Learn
Painted
Sky Center
for the Arts
PAGE 4
SEPTEMBER 15–22, 2021
Read
Former Senator
writes fi rst
book
PAGE 6
Listen
Jenny
Don’t and
the Spurs
PAGE 12
WWW.GOEASTERNOREGON.COM
SAGE CENTER
ENERGIZED
THE BRICK OFFERS UNIQUE JOSEPH SENIOR PROJECT
DINING OPPORTUNITY BRINGS XC RACE TO COUNTY
BUSINESS, A6
IN GO!
$1.50
SPORTS, A9
‘Fan-favorite’
designation
energizes
SAGE Center
PAGE 8
Tammy Malgesini/EO Media Group, File
The Christmas Light Show was the only event held in 2020 at
the SAGE Center in Boardman. Now fully reopened, the facility
is resuming many activities and special event planning.
delicious.
“The food is fresh, locally sourced and unbelievably
each other or
Their IPAs are distinct and clearly not copy-cats of
Oregon
anyone else making NW IPAs.” - Yelp Review, Bend.
1219 Washington Ave • La Grande, OR 97850
www.sideabeer.com
137th Year, No. 23
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Wednesday, September 15, 2021
NEVER FORGET: IT’S BEEN
20 YEARS SINCE 9/11
Locals remember
terrorist attacks that
changed the world
Paul
Survis
Lostine
Appreciates
acceptance
in county
ENTERPRISE — Paul Survis of Los-
tine has lived in Wallowa County for 31
years, fi rst living in Joseph before set-
tling in his current home.
He and wife, Kate Barrett, have two
grown children who have moved on
from the county.
A retired employee of the U.S. Forest
Service, he worked 20 years as a silvicul-
turist for the Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest. A silviculturist studies reforesta-
tion and tree growth.
He recently shared his thoughts
about living in Wallowa County.
What’s your favorite thing
about Wallowa County?
My favorite thing is the people.
They’re amazingly acceptable toward
any type of people who come. For a
seemingly un-diverse county, they’re
extremely diverse in terms of their
acceptance of people.
Michael Foran/Contributed by Wikimedia Commons
Twenty years ago, on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the twin World Trade Center towers in New York City were brought down by airliners piloted
by Islamic terrorists. Another plane crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and another was forced down by passengers in a fi eld near
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
E
It’s been 20 years since 9/11.
How did it change your life?
Obviously, terrorism’s a big issue, but
living here in Wallowa County, it didn’t
seem to change my life. Being as isolated
as we are … I don’t think it did (change
things.)
Are you concerned about the
recent coronavirus spike?
I’m defi nitely concerned about it.
We had a handle on it for about a year.
It seemed Wallowa (County) was doing
quite well with its number of cases, and
now we’ve kind-of lost ground. My wife
and I got vaccinated — she’s high risk —
so we were concerned about the num-
ber of cases.
What do you think of govern-
ment mandates on face masks and
vaccinations?
I have no problem with that. I realize
that the argument against it is it’s a viola-
tion of your rights, but it’s not your rights
anymore when it can aff ect other peo-
ple. I’m very much in support of masks
and vaccinations.
As summer nears its end, what
was your favorite experience?
Hiking in the Eagle Caps.
What’s your advice for people
who are thinking about moving
here?
(Laughs) I understand tourism, but
it’s been about 7,000 people for I don’t
know how long and we don’t want to
see that change.
Andy Marcum/Contributed Photo
Andy Marcum of Enterprise, who served as
a military working dog handler in the U.S.
Marine Corps in Afghanistan, is seen here
with his dog Bandit. Marcum and Bandit were
among those Marines vital for the detection
of improvised explosive devices in the fi eld.
NTERPRISE — It was just over 20 years
ago — Sept. 11, 2001 — that 19 Islamic
terrorists hijacked four airliners and
crashed them into the twin World Trade
Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in
Washington, D.C., and a fi eld near Shanksville,
Pennsylvania, and changed the world forever.
