A8
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
‘Normal’ returns to Wallowa Lake State Park
Popular
area taking
reservations for
May 1 season
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA LAKE —
Things are getting back
a bit more to normal this
year, now that state parks
are beginning to reopen —
including Wallowa Lake
State Park, which began
taking reservations Thurs-
day, April 15, for the group
campsites that open May 1.
According to a press
release from the Ore-
gon Parks and Recreation
Department, some state
parks were to begin tak-
ing reservations April 15. A
complete list of which ones
are opening is available at
the OPRD website at www.
oregon.gov/oprd/Pages/
index.aspx.
Mac Freeborn, man-
ager at Wallowa Lake State
Park, said Wednesday,
April 14, that a few camp-
ers already were at the park.
But they were the ones who
could do without park-pro-
vided water, which won’t be
turned on until May 1.
“My park has been tak-
ing reservations for a while
now,” he said. “The ones
opening May 1 are group
campsites.”
The park’s website bills it
as being “ideally positioned
as a base camp for both wil-
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Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Campers are already moving into Wallowa Lake State Park on
Wednesday, April 14, 2021. The park was set to begin taking
reservations the next day for the season that opens May 1.
derness treks and water
sports fun.”
He said those there now
are ones who take advan-
tage of the park’s opening
throughout the off season.
“We had a recent request
for more reservations … and
we’re accepting walk-ins,”
he said.
Last year, the park was
forced to be closed until
June 5 by the closures asso-
ciated with the COVID-19
pandemic. The group facil-
ities are reopening after
being closed for more than
a year due to revenue short-
falls and reduced staffi ng
associated with COVID-19.
“Summer is quickly
approaching, and we want to
give visitors plenty of time
to plan their group events,”
said Jason Resch, commu-
nications manager for the
OPRD. “Although we can’t
open all group areas in all
parks and the lower group
limits isn’t what we are used
to, we ask for your patience
as we move forward.”
But now it’s returning to
closer to normal.
“As normal as it can be,”
he said. “We’re back on
track for bringing back sea-
sonals in hiring. … Nor-
mal is a subjective term, but
we’re going to be back for
full operation this summer.”
He said the docks won’t
go back into the water until
around May 1.
“We start really ramp-
ing up things in early May,”
Freeborn said.
But campsite reserva-
tions are already nearly fully
booked.
“If people are not fi nding
anything online, it’s because
we’re already booked. It’s
been fast and furious with
reservations,” Freeborn said.
He said that’s probably a
combination of people miss-
ing last year’s camping sea-
son and an eagerness to rec-
reate outdoors where they’re
not cooped up in a hotel or
the like.
He said that if recreation-
ists fi nd they can’t rent day-
use areas, they can look into
getting a special-use permit.
Day-use areas consist of two
reservable picnic sites and
one reservable covered shel-
Windfall of cash awarded to Winding Waters
Clinic receives
more than $1.2
million through
American Rescue
Plan funds
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
American Rescue Plan
signed last month by Presi-
dent Biden provided a major
fi nancial boost for commu-
nity health centers.
Winding Waters Medical
Clinic was among those who
received help.
More than $84 million
was allocated to health cen-
ters in Oregon through the
ARP, Democratic Sen. Jeff
Merkley’s offi ce announced
last month, with Winding
Waters receiving more than
$1.2 million.
Nic Powers, CEO of
Winding Waters, said he
was aware of the money
set apart for health centers
in the $1.9 trillion bill, and
expected Winding Waters
would be able to apply for
a grant.
“I
absolutely
was
shocked by the amount,”
he said of the $1,210,625
awarded to WWMC. “It was
unexpected.”
The money was dispersed
to 30 centers in Oregon, with
dollar amounts ranging from
about $671,000 to nearly
$11 million. The money,
which will be available once
WWMC budgets the funds
approved by the Bureau of
Primary Health Care, is a
one-time, two-year award.
“Over the next two years,
this one-time funding will
go toward our COVID
response eff orts, staff devel-
opment and the tools, equip-
ment and spaces we need,”
Powers said.
He noted that part of the
use for the money will be
expansion of services in
Joseph and Wallowa, but
the uses can be varied, and
are more than just COVID
response.
“Certainly as a health
care provider working
through a pandemic, we’ve
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been under a lot of stress and
strain, just like everybody,
we continue to adapt,” Pow-
ers said. “Here in Wallowa
County, we have done well.
Ourselves and our partners
have done a lot better than in
other places.”
Community needs, Pow-
ers said, will be heavily in
mind as staff and the volun-
teer board of directors for-
mulates a budget, which it
has to turn in by May 31 —
60 days after WWMC was
made aware of the award.
That includes “what is
needed out there (in the
community), and how do we
do things that are promot-
ing our partnerships across
the community. We don’t
want to duplicate services,”
with other providers, Powers
said. “We are working hard
to have a thoughtful process,
and we have a deadline.”
The situation is unique,
he said, in that the money
has been awarded, but the
budget needs to be provided
before it can be used.
“We certainly don’t have
it in the bank,” he said. “I
can see it in our federal grant
management system. I can
see it’s there, and once our
budget is approved we can
start spending the funds.”
Powers said that with the
money, the clinic needs “to
do things that invest in our
community.”
“It’s a lot that’s coming
rather quickly and a little bit
out of the blue. We are work-
ing hard to budget wisely,”
he said. “(The mindset is)
both recover from the pan-
demic and make sure we are
here for the long term.”
Pastor
Archie Hook
April 23rd 5:00 - 7:00 pm
You came to us five years ago as our
lay pastor, when we were struggling.
You brought us back together in unity,
bringing hope, deepening our faith, and
strengthening our church family. Most
importantly, you helped us all grow spiritually
by learning to get past ourselves.
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ter named Ice Creek. Boat
reservations and informa-
tion are available at www.
wallowalakemarina.com.
He said the park — and
all Oregon parks — are still
closely adhering to COVID-
19 guidelines set by the fed-
eral Center for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention and the
Oregon Health Authority.
Those, he said, can be sub-
ject to change.
Available at the park are:
• 121 hookup sites
(including two ADA sites).
• 88 nonhookup sites.
• Two hard-sided rustic
yurts.
• Three group tent areas.
• A hiker-biker area.
Site-specifi c alerts and
information can be found
by clicking on the site name
then scrolling to the bot-
tom of the Reserve America
website page.
Freeborn said those inter-
ested in trying for a reserva-
tion can still try to get one at
541-432-4185, ext. 26. Res-
ervations must be made one
day ahead of arrival and can
be made up to six months in
advance.
“We booked out pretty
fast,” he said.
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Join Us!
Sunday, April 25, Pastor Archie’s Last Sunday
9:30 am Last Bible Study
11:00 am Last Worship
Reception with Cake and Coffee after (noon)
All are welcome to attend the worship service, or to stop by for cake and coffee
immediately following – you do not have to be a member of the church . Covid guidelines followed
Enterprise Community
800 S. River Enterprise, OR | 541-426-9228 | www.carpetone.com
Congregational Church
“The Big Brown Church”
301 NE First St. Enterprise
For more information,
find us on Facebook
or call 541-426-3044