Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 18, 2019)
COUGARS FALL INTO BADGER HOLE WALLOWA DROPS LEAGUE OPENER TO ARCH-RIVAL NORTH POWDER PAGE A9 Enterprise, Oregon Enterprise School Board members admit to executive session violations By Steve Tool Wallowa County Chieftain According to a stipulated final order from the Oregon Government Ethics Com- mission, five members of the Enterprise School Dis- trict board admitted to an executive meeting viola- tion regarding the long-run- ning dispute over the sports eligibility of a former EHS student, Justus Even. The commission conducted the investigation based on an ethics complaint by Ilene Wells, wife of then Enter- prise basketball coach and athletic director, Larry Wells. Board members include Kate Fent as Chair and Position 4 representa- tive; Mandy Decker in Posi- tion 1, Adrian Harguess in Position 2, Mike Weideman in Position 2 and Heather Melville, who is Vice-Chair and holds Position 5. The five virtually iden- tical letters charge that the board violated executive session law during a Dec. 3, 2018 meeting in which they voted to send a letter that addressed complaints Wallowa.com 135th Year, No. 23 made by Even’s parents about two school employ- ees: Wells and high school principal, Blake Carlsen, who had determined Even was ineligible to participate in school sports because of a mid-year transfer issue. An executive session is a meet- ing in which a public board discusses information or records exempt from public inspection by law. ORS 192.660(6) prohib- its the board from taking any final action or making any final decision during an executive session. The OGEC found that the entire board violated the law in their actions. Violation of ORS 192.660(6) is punishable by up to a $1000 fine, but the OGEC chose to give each board member a “letter of education.” As a result, each member agreed to the terms and conditions of the OGEC order without its completing the investigative phase. All the board member signed off on the stipulated final order on July 11 of this year. Fent did not respond to a request for comment. Wednesday, September 18, 2019 $1.50 SUMMER SNOWFALL Bill Bradshaw The Wallowas show their first signs of a serious snowpack on Chief Joseph Mountain early Tuesday. Although it’s still technically summer, Monday night’s rainstorm gave a healthy start to the winter’s snowpack above the Wallowa Valley. Gov. Kate Brown recall efforts head for finish line October 7 last day for local signatures By Ellen Morris Bishop Wallowa County Chieftain Two separate petitions to place the recall of Ore- gon Governor Kate Brown on the November ballot are presently being circulated in Wallowa County. Each needs 280,050 validated signatures of registered Oregon voters by October 15th to place a recall measure on the Ore- gon ballot. One is sponsored by the Oregon Republican party. The other similar peti- tion is sponsored by a group called ‘Flush Down Kate Brown.’ Two local women, Annette Lathrop, chair of the Wallowa County Republican party, and Marissa Hess, of Enterprise, are ramrodding signature gathering here. To submit all signed petitions by the October 14 deadline, sig- nature gathering in Wallowa County will effectively halt on October 7. Hess is circulating the Ellen Morris Bishop Two west-side hunters sign Annette Lathrop’s Republican Party-sponsored petition to recall Oregon Governor Kate Brown while Ramona Patton looks on. Petitioners in Wallowa County have until October 7 to gather signatures to meet the October 14 statewide deadline. Flush Down Kate Brown petition which is headed by the Oregon First PAC. The petition addresses many of the same issues as Lathrop’s Republican petition. Specif- ically, it states that Brown has “..reduced our kicker tax refund, raised taxes mer- cilessly, and spends our money recklessly”, and cites Brown’s failure to address the financial concerns of PERS, Oregon’s “sanctuary state” status, and providing driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. Lathrop and her mother, Rowena Patton, have been working hard to collect as many signatures as possible on the Republican Party’s petition. Initiated by Ore- gon Republican party chair- man Bill Currier, it initially focused on Brown’s support of House Bill 2020 (carbon tax) and her threat to imple- ment it by executive order, as well as allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Altogether, the peti- tion lists ten reasons for the recall, including denying cit- izens the right to fully protect themselves as guaranteed by the Constitution, attempting to deprive Oregon’s working families of jobs using faulty environmental policy, and failure to address the PERS crisis. Other issues include what Lathrop considers a tax bill disguised as an education bill that has harmed busi- nesses across the state. Why the recall petitions? “Many people during that last legislative session saw the train for the good of their perspectives and needs go off the rails,” Lathrop said. “That is the energy behind the movement. As Repub- lican chair I think the state Republican party wanted to capitalize on all that energy. The petition was birthed.” Lathrop said she has found a lot of enthusiasm in the county for the petition. “A man who saw my shirt (bearing the slogan “Remove Kate Brown”) literally came running across the street, waving at me, and asked if I had a petition he could sign.” Some county visitors have also been signing, including hunters who live on the west side of the state. The controversy over public records advocate Ginger McCall’s resigna- tion, and the appointment of Misha Isaak to the Oregon Court of Appeals has sparked renewed interest in the recall petition, Lathrop said. “I believe the people in rural communities deserve a governor they feel are work- ing for them,” Lathrop said. “The people in the timber industry, the farmers, and all who voted overwhelmingly to deny driver’s licenses to illegals, should have a gov- ernor who honors the will of the people.” “Kate Brown is no differ- ent than many other classi- cal political corruption pol- iticians who are using their office to promote their own agenda and further their own political careers,” Lathrop said. Lathrop feels that her Republican party petition, as well as Hess’ Flush Kate Brown petition are on track to gather the required num- ber of signatures for inclu- sion on the ballot. “If they get enough signa- tures and it goes to be voted on, I think Oregonians will feel vindicated. In Oregon politics,” (she laughed) “you just don’t really know. And I hope it passes. But even if it doesn’t, the very fact that it came to a recall vote will certainly come to the atten- tion of those who thought we don’t care or we had just given up. I think it will have an impact. It’s a real posi- tive thing because it’s ener- gized lots of people who have never been in the pro- cess before.” Child killed by crash near Minam Life Flight transports a second child, age 2, to Boise after wreck. By Bill Bradshaw and Jade McDowell EO Media Group MINAM – A three-ve- hicle crash on State Route 82 resulted in the death of four-month old Jordy Erick- son when a pickup driven by his mother, Christy Erickson of La Grande col- lided with two other vehi- cles Sept. 11 on State Route 82 near milepost 38 about four miles east of Minam. Another Erickson child, 2 years of age, was life- flighted to Boise. Oregon State Police and other emergency per- sonnel responded at about 10:30 a.m. Sept. 11. Preliminary investiga- tion showed that a Ford F150 pickup, driven by Erickson, 31, with two child passengers, was eastbound negotiating a curve when her vehicle left her lane of travel and sideswiped Oregon State Police Scene of three vehicle accident on OR Hwy 82 Sept. 11. One child was killed and another life- flighted to Boise. an oncoming Subaru Out- back. Outback was driven by Mary Importico, 31, with Ryan Importico, 32, as a passenger. Both are from Portland. The initial collision caused Erickson’s Ford to continue to the left into the oncoming lane and it struck a Dodge Ram pickup pull- ing a trailer nearly head-on. The Ram was driven by Colby Rimmer, 25; with passengers Daniel Rimmer, 53; Michael Cramer, 41; See Crash, Page A7
