LOCAL AUTHOR PUTS OUT ARTS AND EATS OUTDOORS AT
THREE-PART SERIES TERMINAL GRAVITY
LOCAL, A3
$1.50
BUSINESS, A6
THE WEEK
IN
PHOTOS
THE BACK PAGE, A14
136th Year, No. 34
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Statewide risk assessment plan begins this week
Wallowa County
set to start in
lowest tier of plan
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
Gail
Tally
Enterprise
A wish for
a return to
normal
(Editor’s note: This interview
was conducted prior to Gov. Brown’s
announcement of the move from the
freeze to the risk assessment plan,
which begins Thursday).
ENTERPRISE — Gail Tally has lived
in Enterprise for 35 years, having come
here originally to run the business offi ce
at Wallowa Memorial Hospital.
Now retired, her most recent job was
as comptroller at Wallowa County Grain
Growers.
She has no family, but that doesn’t
bother her.
“I like being single,” Tally said.
Recently, she shared her thoughts
on living in Wallowa County.
What’s your favorite thing about
Wallowa County?
I like the scenery, but you can’t eat
the scenery so it’s important that you
have a job when you come here. I like
the people; they’re always friendly and
willing to help. I never worry, if I get stuck
on the highway, that someone will stop
and help me. I never worry about that.
How has the governor’s two-
week freeze on gatherings that
is set to end today aff ected you?
Because I’m retired, it hasn’t aff ected
me that much. I have not traveled out of
the county as often as I would’ve liked,
but I’m sure it’s much harder for people
who have a job and have to travel and
be out in the public for work.
Do you think it will end today as
it’s supposed to?
Nope. There are just so many people
who believe it’s a hoax and it isn’t seri-
ous. I guess because they haven’t lost a
loved one. But I am very serious about
wearing a mask and staying at home
and washing my hands.
What do you want for
Christmas?
I could say “peace on Earth,” that’s
the pat answer, but if I had one wish it
would be that this COVID be over and
we’re back to normal — that we’re back
to the “new” normal, because it’s not
going to be the same.
Fake or real Christmas tree?
Fake with lots of balsam fi r candles. I
love the smell and I don’t like the mess of
a real tree. I used to get worried about it
catching fi re. I just prefer a fake.
What’s your advice for people
who are thinking about moving
here?
Like I said, you’ve got to have a
job and a place to live. Housing is at a
premium.
— Bill Bradshaw,
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The “two-
week freeze” is over at the end of
the day today, Wednesday, Dec. 2.
In its place, beginning on
Thursday, will be a new four-tiered
risk-assessment plan, announced
last week by Gov. Kate Brown.
Each county is placed in one of
four categories which will loosen
or tighten what counties are per-
mitted to do.
Wallowa County, which as of
Tuesday, Dec. 1, had 71 cases —
but has leveled off after doubling
in about a month during Octo-
ber and November — was placed
in the low-risk category, mean-
ing there are fewer restrictions
in place for it and the three other
counties classifi ed as low-risk.
“There’s four or fi ve that got put
in that green area that allowed us
a little more autonomy,” Wallowa
County Commissioner Todd Nash
said. “We’re just at that low-risk
number. We’ve either been lucky,
or we’ve done well for keeping the
numbers low here.”
Nash said the move made by
the state is an improvement, but he
still would like to see the govern-
ment less involved and the coun-
ties have even more autonomy.
“It’s better than it was. I don’t
think, as elected offi cials, it’s in
our purview to tell how many peo-
ple can gather in one spot,” he
said. “People have had enough
time to evaluate the virus and what
to do to protect themselves and the
most vulnerable.”
Sizes on social gatherings are
still severely restricted — to a max
of 10 for indoor gatherings and 12
outdoors — though the number
See Risk, Page A12
Holiday lights
Heidi’s wins fi rst
in lighting contest;
beecrowbee, Mad
Mary’s also honored
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
J
OSEPH — Heidi’s Gift Shoppe was
awarded fi rst place in the 2020 Jin-
gle Thru Joseph Decoration and
Lighting Contest, according to a
press release from the Joseph Cham-
ber of Commerce.
The lighting contest took place Friday,
Nov. 27, and was open to all businesses in
Joseph.
“The judges had a hard time deciding,”
chamber member Jude Graham said in a
chamber press release. “So many of our won-
derful merchants in Joseph worked hard dec-
orating their business. We are very lucky as a
community to have such caring merchants.”
Graham went on to urge area residents to
view the displays in the competition that will
be up during the Christmas season.
“I hope everyone has a moment some eve-
ning to load up the family and to drive through
Joseph, both its main street and its homes,”
Graham wrote. “There are some wonderful
decorations and lights. Thank you everyone.”
The actual Jingle Thru Joseph Parade will
take place at 5 p.m. Saturday Dec 5. Every-
one in Wallowa County is invited to bring the
family and make a good memory for this year
to fi nish the year on a high note.
Winners for the Jingle Thru Joseph Deco-
ration and Lighting Contest are:
1. Heidi’s Gift Shoppe won $100 for the
fi rst-place win. The shop had an “Old-Fash-
ioned Christmas” window that even tells a
story.
2. beecrowbee was awarded second place
this year for its creative window decorations.
beecrowbee won $50 for second place.
Mad Mary’s, which was the 2019 fi rst-
place winner, won an honorary fi rst place for
amazing lights and windows several years in
a row.
“We would like to recommend that every-
one take a stroll through Joseph, each busi-
ness has wonderful decorations inside and
out,” Graham wrote. “Please shop local this
Christmas.”
Joseph Chamber of Commerce/Contributed Photo
“An Old-Fashioned Christmas,” the name of the display in the storefront window at Heidi’s Gift
Shoppe, won fi rst place in the Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s business lighting contest held Friday,
Nov. 27, 2020.
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
The storefront window at beecrowbee won second place in the Joseph Chamber of Commerce’s
business lighting contest held Friday, Nov. 27, 2020.
Grants awarded to Nez
Perce Tribal Fisheries
and Wallowa Resources
Funds from the Meyer Memorial Trust
to the entities total more than $280,000
By ELLEN MORRIS BISHOP
For the Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The Meyer
Memorial Trust has awarded Nez
Perce Tribal Fisheries in Joseph
and Wallowa Resources in Enter-
prise grants totaling more than
$280,000.
The funds will enhance natu-
ral resources and management in
Wallowa County, and are among
only 150 grants awarded nation-
wide by the trust in this year’s
Funding Opportunity Awards.
Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries in
Joseph was awarded $138,824,
from the trust’s Healthy Environ-
ment portfolio to integrate tribal
knowledge into Wallowa Lake
management and explore reintro-
duction of sockeye salmon to the
lake.
“We’re grateful to have
received these funds and continue
our collaborative relationship with
See Grants, Page A12
Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain
Grants totaling more than $280,000 will help the Nez Perce Tribal
Fisheries reintroduce sockeye salmon to their spawning grounds in the
Wallowa River and support Wallowa Resources programs in community
forestry, including establishing a Firewise Community for the residents
at Wallowa Lake.