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About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2021)
BUSINESS Wallowa County Chieftain A6 Wednesday, May 19, 2021 Kokanee Inn makes additions for third season BIZZ BUZZ By Bill Bradshaw J OSEPH — The Kokanee Inn in Joseph is off ering something new this summer — bike rentals and limited alcohol sales. The inn is not exactly a bed and breakfast, but the distinction is minimal. “We call ourselves an inn,” co-owner Eric Makela said. “We’re basically an inn that serves breakfast.” “This summer, we added the bike rentals,” wife and co-owner Michelle Britt said. The former Chandler’s Inn has been owned by the Makela-Britt couple since 2018. Last year, like most businesses, the inn was hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting closures. But now, Makela said, “People are starting to travel again.” The couple said that most of their customers come from the Portland area and the Willamette Val- ley, but they also draw from all over the country. Mon- day, May 17, there was a car there from south-cen- tral Idaho. He said they also get customers from as far away in this country as New York, and also have drawn an international crowd. They’ve had customers from Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Belgium. “We have such a wide variety of people. Right now, we have one couple Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain Kokanee Inn owners Eric Makela and Michelle Britt, at right, chat with customers Alan and Janice Gaylord, of Portland, after breakfast was served Monday, May 17, 2021, on the upper deck of the inn in Joseph. who are 19 and a couple on the upper deck in their 80s,” Britt said. “We have fami- lies and couples and singles and hunters and backcoun- try skiers — just across the gamut that’s really fun.” In fact, the 27-bed inn has handled quite a crowd. During one wrestling tour- nament in Joseph, a team from Portland basically fi lled in the inn, and they had to squeeze them in with a shoehorn. Fortu- nately, some of the rooms come with pull-out beds in couches, Makela said. Among the two-dozen- plus beds are suites, single rooms and those that come with their own bathrooms or share bathrooms with others. “We can mix and match,” he said. The inn also does fam- ily reunions, weddings and other events. But now, they’re getting ready to expand their off er- ings. Makela said they have 10 mountain bikes custom- ers can rent. He said that although there are bicycles for rent at the south end of Wallowa Lake, he doesn’t believe those rentals are as active and thinks the inn can off er more in the way of places to ride. As for the addition of alcohol, that’s being done on a limited basis. The Joseph City Coun- cil recently approved their application. In that application, the inn will serve mimosas — break- fast drinks of champagne and orange juice — from 7-9 a.m. and they plan a happy hour 4-6 p.m. on weekends. “We’re trying to limit it for now, because we want to see how it goes,” Makela said. Britt agreed. “We’re not trying to com- pete with anyone,” saying they will eagerly refer peo- ple to downtown establish- ments for more alcoholic off erings. “We’re trying to keep it family friendly and we realize that not every- one wants a cocktail. We & Skylight Gallery don’t want to be a drinking destination.” Although their license only allows them to serve breakfast at present, they’re investigating what they can do to expand their food off erings to go with happy hour. For now, they’re envi- sioning some sort of snacks, as well as nonalcoholic drinks. The couple has a son who lives in Enterprise, a daughter staying with them while she waits for college to resume in Michigan and two other daughters. They moved here most recently from the Boise area, after working in full- time consulting jobs devel- oping energy codes for busi- nesses. But those jobs and the inn were too much. “It’s hard to work two full-time jobs and run the inn,” Makela said. “We decided we needed a life change, so we worked our way out of the full-time jobs and are doing this full time.” The couple are fi nding their new venture satisfying. “It’s been an amazing place to open a business,” Britt said. “We get to play in the woods as much as we want and at the same time, make a living in an amazing location.” But the customers are No. 1, as any good inn- keeper knows. “We want to make sure they’re fully fed and caff ein- ated,” Makela said. ——— Bill Bradshaw is a reporter for the Wallowa County Chieftain. Have a business tip? Contact him at 541-398-5503 or bbrad- shaw@wallowa.com. Church Directory Finding books is our specialty CLUES ACROSS 1. Hot chocolate drink? 