BUSINESS
Wallowa County Chieftain
A6
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
Businesses optimistic in post-COVID tourism season
BIZZ
BUZZ
By Bill Bradshaw
Scarcity of labor
a challenge
for some
W
ALLOWA
COUNTY — As
the tourism sea-
son ramps up in the wake
of two years of diffi culties
caused by the COVID-19
pandemic, business owners
and others are feeling opti-
mistic — for the most part.
“The sentiment does
seem to be optimistic,”
said Jennifer Piper, exec-
utive director of the Wal-
lowa County Chamber of
Commerce in Enterprise
during an interview Thurs-
day, July 7.
Jude Graham, of the
Joseph Chamber of Com-
merce, agreed.
“I think everybody’s
optimistic,” she said. “The
tourists that are com-
ing through are having a
great time. They’re excited
about traveling again and
the businesses are excited
about the summer.”
Mike Lockhart, who is
both a business owner —
the Wallowa Lake Tram-
way — and a representative
of the Wallowa Lake Tour-
ism Association, was cau-
tiously optimistic.
“It’s really hard to say
because we’re dealing with
so many negative vari-
ables,” he said.
He said for the tram, the
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Customers enjoy the outdoor seating Thursday, July 7, 2022, at the Outlaw Restaurant in Joseph. The Outlaw is one business
that has had a hard time fi nding enough employees to serve all the customers who show up. Its owner attributes that problem
to government assistance that leads people out of the workforce.
big thing is the weather. If
it’s cloudy or smoky, vis-
ibility is down and people
can’t get a good view from
the top of Mount Howard.
But he’s optimistic it will
improve.
He said tourist accom-
modations are doing well
and visitors are staying
longer.
“That may be because
of the price of gas, but I
really don’t know,” he said.
“There’s so many things
screwed up but it’s really
hard to tell.”
One of the challenges
business owners face is a
lack of employees. During
the pandemic, state and
federal unemployment
insurance allowed people
to take time off from work.
“A lot of people quit the
labor force for the couch,”
Lockhart said. “Other peo-
ple had good reason to quit,
such as approaching retire-
ment age. This just acceler-
ated it somewhat.”
He noted that from per-
sonal observation, many
local youths don’t seem to
be working.
“But I really don’t know
what’s causing trouble with
the labor force,” he said.
Scott Rushton, co-owner
of the Outlaw Restaurant
in Joseph, said the lack of
employees is hurting his
business.
“The business is there
but there’s just no employ-
ees because of all the gov-
ernment money they’ve
been given. Nobody wants
to work,” he said, adding
that he’s only open half
days as a result and hasn’t
opened his ice cream stand.
“People are showing up
even though the gas prices
are high.”
He said he is aware of
other businesses experienc-
ing the same problem.
Graham agreed that the
government’s answer to the
pandemic of infusing com-
munities with more money
didn’t really help.
“I think it hurt,” she
& Skylight
Gallery
said. “There’s a lot of busi-
nesses looking for employ-
ees and they’re on govern-
ment assistance. Some of
that money was spent out
of the county.”
Piper noted that in addi-
tion to the labor prob-
lems, the weather has
been a challenge this year.
Although last year saw
much heat and smoke from
wildfi res, the rainy spring
and cloudy weather experi-
enced this year have been a
challenge.
While the dire fears
many business owners
expressed when the gov-
ernment shut down busi-
nesses at the start of the
pandemic in 2020 for the
most part didn’t material-
ize, other challenges such
as the labor shortage has.
“The challenges were
not so much lack of busi-
ness or a lack of custom-
ers,” Piper said. “The chal-
lenges (now are a) lack of
staffi ng … that businesses
are still facing. … It is still
a big challenge.”
Just the same, most
interviewed were hope-
ful the tourist season now
underway will be at the
very least a “leveling out
this summer, as Piper said.
Lockhart said from what
he’s heard, restaurants and
lodging establishments are
doing well.
