OPINION
Wallowa County Chieftain
A4
Wednesday, August 7, 2019
A letter to anonymous
D
ear Anonymous Wallowa
County Community Member,
On July 25 you took the
time and trouble to respond to the
Chieftain’s editorial “Clearing the
trail along the urban rural divide.”
Thanks for writing. In your letter, you
noted that what drew you to Wallowa
County from a more urban life was
the “special community essence that is
instantly felt when visiting a place like
Enterprise, Joseph, or Wallowa.” And
yet you chose to write anonymously
“out of fear of a metaphorical scarlet
letter that could otherwise be attached
to my name in this community as a
formerly urban newcomer.” These two
statements seem antithetical. I’d love
to talk with you about your letter over
coffee, but I can’t because you pro-
vided no contact information. And I
can’t publish it because it’s anony-
mous and also far exceeds our 300-
word limit. So in the hope that you’ll
read this, I’m inviting you to call,
email, or stop by The Chieftain so we
can chat. This is what neighbors do.
You took umbrage at my question
about whether a trail-runner who mis-
took a pruning saw for a fi shing rod
was also cognizant of the condition of
of the incredible community you have
built; we respect your rural way of life
and want to be a part of that, not as
the surrounding forest, and whether
outsiders or “urban people” but as 1st
she was able to recognize the tree spe- generation Wallowa Countian’s roll-
cies in the woods. “The larger ques-
ing up their sleeves and in unity.” Yes,
tion,” I wrote, “is whether she was
indeed. You should know that we wel-
connected to the landscape.” This
come your contributions to our com-
does not castigate urban-dwellers. It
munity. The energy and vision of new-
just asks whether a person, who could comers provide a vitality that small
live in Enterprise or New York City,
communities
has taken the
need to pros-
‘THE “UNITY” THAT YOU SEEK IS
trouble to
per and grow.
observe, learn
Also, lots
A TWO-WAY STREET. AND THIS IS
and think
of Wallowa
WHERE THE “URBAN-RURAL DIVIDE”
about the
County res-
OFTEN LIES. WE WILL LEARN FROM
landscape —
idents of all
the trees, for-
generations –
YOU. AND, AS A NEW RESIDENT
ests, animals,
fi rst through
YOU ARE LEARNING FROM US.’
and ecosys-
6th — wear
tems — that
“Nikes” – aka
support us. And when I say “support” trail-running athletic shoes—use ear-
I mean holistically — supply clean
buds and recreate in the backcoun-
water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and
try. This is in no way a distinction
open spaces for recreation, as well as
between urban and rural. But lots of
economic sustenance.
us — and lots of recent arrivals such
“New people, some of them urban, as yourself — also observe, listen to,
some of them wearing Nikes, are
and think about the places we traverse.
The “unity” that you seek is a two-
today uprooting their lives and invest-
way street. And this is where the
ing in Wallowa County….seeking a
“urban-rural divide” often lies. We
connection and building prosperity,”
will learn from you. And, as a new
you wrote. “We have come because
VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN
Another summer, half gone
A
nother Chief Joseph Days has come
and gone probably marking the mid-
point of summer for us. The week
of CJD is pretty frantic for a lot of people
in the county. Hard to believe a bunch of
committee men and volunteers can pull it
off. Thanks to all, it wouldn’t happen with-
out you and brings a lot of money into the
county. Pendleton goes through a week of
mayhem during the roundup and after the
festivities are done you could shoot a can-
non down main street and never hit anyone.
I recently read that Hamleys has gone broke
and been sold to the Indians. I hope they can
make it work. Hamleys has been an icon in
the Northwest for many years and it would
be like closing a museum if it failed. Par-
ley Pierce and his partner had a great vision
for Hamleys and the great steak house they
attached to it. They did a wonderful job
building a destination spot for fi ne dining
and top notch cowboy gear. It seems they
were just a little too big for a town the size
of Pendleton to support. Best of luck to the
new owners, the Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla.
Unlike Pendleton, Joseph and the rest
of this county do not turn into a ghost town
after the rodeo. We still have another two
months of lots of visitors and then a month
OPEN
RANGE
Barrie Qualle
or so of hunters. At my house we have had
three weeks of visitors. Two weeks before
CJD our daughter and son in-law along with
2 grandchildren ages four and seven arrived
for a visit. After two days the daughter and
son in-law left for a week in Montana and
left the kids with us. The kids were great
till their parents returned and then became
evil. The fi rst wave of visitors left and the
next one began arriving with CJD week
approaching overfl ow. Five grandchildren
ages 19 to 22, one friend of my grandson,
one rodeo family and old friends from Cal-
ifornia camped here for the week. I guess it
was a lot of work for my wife but I thought
it was a great time. Scott McCulough from
Idaho and his wife and two boys aged 4
and 7 were the rodeo family visiting and
the two boys had a ball. They spent morn-
ings fi shing at Kinney Lake and the after-
noons fl oating the ditch above our house.