6. Breakfast dish with chopped meat 10. Furious 13. Softball misplay 14. Manuscript sheet 15. Letters in some church names 16. *Alternative to a stud (notice letters 4 to 7 in this answer) 18. Big Apple initials 19. ___ with a kiss 20. Lead-in to “girl!” 21. Watercolors and such 23. *German women’s tennis great (5 to 7) 27. Bob or bun 30. New ___, Louisiana 31. Sleep concern 32. Human rights lawyer Clooney 33. *“Creature” that makes many children laugh (5 to 9) 39. Capital west of Stockholm 40. Where Christmas lights are hung 42. Some instrumental music compositions 46. Letter flourishes 47. *Occasional residence (4 to 7) 50. Former WNBA coach Dunn 51. Beers brewed using warm fermentation 52. Delay 55. Purge (of) 56. Like many strudels, or the starred answers? 61. Wile E. Coyote’s explosive 62. Shouldered 63. Actor Keach 64. In the past 65. Wait in neutral 66. Lake vessel 5. Word after “Bay” or “gray” 6. Massive crowd 7. Comedian Wong 8. Avarice, for one 9. Monopolize 10. Chanted phrase 11. “The Joy Luck Club” author 12. They won’t keep you up at night 14. Worry 17. Plus 20. Number that only goes up 21. “Eureka!” 22. Engrossed 24. “I wanna be there!” mentality, briefly 25. Name hidden in “out of range” 26. “Maybe later” CLUES DOWN 28. Camcorder button 29. “Fifty Shades of Grey” star 1. “I’m indifferent” Johnson 2. Top Olympic prize, in Spain 32. Latin for “I love” 3. Crunchy Italian appetizer 4. Desire Joseph United Methodist Church Grace Lutheran Church 3rd & Lake St. • Joseph Pastor Cherie Dearth Worship Online Phone: 541-432-3102 409 West Main - Enterprise AND In Person For More Info Worship Online at 541-432-3102 JosephUMC.ORG JosephUMC.org SUNDAY WORSHIP at 9am Pastor Cherie Dearth Pastor John B. King Jr phone (message): 541-426-4633 web: gracelutheranenterprise.com Enterprise Christian Church St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church 85035 Joseph Hwy • (541) 426-3449 We have ‘In-person worship” @ 9:00 am (Guidelines observed) Sunday School at 10:30 Parking Lot Radio/Facebook @ 9:00 100 NE 3rd St, Enterprise NE 3rd & Main St 541-426-3439 Worship Service Sunday 9:30am David Bruce Pastor, Enterprise Christian Church Lostine Presbyterian Church Discussion Group 9:30 AM Worship Service 11:00 AM Childrens program during service Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com 34. Aspiring atty.’s exam 35. “What ___ is new?” 36. Roadwork goop 37. Scheme that makes a villain say “Mwahaha!” 38. APR-reducing loan 41. ID often assigned around birth 42. Leonidas I led its army 43. Lubricating 44. Must 45. Billboards, essentially 46. “Treat Yo’ ___” (“Parks and Recreation” catchphrase) 48. Cologne’s waterway 49. Mechanical learning 53. ___ jockey 54. Beauty supply chain 56. Org. concerned with cybercrime 57. Reel’s partner 58. Surfing destination? 59. Earth-friendly prefix 60. Turn blue, in a way 107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351 www.bookloftoregon.com Summit Church Sundays at 9:30 am and 11 am at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise. Masks are required - but made available at the door. Pastor: David Pendleton 541.398.0597 Hwy 82, Lostine www.summitchurchoregon.org Stephen Kliewer, Minister Cloverleaf Hall • 668 NW 1st St. • Enterprise, OR 97828 Wallowa Assembly of God 702 West Hwy 82 Wallowa, Oregon 541-886-8445 Sunday School • 9:am Worship Service • 10:am Pastor Tim Barton Visit Us on Seventh-Day Adventist Church & School 305 Wagner (near the Cemetery) P.O. Box N. Enterprise, OR 97828 Church 541-426-3751 School 541-426-8339 Pastor David Ballard 503-810-9886 Worship Hour 10:30 a.m. - Noon Christ Covenant Christ Covenant Church Church Pastor Terry Tollefson Church Office: 541-263-0505 Family Prayer 8:30 a.m. Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Worship 10:00 a.m. 723 College Street, Lostine Enterprise Community Congregational Church Join us at the BIG BROWN CHURCH Sunday Worship 11:00 am Sunday Worship 11:00 am Bible Studies: Bible Studies: Sundays 9:30 am & Sundays, 9:30 am & Thursdays, 5:30 pm Thursdays, 5:30 pm Led by Lay Pastor Archie Hook 301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044