“I look forward to the
summer and I’m very opti-
mistic that it’ll be a great
one,” Graham 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.
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CLUES ACROSS
1. “The Sweetest Taboo”
singer
5. Tallboy beer can’s capacity
9. Hen home
13. Recuperate
14. Nebraska city on the
Missouri
16. Congressional staffer
17. Messes up
18. ___ hand (advantage)
19. Huffed and puffed
20. One-dimensional
22. Donald Glover voiced him
in 2019’s “The Lion King”
24. Expense
25. Return from Osaka, say?
27. Tells off
30. Do a trucker’s job
32. Nevertheless, in texts
33. Have debt
35. Runny cheese
37. Body Snatchers, e.g.,
briefly
39. Trivial Pursuit response
41. “Such is ___”
42. Director Sam
44. Ctrl+Z
45. Like lime juice
47. WPM part
48. Some feta sources
49. Spoiled
50. Sorrow
52. Thompson of “Thor:
Ragnarok”
54. Let know
56. Chopping weapon: Var.
57. Kunal’s role in “The Big
Bang Theory”
60. Surmise
62. Vend
64. Leave, as a lover
67. Meriting VIP treatment
69. Mildew’s smell, for one
70. Solo such as “Musetta’s
Waltz”
71. Duck variety
72. Nun’s relative?
73. “I’ve ___ there ...”
74. Fender ding
75. Bits of caviar
CLUES DOWN
Joseph United
Methodist Church
Grace Lutheran
Church
3rd & Lake St. • Joseph
409 West Main - Enterprise
10 AM Worship
Online AND In Person
SUNDAY
WORSHIP
For More Info
541-432-3102
JosephUMC.ORG
at 9am
Pastor Cherie Dearth
Pastor John B. King Jr
phone (message): 541-426-4633
web: gracelutheranenterprise.com
Enterprise
Christian Church
St.
St. Patrick’s
Patrick’s
Episcopal
Church
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
Summit Church
Discussion Group 9:30 AM
Worship Service 11:00 AM
at the Cloverleaf Hall in Enterprise
Childrens program during service
Blog: dancingforth.blogspot.com
CLUES DOWN
1. Drawer alternative
2. Cliffside home
3. Start of a fatalistic saying
(In this answer, note letters 8-11)
4. Beyond that
5. Certain java (Letters 4-8)
6. Little devil
7. Preschool refreshers
8. Believer in a higher power
9. Scheming group
10. Vinegar accompaniment
11. “___ to the Mets” (Strokes song
with a poetic title)
12. Bench that may hold Bibles
15. Unqualified pro (Letters 8-10)
21. Boxer Laila
23. Godsend
26. Type of ray or blocker
28. Yoga pose demonstrated three
times in this puzzle?
29. Greta Thunberg, nationality-wise
31. Swamp plant
34. Cupid’s counterpart
35. Be a poor confidant
36. Costa ___ (Panamanian’s
neighbor)
38. Nurse a drink
40. Takes to court
43. Like a joke about jokes
46. Cry of victory
51. Lashes grow on it
53. Get, as a concept
55. Cronus or Atlas, e.g.
58. Word after “tag” or “run”
59. Obnoxious people
61. Train trip
63. Rounded roof
64. Vaccine, informally
65. Hot temper
66. Untruth
68. Base of modern society?
107 E. Main • Enterprise • 541-426-3351
www.bookloftoregon.com
Sundays at 10 am
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
Christ Covenant
Church
Pastor Terry Tollefson
Church Office: 541-263-0505
Family Prayer - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:00 AM
723 College Street, Lostine
Enterprise Community
Congregational Church
Join us at the
BIG BROWN CHURCH
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
Sunday Worship 11:00 am
Bible Study:
Sundays, 9:30 am
Worship Hour
Interim Pastor Rev Dr. Craig Pesti-Strobel
10:30 a.m. - Noon
301 NE First St. • Enterprise, OR
Find us on Facebook! 541.426.3044