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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 11, 2019)
OPINION Wallowa County Chieftain A4 Wednesday, September 11, 2019 VOICE of the CHIEFTAIN Change is how the future invades our lives Y esterday Wallowa County’s first dust- ing of fall snow fell on the Wallowa Mountain peaks. Summer has fled back to Hells Canyon, or perhaps points south. Bucks and bulls are los- ing their velvet, polishing their antlers, and scrubbing the bark off 2″ trees, albeit quite late in the season for that transition. The herds of visitors have thinned. The annual stam- pede of hunters is almost upon us. And if you haven’t got- ten your winter wood in yet, you’d better hurry. It’s another season of change. But, then, every sea- son is a season of change. As the futurist Alvin Toeffler noted, “Change is the process by which the future invades our lives.” (And there’s the lesser known saying, seen taped on a Portland coffee shop tip jar: “If you fear change, leave it here.”) The character of Wallowa County is changing. Joseph is adding what is for here, a huge new subdivision, and Bill Bradshaw A dusting of fall snow graces the top of Chief Joseph Mountain on Tuesday, September 10 pushing houses and pavement into what had been agricul- tural land. This trend is not new here. One only need look at the photo on page 2 of this issue—Enterprise in 1903— to see that 116 years ago, a lot of downtown Enterprise was open space, recently pio- neered into a town. But we are reaching a point where expansion into open countryside and in particu- lar, agricultural lands in tradi- tional subdivisions with a nice yard for mowing, barbeques, and a play area for the kids, even here, is becoming an iffy thing. We have developments of 5 acres, 2 acres, and just large lots that have sprawled across the countryside. The Moraine Partnership is one example of how this commu- nity can work together to pre- serve the open landscapes that we all revere. As popu- lations grow, it is only natu- ral for people to want to find an idyllic place—open space and a wilderness next door— to live. Growth that is part and parcel of a town is one way to protect the open land- scapes that grow our food and provide solace from the slings and arrows of everyday life in uncertain, and yes, changing times. The future, whether it be onrushing winter (Was that an elk bugling?) or the arrival of new neighbors in the just- erected house next door, is indeed invading our lives. But whether you are getting in winter wood, or getting to a land use planning session, the future need not invade our lives without an invitation, some direction and perhaps a nice bed where it can lie down and rest for the night. Maybe longer. LETTERS to the EDITOR Marijuana is not a harmless drug Contributed photo/Blue Mountain Eagle Reid Psaltis, artist in residence at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, created this sculpture of Cynarctoides lemur, an extinct, fruit-eating dog, which is on display at the Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center. Open house planned for new hands-on sculpture at Fossil Beds Blue Mountain Eagle The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument’s newest exhibit is a hands-on experience. Artist-in-residence Reid Psal- tis focused on exhibit accessi- bility by creating a touchable sculpture of Cynarctoides lemur, an extinct, fruit-eating dog. An open house will take place from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at the Thomas Condon Paleontology and Visitor Center. Psaltis is an illustrator, sculp- tor and natural history enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest and has made several trips to John Day Fossil Beds during his resi- dency. Because his residency was almost two years long, it allowed time for project consultation with the park’s chief paleontologist for scientific accuracy, and feed- back from people in the disability communities, which added more diverse perspectives. The dog sculpture on display during the open house will be temporary until it is permanently replaced with cast bronze later this year. “Visiting this park as a teen- ager played a big role in devel- oping my interest in natural his- tory,” Psaltis said. “Now that prehistoric life has become a reg- ular subject in my art practice, it’s been really amazing to have that come full circle by contribut- ing something to the visitor cen- ter. Using art to encourage inter- est in Oregon’s natural history is a great goal, and the efforts we took to make it accessible can now bring that to a whole new audience.” Superintendent Patrick Gam- man said, “Not only is the sculp- ture visually appealing, Reid took great efforts to provide pal- pable textures so that everyone can enjoy the exhibit. Come to the park and pet the extinct dog. I promise you, it won’t bite!” Discover Your Northwest pro- vided support for this project. