Income tax measure faces January voters

The Oregon Legislature has agreed to place a one measure special election before voters in late January. Mail-in ballots will have to be submitted Jan. 28 for an election which, if passed, will raise the personal income tax in Oregon from nine percent to 9.5 percent. The average impact on individual taxpayers would be an additional $114 taxes paid in the course of a year.

The extra tax dollars are earmarked to go into the state’s general fund to help finance such programs as schools, the state police, the corrections division, juvenile departments and mental health.

After three years the tax measure would have generated an additional $724 million and revert back to the existing 9 percent tax.

Individuals with a taxable income of $6,450 or more would be subject to tax increase. The same would be true for couples filing joint returns with a taxable income of $12,900 or more.

Corporations would also see their rate of tax on taxable income raise from 6.6 percent to 6.93 percent.

Wallowa students perform in Baker

Five Wallowa High School students were in Baker City Nov. 11 and 12 to participate in the annual regional Honors Choir and Band workshop. Under the direction of music instructor Dane Mickelson the WHS students were Sandra Deal and Tasha Schacher on flute, Brenden Leggett on bass clarinet, Amanda Bots soprano and Bethany Robinson alto.

The youth were among some 120 choir students and 80 bands from the region who practiced all day Monday and Tuesday, then performed a public concert Tuesday night. Music students from all size schools participated.

Donations needed for annual kid’s bazaar in Wallowa

The annual Wallowa Children’s Christmas Bazaar will be held Dec. 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. in Beth Johnson’s classroom at Wallowa Grade School. Co-sponsored by parents and 4-H, this bazaar gives local children ages pre-school to junior high the opportunity to shop for inexpensive but new items to share with family and friends at Christmas. Helpful elves to assist in gift selection and gift wrapping are also available.

The success of this event is dependent on the donation of new and home made items from the public. Donations may be left at the grade school office. For more information, call the school at 886-2061, Teresa Smergut at 886-4505 or Marilyn Soares at 886-9105

Local athletes fare very well when compared scholastically

For the past few years the Dairy Farmers of Oregon group has rated high schools in Oregon academically by measuring the students in each sport with their peers according to grade point average.

The results for fall sports 2002 have recently been announced and local high schools fared well.

In the smaller schools 1A classification Wallowa’s football team generated a 3.38 GPA which was good enough to place the school fourth in the state. Wallowa’s volleyball team tied for sixth in the state with a 3.70 GPA.

In the 2A classification Joseph’s girls’ volleyball team was ranked fourth in the state with a 3.75 GPA. The Joseph boys’ football team was ranked as the ninth rated 2A school with a 3.21 GPA.

Enterprise, too, cracked the top 10 academically in both volleyball and football, earning a tie for 10th place in both categories. The EHS volleyball team tied for 10th place with Oakridge and Pilot Rock with a 3.67 GPA while the Enterprise football team chalked up a 3.19 GPA to tie for 10th with Monroe.

Clegg, Williams share final football prize

Jim Clegg of Enterprise and William E. Williams of Joseph shared the $100 in prize money for the final week of the Chieftain football contest. Both registered 12 of 15 correct guesses and received $50 for their efforts.

In the tie breaker Yale slipped by Princeton 7-3. Clegg picked Yale by the final score of 17-14 and Williams Yale by16-13.

Ten more sleuths were close to the money by picking 11 of the 15 correct guesses.

This final week of the football contest drew 41 contestants.

The Chieftain would like to thank all of the sponsors and players who participated in this year’s football contast. We hope you all had fun!