resident you are learning from us. If
you want to “be part of our rural way
of life,” it’s more than just admiring
the majesty of the Wallowa Moun-
tain skyline. It’s the capacity to under-
stand your wild as well as your human
neighbors. It’s a commitment to pre-
serve open spaces, private and public,
both for scenic value and their vital
economic contribution to Wallowa
County. Why? First, because this liv-
ing landscape is an important part of
our community. And second, because
newcomers and 6th generation-ers
alike will face ballot initiatives, elec-
tions, and land use planning deci-
sions upon which the survival of the
economy, ecosystems, and yes, scenic
beauty that brought you here, depend.
Will we all have the same opinions?
Of course not. But we all, including
ear-budded, Nike-shod trail-runners,
need the forests and grasslands and
rivers. And to have them, we need to
observe them, learn about them and
understand them, just like any other
valued community member. The num-
ber at the Chieftain is 541-426–4567.
I hope we can sit down over coffee
and talk sometime soon.
WHERE TO WRITE
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Evenings they built a fi re in the teepee I set
up in the pasture and roasted marshmal-
lows. Ryle, the seven year old, stood on the
deck with his hands on his hips and looked
around. He smiled and declared he loved
this place and Oregon was his favorite place.
The boys brought bows made out of half
inch PVC and arrows and pretty much shot
up the place. Ryle proudly showed me his
new teeth coming in the front of his mouth. I
have heard of pulling teeth by tying string to
your tooth and then to a doorknob and slam-
ming the door to jerk the loose tooth out.
Ryle has a great imagination. He tied the fi f-
teen foot string to his tooth then to an arrow
and shot the arrow which took the tooth with
it. The fi rst one was a success so he did the
same for the second. Ranch kids are pretty
tough but it’s a wonder any of them survive.
It appears this might be a pretty good
year for irrigation thanks to a not bad snow-
pack. I feel sorry for the ditch walkers when
the water starts to get short. They have a
bunch of irrigators they have to juggle water
to and the logistics can get tough. Unfortu-
nately, people can become pretty irrational
about irrigation water and an otherwise sane
neighbor can become a hated enemy. As
they say whiskey is for drinking and water is
for fi ghting over.
The White House — 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20500; Phone-comments: 202-456-
1111; Switchboard: 202-456-1414.
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D — 516 Hart Senate Offi ce Build-
ing, Washington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-5244.
E-mail: wayne_kinney@wyden.senate.gov Web site:
http://wyden.senate.gov Fax: 202-228-2717.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D — 313 Hart Senate Offi ce
Building, Washington D.C. 20510. Phone: 202-224-3753.
E-mail: senator@merkley.senate.gov. Fax: 202-228-3997.
Oregon offi ces — 121 S.W. Salmon St., Suite 1250, Port-
land, OR 97204; and 310 S.E. Second St., Suite 105,
Pendleton, OR 97801. Phone: 503-326-3386; 541-278-
1129. Fax: 503-326-2990.
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R (Second District) — 1404
Longworth Building, Washington D.C. 20515. Phone:
202-225-6730. No direct e-mail because of spam. Web
site: www.walden.house.gov Fax: 202-225-5774. Med-
ford offi ce: 14 North Central, Suite 112, Medford, OR
97501. Phone: 541-776-4646. Fax: 541-779-0204.
Pending Bills — For information on bills in Congress,
Phone 202-225-1772.
SALEM
Oregon Legislature — State Capitol, Salem, 97310.
Phone: (503) 986-1180. Web site: www. leg.state.or.us
(includes Oregon Constitution and Oregon Revised
Statutes).
State Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove (District 58) — Room
H-384, State Capitol, 900 Court St. N.E., Salem OR 97301.
Phone: 503-986-1458. E-mail: rep.gregbarreto@state.or.us.
Web site: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/barreto
State Sen. Bill Hansell, R (District 29) — Room S-423,
State Capitol, Salem 97301. Phone: 503-986-1729.
E-mail: Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us. Web site: www.ore-
gonlegislature.gov/hansell.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Rails to Trails: Don’t burden farmers with more problems
In the Trail project article 7/31 edition,
Ms Millar states one reason they decided to
withdraw the appeal was “the decision of
the commissioners to keep the record open
until July 1 for the submission of new/clar-
ifying evidence.” However when JBTC
fi led their appeal, THEY requested that pro-
cess. At the June 17 commission meeting
Commissioners decided to grant this JBTC
request. Proponents and opponents of the
Trail could submit materials. Only oppo-
nents of the Trail made the effort to submit
information. Trail proponents did not use
the opportunity THEY asked for.
