A8
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Joseph’s new manager has plenty of experience
Dan Larman
joined staff in July
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — Joseph’s new
city manager comes with a
host of qualifi cations for the
job, having worked with out-
going pro-tem Administrator
Brock Eckstein in Elgin for
nine years and spent most of
his adult life working in the
municipal industry.
“I’ve worked my way up.
I started at the bottom. I was
the guy shoveling stuff up
into a bucket and I’ve liter-
ally worked my way up since
then,” said Dan Larman,
during an interview Wednes-
day, Aug. 24. “I’ve han-
dled just about every aspect
there is to handle in munici-
pal work, whether it’s city or
county. I’ve always been a
public servant; I don’t see that
changing in the near future
— or even the far future.”
All that on-the-job expe-
rience, and numerous certi-
fi cations to operate munici-
pal systems earned through
continuing education “short
courses,” easily replace the
need for a college degree,
Larman said.
“I’ve been in the munici-
pal arena for 19 years, 10 of
those in management,” he
said.
Larman is a native of
Wichita, Kansas, where his
father was stationed while
in the U.S. Air Force. When
his father retired, the fam-
ily moved fi rst to Western
Washington, and then, at age
7, Larman moved with his
mother to Mount Vernon, in
the John Day Valley.
“Eastern Oregon has
always been my home,” he
said. “This area and Wallowa
County in particular is a very
desirable place to be. It’s rural
— I don’t really like the bigger
cities too much — the sense
of community is just awe-
some out here. People really
take care of their neighbors;
they care about what’s going
on in their communities.”
The single dad of three
Building Healthy Families would
like to recognize and thank all of
the volunteers who helped serve
at Summer Lunch in the Park this
year. You are greatly
appreciated!
SUMMER
LUNCH
VOLUNTEERS
Building Healthy Families
541-426-9411
oregonbhf.org
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
Dan Larman, Joseph’s new city manager, looks over his email
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, in his offi ce at Joseph City Hall. The
city council hired Larman in July.
sons sees Joseph as a great
place to continue raising his
kids.
“I have school-aged
children and the smaller,
more-rural schools give them
the opportunity to achieve
the things that they want to
achieve, more on a personal
basis,” he said.
Post-chaos Joseph
Anyone who has been
paying attention is aware that
city government in Joseph
has been anything but sedate
the past few years. When
former city Administra-
tor/Recorder Larry Braden
resigned amid accusations
that he experienced harass-
ment from the mayor and city
council in April 2021, that
set off a chain of events that
included a councilwoman
being censured, arguments
between employees and an
unrelated issue of the then-
mayor resigning because she
moved.
The council contracted
with Eckstein to serve as pro-
tem city administrator until
a permanent replacement for
Braden was found and Coun-
cilor Lisa Collier was elected
as mayor. Vacant coun-
cil seats were fi lled so that
only one vacancy remains at
present.
Now, with Larman hired
in July and most vacancies
fi lled, the city appears on
track to be fully functional.
“I did learn of and was
aware that Joseph had been
plagued with some turnover
in the past and I’m hoping
that, being in a management
position, that we can turn that
around and keep the staff that
we have,” Larman said.
He said he doesn’t feel
associated with the chaotic
nature of city government in
recent years.
“I feel that what was put
in place before I started and
I’m picking up where it was
left off ,” he said. “I will say
that the staff and the team
that was put together before
I came on is exceptional.
These people take great pride
in their jobs; they really want
to do things correctly; they
are great performers.”
Challenges ahead
Larman is aware of and
ready to take on the chal-
lenges the city faces. Coming
up are issues dealing with the
urban growth boundary and
the so-called “land swap,”
the ongoing wastewater and
water treatment projects and
the project by the Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion to upgrade city side-
walks to comply with the
Americans with Disabilities
Act.
The latter project, he said,
which will last two seasons,
bred a bit of controversy
as local merchants and the
Joseph Chamber of Com-
merce expressed concerns to
the city council that the ADA
work could disrupt the tourist
season. However, earlier this
year, the city, the chamber
and ODOT came to an agree-
ment to start work on the
outer edges of town during
the busy time of year and not
move downtown until tourist
season was winding down.