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument has been participat- ing in the artist-in-residence pro- gram for over a decade. For more information, visit nps.gov/joda/ getinvolved/supportyourpark/ artist-in-residence.htm. Dear Residents of Joseph, Oregon I grew up in Walla Walla. My aunt and uncle had a cabin close to the Aneroid trailhead above Wallowa Lake for thirty-five years. I spent most of my sum- mers in Joseph and the surround- ing mountains. The first Joseph Days Parade I saw had Walter Brennan as the Grand Marshall. I caught my first trout in Wallowa Lake. I always believed that the people of Eastern Oregon were upright, noble folks who didn’t mess with or buy into the liberal foolishness that seemed to be taking over the rest of the State—environmental wackism, drug use, the hippie movement and now Antifa and the climate change fraud. Imagine my shock and surprise when I visited Joseph this sum- mer and walked into a store sell- ing prime marijuana buds! Unbe- lievable! The upright citizens of Joseph should be ashamed of themselves. Marijuana is not a harmless drug, it is a gateway to a world of hell. And yet, there it was, right in the heart of town—a shop where any twenty-one year old can walk in and buy pot for YOUR CHIL- DREN. In the old days, this kind of behavior would have been cause for a bucket of tar, some feathers, and a pine pole. Wake up, Eastern Oregon. Your values and what you have always stood for are being stolen from you—leeched away by the creep- ing crud known as liberalism. If you still have any backbones, you will make it impossible for this store to stay. Pat Craig Caldwell, Idaho An incident that challenges county courtesy…. Implant, non-er, “not from around here,” tourist…all of these things have been said in one form or another about me and it is fine because they are all true. Like some individuals who move to this area, I visited here and fell in love with the ambiance, the open-air environment, the com- munity, and most of all, the peo- ple. I moved here for all of these things, but most importantly, the small town and unbelievable cour- tesy that comes with living in a place most have only read about in books or magazines. We drive differently here in the best kind of way. We wave at one another when driving. We go out of our way to speak to one another in the grocery store or when out and about. We know our neighbors and have become family. I happened upon a situation the other day where a woman was getting unnecessarily upset at a business representative for some- thing another employee did in the parking lot. In every sense, the representative was an inno- cent bystander. The woman was so rude for a reason that made no sense to the average onlooker and was making such a scene. At the end of the day, we are all human, our emotions sometimes get the best of us, but to what end? To put down a stranger or a per- son who is simply doing their job for something unrelated to what they are doing simply to support their family, why? I cannot under- stand why anyone in this wonder- ful community would make a con- scious choice to verbally accost someone like that? With today’s climate and far- away news about hostile work environments, please keep up with the county courtesy as will I. Everyone, absolutely everyone, deserves the benefit of the doubt and respect. Lashing out at one another has no place here. Erica Pearson Enterprise, Oregon Too many fish, etc., stories ODFW, wolves, cows, wildlife, forest fires, fish. Is there nothing else in this county to write about? Every week, another bearded man talks about fish. It’s incredibly depressing. Please, please mix it up. Andrew Esquibel Fascism more worrisome than socialism The letter titled Beware of Social- ism two Chieftains ago prompted some thoughts. I respect the USN 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 Office: 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. 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 Reporter, Bill Bradshaw, wbradshaw@wallowa.com Administrative Assistant, Amber Mock, amock@wallowa.com Advertising Assistant, Cheryl Jenkins, cjenkins@wallowa.com (retired) person who wrote that arti- cle. However, I believe we are so far from becoming a socialist coun- try that we could enact many more social programs that would help the marginalized, marginalized because of race, mental or drug impair- ment, poverty, homelessness, and much more. (See Catherine Mat- thias and Stewart Jones fine Septem- ber 4 letter). Those who are at the bottom end of the “feeding trough,” who need better nutrition, health- care, housing, income or other ben- efits that are meager due to those (not all) at the upper end of the feed- ing trough often taking the most and best without regard for the poor. While a socialist state could be something to fear, what frightens me much more is the strong lean- ing toward fascism that is happen- ing right now. President Trump is fascinated by Putin, who is a fascist, and seeks to be like him. I remember Hitler and Mussolini were fascists which lead the world into the second great war. Oxford Dictionaries define fas- cism as “an authoritarian and nation- alistic right-wing system of gov- ernment and social organization.” Merriam-Webster defines It as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible sup- pression of opposition.” (See David Ebbert’s thorough September 4 let- ter). We can add this includes under- mining the press to the eventual point of controlling it including con- trol of elections and more. Do we need to fear if Trump and Repub- licans get another four years that we may see a map with the words United Fascist States of America… beware!? Don Scully Joseph, OR Thanks for courthouse care Everett Roberts developed a legacy of loving care for Wal- lowa County Court House prop- erty. Matt Kassahn has expanded that legacy and daily gives his tal- ent and concern to bless us with the beautiful lawn and gardens that grace the center of Enterprise. Kudos and thanks. D Boyd Enterprise, Oregon Periodical Postage Paid at Enterprise and additional mailing offices Subscription rates (includes online access) Wallowa County Out-of-County 1 Year $45.00 $57.00 Subscriptions must be paid prior to delivery See the Wallowa County Chieftain on the Internet Wallowa.com facebook.com/Wallowa twitter.com/wcchieftain POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wallowa County Chieftain P.O. Box 338 Enterprise, OR 97828