According to history.com, nearly 3,000 peo-
ple died in the attacks, which triggered major
U.S. initiatives to combat terrorism and defi ned
the presidency of George W. Bush.
Most of the terrorists were Saudi Arabian
nationals trained under al-Qaida in Afghanistan
where they were sheltered by the Taliban. They
were led by Osama bin Laden, who was later
killed by a U.S. Navy Seal team in Pakistan.
The attackers smuggled box-cutters and
knives through airport security and overpow-
ered those in charge of the California-bound
planes. It is believed they used those partic-
ular planes because of the large payloads of
fuel they had for the cross-country fl ights, but
instead they became guided missiles used on
the East Coast.
According to the Washington Post last
month, after the 2001 attacks plotted by bin
Laden, President George W. Bush demanded
that the Taliban hand him over and dismantle
terrorist training camps. The Taliban had pro-
vided a safe haven for al-Qaida’s camps. When
the Taliban refused, Bush launched a campaign
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
A fl ag hangs from an Enterprise Fire Department
truck outside City Hall to remember 9/11 on
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary
of the terrorist attacks.
of U.S. airstrikes that, combined with Afghan
Northern Alliance ground forces, toppled the
Islamist regime. That began the war in Afghan-
istan that is just now winding up — America’s
longest-ever war.
Local veterans
Although Wallowa County is far from any
likely terrorist targets, the attacks still touched
people here.
Andy Marcum, who now works as the
supervisor of the Wallowa County Vegetation
Department, served as a military working dog
handler in the U.S. Marine Corps from late
2010 to spring 2011 during the U.S.’ initial push
through Sangin, Afghanistan.
See Attacks, Page A7
Shortage of employees leads to new business models
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
and ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
Editor’s Note: This is the sec-
ond in a fi ve-part series by EO
Media Group looking at the issue
of the lack of workers for jobs in
Central and Eastern Oregon —
why workers are not returning
to previously held jobs and how
businesses are pivoting to func-
tion without being fully staff ed.
LA GRANDE — Enterprise
isn’t the largest town in East-
ern Oregon, with a population of
2,052. But it’s just a few miles
from the ever-popular town of
Joseph and its vistas across Wal-
lowa Lake to the peaks of the
Eagle Cap Wilderness.
In a normal summer, Termi-
nal Gravity Brewing in Enter-
prise would be busy all days of
the week serving local, hand-
crafted beers to patrons and tra-
ditional brewpub fare. But due
to a labor shortage this summer
the company had to cut hours
during its lunch rush, and close
altogether on Tuesdays.
Natalie Millar, chief executive
offi cer of the Wallowa County
brewery, said it’s an inevitability
that they’ll have to close for even
more days as their skeleton crew
of cooks, servers and hostesses
return to school — high school,
to be exact.
“Heading into fall it is looking
like we’re going to have to cut an
additional day and probably cut
lunches,” Millar said. “It is pretty
brutal.”
Demand for restaurant meals
soared over the summer as
restrictions lifted across Oregon.
Nearly all restaurants saw a huge
uptick in customers. But where
demand reached new heights, a
new challenge appeared — staff -
ing the restaurants that have bal-
anced narrow margins and threats
of closure since the pandemic hit.
In order to keep employ-
ees from burning out, Millar cut
operating hours and closed down
the brewery on Tuesdays to keep
what employees she has from
becoming overwhelmed in an
industry well known for its high
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Mariah Davis pours an IPA for a fl ight of beers for customers at Terminal
Gravity Brewery and Pub on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Terminal Gravity
recently closed on Tuesdays following a staff shortage. Many of the kitchen
staff are high school students, who have returned to school, leaving the
Enterprise brewpub further short staff ed.
turnover rate and low wages.
“I think we’ve reached the
mindset of ‘we have what we
have,’” she said. “We’ll keep hir-
ing as much as possible, but we
need to understand that we’ve got
to adjust with what the situation
is instead of waiting for the situa-
tion to adjust itself.”
See Workers, Page A7