It’s hard to “disprove negative possi-
bilities” that ranchers brought up because
it is diffi cult to disprove facts. She states
they are working on “grants” to hire an
employee to “manage this project and get
it where we want to go.” Do they plan to
change the law regarding EFU Zones?
Repeal the Supreme Court decision which
affi rmed the decision of the Planning Com-
mission? Where do farmers in this county
go to get grants and free attorneys to fi ght
to keep our farms in business? Materials
from the Ag sector note serious confl icts
between the proposed Trail and the viability
of working farms. Special interest groups
have many sources of funds to fi ght your
farming neighbors. Farmers spend their
OWN time and money. People trying to
make a living and keep farmland viable are
being forced to defend their livelihood from
those who want another place to recreate.
Do you really want to burden farmers with
more problems?
Rebecca Wolfe
Wallowa
Better coverage due Wallowa’s
Fourth of July Celebration
I told myself before July 2019 is history
to write the Wallowa County Chieftain about
a matter that has been in my mind and on my
heart for quite some time!
The City of Wallowa has celebrated July
4th—our nation’s birthday—with a parade,
BarBQ, quilt show and vendors for a num-
ber of years now!
However, I have yet to see front page
cover pictures and writeup; continued on
another inside page-with more pictures, in
the Chieftain—next issue following this
grand occasion.
After all—shouldn’t the birthday of “The
land of the free and the home of the brave”—
the “United States of America” warrant such
newspaper coverage?
Aleta Neal
Lostine
Speak out against cruelty and
injustice
The senior clergy of the National Cathe-
dral in Washington, D.C. recently issued
a statement asking all sides of the politi-
cal spectrum to respond to the racist rheto-
ric coming from the President of the United
States. They ask the question: “When will
Americans have enough?”
They recall a time in America’s his-
tory when Senator Joseph McCarthy stoked
fears of Communism, destroyed the careers
of many, and bullied a submissive nation
into silence until U.S. Army attorney Joseph
Welch asked one of the most famous ques-
tions to come down through time: “Have
you no sense of decency?”
In retrospect, the clergy think the ques-
tion was directed at the American people as
much as it was McCarthy. Out of fear, most
were silenced then. But this question woke
the populace and McCarty ended with his
career and reputation in ruins. As it should.
The clergy continue: “As leaders of faith
who believe in the sacredness of every sin-
gle human being, the time for silence is
over. We must boldly stand witness against
the bigotry, hatred, intolerance, and xeno-
phobia that is hurled at us, especially when
it comes from the highest offi ces of this
nation. We must say that this will not be
tolerated. To stay silent in the face of such
rhetoric is for us to tacitly condone the vio-
lence of these words. We are compelled to
take every opportunity to oppose the inde-
cency and dehumanization that is racism,
whether it comes to us through words or
actions.”
We present these words as citizens of
Wallowa County’s Newspaper Since 1884
M EMBER O REGON N EWSPAPER P UBLISHERS A SSOCIATION
Published every Wednesday by: EO Media Group
VOLUME 134
USPS No. 665-100
P.O. Box 338 • Enterprise, OR 97828
Offi ce: 209 NW First St., Enterprise, Ore.
Phone: 541-426-4567 • Fax: 541-426-3921
Contents copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.
Reproduction without permission is prohibited.
this country and this county who have full
faith in the promise of America, and in all
citizens to come together in tolerance and
love of neighbor and speak out against cru-
elty and injustice in all its forms.
Catherine Matthias
and Stewart Jones
Joseph
Free CDs much appreciated!
Refl ections on the Lostine Dump
As we write this, we are listening to
“Pink Flamingos” by Rickie Lee Jones
from her CD, Traffi c from Paradise (1993).
Running from Mercy is a phenomenal cut
as well. Being of an advanced age, the last
song we remember by Rickie was Chuck
E.s in Love (1979).
There have been many refl ections in
the Chieftain over the 8 years that we have
lived here, extolling the beauty and ben-
efi ts of Wallowa County life. This let-
ter is to thank the anonymous donor who
left a brace of CDs at the Lostine Trans-
fer Station with a small, hand-written
sign, “Free CDs.” If you are having sec-
ond thoughts about your decision to unload
Rickie (not to mention The London Howlin’
Wolf Sessions), we are sure we can work
out a shared arrangement to our mutual
satisfaction.
Ron and Terry Polk
Lostine
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General manager, Jennifer Cooney, jcooney@wallowa.com
Editor, Ellen Morris Bishop, editor@wallowa.com
Publisher, Chris Rush, crush@eomediagroup.com
Reporter, Stephen Tool, steve@wallowa.com
Administrative Assistant, Amber Mock, amock@wallowa.com
Advertising Assistant, Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com
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Wallowa County Chieftain
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