrestling squad. Hite played varsity volleyball for all four years of school and in her junior year, starred on a team that won the state championship. She was also a fi rst-team selection in basketball at point guard in the Old Oregon League. She had no idea she’d get offers. “I didn’t know I wanted to even play college volleyball until after we made it to the state tournament,” she said. Then it was something I was really interested in.” She realized her potential by put- ting in the extra mile at her favor- ite sport. “I practice year-round,” she sad. “As much as I can.” She plans to major in elementary education. “I really want to be an elemen- tary teacher, and I’m really excited to go play,” she said. Beckman is the fi rst JCS wres- tler to win three state wrestling titles, something he did in his soph- omore, junior and senior years. An See Athletes, Page A9 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS See more photo contest pictures online at Wallowa.com. B9, B10 EAGLES TRACK SQUAD RUN, JUMP TO DAYLIGHT Boys fi nish fourth with 54 points, girls fi nish 10th with 24 points. B2