Larman said after ODOT
has to cease work this fall,
they’ll return to fi nish up in
the spring.
Hurricane Creek Grange named Distinguished Grange
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — Hurricane
Creek Grange has been rec-
ognized as a 2021-22 Dis-
tinguished Grange, by the
National Grange organization.
Grange members will
attend the 156th Annual
National Grange Convention
in Sparks, Nevada, in Novem-
ber to receive the award in
person at a special reception
for the 24 community granges
and three state granges to
receive the distinction. The
Oregon State Grange was one
of the three state granges to
also receive the Distinguished
Grange recognition.
“It will come as no sur-
G RAIN
WALLOWA COUNTY
G ROWERS
prise to people in the com-
munities where these distin-
guished granges are active
that they have qualifi ed for
such a select honor,” National
Grange President Betsy
Huber said. “While each of
our 1,500 granges across
America perform great feats
to improve their communi-
ties, these granges are an inte-
gral piece of the fabric of their
hometowns, constantly fi nd-
ing ways to improve the lives
of their neighbors and rising
to the occasion with innovat-
ing outreach.”
Hurricane Creek Grange
members said they were
proud to qualify for the award.
“We are very pleased to
be able to serve our commu-
nity in a number of ways.
Receiving the National Dis-
tinguished Grange award is
a great honor,” Grange Trea-
surer David McBride said.
“As Hurricane Creek Grange
completes 100 years of sup-
porting Wallowa County
next year, it is very impres-
sive to remember all that has
been accomplished by the
grange. We certainly look for-
ward to expanding our mem-
bership and support for the
community.”
Hurricane Creek Grange
submitted for national review
a recap of activities from July
2021 through June 2022,
including awarding $1,500
in scholarships to three grad-
uating high school seniors,
distributing dictionaries to
third grade students through-
out Wallowa County, off er-
ing a free ice cream social
in the spring and a barbecue
to the community. Hurricane
Creek Grange off ers a low-
cost breakfast monthly, and
hosts meals through Com-
munity Connection of North-
east Oregon. The Grange Hall
is off ered for public gather-
ings. Hurricane Creek Grange
members volunteer to assist
with the Eagle Cap Extreme
Dog Sled Race, Chief Joseph
Days Rodeo and the Wallowa
County Museum.
“I grew up just down the
road from Hurricane Creek
Grange and remember attend-
ing a few events when I was
a young child,” Grange mem-
ber Mary Kay Pace said.
“Fast forward, after fi nishing
a teaching career in Nevada,
my husband and I returned
home to Joseph. I joined
the grange in 2017 because
I wanted to make sure that
the beautiful old white Hur-
ricane Creek Grange con-
tinues to fl ourish and serve
the communities of Wallowa
County.”
Hurricane Creek Grange
meets on the second Tuesday
of each month at 6 p.m. in the
Grange Hall, 82930 Airport
Lane, Joseph.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
To: Wallowa County Grain Grower True Value Customers
I would like to inform all of our customers, that due to a labor shortage
with-in the True Value Store, we have decided to close the store for
business on Sundays until further notice.
This is a necessary step to help keep our current employees from
burning out. Short staff and more days worked for each of them has
been the trend for a long period. This will go into effect on Sunday
August 21st 2022. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope
that the labor pool will get better in the future.
Thank you for your understanding.
Stacy Beckman
Stacy J Beckman
General Manager
HAPPY
LABOR DAY!
Chieftain office will be closed
Sept. 5th in observance
EARLY SPACE
RESERVATION
DEADLINES
for advertising is noon Wednesday,
Aug. 31st for the Sept 7th edition. Ad copy
is due on Thursday, Sept. 1st at 10am. Ads
must becleared to print by Noon Sept. 6th.
JAC’s Innovative Sales and Marketing Solutions
Contact Jennifer Cooney TODAY!
jacs.isms@gmail.com • 541-805-9630