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BUSINESS, A6
STATE, A15
THE WEEK
IN PHOTOS
THE BACK PAGE, A16
136th Year, No. 32
Wallowa
County
Voices
Tom
Beckman
Enterprise
Thankful for
post-election
peace, family
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Seaside police chief accepts job in Enterprise
David Ham to replace
Sheriff -elect Joel Fish
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — David Ham,
chief of police in Seaside, has
accepted an offer by the Enterprise
City Council to become the new
police chief here, according to a
press release.
Ham has more than 25 years
of law enforcement experience,
including six years as chief in Sea-
side. He accepted
the position Friday,
Nov. 13.
The position of
chief is becoming
vacant since cur-
rent Chief Joel Fish
Ham
won the election to
become Wallowa
County sheriff. He takes his new
position Jan. 1.
Ham anticipates being able to
take over for Fish on that date,
provided all the prehiring checks
are completed and a fi nal offer is
acceptable.
“If everything goes according to
plan, I will start Jan 1,” Ham said
in a telephone interview with the
Chieftain Monday, Nov. 16. “That
could work.”
He said the job description
seemed to fi t what he was look-
ing for, as he would prefer more
hands-on police work.
“They were looking for a work-
ing chief in addition to the adminis-
trative duties,” he said.
He does more administration
in Seaside, though he occasionally
assists patrol offi cers.
“It’s not that I’m so removed
from it I don’t know how to do it
anymore,” he said.
Ham’s current position in Sea-
side has him supervising a larger
department than in Enterprise,
where there are four offi cers work-
ing with the chief. The Seaside
Police Department maintains a min-
imum of two patrol units on duty,
24 hours a day. The patrol division
consists of three patrol sergeants
supervising 14 offi cers, according
to its website.
But why did he pick Enterprise?
See Police chief, Page A7
ENTERPRISE — Tom Beckman,
of Enterprise, has lived here about
12 years, and works as kitchen
manager at Friends Restaurant on
Main Street.
He has a child on the way
— next month — and his par-
ents and some siblings live in the
area, so he is well tied to Wallowa
County.
He recently shared his thoughts
on living in Wallowa County and
some recent or upcoming events.
What do you think about
the results of the local
elections?
I voted, but I haven’t been keep-
ing up on things too much. (The
Enterprise school bond passing)
sounds good to me, but I haven’t
been keeping up on stuff lately.
Everything’s been so chaotic, so I
guess I’m a little out of touch with
it. As for moving Wallowa County
into Idaho, (which failed) I need to
do some more research on that.
As we near Thanksgiving,
what’s one thing you’re
thankful for?
I’m thankful for my family and
I’m thankful that our little town
hasn’t been too disrupted by the
rest of the country’s crap that’s
going on right now. Of course, it’s
everywhere, but here it’s easier in
some ways.
What’s your Thanksgiving
tradition like?
Big dinner, get-together with
family, trying to get family to come
into town.
Do you think it will be
disrupted by the COVID
pandemic?
Yeah, in a way, but I don’t think
too much.
When is too early to start
hearing Christmas music?
Seems like around here it
always starts too early. I used to
live in Joseph for a long time and it
seems they get to blaring that stuff
all around town early on.
— Bill Bradshaw,
Wallowa County Chieftain
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Always alert, Kangal guard dogs Zahara, left, and Callie keep watch Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at the Allen Canyon Loop home of Benny and Jan Hileman
southeast of Wallowa. That alertness against predators is what the Turkish-bred dogs are known for.
Protecting against predators
Turkish-bred Kangal
shepherds dogs hold
record for strongest bite
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
A
LLEN CANYON — In
an area where predators
are far from uncommon,
what’s the best defense?
Dogs, says one couple,
who recently acquired
two Kangal shepherd
puppies to replace their
aging rottweilers.
“They’ll protect all the animals
and your children,” said Jan Hile-
man, who with husband, Benny,
lives along Allen Canyon Loop
southeast of Wallowa. “That’s what
they’re bred for.”
The rare guard dogs are native to
Turkey. Not so much herding dogs,
they’re more to keep an eye on their
territory — and those in it — and
protect what’s there.
“We’re griping about cows get-
ting killed, and I think it’s time peo-
ple fi nd out there is something that
can really help,” Jan Hileman said.
The Hilemans have nine dogs
total — fi ve they regularly let out-
side and four that are more indoor
dogs. In addition to the two Kan-
gals, they have two rottweilers, an
old border collie, two chihuahuas,
a Boston bull terrier “and a fuzzy
dog” mutt, Benny said.
Several are getting quite old, and
their days are numbered.
Some may see having such a
large pack as a problem, but the
Hilemans don’t.
“All of our dogs stay here
because we watch them all the
time,” Jan said. “And they teach
each other things.”
“But somebody has to be the
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Kangal shepherds Callie, left, and Zahara show aff ection to rottweiler Reco while their owners Jan, left, and Benny
Hileman watch Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. The 5-month-old Kangals are guard dogs the Hilemans recently got to
guard their Allen Canyon Loop home southeast of Wallowa.
pack leader, and I’ve already done
that with our dogs,” Benny added.
He said they’ve both been work-
ing with the Kangals — two females
that are about 5 months old. They’ll
be advantageous to replace the older
rottweilers.
“Once they get more grown up
and trained better,” he said. “I have
been trying to walk them around the
fence line and teach them that that’s
the end.”
Benny said that training is
important, as the Kangals are more
likely to stay home than his rottwei-
lers, who have been known to go
off gallivanting around the woods.
They’re even showing a natural
instinct to simply survey the sur-
rounding area and watch for any-
thing alarming.
“That’s what we’re fi nding out,”
Jan said. “For the past two or three
weeks, Callie would just sit here and
look over the area.”
The Hilemans said the girls —
Callie and Zahara — have been rel-
atively easy to train.
“I put those dogs on a lead and
Callie backed up on me a little,
but Zahara tromped right along.
I could’ve taken her to the show
ring,” Benny said. “I stop; she sits
down. Callie, I have to tell her to
sit down. They’re really getting to
learn.”
Jan said they do come with
challenges.
“They’re so stubborn,” she said.
But, she said, she’s impressed
with how the pups are already so
observant.
“It’s a natural instinct that they
stay right here and protect their
turf,” she said. “Callie was sitting
here this morning just looking over
the valley. They always, always
know what’s going on around them.
… They notice everything.”
See Kangal shepherds, Page A7