Ken and Pat Stein on their wedding day 50 years ago. Contributed photo.

Ken and Pat Stein have been married 50 long years (or should I say 50 short years) and their daughter-in-law, Lynn Stein, with the help of daughters, Mollie and Sallie Tanzey, put on a celebration for them Aug. 3. More than 100 friends and relatives attended to wish them well and eat the beautiful cake that Andrea Nice of LaGrande made for them. Former resident, Rose Glaus, and her son and family, David, Mona, Durann and Grant Glaus all came over from Montana. Beverly Davidson of Pendleton and Barbara Prince (their father was Jakey Berlind) both came. Barbara was a friend of Pat’s in high school and they hadn’t seen each other since then, although Barbara recently moved back to Wallowa County. Their cousins, Allen Owens of Colorado and Gary Owens of California brought their Mom, Oneta Owens of Enterprise. There were even visitors from faraway Flora! The week before, friends and former residents Paul and Barb Kriley came to visit them from Idaho. Ken and Pat have had 50 wonderful years of marriage and enjoyed celebrating their anniversary with all their good friends and family.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Our friend and neighbor, longtime resident Slim Bronson passed away Sunday morning. We will have more about him next week.

Kate Wilde would like to thank everyone for all the flowers, gifts, cards, and phone calls she received during her illness and a thank you to the hospital personnel for the good care she received, and Joseph House for helping her. Kate says, “Bless you.”

Ken and Pat Stein would like to thank all the people who helped them celebrate their 50th and for the cards, phone calls and good wishes from everyone. A special thanks to Dan and Lynn Stein, who orchestrated the doings, and daughters, Mollie Crum and Sallie Tanzey, and Doreen Zollman, who came and helped all day. It was a fun day for all.

The 4-H and FFA kids extend a great big thank you to the buyers of their livestock at the county fair.

There is a sign-up envelope at the Imnaha Store for ordering Imnaha Canyon Day T-shirts, tank tops, hats and visors.

I am having a Pampered Chef Party at my house Tuesday, Aug.20 at 7 p.m. Come and enjoy the goodies!

BIRTHDAYS: Attendance at the monthly birthday party was scanty and the amount of cakes was abundant so everyone got to pig out! Lana Arnold brought two cakes, I brought one, and a mystery person brought one. Felicitations to Cody Vaughn, Norman Lovell, Anna Horn, Rick Moore, Clayton Lovell, Sam Loftus, Bill Bailey, and Doug Morgan. And congratulations for another year of hard-won wedded bliss to Ken and Pat Stein (50th), Bob and Doreen Zollman (46th), me and my dearly beloved (40 incredible years!), Gary and Vicki Marks, and Dan and Cynthia Warnock. And Happy Birthday to former residents Heather Tanzey, Suzy, Chris, and Willie Borgerding, John Crowder, and Gene Marr. And congrats to former residents, Gary and Ellen King and Tim and Jeannie Collins, and personal regards to Eric and Jennifer Olsen of Lostine on their anniversary.

WALLOWA COUNTY FAIR: Imnaha residents did very well at the County Fair. Kate Wilde received a ribbon for an afghan, Alice Blankenship for a flag pillow, Cynthia Warnock got Best of Show in Open Class Photography, and Barb Warnock and Bonnie and Wayne Marks got ribbons for the vegetables they entered and Barb Warnock got a blue on a lap robe. The Imnaha kids cleaned up in Fiber Arts with Christina winning a blue ribbon, BoDean Warnock a Reserve Champion and Clancy Warnock the Grand Champion and Best of Show. Christina Marks also won blue ribbons on a rope halter and a shoofly and BoDean a red for a shoofly. Their entries will go to State Fair.

In Photography they also did very well with BoDean Warnock winning Champion in Commercial Color Enlargement and a blue in Color Snapshot, Cody Lee a Reserve Champion in Color Snapshot and a blue in Commercial Color Enlargement, and Billi Guthrie not only got a blue in Color Snapshot but won Best of Show in Photography. They will all go to State Fair.

