A group of community volunteers wanted to solve a problem: inadequate access to the second floor of a historic building, the Odd Fellows Hall, in downtown Enterprise for people with disabilities. They came up with a plan to build a ramp to provide access to the building in the adjacent alley…
Community journalism has a special place in the hearts of rural Americans. But it also plays a critical role in the identity, development, functionality and vibrancy of rural communities. And …
Or scared. My grandfather left Norway about 1900, when he was 18, following an older brother to America, because the farm had been broken up too many times and could no longer support the grow…
Oregon has both vibrant urban centers and remote rural communities. Regardless of our demography or geography, we share a common challenge: Providing access to quality behavioral health servic…
Growing older can seem less fun than it used to be. We’ve consumed our share of vitamin supplements and magic potions in an effort to stay in the game, like millions of other Americans who spe…
It was the summer of 2001 when my family moved to Wallowa County. Undoubtedly this would change my life forever. I was prepared for that.
About a month ago, on a Sunday afternoon, a carpenter named Jeremy Taylor took a back road as he drove from the gas station toward his home west of Sunriver. Jeremy lives alone, except for his…
In addition to the start of spring, and the celebration of all things Irish, March is also National Nutrition Month. It can often be difficult to separate fact from fiction in all the headline…
Fishtrap Story Lab inspires youth throughout Wallowa County to share their stories creatively, confidently, and playfully. Beginning with a focus on narrative craft, the program provides stude…
Geoff Maly, M.D., MPH, Family Physician, Winding Waters Clinic.
Let’s say you order a Reuben sandwich to go from the Range Rider Saloon. You are super-hungry at the time and busy painting trim in a living room. Hypothetically. So you bolt the sandwich but …
A few weeks after this year’s Super Bowl, it might not seem newsworthy to write about the New England Patriots winning another championship. But because I grew up in Boston during some very le…
It’s been almost 60 years since a college professor named Wheelwright suggested that we can all imagine the world as it was prior to our arrival, but cannot easily imagine the world going on a…
I noticed in an interview a question about what the interviewee had as his or her first job. This made me recall the first job I ever got paid for. I was about 5 or 6 and the neighbor was load…
Back around 2007 I made a career change. Decided it was a good time to shake things up. Do something different. Bold new vistas. Change of pace. That kind of thing. Only problem was, I didn’t …
Four months ago in Mountain Medicine, October 3, 2018, Dr. Kelsey Allen reviewed the benefits of influenza vaccination. You are far less likely to develop influenza, but if you do, you are lik…
Children with food allergies, or food sensitivities, have a harder time than other children when it comes to school celebrations. An allergy is different than a sensitivity.
If you are the mother or father of a high school athlete here in Oregon, this message is primarily for you.
As I write this column, the federal shutdown is already in its fourth week, which makes it the longest one ever. I hope by the time my column is printed, the standoff will have been resolved, …
Climate Change and Border Walls
The only thing I like about Christmas is the days have been getting longer for three or four days. The sappy Christmas stories are off the TV and horrid Christmas music is no longer cluttering…
I stopped by the Blythe Cricket last week to see just how close the new restaurant on Joseph’s main street was to a grand opening. What I got a scrumptious tease.
‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pur…
Dear objectors, interested persons, and Blue Mountains community members:
Today I made krumkake, a Norwegian goodie of butter and sugar and flour and milk. Years and years ago Grandma would send a Christmas box of Norwegian goodies — krumkake and lefse and fatiman, …
Whether they know it yet or not, golfers have some little presents waiting for them under their Christmas trees, courtesy of the United States Golf Association, the organization that governs t…
Wahl is editor of The Chieftain.
Ron Polk is Emeritus Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University lives in Lostine. He and Dr. Kelsey Allen work with local medical practitioners to produce Mountain Medicine.
Ann Bloom is a nutrition program assistant for the OSU Extension Service in Wallowa County.
Jon Rombach is a local columnist for the Chieftain.
Count every vote.
Here is a little quiz for you regarding the results of the November 2018 elections. I will ask three questions, and the answer to each question will be either Democrat or Republican.
Ellen Bishop sent me a link to a New York Times story that features Wallowa County prominently.
By Kathleen Ellyn
Politics is the icing on the new cake being baked by American women. The decline of old white men in leadership roles has been going on for years, at least since Title 9 was approved back in 1…
Thanksgiving Day is upon us once again. I have always been of the opinion that every day should be a day of Thanksgiving, but unfortunately it’s only recognized once a year.
It has been 2 years since the Presidential election. Let’s together examine how “great” our country has since become.
I am familiar with most cowboy lingo and know what the terms mean or describe. Terms like wrangler, the guy who takes care of the horse herd. Jigger Boss, second in command, reports to the cow boss.
The elections are over. Congratulations to everyone who took the time to vote and particularly those who allowed their name to be placed on the ballot. Top vote-getter or not, there are no los…
It has been a pleasure working and living in this community for many years. As health care changes, we in the healthcare field know we must make changes in how we deliver medicine based on the…
I will admit, I’m not a science person. I grew up in a small rural community where science was mostly considered anti-God, so you kept your distance.
You do not want to go left through Bedrock Rapid in the Grand Canyon. I knew this. Had been warned. Had cringed watching footage of boats that did go left and get chewed up. I knew all about n…
Occasionally, I will walk through a cemetery and examine the headstones. It’s very calming, there is not a lot happening there as a general rule.
Two things happened in our community this past week that set the conspiracy theorists’ tongues to wagging.
It was my pleasure this past week to play a small role in preparing an exposition for a Dutch military museum, Museum Militaire Traditie in Driebergen.
This column will be different. I am not going to logically discuss an issue. I am going to talk about attitudes and actions.
Do you value our Constitution? The First Amendment?
Keeping in mind that I am writing in a family-oriented newspaper, I will do my best to explain why I believe Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, rather than her alleged assailant – and our newest Supre…
Growing up, many of us were taught, “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” As a young adult, I personalized this philosophy with an internal conviction that I wanted to …
I got a message from Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash the other day. He said they were re-doing the corrals at the timed event end of the fairgrounds arena and could use some help.
In a time when just about everything is politicized and monetized, when we think of states in reds and blues, sports stadiums by their corporate names and “stars”of football, Hollywood, politi…
It’s always a mixed bag returning from a week of vacation. While it’s nice to get back in harness, it would also be nice to have another few days or even an extra week to enjoy leisure time.
With the exception of Christmas, no holiday excites children more than Halloween. They enjoy the fun of picking just the right costume, class celebrations and, of course, all that candy.
On Sept. 28, we legislators — Senator Duck included — began what might be called a preseason. The Oregon Legislature is scheduled to kick off Jan. 22, 2019.
While studying medicine in Tennessee, I worked with a group of doctors charged with managing patients sick enough to be admitted to the hospital for closer surveillance. During this time, a ro…