In Livestock, BoDean got to go on CallBack on Showmanship, and won blue ribbons in Showmanship and Beef Confirmation, and Clancy Warnock won Champion Junior Beef Showmanship, and a Champion in Beef Confirmation. Toviyah Lowe won blues in Swine Confirmation and Showmanship and red in Breeding Sheep Stock with her ewe and twin lambs, while Ethan Lowe won red for Swine Confirmation and Blue in Showmanship. Clayton Lowe won the Reserve Champion in Swine Showmanship for FFA.

TO AND FRO: Bonnie Mark’s brother, Dick Bondurant of Hermiston and his helper, Joe Hammer of Echo came for a visit at Don and Bonnie’s. They spent a week tearing out Bonnie’s kitchen, putting in new sub-floor (Melvin Pace of Joseph put down the new vinyl), and installed new cabinets and Formica. Everyone should have a brother like that. Joe said it was a good working vacation as he enjoyed fishing in the evenings. Norman and Arlene Lovell’s kids were here for a family campout up at Black Horse Campgrounds. Lynn, Lynn, Eleah, Paige, Collynn, and Presley Lovell of Carnation, Washington and Curtis, Jan, and Jason of Keno, Oregon joined Clayton, Jennifer, Norman and Arlene for a fun week.

Dean and Julia Woods of Baker City were here from Baker City for a visit with Jim and Janet Fields. Jeanie Botts daughter, Verna Holman, her husband Jerry, and son Jeffrey of Portland were here this week for a visit. Former resident, Nan Overall and her friend, Clint, of Portland came over for a visit with Weldon and Barb Witherrite.

LOCAL GOSSIP: You all know my brother-in-law, Jim Fields doesn’t like me to put him in the news but he has the best stories in the county. He was telling one at coffee at the men’s table this morning, so I hid behind my brother, Hal Crane, doing my sworn duty as Canyon Reporter to spy, eavesdrop and obtain information any way I can and report back to my loyal public. He spotted me and shut up. Later he started telling it again, so I crawled on my hands and knees behind the men’s chairs to get a good spot to listen. Being a sharp-eyed cowboy with a suspicious mind, he soon spotted me again. I would love to pass on the story but I only got every other word and when I transcribed my notes, it didn’t make any sense. I will try to do better next week!

Kate Wilde has been let out on parole from the Joseph House! Yes, she’s home, which made us all very happy. We have missed her smiling face. Former residents Paul and Barb Kriley attended the Idaho State Trappers Association Convention last weekend. Paul, a life-long trapper, was nominated and unanimously voted into the Idaho Trappers Hall of Fame, and a certificate of Award was given to both Paul and Barb for being Outstanding Members.

The Imnaha Rodeo Club held its monthly meeting. Most of the discussion revolved around Imnaha Canyon Day, which will be September 21st.

The other day, Fred and Anna May Warnock went huckleberry picking. They left their two dogs in the back of the pickup and when they returned to the truck, there were nine dogs! One of their dogs had seven pups while they were blithely picking huckleberries. Doug Carriger says he’s always wondered what causes that and it’s nice to discover it’s berry picking! Monday morning, the Lowe family was breathlessly awaiting the birth of a batch of kittens from Ethan’s bob-tailed cat, Two-Socks. Which reminds me of the time Doreen Zollman brought home a bob-tailed cat that had three kittens. She couldn’t figure out why the kittens weren’t bob-tailed too and Bob told her that all kittens were born with tails and after three days the tails dropped off on the bob-tailed ones. Then he went out and chopped their tails off. Bob’s niece who lives in Arizona swears that there is a nice guy inside of Bob; he just can’t seem to get out! Yeah, we know he’s in there; we get a glimpse of him every once in a while!

And that’s the news from Imnaha Canyon where there was so much news this week, you don’t get to hear me blab on about head lice and other world-shaking events!